How do we create the conditions for joy and discovery?

A visit to a CMU game-design class and our thoughts about open-ended play.

Earlier this summer, I was approached by Jess Hammer, Director of The Center for Transformational Play at CMU, about partnering with her game design class to solve a problem related to our work in open-ended play. I immediately said yes and was asked by Jess to visit her game design class to answer questions about what I have seen and learned regarding open-ended play with young children, in all settings, both in and out of school. When I visited the game design class at Carnegie Mellon, I was struck by the students’ curiosity and thoughtfulness. The students’ questions about creativity, agency, and play inspired my own reflection, and since I agreed to answer some of these additional questions, I thought I would share my responses here. Their curiosity and care reminded me that whether we’re designing games, classrooms, or professional learning experiences, we’re all asking: How do we create the conditions for joy and discovery?