I observed all three age groups, for the younger ones it was less free play and more circle activities. Speaking to the circle first, it was very clear that songs and dances catch attention quickly. At almost any silent point in the circle, kids would be distracted instantly. However, during song times, all eyes were on the teacher as the kids followed along to the words and movements to varying degrees of success.

For free play, my notes mainly come from the kindergarteners and then the playground at the end. With the kindergarteners, it was clear that there was a cognitive change where the classmates would play together, rather than individually. Unfortunately, group play often came with friction, as classmates were left out, ignored, or excluded. I saw a particular amount of ignoring in a turn-based board game and exclusion in building a train set.

I think my takeaways from watching the group play would be that a game must have a concurrent play, equal footing, and be easy to enter and exit without disrupting the game. This pushes me towards ideas that involve collaboration rather than competition, where the game becomes easier with more people, encourage inclusivity.

My takeaways from observing the younger age groups would be that lights and colors attract attention, while testing mimicry abilities retains attention.