WILD CHILD: Don't Pop The Bubble
Has this happened to you? Your child is doing something adorable. You pull out your camera. POP. They immediately stop to look at you, and the moment is broken.
Or maybe you have experienced this one. Your child is playing with something. They are focusing and being deliberate. So you move closer to see what they are doing. POP. They immediately stop or change the play.
Or how about this one. Your child is playing with a toy and chattering to themselves. They look over and hold out the toy for you to see. You step closer and join the magical play world they have created.
I have definitely experienced all three of those scenarios. So what’s the difference?
In the last example the child invited you into their play bubble. In the first two examples, when you tried to join, the bubble burst. That’s the secret. You can only enter if you are invited.
A play bubble is a magical and imaginary space created by your child or even a group of children. The bubble forms as your child chooses how they want to play, what they want to play with, and who is part of their play. The bubble is magical. You cannot see it. You cannot create it for them. Only the playing child can create it as they choose their play. But inside that bubble, the child learns deeply. They explore, they are engaged, and they are in control.
Most importantly, the bubble is fragile. If you try to enter that magical bubble without an invitation (to take a picture or join the play), it POPs. But if you wait for an invitation, it can be verbal “play with me”, or silent (a look or held out toy), then you can step in and join the magic. Those moments are some of my favourite times of playing with children - when I am invited to enter the bubble, and they include me in their play at that moment.
Depending on the age of your child, the invitation to enter the bubble might be to join the play or just to witness the magic. As parents and caregivers, we have to become experts at knowing ‘is this an opportunity to join the play?’ or ‘are they just asking me to witness the fun, to encourage, and then to leave the bubble?’
What happens if you miss the invitation? Then you wont be able to enter the bubble. That opportunity is gone, and you will have to wait for the next quiet invitation.
We won’t always be able to respond to those invites. Multiple children, dinner, and so many adult distractions make it hard. But if you can, next time you see your child engaged, and they invite you to join, pause and enter their magical play bubble. It will be a few minutes of time in your day, but it will be a memory that lasts.
Written by Tandy Morton, WILD CHILD Outdoor Playgroup Facilitator