This past summer, I had the privilege of participating in the Higher Order Thinking Schools Summer Gathering. This annual event brings educators, teaching artists, and arts advocates to explore innovative ways to integrate the arts into our classrooms. One of the sessions stood out as a truly transformative experience: The ArtBag Project—Play-Based Learning for Adventurous Classrooms, led by Teaching Artist Roxy Savage.
At first glance, the setup seemed deceptively simple. Each table had bags containing everyday objects—markers, foam blocks, pipe cleaners, shoelaces, and other “wild card” items. Roxy invited us to open our bags and explore, encouraging us to engage in “serious play,” a concept central to the ArtBag Project and the broader play-based learning movement.
As Roxy explained, each object was thoughtfully chosen to help unlock creativity and encourage collaboration. She emphasized the value of “enabling constraints”—that limiting materials can inspire more remarkable ingenuity. The task was to create a sculpture that captured something meaningful to us, either personally or collectively. While we began tentatively, soon, my group was buzzing with ideas, laughing, and sharing stories as we figured out what to make of our modest supplies.
What surprised me was how quickly the room transformed from a quiet workshop into an atmosphere filled with connection, storytelling, and vulnerability. While we twisted pipe cleaners and stacked foam blocks, we shared fragments of our lives—memories of resilience, moments of joy, and the challenges we had overcome. Without realizing it, our simple sculpture became a visual metaphor for our journeys.
As we continued, I began to feel the profound power of play-based learning in action. This hands-on, open-ended exercise taught me how play can reach beyond traditional learning and ignite emotional and social connections. It created a space where we felt comfortable being our authentic selves, sharing experiences that, in another setting, might have felt too personal or too abstract. By the end of the activity, what we had created with our ArtBags was more than a sculpture—it was a testament to the strength, creativity, and humanity that each of us brought to the table.
Reflecting on this experience, I can see why play-based learning is such a valuable tool for students, teachers, and adults. Arts for Learning CT, rooted in over 30 years of the Higher Order Thinking Schools program, has long believed in the power of the arts to enhance learning. Programs like the ArtBag Project are part of our commitment to empowering educators and students to think critically, connect deeply, and explore their creative potential.
With Connecticut’s 2023 adoption of play-based learning standards for PreK-5 grade levels, we’re excited to expand these workshops statewide. By helping teachers tap into the magic of play in their classrooms, we’re offering them tools to engage students on a deeper level—academically, socially, and emotionally. The ArtBag Project, like our other offerings, is designed to meet curriculum goals and foster joy and community within classrooms.
As we left the workshop, each of us carrying a renewed sense of purpose, Roxy reminded us of something that I believe will resonate with every educator: “Learning and teaching through the lens of art and play thrive on our ability to embrace uncertainty and experience the joy of the journey.” It was a powerful reminder that the most impactful learning often comes from those moments of discovery, openness, and collaboration.
The ArtBag Project workshop inspired me to think differently about the tools we use in education and to reimagine the classroom as a space where every object, activity, and conversation can be a gateway to connection and learning. I’m thrilled to bring this sense of possibility into our work with schools, knowing that when we embrace play, we’re opening doors to new ways of thinking, relating, and growing.
As we roll out the ArtBag Project and other play-based workshops in the coming months, I look forward to seeing how teachers and students discover the unexpected power of play and creativity. This summer’s experience wasn’t just a workshop but a reminder of our boundless potential to make learning joyful, meaningful, and truly adventurous.
Jed Kornbluh, AFLCT Director of Business Development