How

 to  communicate  ‘Learning  

Through  Play’  through  Par7cipatory  
ways  in  an  Exhibi7on  format?  
By  Anthea  Moys  
 Why?  
One  of  the  main  aims  of  the  LEGO  Founda3on  is  
to  build  a  future  where  Learning  Through  Play  
empowers  children  to  be  Life  Long  Learners.  
 
Important  to  communicate  this  knowledge  to  
people  (grandparents,  parents,  educators,  
children,  LEGO  staff  and  employees,  everyone!)  
in  an  accessible,  par3cipatory  way.    
 
 Learning  Through  Play    
Learning  is  DYNAMIC!  
•  Joyful:  children  learn  best  when  the  experience  is  
joyful,  when  there  is  an  element  of  surprise!  
•  Meaningful:  deep  learning  must  extend  BEYOND  
THE  FACTS  to  conceptual  &  emo3onal  
understanding    
•  Socially  Interac9ve:  develops  cri3cal  thinking  –  
esp  in  groups  
•  Itera9ve:  encourages  AGENCY  –  an  explora3ve,  
adventurous  and  CURIOUS  aXtude  to  life  
•  Ac9vely  Engaging:  Hands  on!  Minds  on!  –  to  be  
immersed  in  the  ac3vity  –  cri3cal:  self  directed  
and  discovery-­‐based  
 Some  characteris3cs  of  Play…  
•  Ambiguous:  the  very  nature  of  play  is  that  it  is  
ambiguous  –  it  is  not  ONE  thing  
•  Diverse:  play  means  many  different  things  to  
many  different  people,  there  are  many  ways  to  
play  
•  Ins3lls  a  sense  of  Agency:  the  amount  of  agency  
is  dependent  on  the  invita3on  –the  more  open-­‐
ended  the  invita3on  the  more  room  there  is  for  
agency  and  thus,  diversity.    
•  Is  Playful!:  it  is  FUN!  It  is  autotelic  –  play  always  
has  a  purpose.  The  purpose  of  play  is  to  become  
more  playful!  
“These  five  
characteris7cs  –  
they  are  important  
to  EMBODY  and  DO  
–  as  a  prac7ce.  It’s  
not  about  learning  
about  facts.  It’s  
about  strengthening  
these  skills  within  
yourself  through  an  
experience  where  
you  are  using  those  
skills”    -­‐  Liam  Nilsen  
from  the  LEGO  Idea  
Studio    
 PLACES  VISITED:  
 COPENHAGEN:     AARHUS:  
•  SMK  Na3onal  Gallery  of   •  Kunsthalle  
Denmark  
•  Architecture  Gallery  of   •  Moesgaard  Museum    
Denmark  
•  Medical  Museum   LONDON:  
•  Experimentarium  
•  South  Bank  Centre  –  
•  AFUK  –  Academy  For   Darkness  is  Visible  
Untamed  Krea3vity  
•  Charlo]enborg  Museum  for   Exhibi3on  &  Swing  Dancing  
Kunst   •  Tate  Modern  –  Performer  
  Par3cipant  Exhibi3on  
VEJLE:   •  Na3onal  Science  Museum  
•  Økolariat  –  science  museum  
•  Spinderihallerne  Vejle  
Museum  
 PARTICIPATION  
Possible  reasons  why  ppl  say   Possible  reasons  why  ppl  say  “No  
“YES!/Why  not?”   thanks!”  
•  To  learn  something  new   •  Don’t  have  the  3me  
•  Meet  new  people   •  Invita3on  is  unclear/scary  
•  Have  a  fun/surprising  
experience   •  Afraid  of  unknowns  
•  To  contribute/help  others   •  Totally  out  of  their  comfort  
•  To  feel  like  they  are  part  of   zone  –  no  connec3on  to  
something  bigger  than  them   their  world  at  all  
•  To  belong,  be  on  a  team   •  Unsafe/harmful?    
•  To  leave  their  mark  
•  Fearful  that  they  will  look  
•  Pure  curiosity  
foolish  
•  To  watch  others    
 Anthea Moys vs MARU Football Club, 2013
As part of Anthea Moys vs The City of Grahamstown
At half time a team from the audience was formed
and they ran on the field to help me.
We still lost to MARU Football Club, but the team expanded!
Un3tled  (Big  Clay  #3),  2008–2011  
aluminum  cas3ng  with  an  inner  chromium  steel  framework,  1030  cm  high  
“We don’t teach uncertainty in schools. It should be the
absolute bedrock of what we teach children – how we come
to know and how we describe reality. In fact, we teach the
exact opposite.’

-  Adam Ruthford, science writer & Rufus Hound, comedian

-  From the LEGO Foundation’s white paper on Learning through Play
When you teach someone something you rob them of
the opportunity to discover it…
 So… how to create a space that
successfully communicates the
science of LTP in a participatory way
that still stays true to the wildly
ambiguous and fantastically diverse
nature of play?!