We have been working with an organisation called Coney, to develop tools and activities for children to use as part of gathering research for The Knee High project. Tassos Steven’s, the co-director of Coney and expert in play, learning, and psychology, writes about the work they have been doing below.
“As part of the Knee High Project work, Coney have been involved in designing an ‘adventure in research’, named after theadventures in learning that we have have been developing for classrooms . It was inspired by the ‘The Selfish Giant’ and presented to a primary schools as a real story: Albert Dedalus, is developing prototypes for ‘perfect robot children’ on a remote Scottish island.
Albert’s son Tom is trying to change his Dad’s mind by proving the brilliance of real human kids, who have their ups and downs, make mistakes, are playful and silly: these qualities are what make them brilliant. He’s gone back to his own primary school to ask for help from experts in the brilliance of real human kids. Their mission: to gather evidence documenting the daily life of a Real Human Kid, played by their younger brother or sister if they have one, their own remembered younger self if not. Tom delivers them cardboard boxes each brimming with creative goodies to help.
So on Monday I went back to our first school with Tom Dedalus. They’d brought back their decorated boxes; maps of their neighbourhood as seen by a Real Human Kid; paper plates collaged with their favourite meals; a scrapbook (beautifully designed by Tanya Dean) which framed responses to daily challenges. We chatted and learnt about many things including sausages, silly voices, and a sister who’s only naughty on Wednesdays.
Tom Dedalus visits his Dad on Boxing Day. But if he can’t convince Albert, then perhaps the class will pretend to be venture capitalists and lure Albert to their school to present him with incontrovertible evidence of the brilliance of real human kids. I’d bet on it.”