Creating the Conditions for “Flow”

Have you ever experienced a time when you’ve been so deeply immersed in an activity that you were not aware of the passage of time? When you lost all self-consciousness and were entirely focused on what was in front of you?

That pleasurable state of pure engagement might have happened when you were paddling a canoe, riding a bicycle, walking in a forest or in a new city, or doing another physical activity. Or maybe it was when you were painting, writing, playing a musical instrument, or doing a favorite hand-craft – a creative pursuit.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a Hungarian American researcher in the field of psychology, named this state of deep engagement “flow.” When we are in the state of “flow,” we are intrinsically motivated; we find the activity rewarding simply by doing it. We tap into our creative potential and feel free to experiment, resulting in new learning. Entering that state of deep focus also boosts one’s happiness.

Teachers at All Seasons strive to create the conditions in which children can enter that “flow” state. One of the most important elements is time. Given long uninterrupted stretches of time, children naturally dive deeply into imaginative play. They design and build cities with blocks. They animate stuffed animals or dolls. They “become” characters who live in the stick houses in the woods. They create stories, sing spontaneous made-up songs, paint expressively with their fingers, hands, arms, or their whole bodies. It happens sometimes in the art studio when children are so intensely focused on interacting with the materials in front of them – such as paint, clay, or other open-ended materials - that they don’t even talk much. And it’s so pleasurable that they don’t want to stop!

 When All Seasons calls ourselves a “play-based preschool,” this is what we’re hoping to foster. By offering abundant time, space, few interruptions, simple but rich materials, and a safe, supportive community with freedom to choose their activities, children can dive deeply into their play. It’s a satisfying experience, sparking new ideas, inventiveness and, often connections with others who are also deeply engaged. For young children, and maybe for all of us, this is the essence of learning.