For example, as a Playologist, I can’t approach a child, say that I want to help them learn, and begin lecturing on the difference between fruits and vegetables (trust me, I tried it). Instead, you need to play around with blocks or a toy cash machine until children come up to you.
Even without wearing the costume of Clifford, the big red dog, I discovered I can be a frightening person to 4-year-olds. But once the ice is broken, and the child isn't running to his or her mother in fear, you can begin to ask questions.
“What’s that you’re playing with?”
“What color is it?”
“Is that your favorite color?”
“What else shares the same color?”
Sometimes, youth volunteers can start their own program or projects. I wanted to read to children in the company of a pet therapy dog named Sadie on Friday. But instead of telling children it was story time, I gave them and their parents the heads up: “We will be having story time in 10 minutes.”
When children came to me for story time on their own or supported by their parents, we could be engaged without all the fear or ice-breaking.
I had to hand it for Sadie the dog. She may have been my most attentive listener.
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