08/13/2026
I was taking my dogs out for a walk the other day when we stopped to watch two chipmunks vibrating with delight as they chased each other across the road, up a tree, down a tree, and then back again. And I swear, the dogs were too jealous to remember that they were watching chipmunk-shaped snacks.
We walked on and saw three brothers playing basketball in the driveway—90 percent squeals, 10 percent dribbling—and farther still, a little boy drawing on the street with chalk as he sang quietly to himself, his sister spinning herself in dizzying circles on a tire swing nearby.
When we arrived at a place where I could let the pups off their leads, they dove through the field and into the woods, chasing each other in ecstatic spirals until their tongues lolled and their geriatric joints ached.
Animals and children at play. A street alive with pleasure.
Now answer this question, and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t have an immediate response. If I were to ask you, “what do you do for fun?” instead of “what do you do?”, would you have an answer?
➡️ Curious? Read more of “Becoming Ludic” on The Connected Classroom Substack. Link in bio.
