How many conferences and events have been lost to lockdown during Covid-19? At the start of the year, we were really looking forward to attending events in the UK and abroad – the most anticipated being the Basque country and Zagreb. Why do we enjoy these events? Obviously, there are the opportunities to:
- travel and immerse ourselves in different cultures
- share our innovation
- learn from researchers and practitioners in the area of PAL (Physically Active Learning)
Normally, quality conversations occur during the breaks – in addition to the keynotes and workshops. With travel restrictions in place, the usual coffee conversations have been taking place during online chats, whether they be on Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams or Google Hangouts. Many of these conversations have been with people we would never have had the opportunity to connect with.
Welcome to playmeo
As to who these people are and which innovations they represent, the list is impressive. First up in the series of our Covid Coffee Conversations is the irrepressible Mark Collard from playmeo. We were initially signposted to Australian-based playmeo during a webinar held by our friends at Finnish Schools on the Move. See, the global education community really is a small place – especially where PAL and Play are connected.
As you can imagine from their name, playmeo are focussed on play – some would say obsessed by it. Like Tagtiv8, people have to ‘see it to get it’. With this in mind, check out this playmeo video, which explains the 7 key principles of play.
The activities featured in the playmeo database equip educators with hundreds and hundreds of quick & simple activities that will invite students to play, have fun, interact, share and build trust. Consequently, the activities can impact:
- directly on curriculum outcomes
- indirectly to engage students in their learning and connect more meaningfully with one another
The activities work – and play- across all age ranges. We love the fact that playmeo even has a ‘Top 10’ based on feedback rather than record sales. (Editor’s Note: Showing our age here – we mean downloads). Obviously, most schools are concerned with returning safely post-Covid and playmeo have worked tirelessly to create new content – as well as modifying existing games.
Looking Ahead
Playmeo offers loads of freebies and the boarding process is slick. If you are like us, you will love what you see. We have already signed up. Why? We love mashing playmeo activities with our own Tagtiv8 games – hey’ it’s all about creativity! And – top secret – you get a 30% discount off any annual subscription by using this code – ‘MOVELEARN’.
If you have any questions, just give Mark a shout – hello@playmeo.com. His enthusiasm is infectious – in a good way.
Enjoy being playful…