in the past year, aroundsquare has donated nearly a thousand sets of goodwood deconstruction blocks to small community-based kindergartens in egypt.  egypt is going through a transition, and play has a purpose in that transition.

one of the cornerstones of democracy is a citizenry which is engaged and ready to take on the responsibilities that democratic governance demands.  as a proponent of real creative play in early childhood, i want to highlight the connection.  it's essentially about the way in which a person positions him or herself in relation to the world.  it is about learning to engage with the world around us, about gaining a sense of self-efficacy and empowerment, a sense that our actions make a difference.

the types of activities which young children take up do a lot more than what they appear