The Professor loved her jumper? She couldn't help but beamed. "Thanks, Professor. It's my favorite muggle football club. The best one in England." She said and slightly gave an eye to Henric since he's a fan of united. Maybe Professor Moxley followed football too?

And once the class had started, the young lioness listened to the Professor. She also listened to the students' answers. Playing pretend, dolls, video games... Blah, that's boring. She raised her hand and gave her answer. "I love to play hide and seek inside the house, Professor. And sometimes I love to go outside, enjoy the rain and play!" Yeah, it didn't matter if it's raining outside, Ava loves to go out and enjoys the rain.

Whut exactly was that Yoongi was doing? LOL! Adi laughed at his friend's antics, amused. Yeah, he saw you, pretty boy! "Hey, Polly- cracker!'' he then called to his Puffer friend when she greeted him. And there was the guy bestie with his happy face sticker. Adi smirked. Yep, one could say he was happy these days. "Heya, Benny! Nope, I don't think so,'' he replied, playing along as the other guy took a seat.
....................

Awesome!

Class was getting started! Adi settled himself more comfortably on the couch. Soooo, hobbies, huh? What did the tiny yet handsome and cute Adi like to do when he was smaller? A whole lot of things, actually. They included some of the things his classmates had listed. Mhmm. After a few moments, he raised his hand soon after Caleb because the Slytherin had reminded him of the activities he used to do. "Dress up as a Superhero and pretend to be saving everyone from everyday dangers.'' Haha. Yeaaah, he used to do that.

Not long after Candice took a seat, the class started. Finally.

The Professor started talking about pastime. Hobbies. Levels? Pastime also have levels. She never heard about that. What do you know, you always learn something new in class. And then the first question happened. Someone mentioned mattress surf. OH! that's sound fun.

"Play dead, Professor." Or napping. Its a good hobby that would help the little monster passed the time. Now, can they play dead too?

Other than seeing the kids react to whatever activity she’d planned out, Moxley always enjoyed hearing their take on the subjects they were discussing. For instance, you could learn a lot about a child by their preference in pastimes. Some favored imagination while others went the more physical route, opting to be active. Either way, the muggle studies professor was listening intently as the answers came in, grouping the answers that fit into categories and making sure they were all listed on the white board for note taking purposes.

Well, this seemed to be quite the popular pastime among the members of this class. ”Unfortunately, we won’t be mattress surfing today. Still, this is a fun way to pass the time, as long as it’s done safely. Plus you have everything you need to do this activity right in your home. Good.”

Speaking of having everything you needed right in your home, Zeke offered something else that fit into that category. Yes, more categories, sorry. ”Building couch and blanket forts are quite popular, yes! Ambitious kiddos might even draw out their plans, then construct the fort, and use it for imaginative play!” So yes,that was a very good answer. Double thumbs up.



Speaking of drawing, the arts were another good way to pass a rainy day stuck in the house. ”Great thinking, ladies! Making art in many different forms is a wonderful way to pass the time and it can occupy children and adults of all ages.” You didn’t even have to be good at art to enjoy it! Take Moxley, for example…

”Great addition to our list, Hady.” Moxley gave the Slytherin a smile. ”Dancing is a fun and easy way to pass the time, while also burning off the excess energy little kids might have and keeping them healthy!” Exercise, you know.



Surprise, surpise, Moxley had quite the extensive porcelain doll collection at home. Her husband was always saying how creepy they were but ehh, they were too adorable to pass up! ”Toys of all kinds are great for occupying young children who’re looking for something to do. Many of these toys require using your imagination, too, which is important for a child’s development.” And lead into the next group of pastime suggestions she’d received!


”When children tap into their imaginations, they can make even the most ordinary objects seem extraordinary.” She smiled big, particularly pleased with Phillip’s suggestion for reasons the class would find out shortly. ”So whether you’re alone, with family, or with friends, there’s always fun to be had. Good suggestions, you lot.” Double thumbs up from the Moxinator.

”That’s a great point, Caleb.” Moxley nodded in agreement. ”Reading comics not only falls under the hobby of reading, which is educational, but also opens the door to the hobby of collecting. Good.”



Games, yes. Moxley had been expecting most students to mention some sort of game, as those type of activities always seemed to occupy her own daughter when she’d been really young. ”Games are great in that they come in many forms, allowing you to play in large and small spaces and alone or with friends.” Another benefit of games. ”There’s also the fact that games teach children about taking turns, as well as following the rules, so they can be beneficial in that way, too. Great answers, everyone!”

After making sure all the notes were updated, Moxley focused her attention back on the group.

”Going back to imaginative play, let’s consider what I said about it being important to a child’s development. All kids play pretend at some time or another. Whether you’re living in a magical or muggle community, this kind of pastime is easy to do in any space and is fun for kids of all ages.” Easy enough to understand, yes? ”Can anyone tell me what kinds of skills kids are gaining when they play pretend that might benefit them later on in their lives?”

All of the other answers sounded like fun things to do as well. Olly wondered what exactly professor Moxley had in mind for the lesson. It was likely that they were going to be doing one of the activities mentioned, but which one? Drawing? Playing a game? Playing pretend? That one seemed more likely when her next question focused on it. And it was one that Olly himself had suggested. Ah yes, he was so good at Muggle Studies. He raised his hand to answer the next question.

"When kids play pretend they use their imagination, and that's something important that they need later in life." Was it like, practice makes perfect? Or better? If someone didn't use their imagination a lot did that mean that they wouldn't be as good at using it later? Whatever. He continued with his answer. "They might need it every day depending on what kind of job they have, like an actor. Or an architect. And everybody needs their imagination to solve some problems."

Imagination was cool, kids.

Sophie had been quite for the first few questions Professor Moxley had asked, preferring to listen and copy down everything that was said. Muggle studies was easy enough- her mum was a muggle! But it was always a nice perspective to learn about it in class as well.

"When children are playing pretend, they are using social skills which will continue to develop for their entire lives. Their vocabulary expands and improves and they're figuring out how to string words and sentences together. In addition, they're tapping into their emotions. Say they're pretending to be a Super hero! That will boost their self esteem and confidence." Sophie smiled at the Professor, and kept her pen poised to continue with her notes.

Pleased that she had given a good answer to the first question, Paulina tried to think of what skills children would gain from imaginative play. She thought about her own childhood and the different ways she had benefited from artwork and playing house.

Raising her hand she said, "it helps them to build creativity which comes in handy later on. The creativity can be used for writing and other art forms - like pottery - for example. There are loads of things that people can do with creativity. They can even invent things!" Did she need to elaborate further?

Hold the phone. Were they really going to learn about imaginative play? Really truly? BEST. DAY. EVER. Feeling much more awake then she had been feeling before, Norah put her hand up in the air. Imaginative play was all the good things. All of 'em. "Imaginative play is the best 'cause it's FUN and at the same time it teaches loads of good things like how to solve problems creatively and use your brain in different ways. Plus it's good to pretend to be somebody or something else sometimes so you can be better and compassion stuff and putting yourselves in other people's shoes." Compassion was the OTHER best thing ever. Oh yeah.

Oh yeah, imagination. Davie had lots of good imagination. Just look at him right now, imagining that he wasn't handcuffed to Blaise! SUCH a great imagination he had.

He also had a great sense of sarcasm developing. Was the Ravenclaw angst getting to him already? The eleven-year-old raised his hand anyway--- his left hand, mind you, because he wasn't about to raise Blaise's hand and have Gryffindor win any points. No thank you.

"Imaginative play allows kids to experience adult scenarios in a safe way. Like pretending to brew a potion only with fake ingredients, so if it blows up, it won't melt your face off."

Just as an example. Not that Davie was thinking of anyone whose face he'd want to melt off or anything...coughBlaisecough...

Angel looked at the Professor and raised her hand once the question had been asked. "Professor, I think that it helps us improve on how we see things, like in some cases due to our imagination we can imagine what this castle is hiding." Angel loved exploring the castle and she was glad of her imagination.

David Four Eyes Truebridge was not gonna make him enjoy this class any less. While he could sulk through everything else being attached to the Ravenclaw, this was Muggle Studies, therefore he didn't even know the boy existed despite him being attached to his arm the way he was.

See the BRIGHT expression on his face and the way he clung to the Professor's every word? It was like he was his own person again, instead of being a part of a whole. Earlier happily bounding into the room, it didn't occur to him or maybe it did how uncomfortable the other boy might have been. Just one happy Gryffindor. Wasn't Davie lucky they didn't have Charms today?? The boy would have made a skipper out of him yet then they could BOTH be on Academic Probation. Fun.

"Imaginative play's super important 'cause then when they get older they already know how to look at things differently and think outside the box from the ordinary. Lots of people prefer someone who's original and outside the box because they usually have all the good ideas and bring all the best business."

So his sister could keep having tea parties and he would continue drinking the tea their mum made and pretending he was having fun. SUCH a good big brother.

See he was right. Forts were great. At least he'd had that much experience.

He continued to listen to the other responses, though he did tune out occasionally, lost in thoughts about the various activities that had been raised. So many options, and so many that didn't apply to him. He really had missed out...

But then before he knew it, there was another question... all developmental things. What was he? A psych? No. A teacher? No... he didn't care to analyse activities for their educational/developmental purposes. He just liked to DO.

Nevertheless, he DID have an opinion to share. Hand up in the air, he waited to be called on.

"You can learn a lot about yourself, Professor, in what you like and don't like, and how you react to different scenarios and things... like, you can identify strengths and weaknesses in how you communicate or things that you can do physically and things that you can't." It was all trial and error basically, through acting, playing. His favourite character to play had always been the thief, or criminal mastermind. But he never did succeed with his heist.

Henric noticed two first years being handcuffed together and he was curious to know what was all that about.The ravenclaw he recognised was definitely the son of their ex-headmistress Truebridge and the other gryffindor boy was...umm...what was his name again? He always had his flying notepad and quill floating around him.It was odd. Were they being punished for not getting along or something? How unfortunate...but effective if they were.

Back to the lesson, he raised up his hand,"Professor, I think its a good way to develop their early cognitive and social skills. Imaginative play also helps expand their creativity mindset by engaging them to speak more freely. I guess help them be open to new ideas, in turn improving their communication skills and problem-solving."

Wait a minute, were Blaise and the Truebridge kid connected by wrist? Eeeeeeeeer? He'd have to ask Flamsteed about that 'cause what the heck? Like Zander liked Sophie Brown a whole heck of a lot, but he wasn't about to attach himself to her. Weird. Merlin, the first years were getting stranger and stranger every time.

Though um, anyways.

Imagination. There were a lot of things to say about imagination and even that took a lot of imagination. Ha. See what he did there? No? Um. Anyways. He liked all the answers about creativity, though. But he couldn't really expand on any of that without being to repetitive, so instead he chose to simply stay quiet.

But head nodding was happening. And loads of it too.

Janelle listened as her classmates talked about different pastimes. They all sounded like fun things to do on a rainy day. When the second question was posed, Janelle thought about it for a moment. What skill could kids get from pretending? Finally she raised her hand and waited for her turn to answer.

"When a kid plays make believe, they use their imagination. When you use your imagination, you learn how to be creative and that can help you in a lot of ways. You can come up with new and original ideas......write stories, be an actor, know how to entertain other people and yourself. If you are creative and have a good imagination, you'll never be bored."

Hmm, what did imaginative play give kids? Besides creativity of course, since that was the obvious answer. Caleb tapped his chin a few times before raising his hand to answer.

"It teaches you to be resourceful. When kids are playing make believe they often use household items to be props. Like, one time, I had one of those...muggle toys where there's a t-rex head on the end of a stick, and the other end has a handle that makes its mouth open and close...and I used it as a paddle while I was sitting on a beanbag chair pretending I was paddling down a river in a canoe," he said, not even hesitating about sharing that slightly strange story with the class.

ACTUALLY, he was acting out the Disney classic "Pocahontas" and singing along, making up most of the words as he went, but he of course was not going to share THAT.

"So basically, you learn how to think outside the box not only with your imagination, but with physical items too, so if you ever need to Macgyver something out of whatever you have in front of you, you're trained to do so," he added.

That was the term, right? Macgyver? He had no idea what it meant but he was pretty sure that was the word. His Uncle Ben used it a lot. She was the Muggle Studies professor, she'd get what he was going for...

That was an interesting question, and Evie felt like most people had similar answers to what she was thinking at first. Though, there was another though forming in her head and she was trying to figure out how to word it. Hmm...

"I think, also," she began after raising her hand, "that letting your imagination loose lets your brain open to new ideas that may not even be yours. So, when you grow up, you're more open-minded and can see how other people's imaginations and ideas let them to where they are and you can be more accepting of other people's ideas, too. I think if you don't have that sort of creativity or imagination in your brain, then you might have a hard time seeing more than one answer to a question..." And she stopped there because she was kind of rambling, but it made sense, right?

Such awesome answers from the lot of them, weren't they? Adi made a list of them as they were given after his (since that's when he had started making the list). Okay, so onto the next question!

Adi thought about that answer as others started giving theirs. Most of the answers seemed to be focused on creativity so he opted to go for something in a different direction. His hand up, he supplied, ''Confidence, Professor. Pretending to be someone or something else could build that up. Especially if they were pretending to be their heroes.'' Mhmmm.

This whole conversation? Sophie Brown loved it. It was fun, it was creative, it made them think - and everyone had LOADS of fun answers regarding how it prepared kids for the future, so many that by the time there was a gap in the conversation and no one else was answering so she could have offered something up, Soph didn't have anything original to offer up at all.

Still, Soph took a few notes, jotting down her peers' original ideas like the building of imagination, social skills, creativity, problem-solving, and how to get along with others. When she was finished, she shot a sideways smile over at Zander, who was also opting to remain quiet for this one. He was so cute, wasn't he? Nodding his head along to let Moxley know he was paying attention. Way too precious, and she decided then and there that she needed to teach him that less was more. The less he tried to work his way into Moxley's heart, THE MORE HE WOULD.

Just like she successfully had.

Wait. Hold up. Was her eyes playing tricks on her? She just saw two first year being handcuff to each other. That was real right? She didn't imagine that thing, right? And top of that one of them was a Gryffindor. Blaise. That's his name if she's not mistaken. And the other one was the son of the previous Headmistress, no? She wondered what happened that made them being handcuff to each other?

Okay. Back to the lesson, Candice!

Imaginative plays gave kids a lot of things. And her classmate already mentioned some of it. She raised her hand up in the air and waited till her turn to answer. "Language development, Professor. Imaginative plays requires little kids to invent scenarios and tell stories." She paused for a moment before continue "Since almost all the kids narrate their imaginative plays, they try to train their minds to transform ideas into words." More or less.

So today they're gonna talk about imaginative play? To be honest, Ava didn't really enjoy playing pretend when she was little. Most of her childhood friends were boys who loved to play outside, or video games. Playing pretend was like... girls game and she's lack of girls friends so that's why she grew up being a tomboy. And not to mention she has two brothers that was very close with her rather than a sister that she rarely met.

"I think it also develop body language skills, Professor." The young lioness raised her hands. "Because... playing pretend is like... an acting, And I remembered my drama teacher in muggle school said that to be a great actor or actress, we need to practice our body language." Was that make sense?

There wasn't much left to say by the time Hady's turn came around to answer. Everyone had given all the replies that she would've given. So rather then say anything she took to taking down some notes while remaining quiet for the time being.

Tucking some hair behind her ear she glanced upwards at those speaking before once more continuing to take some more notes. This was a decent sized list. It was making her wonder what they would be doing today.

Phillip WOULD have been paying attention to other people's answers but, instead, he was curiously watching Blaise having to put up with the other kid over there. That familiar looking guy didn't look happy at ALL. In fact, next to Blaise's beaming face -- WHY did he look so happy? Had Moxley let him in on what they were going to be doing in the lesson? HMM? -- he looked dead upset.

Phillip had questions. Naturally. Especially about the handcuffs.

The boy's one-track mind meant that the first year completely missed whatever it was that Moxley had gone on to say. Eyes flitted from person to person as they started answering, with only two words jumping out at him: imaginative play. Were they going to do something that required a lot of imagination? Was it going to be FUN? It was just a shame that they weren't going to be mattress surfing today. THAT would have fitted into the fun category very well.

Nope, he had no answer in mind. Instead, he was just going to jot down a few things and keep an eye out for those two over there in case they did anything interesting or answered his questions without him asking.

He could multitask, right?

After presenting the question, Moxley glanced up at the ceiling, checking to see that everything was still holding okay. Had any of the students bothered to look up, they might have noticed the many different nets that had been put up, each holding a bunch of cushions ready to rain down on the room when it was time. So far, so good. Now on to the responses.



Language, yes! This was a very important aspect of imaginative play, especially for really small children, so Moxley nodded her head eagerly as these answers rolled in.

”As anyone who has had trouble expressing a point might already know, not being able to communicate what you want to is incredibly frustrating. Imaginative play provides a fun and relaxed environment for kids to practice their communication skills with kids their own age, as well as older kids and adults!” Which was important. ”They’re also able to express themselves non-verbally, using their body to express emotions, and allowing them to see how others feel based on things like expressions. Good thinking, you lot!”


Was Moxley amused at the two students handcuffed together because of their last names? Merlin yes, she was! She was trying her best not to make this too obvious, though. Instead focusing on the answers being given. Her amused smile might’ve given her away, though. Oh well.

”When little kids take on adult roles in play, not only does it allow them to better explore what those adults do in a safe way as David mentioned, but it also lets them experience some of the hardships of activities they might be exploring.” Something like building a house of sticks after seeing a builder putting a house up nearby might be fun, but it can also be frustrating, and kids experiencing this can let them understand the meaning of hard work. ”Being able to put yourself into someone else’s shoes is an important skill and imaginative play certainly allows for this, and for developing understanding and compassion for others.”



Yes, she’d expected this answer to come up and truth be told, Moxley found creative thinking to be one of her favorite benefits of pretend play. ”Creativity is so important all throughout your life. Creativity helps you engage audiences, find new ways to solve problems, and express yourself in many different ways. I can’t really think of job position that wouldn’t want to be filled by someone with the ability to think outside the box. Great thinking, everyone.”



More excellent ideas were being offered up which made Moxley’s smile grow considerably. The theoretical portion of classes could be quite boring but with everyone participating like this, Meredith found that the tone of the lesson continued to be exciting and interesting, even without the practical aspect, which they’d get into shortly.

”Imaginative play can definitely allow for younger children to showcase their skills. Some might excel at the more physical aspects of this type of play, while others might have a flair for the dramatic. In any case, learning ones strengths is a great way to build confidence in a certain skillset and urge kids to explore it further as they get older. Great thinking, Adi and Zeke.”





Noting that most of the answers had been given, Moxley decided it was time to get ready for the activity. So after updating the board, the brunette walked in front of her desk and grinned at the class.

"Those were excellent ideas, everyone! Now I hope you're all ready to put your imaginations to good use and tap into your inner children!" Though they were all still ickle kiddos to the Moxinator, let's be real. "Right now, I need everyone to pack up their things and bring them to the front of the room. You can set them down along the wall behind my desk so they won't be in the way. I'd also like you to remove your shoes and set them there, as well!" Nod. Nod. "Please do this now so that we can get started on our activity!"

OOC:One Post should be good for this, guys! Activity will be up tomorrow. :3

Rooney didn't know much about children and what they got from things, (however his brain!mama so does and is so excited about everything oops) but he listened to the other students intently and noted everything down with every intention of asking Mama if these things were all true. Wasn't play just play for children? Wasn't running just running for children? Children were just as confusing as girls, he figured. Maybe more confusing.

However, he got up from the recliner he was relaxing on and took his things over to the front of the classroom, putting them directly beside the shoes that he flicked off and lined up neatly. And then he crouched down to tie his shoe laces with the strap of his bag. He was taking precautions, but he was certain that no one would want to take his shoes or the sweet wrappers in his bag.