# PLIX Play Cafe: Beautiful Symmetry! **URL:** \ **Category:** Beautiful Symmetry 🐝\ **Created:** [June 21, 2023, 5:30pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344 "2023-06-21T17:30:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ada](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/heyplix.mit.edu/ada/32/1517_2.png) [@ada](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/ada)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 5:30pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/1 "2023-06-21T17:30:30Z")
Welcome to the first PLIX Play Cafe series, on Beautiful Symmetry! We’ll be using the forum as a space to share our creations, ideas, and reflections to support asynchronous connections, inspire each other, and grow a resource for the larger PLIX community. ---
**Author:** ![ada](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/heyplix.mit.edu/ada/32/1517_2.png) [@ada](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/ada)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 5:30pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/2 "2023-06-21T17:30:39Z")
For today’s Play Cafe on Beautiful Symmetry, these are some of our playful activities: - Having tea and snacks together (pop rocks!) - **Zoom Peer Play:** - Building patterns with [these virtual backgrounds](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13gM8N3Mtx0puXOvVTHLD866KxZE4FUH3?usp=sharing)! - **Doodling:** - “Draw what you see!” - **PLIX Activity:** - [Beautiful Symmetry Pattern Manipulatives](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/2023-april-workshop-remixing-for-sustainability/1324/2) - **Wonder:** - What is “play” to you? Do you play at work? Do you play in your everyday life? - **Resource:** - What does playful learning look like and feel like? Check out Harvard Graduate School of Education, [Project Zero’s Pedagogy of Play](https://pz.harvard.edu/projects/pedagogy-of-play) Here are some ways our pen pals may share on this thread: - **Pictures of your doodles** Bonus: we may turn some of these into stickers to share out at the end of the Play Cafe! - **Pictures of your version of the activity** During or after the Play Cafe! - **Pondered Wonderings** To our question above - **Playfulness** Emojis, ideas, stray thoughts, and more ❤ ---
**Author:** ![viviangarcia](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/heyplix.mit.edu/viviangarcia/32/2031_2.png) [@viviangarcia](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/viviangarcia)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 9:47pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/3 "2023-06-21T21:47:03Z")
In today’s Play Cafe, we got to take some time to explore patterns and playfulness with each other! I loved hearing how play manifests in others’ lives, with examples ranging from energetic dogs to vibrant colleagues (Ada!). I really enjoy the Beautiful Symmetry idea because often we think of play as abstract and having no limits or rules–which is true–but this activity beautifully (haha) melds pattern rules and creativity. In my experience, people that say they struggle with creativity are often blocked by the popularized versions of how to be creative (e.g. artistic abilities, unlimited supply of ideas, unique perspectives). This activity is a perfect example of how anything can be play and how creativity can have simple, non-abstract rules and structure that can sometimes lower the barrier to creativity. Below is the product of a few simple rules I came up with with the help of some cute little cows, circles, and hearts, and it was so fun to make! Thanks for a wonderful time! ![IMG_3651](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/mit2/original/2X/3/3ec48d2d84e6ceb29df08fb2df910dc79f5b8704.jpeg) ```auto ``` ---
**Author:** ![viviangarcia](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/heyplix.mit.edu/viviangarcia/32/2031_2.png) [@viviangarcia](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/viviangarcia)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 9:49pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/4 "2023-06-21T21:49:04Z")
Also a look at some of my doodles during the activity! Can’t wait to look at what other people saw in these little blobs 👀 ![IMG_3652](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/mit2/original/2X/e/e791c1116d152070a6d1a0e1ff63789c3f3849d6.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![JacquiV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea5d25/32.png) [@JacquiV](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/JacquiV)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2023, 3:03pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/5 "2023-06-22T15:03:38Z")
Darn I missed it. Maybe I didn’t sign up in time ☹ ---
**Author:** ![ada](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/heyplix.mit.edu/ada/32/1517_2.png) [@ada](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/ada)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2023, 3:34pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/6 "2023-06-22T15:34:11Z")
It was wonderful yesterday to hear about the different ways our pen pals are staying playful in their lives, in particular, we learned that one library has been offering their playful family programming to families staying at hotels. 🥰 Looking forward to seeing other games people came up with their paper pieces! Also, for the doodles: here’s a hammerhead fish and a chicken horse ![E728655B-9E59-487D-830D-FFE80DFA713B_1_102_o](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/mit2/original/2X/f/fd9429806bb99b7468a303d15a34db5dca83abb1.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![ada](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/heyplix.mit.edu/ada/32/1517_2.png) [@ada](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/ada)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2023, 3:36pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/7 "2023-06-22T15:36:14Z")
Hi @JacquiV! Do check your physical mailbox for the pink envelope, and your personal gmail for the email we sent out earlier this week. Let me know if you run into any trouble, and feel free to join us for next week! ---
**Author:** ![JacquiV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea5d25/32.png) [@JacquiV](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/JacquiV)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 8:38pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/8 "2023-06-23T20:38:39Z")
My pink letter arrived yesterday 😩 But I will be there next time! ---
**Author:** ![ada](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/heyplix.mit.edu/ada/32/1517_2.png) [@ada](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/ada)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2023, 8:41am UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/9 "2023-06-27T08:41:19Z")
For June 28’s Play Cafe, these are some of our playful activities: - **Having tea, drinks, and snacks together** - **Zoom Peer Play:** - Doodling with the Zoom whiteboard feature - **Doodling:** - “Draw what you see!” - **Wonder:** - What symmetries do you see in the items you collected? Why is there symmetry in nature? - **PLIX Activity:** - Beautiful Symmetry Collected Nature Patterns (Radiating Energy, and Fantasy Habitats for Cows) - **Resource:** - Why is there symmetry in nature? This article explains how it’s easier and preferable for nature to store simple information for rules of a pattern: [Nature prefers symmetry and simplicity | University of Oxford](https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2022-03-31-nature-prefers-symmetry-and-simplicity) Here are some ways our pen pals may share on this thread: - **Pictures of your doodles!** Bonus: we may turn some of these into stickers to share out at the end of the Play Cafe! - **Pictures of your version of the activity!** During or after the Play Cafe! - **Pondered Wonderings** To our question above - **Playfulness** Emojis, ideas, stray thoughts, and more \<3 ---
**Author:** ![Jean\_Daley](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/heyplix.mit.edu/jean_daley/32/2146_2.png) [@Jean\_Daley](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/Jean_Daley)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 7:41pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/10 "2023-06-28T19:41:57Z")
![100_0106](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/mit2/original/2X/a/a90b400fd47505abbf5a8c44c0ab30dc6f0bba1a.jpeg) ![100_0105](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/mit2/original/2X/6/6d1f4579a872c60eec4645a8dca9722b374d7298.jpeg) Here are my doodles from last week. Just not the kind of day where I could make the meeting this week, but I’m missing it! ---
**Author:** ![JacquiV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea5d25/32.png) [@JacquiV](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/JacquiV)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 8:08pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/11 "2023-06-28T20:08:02Z")
![nature mandala](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/mit2/original/2X/2/232e629c5cb969227527e7cba094137a555433b3.jpeg) ![IMG_0290](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/mit2/original/2X/c/cae24f8890b4a984b836cb236747e0b6a30e2f85.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![ada](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/heyplix.mit.edu/ada/32/1517_2.png) [@ada](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/ada)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 8:08pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/12 "2023-06-28T20:08:05Z")
![IMG_4736](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/mit2/original/2X/e/e64c8859144ea22b56c0d23f528fd42a49b99ab8.jpeg) Here’s my mandala with cows and layering because my desk is messy ---
**Author:** ![viviangarcia](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/heyplix.mit.edu/viviangarcia/32/2031_2.png) [@viviangarcia](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/viviangarcia)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 8:11pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/13 "2023-06-28T20:11:11Z")
That’s beautiful Jacqui!! Love the blue paint and so many awesome colors from nature 😍 ---
**Author:** ![viviangarcia](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/heyplix.mit.edu/viviangarcia/32/2031_2.png) [@viviangarcia](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/viviangarcia)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 8:13pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/14 "2023-06-28T20:13:32Z")
Here’s my nature mandala from today! ![IMG_3683](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/mit2/original/2X/3/35b4838c3e77b2714d4d5f01336b96b672054ef3.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![leilalib13](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/heyplix.mit.edu/leilalib13/32/2072_2.png) [@leilalib13](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/leilalib13)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 8:23pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/15 "2023-06-28T20:23:01Z")
Here’s mine! ---
**Author:** ![leilalib13](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/heyplix.mit.edu/leilalib13/32/2072_2.png) [@leilalib13](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/leilalib13)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 8:24pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/16 "2023-06-28T20:24:11Z")
![1](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/mit2/original/2X/a/a2c310ec110e5610a082a6dfebeeb9d0b729a28d.jpeg) ![2](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/mit2/original/2X/a/a50832af1831b08620fdf8baa3c0f1b391669d29.jpeg) ![3](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/mit2/original/2X/b/b938a11499e20bf44c9cfda09762c5ef3362c8af.jpeg) ![4](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/mit2/original/2X/0/00fc78dacd76c79514506008027b52ab3cd59982.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Kachina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@Kachina](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/Kachina)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 8:26pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/17 "2023-06-28T20:26:12Z")
![PLIX_Mandala](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/mit2/original/2X/a/a9c80fb1cb3e11b0617e471111422ee010e28b47.jpeg) mine is digital 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Kachina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@Kachina](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/Kachina)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 8:30pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/18 "2023-06-28T20:30:20Z")
**Cactus and Succulent Society of MA** > **[Cactus and Succulent Society of Massachusetts](https://cssma.org/)** **Cactus Physics** > **[Cactus Patterns Buckle Up](https://physics.aps.org/story/v13/st18)** > > Computer simulations demonstrate that the forces in a growing plant can lead to spiral patterns with special mathematical relationships. > **[Cactus Mathematics](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/maths-eye-view/201107/cactus-mathematics)** > > Why do Fibonacci numbers occur in plants? Elasticity. Fibonacci Numbers vs Lucas Numbers **Magnetic Cactus** > **[Magnetic Cactus Experimentally Demonstrates Mathematical Plant Patterns](https://phys.org/news/2009-05-magnetic-cactus-experimentally-mathematical-patterns.html)** > > (PhysOrg.com) -- One of humanity’s earliest mathematical inquiries might have involved the geometric patterns in plants. The arrangement of leaves on a branch, seeds in a sunflower, and spines on a cactus appear with an intriguing regularity,... ---
**Author:** ![slsmom323](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@slsmom323](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/slsmom323)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 8:34pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/19 "2023-06-28T20:34:23Z")
![PXL_20230628_200953679](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/mit2/original/2X/0/081daae928fb0f640458f1c3093e74659493ec16.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![ada](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/heyplix.mit.edu/ada/32/1517_2.png) [@ada](https://heyplix.mit.edu/u/ada)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 10:30pm UTC](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344/20 "2023-06-28T22:30:58Z")
I was totally fooled by the wood desk background! [Next page](https://heyplix.mit.edu/t/plix-play-cafe-beautiful-symmetry/1344.md?page=2)