Imagine your PLAY - 4 Hour Class

Last week, when we were outside at the playground, I noticed that Chloe, Keira and Sara kept running towards and away from the climber for a good ten minutes. They looked like they were on a mission. This observation got me curious so I went closer to the climber to hear their conversations.

Keira asked Chloe and Sara to put on their underwater suits and get the treasure. Chloe and Sara pretended to zip up their suits and they were ready to go underwater. They then ran around and around the blue playground looking for the treasure. Keira asked me if I could help control the submarine and without hesitation I said “yes”! She asked me to climb up the climber and showed me how to stop the submarine. She left the climber and ran towards Chloe and Sara. The girls got some rocks and brought them back to the climber.

Keira, Chloe and Sara told me that the climber can be anything they want it to be. It can be a rocket ship to bring them to the moon, an airplane to take them to Disneyland or a car to bring them home. Keira showed me the buttons that can make the climber change into anything.

After learning about this, I slowly distanced myself from the climber and the girls continued to play until it was time to go back inside the classroom. They even expanded their play by letting other children join in and moving to the big playground.

The girls discussing where they are going next...

Chloe and Sara looking for treasure underwater

Keira showing me the buttons that make the climber change.

Observing this type of play outside at the playground made me realize that it is important to give children time to play with their natural environment as this provides them the chance to move their bodies and use their imagination. Not rushing this type of play is crucial as they need time to explore their surroundings and be able to tie in their play with what is present in their current environment. It was such a pleasure to see how their play unfolded and how happy they were together. I am looking forward to witnessing more of this type of play when we are outside.

Until next time,

Patricia

Comments

Mosaic Garden Stones

Today our children had an amazing opportunity to work with Glen Anderson, a local artist specializing in mosaics. You can see his work at http://www.mosaicplanet.net . I met Glen last year at Urban Weavers Studio in Strathcona. I asked him many, many questions about mosaics, all of which he patiently answered with expertise. I was gearing up for an art project in our preschool class so I really wanted to get any pointers I could from him. The plan was to have our students make mosaic tiles to place along our fence at the garden plot at Terra Nova Farm. They worked out very well, thanks to Glen's great advice and it was a beautiful moment when child and parent hung the stones at the farm on our last day of school. It was a moment of great pride for all of us. The garden that they cared for with their own hands- tended to its needs in sunshine and in rain. They will always remain part of that space, that land and their stone will remind them of this connection. Even though they turne...

3 Year Old Class - Westham Island Herb Farm Field Trip

Our threes class recently visited the Pumpkin Patch at Westham Island Herb Farm in Delta. After a relatively short and scenic drive through Ladner en-route to the farm, we crossed a small, one-lane bridge that remarkably has been in place since 1911. Westham Island Bridge We arrived at the farm in the early morning, before the school buses appeared. It was a very peaceful time of the day, and the morning mist floating over the fields only enhanced the feeling. Westham Island Herb Farm is a community oriented farm that promotes buying fruits and vegetables from local sources. This farm is part of the Ellis family farm and they have been in this location since 1916! Upon arrival at the farm, we were greeted by a beautiful display of pumpkins in all shapes and sizes. Prior to the tour of the farm, we visited the general store, which showcased a large variety of homemade jellies and honey selections such as wild flower, raspberry, pumpkin and ...

A Day at the Farm... with a twist

We were all looking forward to heading to the farm. We had not been in two whole weeks so we were all experiencing farm deprivation disorder! We craved outdoor time, running on the paths, and checking out our favourite spots. We had no particular agenda- nothing to plant, nothing to weed, nothing to harvest and literally nothing to do! Perfect!! Actually, we did have one special thing happening there but I will get to that in a moment. The children could not get off the bus fast enough, bounding down the tall stairs. Jackets on, zipped up, hats and mitts on, ready to face the chill of December. The children tossed their knapsacks onto the picnic table with abandon, and began to run around the courtyard area, obediently staying on the paths ( finally, four months later they have learnt to stay out of the garden beds). They shouted, they chased and fell down! Once our initial burst of energy was out (only slightly), we walked over to the compost to see what the worms w...

West Richmond Preschool

Search This Blog