"Get the tape!"

One of our learning goals in room 132 is "I am learning to be a builder." The children outlined some criteria for being a good builder:

I can make a blueprint.

I can make towers and bridges and walls.

I can use lots of different blocks.

I can build strong and steady.

I can try, try, try again.

To support the development of these skills, we introduced a simple piece of large cardboard. Within moments, it became the roof of a fort. With a little prompting, Hunter added some blocks to hold it up.

Then it became a wall.

We saw the need for more cardboard to make both at the same time, so we visited Mr Dejong's recycling bin and picked out a few choice pieces.

Suddenly cries of "Get the tape!" were heard throughout the room.

 But then there was a problem: people would haphazardly stick a wall together, then launch into a dramatic game inside it. Invariably, the walls and the structures fell down and the game had to be stopped to fix it. They tried having one person as the architect, who's job it was to make repairs, but the architect soon got tired of this and wanted to join the game.

 It is still early in the year and our JKs are new to project-based learning, so I helped organize the students to work co-operatively. We read a book about how builders work together, and how hard it would be to put up a building if each builder took the bricks for their own ideas. The children and I came up with a plan, and they got a quick lesson on how to tape things together securely.

Once the children had some basic skills and were motivated to work as a team, the structure grew quickly. It kept growing to accommodate all the people who wanted to help build. Two more rooms, with doors and windows, were added.

 Finally, the structure was strong and steady, and was ready to be played in!

Who needs fancy toys anyways? We did all this learning from just a humble piece of cardboard!

Gooey Fun

Playdough is always a big hit in our class. It's fun to touch, smells nice, is a great medium for artistic expression, and even helps build fine motor and oral language skills.

But the interest in playdough has been waning over the last few days, so we decided to try a new type of sensory modelling compound: goo!

Goo is the name the children gave to the stuff. It's also called Flubber or Slime.
It's pretty appealing stuff. It's stretchy and moldable, sticky and rubbery, viscous and shiny. Think Silly Putty, but runnier. Even the adults in the room can't keep their hands off it!

 There's no end to what the children can do with it: stretch it, cut it, roll it, bounce it, sculpt it, stamp it, and flatten it.

 These boys are working co-operatively to make a road, which they are texturizing with lids and spoons.

 It's even a medium for art.

JJ and his dinosaur

We HIGHLY recommend you try making this at home. It's a great way to spend a rainy Saturday inside. Here's the recipe:

You need:
2 bowls and 2 spoons
Quality white glue (we used LePage but Elmer's is better)
Borax (found in the laundry aisle...check Home Hardware if it's not at the grocery store)
Hot water

Mix #1
Combine 2 cups of glue and 1.5 cups of very hot water. Stir well with a clean spoon.

Mix#2
Dissolve 3 teaspoons borax in 1 cup of very hot water. Stir to dissolve with a clean spoon.

Pour Mix 1 into Mix 2. DON'T STIR. Put in the fridge for about 15 minutes to set, and then pull out your goo! While you're waiting for it to set, gather up some cups, spoons, forks, and other tools to play with it. It will be very wet and messy at first, but it firms up and becomes less sticky with use.

Store in a ziploc or tupperware on the counter. It will be good for days.

Have fun! Please send us your pictures if you try it at home!

Sensory Wonders in the Art Studio

Our art studio has been the centre of an inquiry about colour and paint for the last few weeks.

 In order to focus on the process of exploring the paint, we decided to put it directly on the table, allowing free movement on the smooth surface.

 Some children began their explorations gingerly, dipping a finger tip into the paint, hesitant about the new experience. But most children grabbed the paint with both hands and dove in. They used their whole bodies to lean into the paint, until the table was entirely covered. As the paint colours met, the children were fascinated by the new colours that appeared as if by magic.

They delighted in the silky slide of paint under their hands and between their fingers. When hands touched, the children giggled at the feel of it and wondered at the new colours created by handshakes.

Throughout the encounter, some children chatted away, explaining their thinking and intereacting with playmates. Other children were more quiet and thoughtful, immersing themselves in the experience.

 The children experiemented with different techniques to make marks in the paint.

"Every time I use different parts of body it makes a different design."

Fingernails

 It also became a medium for written language.

 After a few weeks, interest started to wane in the paint, so we removed colour and offered globs of shaving cream instead. The scent and the silky feel of the foam were a sensory delight!

"It feels soft and smooshy."

They spotted some large tubs we use at the water table and asked to use them with the shaving cream. The teachers expected them to start filling them up, but to our surprise they were more interested in "painting" the containers and rolling them through the foam.

Some friends even indulged in painting themselves!

Our sensory and artistic explorations will continue, following the interests and engagement of the children. Yesterday some people started making sculptures out of the foam, so we will encourage this activity to its full potential.

At the pumpkin patch

Today's post is brought to you by the children of Room 132. They chose the pictures and told Miss Russell what to type.

Here we are riding on the bus. We were happy and excited.

 Some people were tired on the bus. Landon is happy.

 This is a vine.

 This is the pumpkin bellybutton.

 This is a pumpkin flower.

 We are digging. We are planting seeds.

 Here is Adam picking a BIG, HUMUNGOUS pumpkin.

 Jesse's is a lot smaller.

 Maddy'y pumpkin was a little bit smaller than her head.

 Lots of pumkins!

 Farmer J explained that corn is in cereal.

 Look at the chickens. They were outside everywhere. Turkeys came around later and scared some of us. They tried to peck people.

 This is a horse. She had a baby in her tummy.

 This is the donkey. He said heee-haw!

 Here we are in the corn maze. We wish we could do the corn maze. It was super fun.

 The donkey was soft.

 The pigs were really stinky! And really cute. And nice. And one is huge.

At the farm, we learned about pumpkins and animals and corn.