I added some new "loose parts" to our play yard this week. Loose parts are open-ended objects such as rocks, pine cones, boxes, tubes, etc. that can be used in a variety of ways, and most importantly, moved all over the play area. We had the pvc pipes brought to us last week by a family doing some home improvement, but this week I've added some crates and plastic cones with holes in them. These were used in all kinds of way by the kids. They work their large muscles in moving our heavier items around to build, and then experiment with sand and water to create pipelines, car ramps, or anything they may think up. Because all of these parts must be carefully balanced, the children must exercise patience in their experimental buildings.
We also brought out some chalk this week. The children loved drawing on the concrete, the garden stones, the wood blocks, the fence, and marking their territory in the play house. They soon discovered that the chalk had a different effect if used on damp surfaces, and not only that, they discovered that if they swept it with a broom, it blended the colors!
In the sandbox, I heard a group working together to decide whether they wanted a hole deeper or wider. Several children tried their hand at making it deeper and then they all decided they really wanted it BIGGER, and so they discussed with eachother what that meant and explained to the younger ones what they were looking for. It's so interesting to hear them working out these concepts with one another.
In the sandbox, I heard a group working together to decide whether they wanted a hole deeper or wider. Several children tried their hand at making it deeper and then they all decided they really wanted it BIGGER, and so they discussed with eachother what that meant and explained to the younger ones what they were looking for. It's so interesting to hear them working out these concepts with one another.
Inside, we introduced some more "loose parts" in the form of some heavy duty cardboard tubes and cones. They were used primarily for stacking and balancing on one another. It will be interesting to see what else the kids think up! I also brought out an interesting play-dough made with corn starch and hair conditioner. The result is a super silky play dough, but somewhat crumbly texture. It was a hit however and the children enjoyed squishing, rolling, and cutting it. We'll experiment with different play doughs and textures over the next few weeks. We also read "Hairy Maclary From Donaldson's Dairy" by Lynley Dodd. We had read it once last Thursday and the children requested it again. They enjoy when I let them finish the sentences of the pages.
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