Nature's Legos

Putting the first wet sand day to good use

Catch the Wind in Your Sails

Mandalas in the Classroom

Throughout the year we often introduce the mandala templates and apply it to different mediums. We start with the simple circles drawn on tissue or wax paper and set them on the light table with several natural materials available for placement.
We got this idea fromthe Flight of Whimsy blog spot (http://www.flightsofwhimsy-ece.com/2011/09/light-box-mandalas/).

 

Who got her idea from Casa Maria's Blogspot http://casamarias.blogspot.com/2011/01/glass-gem-mandalas.html

I wanted to develop an opportunity for the kids to explore this art form on their own. I created a terra-cotta clay mandala with a bag of items and tweezers that the kids can take off the shelf and play with. Of course we are always finding items that belong elsewhere in the classroom on the mandala too (legos, crayons,erasers).

For more inspiration on child created mandalas check out this pinterest board: http://pinterest.com/bluegemma/andy-goldsworthy-nature-art/

Budding archeologists

 

To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower Hold infinity in the palms of your hand and eternity in an hour.-William Blake

There is something timeless about young children digging in the ground with their hands, that are still learning to work, in hope of finding something eons old. As I travel daily down to the sand pit I eagerly pose the question of "What do you think you will find?" The oft repeated answer is bones and treasures, but this is always said with the earnestness of believing that something is in there just waiting to be discovered.


Several times a year I make a point to bury something in the sand and wait along with the group to see when it will be dug up. A favorite is clay "fossils". When they are found we talk about what we think the imprint is and how old it is.

If you are looking for something to spark the budding archeologist in your midst check out the new clay imprints added to the Etsy Store.

Little Hands in Little Gardens

Fall Senses Nature Hunt

September is the time for some regions to transition to fall while others hold tight to summer for a few more weeks. Kids will often notice some of the changes before we do. We have seen them happen so many times we forget the miracle of watching green leaves turn to gold and red and then fall at our feet to become playmates for jumping and kicking. Below is the "Fall Sense Nature Hunt" checklist. Print it out and place in on your fridge or in you car. Have the kids check off the items as they taste, touch, hear, smell and see the changes of summer to fall.

PDF Google Docs download of Fall Sense Nature Hunt by NCN

The Source of Inspiration

Summer Thrills

This is an exciting time of year for a preschool teacher. We get to meet the new students in our class and greet the returning ones. We try to imagine which kids will pair up and will be surprised at the connection that end up forming beyond our expectations. I love hearing the kids talk about what they have done while they are away. They don't want to tell you about the common summer occurrences that we plan for them to have fun at: the zoo, the picnics and the swimming pool.
The most exciting things for them are the ones they are bursting to tell you. The take in a deep breath and then with wild hands and eyes they tell you almost slyly at first to see how you react.
" I jumped my bike off my brother's ramp!"
" I climbed soooo high in our tree that Mom was scared."
" I swam in the deep end of the pool all by myself"

Instead of chiding them that it's dangerous to do that,  I always ask "How did you feel when you did that?"
Sometimes they admit that they were scared, or that it made them smile, or that know they know they can go higher or faster than then thought. During these summer catch-ups I'm reminded about the six types of risky play.

Categories	Risk	Sub-Categories
Great Heights	Danger of injury from falling	Climbing Jumping from still or flexible surfaces Balancing on high objects Hanging/swinging at great heights
High Speed	Uncontrolled speed and pace that can lead to collision with something(someone)	Swinging at high speed Sliding and sledding at high speed Running uncontrollably at high speed Skating and skiing at high speed
Dangerous Tools	Can lead to injuries and wounds	Cutting tools:Knives, saws, axes Strangling tools: Ropes, etc.
Dangerous Elements	Where children can fall into or from something	Cliffs Deep or icy water Fire pits
Rough-&-Tumble	Where children can harm each other	Wrestling Fencing with sticks, etc. Play fighting
Disappearing/Get Lost	Where the children can disappear from the supervision of adults, get lost or alone	Go exploring alone Playing alone in unfamiliar environments

 Sandseter, E.B.H., and L.E.O. Kennair. "Children's Risky Play from an Evolutionary Perspective:The Anti-Phobic Effects of Thrilling Experiences." Evolutionary Psychology 9.2(2011):257-84 Web 6Sept 2011.
These kids are testing their limits and most likely would not have been given those opportunities if they were at school. It's always a fine line between letting kids engage in these critical areas of development and keeping parents and administration happy.
I take a look at our current play scape throughout the year and question how can we allow the kids to feel like they are away from adult eyes with teachers still able to make sure everything is okay.
I know as the year progresses the kids will gain more confidence in their abilities and begin seeking out new types of risky play. I hope I can create an environment for them that allows them to go home to their families, take a deep breath and then surprise them with a story of their strength and tenacity that will elicit the response "Weren't you scared?".

Small Finger Labyrinths

Yesterday I showed you how we built the labyrinth to fill an empty area on the preschool grounds. After installing it we sat back and watched how the kids would use it. I had fears that since it's not really a maze or "tricky" at all they would get bored. Maybe they would just kick over the bricks and ignore the path? Would there be many hands pushing?

Yet, once again I'm reminded of how I underestimate our little ones. They quickly caught on to the purpose of the labyrinth. To them it was "tricky" because the path had to be followed to make it to the end. They respected (for the most part) that the person in front of them got to lead because next time they could lead their friends. They reminded each other to be careful with the bricks so that they didn't fall over.
Wanting to extend the labyrinth exploration indoors I cut out the same pathway onto a block of wood. I added a small stick stylus. The stylus was an afterthought but proves to be valuable as to hold it correctly in the grooves they use a pincher grip and are working those writing muscles.

If you want one of your own you can buy one through the Etsy store tab on this site.

Following in the path of little feet

Space Before:

Space After:

 

The preschool had an empty space that I brainstormed for months about developing it into a useful area. The church that the preschool is affiliated with uses a canvas labyrinth during certain seasons of the church year. After googling labyrinths for preschoolers I got that swift heartbeat that told me God had put a desire into my heart. I asked my engineering brother if he could come up with a design that would fit in the spot. His plans were far more ambitious than anything I could have come up with one my own.

One morning in November several members of my family gathered to install the new labyrinth path.
1. Spray paint the labyrinth design path on the ground
2. Set the square boundaries using 2 x 4's
3. Place the bricks lengthwise (for more stability) along the path
4. Fill and pack the sand around the bricks.
The whole process took about 3 hours.

The paths are just wide enough so that the children cannot walk side by side or pass one another. The are forced to follow behind their friends and everyone gets the feeling that they are the leader. If they try to run they quickly lose their balance and revert back to walking. Some kids will continue entering the labyrinth several times while some chose to walk it only once. The path's narrowness requires them to constantly look at their feet, concentrate and focus. They enjoy and invite teachers to follow them and are quite proud of leading them through the "maze".