Wow, can you believe the rain we got! Children were fascinated by the rain coming down and had the opportunity to run and dance in it before the wind got to crazy, then we watched from the windows and sung “Rain Rain go away” over and over again. Unfortunately it didn’t work but we still tried to get rid of the rain so we could go out and play in all the puddles. The next day we searched for puddles but they were all dried up. We also had fun with water beads this week using tongs and containers to scoop up and sort the many different colours. Also did you check out our new sandbox? All our Sandstone friends have tested it out scooping and dumping sand , being construction workers , and attempting to burry different body parts like their feet and hands. We cannot wait to continue to explore our new sandbox.
As children recognize their different environments they develop a sense of belonging and attachment to the spaces they engage in. We have noticed through many conversations, Sandstone children are aware of the different ways they get to the centre and the paths we take as we move through the community to get to our favourite places like the Ottewell park and hills. Through this awareness children are making connections between the centre, home and broader community (PPP, 2014, p.95). Through our own awareness as Educators we have noticed how the sandstone children are interested in all sorts of paths not only those that are personal to their travels but the paths they use in their play and how they move materials around the room. This week in Sandstone room we have stared exploring the play topic Pathways as an extension to our previous play topic Transporting. We have questioned how children could discover more about the paths objects and people take and how we can support that in their play. We set up a few provocations using both intentional roadways and marble works for children to build with and explore. By using marble works and roadways children have shown us their ability to construct and deconstruct different paths in order to move objects the way they want to. We have just begun the journey of discovering all the pathways around us and we will continue to explore the idea of pathways in the weeks to come.
We hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Michelle & Paulette
