"Just Playing?"- Big Bench Building

Recently we experienced a stretch of play time with only four children at the school...two boys and two girls. After only a short time, two separate construction sites emerged through the play...both using the same big benches that we normally use at the kitchen tables.

The boys built "an airport."

The girls used theirs as a method of entry to a castle. 

So we may be "just playing", but...

What are the children doing here?

What do you see?

What learning is taking place?

What skills are being practiced/developed?

Thank you for remembering that young children do not “just play.” Young children play. They develop through play. They learn through play. They experiment through play. They grow through play. A child’s work is play. Play is important!

Please take a moment to reflect upon the photos and questions above. I would love for you to share your observations in a comment. I’d also like to invite you to “hop” on over to all of the other bloggers who are sharing photos of children learning through play this week:

"Just Playing?"- A Homemade Christmas Tree (in March)

It's time for our weekly blog-hop as part of the "Just Playing?" series of posts!

This is your chance to slow down for a moment and consider what learning takes place in children's play!

Just as stated last week, we would love for you to do four things to join in:

1) Enjoy viewing this post

2) Comment on this post

3) Follow the links at the bottom of the page to the posts by other play-bloggers

4) Comment on those other posts 

So here we go...

"Just Playing?"- A Homemade Christmas Tree

We discovered two little girls constructing something on a corner-post of one of our play lofts.

"It's our Christmas tree!" they said.

This project consisted of two little girls, a basket full of paper swords, two rolls of masking tape, and a little bit of time.

After we moved the camera on to other things, the girls reversed roles so they could each have a turn tied to the Christmas tree.

So we may be "just playing", but...

What are the children doing here?

What do you see?

What learning is taking place?

What skills are being practiced/developed?

Thank you for remembering that young children do not “just play.” Young children play. They develop through play. They learn through play. They experiment through play. They grow through play. A child’s work is play. Play is important!

Please take a moment to reflect upon the photos and questions above. I would love for you to share your observations in a comment. I’d also like to invite you to “hop” on over to all of the other bloggers who are sharing photos of children learning through play this week:

Spring Has Sprung...

...which in the high desert means MUCH more time outside, fewer clothes and shoes, more water, and LOTS of sunshine!

Vacuum Disassembly- "Just Playing?"

I've been offered a special opportunity to join in a weekly blog-hop with a handful of AMAZING bloggers. This blog-hop is entitled, "Just Playing?"

Here's how it works...

Each week, we will post photos of children engaged in play, BUT...

Are the children JUST playing? 

Your job is to look at the photos, consider what learning you see taking place in the photos, and comment on the post.  

THEN...follow the links to the other bloggers (at the bottom of the page here) who have also created a "Just Playing?" post and comment in their conversations as well!

This is a tremendous opportunity for parents and teachers to take a few minutes to discover how exactly this learning-through-play thing REALLY happens!

SO, without further adeu...

Vacuum Dismantling- "Just Playing?"

Our vacuum broke this winter, and we replaced it with a new vacuum. The man at the vacuum shop offered to keep the old one for recycling...to which we said no thank you. 

The children LOVED the opportunity to dismantle the old vacuum using various tools.

They used screwdrivers.

They used scissors.

The activity ran for a period of several days.

Children continued tinkering with any part they could on the old machine.

So we may be "just playing", but...

What are the children doing here?

What do you see?

What learning is taking place?

What skills are being practiced/developed?

Thank you for remembering that young children do not “just play.” Young children play. They develop through play. They learn through play. They experiment through play. They grow through play. A child’s work is play. Play is important!

Please take a moment to reflect upon the photos and questions above. I would love for you to share your observations in a comment. I’d also like to invite you to “hop” on over to all of the other bloggers who are sharing photos of children learning through play this week:

"Pirate snail" gym

We have a tank of garden snails as pets in our school.

A couple of weeks ago, we made a new gym for the snails to play on while we clean their tank. We used a box, some chopsticks, string, and a little masking tape.

The children said the gym looks like a snail pirate ship...the snails are pirates!

We have had the tank of snails for nearly three years, and the children absolutely LOVE them!

I enjoy watching the snails too.

We enjoy seeing the amount of food they can eat. (They chew quite the holes in the vegetables)

We are intrigued by their waste (remember...we are preschoolers...see book Everyone Poops).

We absolutely LOVE watching the snails climb!