Introducing Little Blue Preschool’s outdoor doctor’s office!
This scenario shows that children often need very little in the way of props to create an elaborate play scenario. First two girls started playing doctor. They announced their services, “Who wants to see the doctor?” One child answered, who was directed to lay on the table. He lay there patiently as they pretended to perform surgery on many body parts. “Cut! Cut!” they would shout as they made slicing motions near his body, but were careful not to hurt him.  The patient played along by giggling now and then and saying, “My eyes! My eyes!” when they said his eyes has to go.
This scene was drawing a crowd of people who wanted to see the doctor, so I suggested that the play house be the waiting room.
Each patient recieved the same “tender” care. And soon it was clear there was a theme to all the patients ailments. There was a baby inside, and it needed to be cut out! Never mind that most of the patients were boys. At the end of the scenario the doctors would only see patients who had a babies in their tummies. Most of them complied as they really wanted to lay on that table. As a teacher I don’t believe its my place to correct misconceptions about reproduction. I’ll tell the parents about scenarios like this and they can choose when and how to relay the correct information.Â
However there was one boy who did not want to be on the table. He sat, watched and enjoyed the drama, but when asked if it was his turn to see the doctor he said, “no, I’m just waiting for a friend.” I was very proud to hear him say that. He was able to participate at a level he was comfortable with and think of a role that fit into the scenario.  What a great skill to have in life.
Lorna, January 15th 2012 |
Tags: outside, real and pretend
Posted in Creative Representation, Social and Emotional Development
As a wrap up to our investigations of corn, we decided to make some popcorn. The hot air popper that looks like an old fashioned popcorn stand drew quite a bit of attention. We first looked at the field corn we had been picking off of the cobs and then compared it to the kernels of popcorn. They are similar in that they are both kernels, but the shape, size and color are very different. We wondered if the field corn would work in the popper, so first we put a few of those in. They did crack but did not pop and fluff like popcorn. Then we put the popcorn in the popper. The children gathered around and waited in anticipation of what was to come.
And very soon it was comming out at a surprisingly fast rate. Popcorn is a wonderful scientific investigation for young children. There is such a dramatic change just by adding heat. It is also a healthy and tasty snack!
Lorna, January 3rd 2012 |
Tags: cooking, food
Posted in Science and Nature
We have an oversized stuffed chair in our class room that is perfect for sitting down and enjoying a book.
But there is still plenty of room, so how about sit with a friend and tell a story?
But there is still room for more. How about three?
But since we still don’t read all the words yet, the most fun is when a grown up sits down to read a book in the chair. That is when we really test its capacity.
Five people…
Six people…
Seven people! If we can fit one more person on this chair should we call the Guinness Book of World Records?
Lorna, November 13th 2011 |
Tags: books, story telling
Posted in Language and Literacy, Social and Emotional Development
I looked in the window of the toddler room and saw the most delightful party going on, so I popped in for a minute to take some pictures.
 
You might think that because this guy has a bowl on his ear, he isn’t really pretending to be eating dinner. However if you have eaten with toddlers you know that in toddler culture it is perfectly acceptable to put the dishes on your head while you eat.
Would you like some tea?
Lorna, November 13th 2011 |
Tags: pretend
Posted in Creative Representation, Toddlers
Can you believe that we got through Halloween with two pumpkins uncarved? We decided they must not go to “waste”. We provided the children with the pumpkins, golf tees and toy hammers.
After we hammered all the tees in we simply pulled them out and did it again. The pumpkins provide the perfect texture for beginning hammer wielders, firm yet soft.
It is also helpful to hammer with a mouse in your pocket.
This activity was so popular that we wanted to make space for more children to participate so we added foam, screws, and screw drivers.
This is a great activity to work on hand eye coordination and fine motor control. We have a couple of children that are not interested in drawing, which is a major activity that develops pre-writing motor skills. We always try to have a variety of activities that can develop fine motor control, not only for writing but all the other tasks our lives demand, like running an ipod or putting together furniture from Ikea.
Lorna, November 13th 2011 |
Tags: pumpkins, tools
Posted in Initiative, Music and Movement
With Halloween approaching we have stocked our dress up rack with some new costumes. We also provided a jar of pom poms and some small baskets so children could pretend to trick or treat.
Of course its also lots of fun to just wear a costume and go about your other daily activities, like playing at the sensory table.
This week our sensory table contained several boxes of stale Boo Berry cereal. Those adults around my age may remember this sugary cereal from our childhood. It is now only made around Halloween. One of our teachers found a few boxes at a close out store last year, but did not finish them before they went stale. Rather than just throwing them away he decided to put them in the sensory table. It was a big hit!
Of course we talked about how the cereal was not for eating, as it was old and had germs on it from everyone touching it. But one little taste never hurts!
Lorna, October 22nd 2011 |
Tags: dress up, pretend, sand and water table
Posted in Creative Representation
We use the HighScope curriculum, which gives children the opportunity to make a plan each day about how they will use their Work Time (free play time). To keep this time of day fun and engaging we use a variety of planning games and strategies. Giving children time to make plans helps them make better use of their time and to hear the plans of others, which may inspire them to try something new.
Each area of the classroom has a symbol associated with it. This child is pointing to the Table Toys symbol. Other children have placed cards with their names on the areas they plan to visit.
These children are driving cars with their pictures taped on them to pictures of the areas they want to visit. This is an example of a planning game that is so fun it turns into a plan itself!
This child is telling his plan on TV!
Lorna, September 24th 2011 |
Tags: planning
Posted in Initiative
This book we checked out of the library has been a surprise favorite.
In this story a dinosaur like creature has the misfortune of creating many accidental messes, which he comically tries to clean up, but his efforts just cause more messes, from spilt milk to putting way too much soap in the dishwasher. The only word printed in this book is “Uh-oh!” The children are left to make up the rest from the pictures. The children requested this book time and again, one of them calling it, “Oopsie!”
The children discovered that we have several puppets that look similar to the characters in this book. They gathered around the book and acted out the scenes with the puppets.
Lorna, September 24th 2011 |
Tags: puppets
Posted in Creative Representation, Language and Literacy
What you see here is the whole of our carrot crop for this year. That’s right, five short carrots. The elements were against us this year for our whole garden, including a wet spring, dry summer and what I suspect were rabbits, who are responsible for there being no pole beans at all. However the children don’t have any expectations of yield as you can see from the pride on their faces.Â
We did get maximum use out of our carrots though. After we washed and ate them, the stems were put to good use as cake toppers.
Lorna, September 24th 2011 |
Tags: garden
Posted in Creative Representation, Science and Nature
Two of our three year olds drawing their first faces. The girl on the right asked the girl on the left to show her how to draw a face.Â
I love watching how people drawing skills develop. Usually children start with just the head and the eyes and mouth. A few months later the arms and legs sprout from the head. And eventually they figure out that we have separate bodies and heads. Then individual details develop that rounds out each child’s indivudual style. Some children always draw belly buttons whileanother’s signitare detail will be long fingers and toes.
This was drawn by one of our 5 year olds who is ready to start Kindergarten this fall. He told me it was a knight on a horse, holding a sword and shield. Notice the shield is complete with heraldry! He also cut it out himself.
While we sometimes have drawing activities where we suggest children draw about a particular topic, both of these drawings were purely the children’s inspirations.
Lorna, August 1st 2011 |
Tags: drawing
Posted in Creative Representation
