We have the most interesting gnarly log …
which came from a root bound tree.
Our children really enjoy playing with it …
and have included it in lots of different play scenarios …
including bugs and beetles …
cats and mice …
lizards ..
snakes and crocodiles.
Children are really attracted to natural materials and the best thing is …
they’re FREE!
Tags: cats, gnarly log, imaginative play, lizards, mice
We are Sherry and Donna and together we welcome you to ‘irresistible ideas for play based learning’, a blog designed to inspire and assist Teachers who follow a Developmental Curriculum, Tertiary Students of the Early Childhood Sector and Parents of children in the Early Years.
While teaching preschool together our mantra was “Make it Irresistible”. As it is not always easy to find exciting, irresistible and appropriate play based learning ideas for children in the early years, we would like to share with you some of the ideas our students have enjoyed over the years.
We hope you gain pleasure from what we have to offer. We invite you to view our complete profile here.
© Sherry Hutton and Donna Ridley-Burns, Melbourne, Australia - September 2009
Utterly, utterly wonderful. A car will almost always be a car in children’s play. But a gnarly log will almost always be something else other than a gnarly log. Long live high affordance objects. Do you ever take this outside? Does the play differ there with gnarly log?
::: It goes out into the “bug garden” Juliet usually with the large dinosaurs … so not much difference in play.
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Thank goodness nature’s gifts are free, because they are the best things for imaginative play.
::: Amen to that Jenny!
Nature sure comes up with the goods when it comes to open ended play. I can imagine my little girl wanting to use a log like this to make some kind of enchanted garden full of fairies.
So lovely that it has been used for so many different scenarios.
:: We are working on making some fairies as this log would be perfect for fairy garden play Elise.
I was visiting with a friend the other day and she was telling me about the terrible rotted tree she had removed. A large stump still remained and my mind started spinning. (Ideas flooded my brain, and my palms started sweating) I managed to muster up a calm voice before I asked “What are your plans for the stump?” When she started explaining the plan for firewood, my heart sank. Bummer, maybe next time!
::: On NO Jill you never ask THAT!! You have to explain the fun children would have playing with it … Kind of a guilt trip thing! Next time Jill, next time!
