Irresistible Ideas for play based learning

Over the last couple of weeks the children have worked so enthusiastically on their flags for our garden bunting that it only seemed right they should be involved in the final process of sewing the flags up!

It wasn’t rocket science, we just needed them to sew straight lines in order to create a pocket on each flag through which we could run the cord to hang them up.

To the delight of the children, Donna brought in her sewing machine and invited them to have a go.

Oh wow the boys thought this was FANTASTIC!

After all anything with a motor was going to attract these boys to play!

They were fascinated with the whole sewing process, from winding the bobbin, to threading the cotton and pushing the foot peddle to make the needle run up and down.

Under instruction they managed incredibly well to direct the fabric in a straight line through the machine.

We saw some great team work in the process. One child at a time directed the fabric while two others took turns in raising and lowering the foot lever on the machine while another controlled the reverse button and a fifth child cut the threads, all the while agreeing that Donna should be in control of the foot pedal … phew!

Once the sewing was all done it was time for the children to thread the bunting onto the cord …

then Jarvis’s wonderful dad’s Stephen, strung it up in the playground.

We were so impressed with the end result …

as this project had held the children’s interest for over two weeks!

Perhaps this was due to the assorted art techniques they learned along the way.

It is another wonderful group project produced by our children to jazz up our outdoor area ….

and we think their garden bunting looks irresistible!

Quite bizarrely as we were gazing out of the kinder kitchen window a while ago (probably waiting for the kettle to boil), we saw quite a big fishing rod next to the back fence in an upright position. Interestingly it was on OUR side of the fence!

We have no idea how it got there or who planted it in our garden, but we left it there long enough for vines to grow up it so that it blended in with the surrounding plants.

One day we decided that we would love a flagpole in our yard and were tossing all sorts of ideas around when Donna came up with the great idea of using the fishing rod!

We brought it around to the playground and popped it into an umbrella stand to see if a recycled fishing rod could work as a flag pole … and it did!

Then we untangled the vine and added an Aussie flag to the top!

The children loved the idea of having a fishing rod for a flag pole but something was missing!

Last week we added some bunting to the pole to give it a bit more oomph.

Now, not only do we think our ‘fishy flag pole’ is unique …

we think it’s totally irresistible too!

Water play is irresistible to children!

Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring our children ask for water to enhance all kinds of different play.

Water is irresistible when playing in dirt  …

tanbark …

and the sand pit.

Fortunately, due to a very hard working and supportive committee we planned well and last year installed a 5,000 litre rainwater tank at kinder so our children would not be deprived of their water play.

As Melbourne has been experiencing drought for a very long time, rain water tanks are becoming a way of life for many Melbournians. (Melbourne’s average rainfall to June is 308.2mm currently we have had only 242.2mm and last year at the same time only 124.00mm!)

Due to our low rainfall, even with a water tank we only allow our children to fill this tub once each session. In order to save the children from confusion and to educate them in water conservation we follow this rule all year round!

That’s one tub of water between twenty seven children and only if tank water is available!

We are teaching the children to respect every drop of rain water we collect, especially as our tank water is needed to support our ever expanding hush garden as well as our play!

Now our water wall is up and running …

the children are being encouraged to recycle as much water as they can.

Our water tank was our saviour during our dry summer months. Now that winter has arrived and the weather has been very wet over the last week our water tank is full to overflowing once again. Regardless, the children are aware the one tub rule still applies and understand they are not permitted to fill it without adult permission and supervision (having a removable tap handle is added insurance!).

But when the rain stops and the tank is empty …  … no more water play until it rains again!