Irresistible Ideas for play based learning » Social & Emotional

::: weaving, wool and webs

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:01:15 +0000

Last week our children enjoyed a large group weaving project.

We kept a large box we had used for weaving last year and brought it out again to give this year’s children a go and boy did they get into it enthusiastically!

As you can see they did an awesome job!

Following on from this we built the children a large abstract frame out of beautiful and interestingly shaped sticks.

Providing them with balls of wool we set them free to create!

They worked swiftly and cooperatively to create the most interesting …

and spectacular web!

As it happened we had set up our bush box that morning with bugs and insects …

and it wasn’t long before they ALL made their way into the web.

The children had the best time playing here

and by the time they had finished winding the wool …

it looked incredible!

This lead to giant web building outside as well.

The children targeted our music frame …

and through lots of lovely teamwork …

and much fun and laughter …

they created another fantastic work of art.

On Friday our pre-kinder children attended and they too … .

were instantly drawn to play in the web.

::: the hospital comes to kinder

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:01:24 +0000

One of our supporters, Natasha from “Hospital Play (with Life Spirals)”, mentioned recently that she is a play therapist at a Melbourne hospital who also visits kindergartens to chat and play with children to help alleviate any concerns they may have regarding going into hospital.

She very kindly offered to visit our kinder, talk to our children and let them have fun with all the gear she brought along.

After a bit of an introduction about her job as a play therapist, she told the children the procedures they would experience if they had to go into hospital following an accident or illness, such as having a name bracelet popped on their wrists, temperature taken, height checked and so on. Then off they went to play.

Natasha had a wide range of puzzles, dolls and teddies needing immediate doctoring, as well as a miniature wheel chair, medical equipment, even X rays on a light box.

The children had a ball and were great at helping to clean up the mess at the end!

Natasha finished the session with some songs and a story. Thanks Natasha, we really enjoyed your visit.

If anyone is interested in a similar sort of session at their own preschool, Natasha is in the process of setting up her own website, but meantimes you will be able to get in touch via her “Hospital Play (with Life Spirals)” Facebook link.

::: the wheel deal

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:01:51 +0000

Our ‘wheelies’ are one of our most popular pieces of play equipment in our outdoor environment …

and are used by the children every single day!

A favourite way the children like to use them …

is as motor bikes.

Motor bike play leads to the creation of some very interesting tracks …

and jumps made from our large wooden blocks …

where the children like to show off …

their amazing stunts and tricks!

Not only is this great for improving their gross motor skills …

but when they are this engaged …

we see some lovely social …

and cooperative play …

and you know how much we LOVE that!