The idea of pendulums isn’t new to our children as we love playing with the one we hang in the tree outside.
After reading about the fun Teacher Tom’s children had with pendulums we decided to give an inside pendulum a go.
We strung up a tennis ball tucked into a stocking from the rafters.
Then we provided the children with an assortment of different sized boxes, cardboard cylinders and small yoghurt containers.
They started off fairly conservatively with just a couple of boxes and one or two cylinders …
But soon they were coming up with wild and extravagant towers.
Maths and science was being incorporated all over the place. Things like balance …
and tower position was vital for a successful strike!
Force of swing definitely came into the game too if they wanted those really big towers to hit the deck!
There was a bit of strife when someone sent the pendulum off into someone else’s tower, but they soon sorted it out.
This play went on for several days as they enjoyed it so much!
Next, using the cardboard cylinders, we set out to build towers …
that wouldn’t fall down when we swung the pendulum.
Sure they fell over but none of them (about 16) broke apart!
Then again with all that masking tape we knew they’d go the distance!
We followed the pendulum interest up with a slightly more sedate activity designed for one or two children at a time.
We slung a funnel between two chairs, popped a tray underneath it and provided a container of nice clean sand.
The idea was to put your finger over the hole and fill the funnel with sand.
Then push it to swing back and forth….
…. or give it a bit of help to make it go in circles or figure eights.
Each child then needed to put the sand back in the container for the next person – some did it better than others!
Sometimes when things are a little hard to figure out …
it’s nice to know we can rely on the children to help each other!
We saw some lovely friendships, teamwork and cooperation taking place at the pendulum play this week …
and we feel really proud of our children every time it happens!
Then we tried “Pendulum Painting” like the children at Woodland Park!
Once again the children helped each other out …
and away they went …
creating many colourful …
varied …
and creative patterns!
All uniquely original and oh so beautiful!
This post is part of the “We Play” link up over at
the wonderful Aussie blog “Childhood 101″
