Irresistible Ideas for play based learning » tubs

wonderful water play

admin — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 14:01:00 +0000

We all know the relaxing properties of water and as the weather is often very warm here in Melbourne once preschool and school starts up we never failed to incorporate lots of water play into our program.

The calming properties of water may also help to relax any new child who is feeling nervous or anxious as they settle into their new surroundings …

so providing water play areas both inside and out are really important at this time of year.

We like to incorporate lots of pouring, scooping and floating prop for the children, with them always free to add whatever they need to enhance their play …

like buckets in which to bath the babies …

or watering cans to bathe themselves!

Using a large tub for the water, raised up off the ground, means the children have the freedom to play without the worry of too much ending up all over themselves or their friends.

Then again using a large tub for water also comes in handy when you totally intend to get water all over yourself …

AND your friends!

a salty, sensory experience

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:01:43 +0000

We always have a healthy supply of salt on hand at kinder as we use it for our playdough and salt ceramic recipes.

This week we raided our salt bucket and popped it into our large sensory tub for the children to have a play. (Later we will recycle it back into the bucket for other uses)

We offered the children a selection of items …

for them to scoop …

and measure.

Pour …

funnel …

and investigate with.

Then again you need no tools at all to write and draw in the salt.

They really enjoyed the sensory experience of sifting the salt through their fingers … and pouring it up their sleeves!

It was interesting to listen to the children discussing in great depth whether or not it was in fact salt … OR was it sugar?!

It was our delightful friend Hannah, as she drew pictures in the tub, who used her senses to conclude it was indeed salt but she did not taste it …

“Listen” she said, “Feel this … I can smell it … it sounds like salt!”

Hee hee hee … Good on you Hannah!

set up an invention table

admin — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 15:03:53 +0000

Our invention table is one of our most popular play areas, where the children are free to create whatever their hearts desire!

We keep it well stocked with recycled bits and pieces we’ve collect over time like cardboard, boxes, assorted papers, various types of containers, timber, ribbons and wool etc… as well as things our wonderful families and friends collect and send along for us to use. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure and all that jazz….so true, so true!

The area has a large table at which the children can create and they are encouraged to explore the invention table whenever they need supplies to add to any of our other activities throughout the day.

We have found through experience that by keeping the supplies in easily accessible tubs, in a locker we designed, the children are able to choose the tubs they need, use their contents and return them to the shelves when finished … Okay! well, that is what we encourage them to do anyway!

We are constantly adding to and changing the items in the tubs …

… depending on what we have available.

The children are encouraged to ask an adult for help when they need us to use things like the guillotine, stanley knife or large scissors but they always have access to tools and supplies like the following:

And of course if what they want or need isn’t there, all they have to do is ask and we will endeavour to get it for them or come up with a suitable replacement.