Wednesday Group - Clay & Hammers

Then (July/August 2008) & Now

Returning to clay after almost 8 months melds together the children's previous experiences with their ever-growing cognitive, physical, and social abilities. I presented the clay in a similar fashion as I did previously, in one big block. This time I added hammers and scrappers to use in conjunction with the clay. As we again embark on discovering clay I wonder whether the tools will change the children's interaction with the clay? Will the children who were unsure of the material continue their cautious explorations? How will the newcomers approach this unknown material?

Caleb didn't miss a beat with the clay even though this is the first time he's seen it at group and started hammering away. He began with just one hammer but soon had two pounding away. He was really trying to figure out how to hammer on the side of the piece of clay.

Max ventured over to the clay after Annelise and Amy joined in the exploration. He was drawn to the round balls they had made. His first reaction was to throw it on the ground, like you would any ball but he soon discovered that the clay made a plop and didn't bounce. Once it was thrown on the floor it also wasn't as easy to pick up. Max also explored poking the clay with a wooden half of a play carrot, an item that he brought with him to the clay.



Theo was not all that sure of the clay. When he first touched it, he was giving the clay block a push but soon found something different on his hand. He then tries to wipe it off on his pants. He touches it a few more times before he finds the scrapper. The scrapper seems to be a more satisfying way for him to explore the clay. For children who are unsure of the feel of the clay on their skin, the tools still allow them to interact with the clay but not have to feel uncomfortable while doing so.



Zadie had a plan with the clay. She would pick up a piece of clay and wander toward the bathroom and, trying to contain the clay, we would encourage her to come back to the clay table. Finally her mom noticed that she wanted to take it to the sink. Well, this was a brilliant plan and I couldn't wait to see how it would unfold. When you work with clay, water is always needed to smooth and keep the clay moist and pliable. Caleb soon saw what Zadie was up to and joined in the fun. Watch the interaction between the two children and how Zadie motions for Caleb to return the piece of clay in his hands to the water running in the sink.



Sebastien was so excited to have his friends work with the hammers and clay but he was even more entralled with the fact that he finally figured out how to squirt the water bottle, albeit into his own face. His reaction is priceless along with Annelise's delight.

Friday Group - Natural Materials Collage

I was hoping that the Friday Group would find the natural materials more interesting than the Wednesday Group. The following video says it all...Hannah and Kaia cautiously survey the experience.

Bryce sees his friends circling the table and comes over to see what's going on. He immediately dumps the feathers out of the container and is unsure of the contents. It turns out he was more interested in getting the contents out of the containers so he could use the containers as musical instruments.



With the yarn emptied out of the container by Sebastien, Bryce grabs the container and is off (listen and you can hear some musical containers in the background). Sebastien hesitates as he reaches for a leaf and instead grabs a big clump of yarn. Hannah wants some of the yarn Sebastien has but chooses to grab some off the table. Sebastien heads off with his hands full of yarn to put them back into the container that is being used by Bryce.



Kaia actually spent the most time at the table. She really likes when others are exploring with her and so when I (or a friend) would draw her attention to an item she would happily come explore it. Sebastien is drawn into the leaves that he was unsure of earlier and as Kaia touches, drops, crinkles, and squeezes the leaves, he takes them over to show his other friends.

WG - Collaging with Natural Materials

Knowing how much being out in nature inspires children to explore I wanted to bring the outside in during our last collage experience. When Sebastien and I are out and about we collect interesting items we find outside. These were some of the materials I set out for the children to explore. In addition to leaves, small sticks, and bark I also included feathers and yarn (cream, brown, and green to compliment the natural pallet already presented) in the natural materials to explore. I was hoping the children would really get into exploring the natural materials but the experience wasn't received with as much enthusiasm as I had hoped.

Due to a computer/YouTube malfunction (that I don't understand) I am sad to say that I don't have any videos to share this week for the Wednesday group. However, here's a rundown of the children's experiences.

Sebastien and Caleb found the yarn to be especially engaging. Caleb spread the yarn across the contact paper and then Sebastien would try to pick the pieces up and put them back into the container. Sebastien and Caleb both liked to throw the yarn up in the air, Sebastien was particularly dramatic in the execution.

Theo and Max both separated their explorations into feeling the "sticky" contact paper and then carefully examining the materials. Max brought the dust pan with him to the table and used that to scrape along the surface with one hand as he felt the contact paper with the other. The feathers Sebastien had placed on the contact paper eventually caught his eye and he touched them carefully before he lifted one back into a bin. Max also transfered a leaf he twirled around from one container to another. Theo began by using just one finger to touch the contact paper. He then moved on to examining a leaf and a stick. Theo then scooped up some of the yarn and took it over to his mother, as he did the yarn fell onto the floor and it took some tricky maneuvering to get all those pieces back into his two hands.

Zadie circled the table and looked closely at the items but chose to engage more in the environment. Dara, her mother was surprised she wasn't more interested in the leaves as she has expressed great interest when they are in nature. She did return to the table later when she was given the green light to use the markers on the contact paper/collage surface.

Reflecting on the experience I wondered what would have made the materials more appealing to the children? Is it the elements that influence these materials outside (the sun, water, wind, etc.) what make them so fascinating in their natural environment? Would a bin full of leaves, twigs, and bark made a bigger impact? How can I bring more of the outdoors into the everyday materials already provided in the environment?

Friday Group - More Colored Sand

The colored sand was back by popular demand. Growing ever smarter (although I can never quite keep up with these little ones) I taped up all but three flowing holes in which sand can pour out. Hannah and Sebastien continued their eplorations right where they left off. Hannah again carefully poured the sand, moving the shaker along, and switching colors as she goes. She also brought with her the tube filled with a green colored oil/water mixture. As it looks similar to the shakers she tests to see if it too will yield something to add to the sand collage.

The feeling of sand on Sebastien's fingers led to long stretches of time where sand was flowing out of the shaker. Once he would have a decent pile he would enthusiastically spread it on the contact paper. Recently, Sebastien has been really into identifying colors and yellow happens to be a favorite. He seeks out the yellow to add to the green sand he has already spread around on the contact paper. If you listen to what's happening in the background you will her Kaia's mother, talking her through what the children are doing and encouraging her to give it a try. Kaia is watching everything her friends are doing.



Kaia wasn't too sure about the sand and contact paper. When she first approached it, she simply circled the table taking it all in. When she did pick up one of the shakers (by the top) and turned it over, she unexpectedly found sand on her hand and ceased her exploration. From her mother's side she watched and after some observing she began her own exploration. She started by simply feeling the sand, back and forth similar to Sebastien's movements when he would spread the sand. She slowly moved on to pouring and used different colors during her exploration, like Hannah she is attentive to the shaker and the placement of the sand. She even conducts her own test of the tube that is still sitting on the table.



Max tests out pouring with both his left and right hand, switching as he watches the sand flow out of the shaker. He likes what he sees so much that he asks himself for "more". He also verbally labels the blue sand as he watches it pour out.



Bryce came to the table after most of the sand was emptied from the shakers (they were refilled shortly thereafter). He wasn't nearly as impressed with the pouring this time. He had a case of "the grass is always greener" as he would watch his friends pour and want the shaker they had.