Tape

Tape is a similar material to stickers although tape can more versatile in its uses. At this age tape is still used much like a sticker but soon the children will begin to use tape more as a tool . It is important that they gain the small motor skills to control the tape so they can then use it to construct and "fix". I presented the tape so that it was easy to use and attractive, hoping to entice them to explore the material. Interestingly, Theo chose a drum to place his pieces of tape, this is the beginning of using tape as a tool. It did change the sound the drum made and the next time I brought the tape out Sebastien found a drum and began to emulate Theo's creation. Tape also requires more precision when trying to get it laid flat on the paper. Both Caleb and Kaia used their thumbs to smooth out the tape. The rolls of tape grabbed Bryce's attention and he worked hard pulling and trying to get the tape off.

e

Stickers

In the past we have explored contact paper and sticking things to it. This session it's all about putting sticky things on something else. To begin we started with the classic sticker. Stickers can pose quite a challenge to young children. To begin, how do you get them off the paper they are on? Then once the sticker is in your little hand, how do you maneuver the sticker off your fingers and onto the paper?

Bryce really wanted a paper of his own to place the stickers on and struggled at first to get them from his fingers to the paper but it didn't take long for him to figure it out. Sebastien found it reaching far across the paper made it easier to stick down the stickers. Kaia used her body and the bodies of her friends as her canvas to place stickers. Hannah took her time selecting particular stickers to place on the paper. Max checked out the images on the stickers but wasn't too sure about them. Theo could quickly peel and stick the stickers where ever he chose, covering a lot of space.

Watercolors, droppers, and basters.

The last session the the watercolor exploration series consisted of watercolors in containers along with mini basters and eye droppers. The sensory bin was also filled with water. The use of eye droppers and basters is great for the small and large motor movements of a child's hand. Sebastien starts out using the baster but as soon as Kaia dumps the water the focus changes to pouring and mixing.

Kaia has a plan with the water and I love watching her play and talk about what she's doing.



Sebastien figures out how to work the tubes getting water from the upper tub into the lower one and into a container.



Max was a little more reluctant about the water play. If you notice he keeps ahold of the ball as tries his hand at pouring.



Hannah was the last one to explore the water table and there was pure delight in her eyes as she began. She uses the basters in a different way almost blunging the the water out of the containers. Watch toward the end of the video as Hannah tries to figure out how to get a container to sit at the bottom of the sensory bin pan. This is quite a puzzle.

Wednesday Group - Bingo Bottles

There is always a fine line between helping children through conflict and letting them work through conflict themselves. In the following video Caleb does an amazing job communicating to Sebastien and Sebastien really tests the limits by not communicating with Caleb in hopes he can keep the bingo bottle. I verbally narrate what is happening to help the conflict from escalating. This works but Caleb then leaves the table. Was Caleb discouraged with the interaction and so moves on or was he just ready to move on? It is never easy to decipher children's needs and maneuver through conflict with them. Although I was waiting for some verbal cue from Caleb to let me know he really wanted that particular bingo bottle back, I am left to wonder if I should have had Sebastien give the bingo bottle back. There are times I feel I really have helped move a conflict in a positive direction and times I feel that I am in the way of letting the children work through the conflict themselves. It is a continual struggle that as a parent and teacher I work through and practice everyday.

While Caleb continues exploring elsewhere, Sebastien tries out a new technique using two bingo bottles in one hand.

Max, of all his friends, spent the longest amount of time exploring the bingo bottles. He really explores what happens when you squeeze the bottle tip up, tip down, and with one hand.