Construction/ Getting to know the hot glue gun

Construction with Recycled Materials

Building Shelters

One of the kids had the idea to build a shelter.

We started with sticks and branches, and then the kids decided to use tape.

We found a roll of orange construction tape and the kids ran to get orange cones and construction hats. The kids began to weave elaborate, imaginative stories. They were SERIOUS construction workers whose work kept getting interrupted by rainstorms. The shelter kept us all dry. When the rain stopped, the "boss" would order, "BACK TO WORK!"

Then, they began to recreate the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. There were two tiny, baby bears, a mama bear, a big bear, and Goldilocks. They each had their own room within the shelter. One room was in the trees!

That's Goldilocks with the red lightning bolt shirt. One of the bears is sleeping in her room. After deciding the ground was too hard for sleeping, she found a leaf to "soften things up," she said.

Snapshots from Wednesday

The chickens love grapes!

"This is Earth. The big, purple square in the center is Texas, and the fuschia triangle on top of it is Austin. That's where we live."

Sewing a finger puppet

Tinkering

Multi-Sensory Math Learning

One of the parents had a fabulous idea to do a stop animation project inspired by Jim Henson in which the kids make numbers with their bodies. I'm still researching, but the following work happened in a very natural way today and may be the beginning of something bigger...

One...

Seven...

Spontaneous Music Outdoors!!

Galvanized Metal Tubs...LOUD!

Music with Bamboo and Tree Stumps

Getting to Know Clay

I've been reading a book on Reggio-Emilia art methods called The Language of Art. It talks about how children's first experiences with an art medium, like clay, for example, should be about exploring its identity with their whole bodies. "This first encounter, body to body, begins the dialogue between children and clay."

I think this method lends itself nicely to learning the properties of a material before trying to form the material into an expression of the self.

I guided the exploration through questioning:

The clay is so strong that it can hold you up! Try standing on the clay. What happens if you press your elbows into it? What does it feel like to press all of your weight into it? Do you feel it pressing back? Can you lift it? Roll it?

Some commented on the sound the clay made as it slammed into the ground over and over again. Others noticed the effect of one finger slowly pressing into the clay.

It feels cold! It's still wet!

(Note: I'm having trouble transferring videos from my phone to my home computer. I have a nice video that I'm sorry I can't upload to this post.)

Next time we'll work individually at the table to explore shape and texture through clay...

Nature Walk

Wishing I had taken photos of the treasure collages some of the kids did after the nature walk...

Inside - Outside

Playing with Light: Learning about Light and Reflection

Building Things Together (the beauty of the mixed age "classroom")