Feeding Time

This week I put out the river paper shapes (wavy blue paper), our blue rocks/gems, and the farm animal counters. I added the blocks, too, although last year the kids ignored the blocks.

I've been thinking a lot about intentional teaching and putting a few things out to show kids what I'm thinking they might do. I encourage kids to use their own ideas, but I'm learning that stimulating their thinking is important. And, they don't need to ask me what they "do here." (Teacher Tom and Sherry and Donna blog a lot about setting up activities in inviting ways.)

So I put out a couple of the river shapes end to end, with a few blue rocks on the river. I also had a word card out with "Jordan River" (since that was in the Bible story we were discussing). Boys came over and began to investigate what I had in the blocks center. Immediately a long river formed.

Animals began "wading" in the river. (This is the setting for our green chicken discussion.) The blue rocks I had placed on the river went gathered into another place in the river...and other rocks were added.

I watched the play change a couple of times. Then - through consensus or some other group thinking - the boys began building structures - one to hold the animals and one to hold the rocks. I say, "You are building a place for the animals and a place for the rocks."

The boys said, "This is the food." I looked thoughtful. "Oh," I said, "a place to store the food and a place for the animals to live."

"Yes," they said. "Then when it's time to eat, we can put the food in with the animals."

When I came back to the blocks center, it was feeding time.

I watched the boys pour handfuls of rocks in with the animals. Rebuild and rearrange structures and resort the animals and rocks. And do the whole thing again.

Then, later, the structure developed into a place for both, with separate sections.

Lots of cooperative thinking and working. I could overhear some discussions about what needed to be done where. And steps to accomplish the tasks.

While the play didn't develop like last time...or like I was thinking when I put things out...I was pleased that the kids made the activity their own. The rocks became food (their idea). The river continued to flow alongside the structures, but the kids really didn't incorporate it into their play much (at least that I witnessed).

The play may have taken a different course, but the learning was still there. And, later when we talked about the river and moving all those animals, the boys had some ideas about that, too.

Spring Into Art - Inspiration from the Blogosphere

We made these rainbows with colored collage pieces
and paper plate halves.

Today I'm posting about some spring art ideas on Kids Ministry 101. There are all kinds of ideas around the blogosphere these days. Here are a few ideas that are inspiring me.


PreK and K Sharing: Creating Rainbows with Cars - Anything that combines cars and painting is going to get my attention. I mentioned this link before, but I think it's a great idea.


Teach Preschool: Springtime Easel Starters - This is a totally new idea for me. This art idea begins with something on the paper to stimulate the artist's thinking (similar to a story starter idea for a writer). I'm pondering the possibilities.


Imagination Tree: Fly Swatter Flower Paintings - Deborah of Teach Preschool makes a guest appearance on Imagination Tree. This looks like lots of messy art fun. (Teacher Tom has done this, too.)


Share and Remember: Painting with Flowers - A fun idea of using flowers as the brushes. (Or you could use leaves, twigs, and other nature items!)


Learning for Life: Painting Daffodils - We've explored still life painting, but I like the way Kierna matched paint to subject. And I love all the different interpretations that the young artists created.


Kids Ministry 101: Windy Play - Here are a few ideas I posted on Kids Ministry 101 for kites and other things you can make for windy spring days.


What fun springtime art are you doing?

Dots Collaborative Artwork Revisited

After we worked on our dots collaborative artwork, I kept putting it out every week. Little to no interest has been generated after the first big rush. We've had it upright and flat, but not many takers. (I guess there are just too many other interesting things in the room to do.)

This week I decided to add some small masking tape in addition to the dots. (The kids noted that the tape matched the same colors as the dots. Mr. Scott does think about these things!)

Things started off a little slow but then they took off.

If your tape is too long, just wrap it around to the back.

The kids were working hard and almost getting in each other's way. I asked if we needed to move the board from against the wall to the floor. A great idea! Things really got busy again.

In fact, we used up all the tape I had put out. (None of the rolls were full rolls to start with.) So it was back to the dots. "We're going to cover up all the white," they said.

We didn't cover all the white but we did work hard. When the tape first went on, I thought it may have been a mistake. But now I love the final results.

Green Chicken Logic

This week we had the farm animal counters out in the blocks center. (More about that activity here.) The boys were calling out the colors and animals as they played with them.

"A green chicken!" one boy called.

"Do you have a green chicken?" I asked. I often ask "odd" questions, to engage their thinking and initiate conversations based on what they are doing.

The boy looked at me with...well...almost pity. "Uh, I don't live on a farm," he said. His voice had that almost "Duh" sound to it.

Young children's thinking and understanding always intrigue me. I could think of lots of reasons for him not to have a green chicken. Where he lived didn't even dawn on me.

This exchange reminds me that kids think and reason within their own experiences, development, and level of understanding. His thinking? Chickens live on farms. I don't live on a farm. Therefore I don't have a chicken. Some great logic here - even if it is different from what I would have employed. (Well, maybe not. My wife says I think like a 5-year-old!)

Last week I had another moment with this same boy. We were cleaning up our blocks on sticky paper activity. "Hey," he said, "my shirt stuck to the paper."

I turned to see what he was talking about. He pulled the back of his shirt away from his body. "Like this," he said. "I turned around and my shirt stuck to the paper."

I figured out that while cleaning up, he moved close enough to the sticky board for his shirt to brush against it and stick. The paper pulled the shirt away from his body as he moved away. He was surprised. I was surprised that he was surprised. Then I thought - maybe he thought about the paper sticking only to things he put on it...not that it would stick to anything that was close. Again, he was thinking from his own experiences - things stick when I put them on - not from a general understanding - the paper is sticky and will stick to anything.

When we talk about things, I must keep in mind the child's experiences and his own view of the world. He doesn't see things like I do. My experiences (not to mention my number of experiences) are so different from his. That's why it's better to ask questions and make simple observations about what the kids are doing and let them fill in the gaps...let them reveal what they are thinking and how they are thinking. Then I can build on that understanding...or ask questions to stretch that thinking...or just smile at the thought of a farm full of green chickens.

Scrap Paper

Today I'm posting on PreK & K Sharing blog - that shredded paper, usually trash, can be a treasure.

That's true of all kinds of paper that you may want to toss. Here are a few other ideas—

Cut up old maps to draw or paint on.

Put out paper scraps, tape, and markers.

Cut up abandoned paintings - or community paintings - 

and use the pieces for projects.

Our paper scraps go into a basket that's always available

(along with glue sticks and scissors).

Sometimes those scraps get used in fun ways at the writing table.

Sometimes those scraps become fun creations.

Our scraps often become a part of other projects.

In what ways do you use paper that may be tossed?

Inspiration from the Blogosphere - Lego Bricks Edition

As I look through my blog posts, I seem to say a lot about building and construction. My current group of kids - and the group last year - really enjoy building and I'm always on the lookout for more and different ways to engage the kids in their favorite things.

This week I read a post on hands on: as we grow that had 40 block ideas. Just my kind of post! That post triggered some reminders of things to do with Lego bricks that are not just free building. So here are some of my favorite ideas of things you can do with Lego bricks--

Graph them (Mommy's Baby Love ) - Spin to find a color. Graph them on a board. An easy game to make...and good math learning, too!

Build words (or sentences) (Filth Wizardry) - Small labels attached to Duplo or Lego bricks can great some fun literacy games. A great repurposing idea.

Make a rainbow (Quirky Momma) - Follow a plan to create a rainbow. And this one could be redone again and again in lots of different ways.

Stamp with them (Filth Wizardry) - Create some fun, cool designs with the bricks and a stamp pad. You could create some designed paper to cut apart and use in collage projects and other art explorations.

Spell your name (Brick by Brick) - We explored building letters. Sometimes we followed the suggested way...and sometimes we ventured into ways of our own.

Travel with them (Finley & Oliver) - I found this idea via All for the Boys. I think I need to make one of these travel kits for myself. Maybe a great stress-reliever.

You can do many other fun things with Lego bricks. What are some great ideas you've seen?

I'm Not Perfect

I had a moment this week. I discovered I'm not perfect. I know...you are really surprised.

It was in group time. I've mentioned that I haven't discovered the best key to this group of kids - keeping them engaged in our group learning time. This week two kids were cutting up (and doing some things that I really thought was out of line). So, I said, "Stop." Not yelling but in a louder voice than I usually use. And in a sharper tone than I usually use.

And I immediately felt like I'd failed as a teacher. I want to be encouraging and firm. Kind and consistent. Understanding but guiding. And I was louder and sharper instead.

Mr. Rogers was always calm and kind. Mary Poppins always knew what to do. I read about the wonderful bloggers/teachers online and think that they always seem in control and "perfect." And I'm not. I read about parents and teachers that struggle with kids and all kinds of needs and they seems to triumph. And I don't.

Isn't it easy to beat yourself up when you don't respond as you'd hope. You tell yourself that Tom or Donna or Jenny or Deborah or Matt or Greg or Amy or Ayn or Jessi or ______ would never act that way. He or she is always calm and nurturing, firm and guiding. And you aren't. But, then again, I think everyone is not perfect sometime. In fact, I read in a blog post once that it's dangerous to compare yourself to your online friends. Online people tend to present their best selves. We can't compete with anyone's best self. And they can't compete with our best selves either. (I think Jon Acuff said this but I couldn't find it when I looked for it.)

No, I'm not perfect. And I've always known that. But I am always trying. And the kids let me sometimes act in a "not perfect" way and still care about me. And I let them act in not perfect ways and still care about them, too.

And - maybe together - we can shave off those rough edges and learn how to work and live together.

Blocks on Sticky Paper

One of my favorite benefits of blogging and interacting with bloggers is the discovery of new ideas and possibilities. I often encounter an idea that I want to try in my classroom. (In fact I'm gaining quite a collection of ideas.)

When Deborah from Teach Preschool posted about using blocks on her sticky easel, I knew immediately that I wanted to try that with my group of builders and constructors. How could I not, since Deborah posted a challenge to me at the end of her post? :) But even without her encouragement I wanted to try this. So, this week, I put contact plastic (sticky side out) on our oil drip pan magnet board. I put some small wooden blocks and some foam cubes. (I got the foam cubes from the dollar shelves at Target. That place is dangerous for me!)

The boys (no girls participate this week) began to experiment.

One boy began to sort and group related items - something he often does.

Another one built a tank.

Someone began experimenting with just sticking the blocks on the paper. Some of the blocks would fall off and he would try again...or try another orientation.

We had a discussion about the fact that the paper did not go all the way up the pan. He "tried" to stick a block on the non-sticky part and watched it fall. It fell through the assorted blocks, like a maze or a pinball machine. I thought this was really cool. He liked it and tried it a couple of time but then lost interest.

Then the two boys decided to cover all the sticky paper with blocks.

They tried to find all the empty spaces and place blocks there.

They pulled the blocks off the paper and sorted them (by lighter and heavier) as they put them back in the appropriate bins. One boy observed that the sticky paper moved away from the board when he pulled at the bottom. (I didn't tape the bottom edge.) I was surprised that he was surprised. But, then again, kids are just discovering how all these things work.

Other boys worked at the board later. One built a cabin with a tree.

Later it had a treehouse.

Another one experimented with using the cubes to make designs.

This was a very successful experience. I will definitely do this again.

One side note: I was reminded again the power that my words can have. I had experimented before the kids arrived and noticed that the wooden blocks would sometimes fall off after a few minutes. When the first boy came, I mentioned that the foam cubes would stick well but the wooden blocks may fall off sometimes. (I wanted to minimize frustration...to make sure that the falling blocks wouldn't be a surprise.)

Afterward, this boy mentioned my caution to each child who ventured close to the activity. He experimented with the wooden cubes and discovered that they stuck pretty well. But, for a while, he didn't try any other shapes. I inadvertently limited his exploration.

However, he did talk about the wooden blocks being "heavier" and the foam cubes "lighter." We compared them. And he sorted them based on this trait (instead of any other trait). So...maybe...my mistake did lead to some different kinds of exploration. I guess I'm still learning, too.

Can You Guess?

I have a boy in my class who loves to think about what to draw or make...and then to create it. He's very interested in nature and draws pictures related to different natural items.

This past week, I came across him sitting with a blank piece of paper in front of him. He was staring across the room...but he wasn't really seeing anything. He looked at me.

"Are you thinking about what to draw?" I asked. He nodded. I nodded, and walked away.

A little while later, I walked back to the writing center where he had been working. I saw this.

"Tell me about your picture," I asked. And he did. Can you guess what this is? (You folks down under may have an advantage.)

I'll tell you what he drew in the comments. Don't read it until you guess.

Dots Collaborative Artwork

A couple of weeks ago I read this post from Deborah at Teach Preschool. (And I had looked at all those great pictures that Deborah talks about.)

Since we were talking about God's creation, colors, and so forth, I decided that we could make a community circle/dot piece of art. So...some circle stickers (large and small) and a display board made their way onto the easel.

I followed Deborah's example and separated the stickers into color groups.

We started off slow.

But soon the kids were working alone and together to create some cool designs.

We created patterns, made an exclamation point, made a friend's name, and used up all the blue circles.

My plan (and I told the kids) was to put this out again the next week for them to work more.

The next week, we had little activity. (Of course, the boys were dealing with tornado preparations in the blocks center.)

This is what usually happens with this group. They really enjoy something but if I put it out the next time (to build on that interest) they've moved onto something else. Maybe they need a little distance between experiences...so they can see an activity as "new" again. I suspect that this group really likes new. Or maybe it just takes a little time for these kids to think about how to use the materials in a new way. Hmm.

I'm not sure if it's finished or if I'll put it out again for more work. Either way, I think we had a fun community effort.