Out and About

Some of the Turtles went over to the Abington Meeting Garden this morning to meet a friend of Carol's and see what she was planting.

We found a couple of ladybugs and also discovered that the paths were fun places to run around.

We had our last Music with Allison today! It was a special all-requests performance, and she played so many of our favorites, like the Dinosaur Dance, the Froggy Song, and the Cowboy Song.

Then we were on our way to the Lower School. It was time to return our books to Gwen in the Library, and visit our friends on the Pre-K playground too!

We got to play in the Kindergarten and the Big Kid's playground. Many of the Turtles found out that they can do things that they couldn't do at the beginning of the year. They have gotten so big and strong!

We also ran into a few family members while we were out and about.

Stretching Minds, Bodies and Rubber Bands

We had a few new things in the room today, the most popular being the rubber band art boards (they probably have a shorter, more accurate name). Many of the Turtles gathered around the table to challenge themselves and their friends to do all kinds of things with these materials: Make the most shapes, make the coolest design, get the most rubber bands on the fastest. It was a great activity, not only for the creativity that they brought to it, but also as a way to enhance fine motor strength and dexterity.

At Morning Meeting, we tried sitting up on the blocks, to see whether that made it easier or harder to still our bodies. We also had a fascinating discussion about what is in our bodies, and what it does. The Turtles talked about their hearts and took their own pulses and wondered at why their hearts beat so fast when they run. Others shared their ideas about stomaches and lungs and eating and peeing and pooping, and blood and what happens when you get a cut. It was a full-on Turtle Anatomy class. I recommend continuing the conversation at home. We ended up talking about what happens to our insides when we sit slouched as opposed to holding or bodies up. Next, we had a very still Moment of Silence.

We also worked on drawing our third main story character - the Guinea Pig with the Stinky Shoes. The Turtles kept running back and forth to Nellie and Luna's cage, so that they could accurately describe what a guinea pig looks like.

Outside, we took out new markers to draw on the glass, and cars with the blocks, to build roads and buildings.

In Movement class, we stretched, played dodgeball, did the limbo and popped streaming bubbles.

Ode to Inside-Outside Days

Carol and I were planning last night (sitting on the floor of her laundry room, kept company by the adorable litter of five week old kittens she is fostering), and we were discussing just how wonderful this week has been. The introduction of Inside-Outside Days has ushered in a whole new era of Turtle-dom, and to see it in action is to believe in progressive child-centered early childhood education. Throughout the year, we have slowly been building the trust, relationships, routines, and independence that led to this week. And here we are!
The children have the tools they need to navigate their environment and make independent decisions about their work and play. Sitting at Morning Meeting yesterday, with the children raising their hands and sharing their ideas about what would be important to include in our choices, it was clear that the Turtles were well on their way to mastering purpose, Erikson's developmental stage for 3 to 5 year olds. Here are a few snapshots:

GK carefully placing a long board on the platform of the outdoor classroom, walking along the plank to test where the tipping point was.

Katie sat down at the new Oobleck table, after watching her friends experiment with it. She tentatively touched it, then scooped it up. She watched it drip off her fingers, saying, "It raining. Hear it?" The Oobleck dripped into the aluminum pan, pinging quietly as it hit the bottom.

Kailyn returned to the garden day after day to monitor the progress of the buds on the marigolds. On this day, she was beside herself with excitement! Two buds had bloomed!

Watering the garden turned into an exploration of fluid dynamics as the Turtles noticed that when they spilled their water on the patio, it ran down the incline. They experimented by pouring many many buckets of water down the patio, watching the splashing rivulets trickle and run across the brick, turning it bright red and washing sticks and sand along with the water. Tamara asked, "Where is the water going?" And the Turtles set off to see where the water was. They found a puddle at the bottom of the steps, and then discovered that the water was going even further, making its way slowly through the wood chips!

It is amazing to see the deep and scientific (not to mention joyful!) exploration the Turtles are doing inside and outside!
As reflective practitioners of early childhood, Carol and I asked ourselves: what led up to this point? Could we develop this initiative and this purposeful play earlier in the year? What are the important elements of this play, and how can we support and extend it?

Inside-Outside Day!

Today we had our first Inside-Outside Day! Inspired by Carol's attendance of the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children Conference this weekend, Inside-Outside Day was an experiment to see what it would be like to have Choice Time with choices both inside and outside! Leaving the back door open, with one teacher inside and one teacher outside, the children could choose where they wanted to work and play!

Inside, popular choices were telling Turtle Stories for Tamara to type, and of course, snack.

Outside there were many choices, including magna tiles, baby dolls in the tent, and reading books.

We also had Movement with Missy, jumping through obstacle courses, learning how to play dodge ball, and playing follow the leader.

It was also Sarah Lynne's Treasure Box Day, and she shared her many treasures, including special rocks that she brought to share with her friends.