Angelina and The Flowers

The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life. ~William Faulkner

Blocks-A Different Perspective

As educators we are all aware of the benefits of block play. It is rewarding to watch children as they move through the various stages; carrying, stacking, bridging, enclosures and eventually structures. One of the common elements in childrens' structures is the square or rectangular base as well as the tendency to place blocks one directly on top of the other. The structures you see above are a result of what happens when a teacher invites children to look at alternate methods.

Every Classroom Needs an Indoor Garden

To support the Bad Land and Butterfly Story line the teacher and children began growing  this wonderful indoor garden. Some of the plants were grown from seeds and others were purchased. Much to our surprise we were able to actually locate a black flower. This particular experience launched the

implementation of gardens in each of our classrooms.

We continue to add all sorts of plants and accessories. As you can see from the picture, imagination is the key to success.

Happy Planting!

The Badland and Black Butterflies

In early May we began our Spring Planting. The children were asked what types of flowers and plants they would like to grow.

This simple question inspired the children’s imagination and led to the following story.

We should plant flowers. Magical flowers for a magical butterfly garden where fairies live. There is a rainbow fairy, a heart fairy and a flower fairy. They are there for the princess. The butterfly garden is a good place.

It's a magical land. There are three paths. The fairies show the princess the sparkly path to the butterfly garden. The other paths lead to the Bad Lands. The fairies help the princess with their magic wands. The flower fairy has flower magic, the rainbow fairy has rainbow magic, and the heart fairy has magic hearts. They use their wands to sprinkle sparkles that show the princess the safe path.

The wrong path will lead to the Prickly Bushes Bad Lands. They will snap the princess and trap her in the Bad Lands for a very long time. One of the Bad Lands has prickly bushes and crazy vines. A dragon lives there. He has fiery breath.

The other land is the Black Land. It is The Evil Land. Black butterflies and dragonflies live there. There are black flowers. The path is tricky. It has butterflies stones with sparkles, but they are black. If the princess takes it she will go to the black scary land. This land is like a jungle and the princess can’t see a thing because it’s dark and spooky.

Eeny Meeny Miny Moe- A Rythme through the Ages

Here it is!
That timeless rhyme that we chanted in our childhoods to select that one lucky person who would be "IT".
Whether it was tag or hide and seek, you can rest assured that most of us closed our eyes and prayed that we wouldn't be the one left behind to look for our friends or chase them wildly around the park.

Life is constantly changing but there are "things" that remain timeless, and break through the boundaries of culture and country.  In fact last month, I observed a group of children in Italy use this rhyme to select the child who would be the first to climb a tree.

So how did it happen? How did one rhyme that dates back to 1820 travel the world: before computers and the internet were even a thought?

In this we can turn to traditional forms of print. To those beautiful bound papers that are too often forgotten in a world of technology. And of course let us not forget the process of migration. People may move to new countries but they always keep their traditions close to their hearts.

So for now I say,"You're IT!"

Evereyone offers their foot.

The process of elimination begins.

The last two!

The last man standing-Is he happy to be "IT"?

Tubes, Wheeles, Spools, and Stones with a Touch of Light

Finding new "loose materials" for the children is challenging but extremely rewarding. They are always ready to explore the possibilities of invention when they combine the materials with their vast imagination.

The Dahlia -Simple Perfection

The Wonder of the Garden

                                                                          The Chives

A summer garden provides many rich learning experiences. The children watch their seeds bloom into glorious flowers. They sample the rich tastes of tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and celery. Herbs are shared with the school chef.  And of course, with meticulous precision, they transfer the images of the wonders they see to paper.

How Many Possibilities are There?

When I purchased these tubes, I knew that the children would find so many interesting uses for them. But of course they always surprise us with their ingenuity. Each day is a new adventure as they travel the world in thier space ships or zip around on their racing cars.

Just as Beautiful as Me!

"How big am I?" Jocelyn wonders.

How can the teacher help her to answer this question?  Does she want to know her size in comparison to a classmates or in comparison to an object? Most likely she is asking about her size in comparison to a classmates since children often engage in discussions about "who's the biggest."

The teacher invites Jocelyn to offer suggestions on how they can answer her question. She opts to outline her body using loose materials. This requires the assistance of a few classmateses. The girls begin their work and Jocelyn's body is outlined. But the experience takes on a new direction as the children forget the initial question and become more interested in designing bodies to best reflect clothing and facial features.  So what started out as a question about size turned into an experience in patterns and colors.

Does it matter that the initial question was lost.

Absolutely not!

One child's thoughts or questions will always lead in many directions.

This will be my last post until the end of July as I will be in Europe. I look foward to my return and the continued exchange of ideas. Many blessing on you all. Be well!

I Want to Be a Butterfly

A visit to Blue Willow Butterfly Conservatory left Abby feeling quite whimsical. She wanted wings so she could flutter about all day amid the blossoms and trickling water.

What would it feel like to be so free? Could she become one?

With the help of a few classmates her wish came true and for a brief half hour she was transformed.

"I am a butterfly with beautiful wings and nice colors. I flap my wings all day and fly on flowers."

Just When we Thought It was all Done!

She walks across the drawbridge.

Being a princess is all in a days work for this young group of girls. Don't we all want to spend the day riding our fine horses across a drawbridge?

It is always fascinating to watch how children use loose materials to create magical places. Places that we once travelled to in our own youth.

Perhaps the path leading to the castle is too long. So she decides to climb atop her mighty steed!

The other princesses wait inside the castle for their sister to arrive.