Creating Games

Friends chose a variety of approaches to this week's Cha Cha Challenge. Some went for box towers,

while others incorporated different shapes.

Measuring the finished product when the timer goes off is a skill friends are just learning, as is recording numbers on the chart.

Some figured out that stacking was a quick way to create a fairly tall  and sturdy structure.

Drawing in the sand took on new dimensions today.

Friends studied the magnet pendulum, trying to figure out the patterns of swinging and moving the magnets to different locations, to see the effect.

Then, something quite wonderful happened. The Catbirds invented their own game! They decided to toss the spots into a target (the hula hoop). It was fascinating to watch the game develop and the process of negotiating rules and turn taking. Our friends are developmentally at very different places in terms of understanding concepts like sharing and rules and doing things in a defined order, so it was up to some Catbirds to help their friends understand the process. Teachers intervened as little as possible, primarily asking questions when friends got stuck or frustrated. It was amazing to see how much patience they are able to have with one another.

There was a great deal of art being produced this morning, as well as complex dramatic play. We paused to have friends vote on their snack preferences, then got the room cleaned up for snack.

After we cleared the room, we had a dance party!

At Morning Meeting, we read, Dragon Dancing, and then got ready to go out on an inside dragon adventure. Friends suggested questions we could ask and things we should look for, and we made a list.

We found dragon eggs...

dragon feathers..

...and a map that marked where dragons live.

We stopped at the Black Box for a run. First in the light...

...then in the dark.

Then, we rested and paid attention to our fast-beating hearts.

We found many things to look at on our walk.

We went to visit Polly, and ran into our friend, Rich Nourie. We sang them both our new song,  It Snowed Last Night. 

There are new maps all over the buildings, and many of the Catbirds are fascinated by them. A kangaroo indicates where we are, and friends have begun to interpret the visuals, as well as some of the map key.

To the big library for more dragon info...Toni helped us look.

Back for lunch and another story, My Monster Momma Loves Me. Many friends fell asleep today!