Category Archives: Learning through play

learning about our Australian heritage – the Aboriginal culture

Posted on by under Creativity & Imagination, Early Learning, Emergent Curriculum, learning about our community, Learning through play

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Our special visitor, Willy, came for another visit and we used twig brushes to do some dot painting on little boomerangs. And we had fun with him – he showed us how he used to make a hopscotch game when he was little.

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Thanks for another wonderful visit, Willy!

hunting a kangaroo

Posted on by under Early Learning, Games & Activities, Learning through play, movement & physical learning

This week the children have been enthusiastic about playing a new game – modelled on hunting practices by the Aboriginal people on the Loddon Plains in Central Victoria – where the hunters had to creep and run after a kangaroo, but be ready to freeze if the kangaroo turns to look around for danger. There are some real strategists in the group – and they have been able to creep up on unsuspecting kangaroos and catch them before they turn around next. On a cold autumn day, every child has been running, ducking and freezing – and trying not to make a sound (a hard thing to do but excellent practice for executive skill development!)031

A dragon at kinder

Posted on by under Early Learning, Emergent Curriculum, Learning through play, The Natural Environment

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We have been learning about one of our unique native animals, the bearded dragon. Extra special because it only lives in the Mallee, our part of Australia, and central Australia around Uluru. They are kept as pets overseas but that’s not allowed for just anyone in Australia. However, this dragon was rescued from a cat, so is very lucky to have been found and looked after. Rory and Levi have drawn the real one, now Rory has a model that we have been able to study also. He drew it and then made a clay model of it. I showed Rory how to join the legs and head to the body using slip, very runny clay. He carefully marked the beard, the eyes and mouth as well, then he put it somewhere hot and dry so it would get hard and he could take it home.

Finding out about guitars

Posted on by under Early Learning, Emergent Curriculum, Enquiry & Discovery, Learning through play, music & movement

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we had so much fun playing our pretend guitars last term! We asked families if they knew anyone who plays the guitar – and Bill does. He came in this week to show us a little bit about it and to play us some songs. It was lovely to hear the music of the guitar and to sing along to it. Visits such as these are very helpful in extending children’s understanding and learning – about music and instruments this time, but a community or family member really focuses the children’s attention. And when we value the resources that our families have to offer, it emphasises to all the children, not just the particular grand-child, that families matter, they are welcomed and appreciated and they can help to shape our learning.
Thanks for sharing your music with us, Bill!

Where are the trikes?

Posted on by under Early Learning, Emergent Curriculum, Learning through play

Answer? In the shed.

Reflecting on the play happening outside last term, it was clear that trikes, popular with a lot of the boys, were actually supporting repetitive play, as well as interrupting play,  rather than encouraging deeper more sustained interactions. Sometimes this happens, depending on the group, and a smaller group leaves children with fewer options if they are keen to interact socially, which we want to happen.

Trikes are fun, but sometimes leaving them in the shed throws children onto their own resources. Instead we offered lots of the outside wooden blocks, as well as a range of “loose parts”. Boats, an enduring interest this year, quickly resulted, starting with solo or small group play and gradually loosening up and expanding to involve more children, children who might not normally get to participate as much.

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This is one of those times when the adults need to be able to think beyond a narrow understanding of “following children’ interests” to offer opportunities for new play, learning and development. It’s a balancing act, which children will guide us through with their interest and enthusiasm.

 

 

 

Observational drawing

Posted on by under Enquiry & Discovery, Learning through play, The Natural Environment, Uncategorized

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The sunflowers have been flowering bravely on the sides of the roads for weeks now, so I thought they would be a geat way to start our gardening focus now that the weather is cooler. Finding out what children know – the excitement of their knowledge and discoveries- and then learning how they make sense of new observations – we are all learners together in this endeavour. And observational drawing is very valuable to help us to really see what we think we already know.

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