Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful…. well….

Can you believe this weather two weeks before Christmas ? The children were all taking their coats off and running and throwing leaves.  What a blessing it is to get a more outside time that isnt bundled up in coats , hats  and scarves.

Here are some of the things I observed outside today .

Chandler loves to play in the dirt pit. He rarely wanders far from the tilled area with bulldozers and dump trucks.  Today he was playing with the dinosaurs there and had a dinosaur on top of the back hoe.  I wonder what goes through his mind when he is playing there.  Now, I am intrigued as to what I might be able to add to that area to expand his learning while he plays.  Being able  and satisfied to play alone and know what interests you is a wonderful life skill to have .

Simon loves to play with the basketball hoop. It’s taller than he is and he rarely gets the ball in but he is persistent .  He tries over and over and when he does get the ball in the net he beams ” I did it !”  Persistence is a worthy trait .

The past few days the girls have been playing with the leaves a lot.  They will pile them up and then throw them.   Today they got the brilliant idea to get the shovels from the rock area and shovel the leaves into a pile.  Not long after that Makenzie showed up with a handful of leaves.   She handed me one and said ” You are invited to our leaf party. ”  What imaginations these girls have . Maybe they will be writers.

Children are amazing if you just stop and listen to them.

Today at the table I was playing with the counting bears.  There were so many things going on with them.   Normal patterns for a child this age ( if they are doing patterns yet … ) is a color pattern. They usually can sort and pattern by one attribute. Next to me I hear front , back, front, back…. Violet is making a pattern of her own. Wow.

Jasmin used the bears with the playdoh.  ( GASP ! YES, I TRY to be a teacher that allows the kids to mix up materials at times. )  She had made an ” island” inside a lid with a bridge going over to the island.  She had bears on the island. They were all one color with the exception of one little bear. Jasmin had a whole story to accompany her playdoh and bear play.

Yes, sometimes in order to teach you need to slow down and listen.