Loose Parts - Fourth Edition

Who can resist the texture of beautiful fabric? Years ago, there used to be a group of parents who would quilt in the front foyer of our school. Their beautiful creation would be sold, via raffle tickets, and a lucky family would go home, the recipient of a stunning quilt, made with love. Somehow, I acquired a bag of scrap materials from this group of quilters. I vaguely remember using these batiq fabric scraps in some creative work with the kinders. But alas, this scrap material ran out. And since the tradition of quilt making at Castor Valley seems to have taken a hiatus, I have been searching for a new line on scrap fabric. This spring, we scored! My mother joined a quilting group -- never having quilted before in her life! Aside from being so proud of her (these quilts are made for patients undergoing cancer treatment) I was also eager to find out if there would be any fabric scraps to donate. I am very grateful for the donations we receive, and there have been numerous art projects that have made use of these scraps.

While brainstorming open ended materials that could be used for our "loose parts" project, the notion of adding fabric to mix, seemed to fit.



Fabric, alphabet letters and dinosaurs. Oh my!

What the children had to say about the fabric:

"It was soft."

"It was flat."

"The fabric can be folded."

This child appeared to enjoy the process of placing

the fabric on in layers.

This collaborative effort required 

communication and teamwork.

Exploring letters in this "title" 

This child was using fine motor skills,

rolling up rugs.

This "pile of laundry" was weighted down.

I'm sure there was a story evolving here!

Fitting pieces together, to make a quilt or mosaic.

Simplistic beauty.

The use of fabric in this edition of "loose parts" reminded me again of the versatility of materials. When I'm at the hardware store, or a yard sale, I'm looking at items with new eyes. Our collections of seemingly random pieces are spurring creativity and wonderful social interactions in kindergarten. 

Thank you for stopping by the atelier.

Loose Parts - Third Edition

This version of "Loose Parts" was so exciting for the children.  There was an element of surprise in the novelty of having new materials to work with -- newly acquired the metal washers, and blue "gem stones". This exercise is a reminder to never underestimate the value of simple materials. The washers were picked up at the local hardware store, and they were a hit! The versatility of simple objects; in the hands of 4 and 5 year olds, is amazing!

Metal washers, plastic gems and frog counters

presented in a haphazard fashion, on the carpet.

 

The children spoke to what they enjoyed about the materials:

 

"The were smooth and sparkly."

"The washers could make towers." -- they can stack.

"These are frogs on lily pads."

"It's a tower."

"Check out my robot!"

The simple replica of an alphabet letter derailed to

create a wonderful form.

"I like dragon cages."

"Frogs at the pond."

 

The children loved their time exploring with seemingly, unrelated objects. "Loose parts" has helped me better understand their skills at drawing connections and making meaning. What began as a light hearted experiment, is quickly gaining momentum and establishing itself as a very valuable practise in our JK classroom. In fact, I now see the value of "loose parts" well beyond kindergarten. It is more than "play" -- innovation comes from expanding upon our schema.

 

Thank you for joining us at the atelier!

Loose Parts - Second Edition

It looks like a mess, right? I have been collecting (with the much help from former students) these caps for a couple of years now. I still have a dream of inspiring the students to create a huge mural made from bottle caps ...  In time, it will come. I wish I'd started the "Loose Parts" project sooner!

 

 

This is our second edition of "Loose Parts" and it explores how unrelated bottle caps and farm animal counters can inspire and be a creative and sensory provocation to 4 and 5 year olds.  We spread these materials out on the area carpet and welcomed the children into the classroom. They donned indoor shoes, and made a bee-line for the carpet.

 

 

 

"There were so many of the same colour."

"They could stick together." -- stack and fit into each other.

"Some were the same and some were different. Some were 

different colours."

Patterning at play

Animals in the barn.

"Animals are in the corners of the X."

"Look at my claws!"

"This is our volcano!"

"Everything is in its own row."

This child created a rattle. MUSIC! This was an unexpected

outcome! I love the inquiry that is taking place!

"This is my person."

 

Creativity and innovation is abound!

Thank you for visiting our atelier.

Loose Parts - First Edition

We've been exploring again! Always on the look-out for enriching experiences, we've taken a risk and tried our hand at a movement or philosophy called "Loose Parts". The idea behind "Loose Parts" is that children are provided with materials that are seemingly unrelated and given the time and space to construct, test, probe and experiment. While at play, they are developing so many valuable skills. Notice I say, "developing" and not "learning". This form of open ended play; without superimposed questions or direction, is thought to lead to innovations and design. I don't feel that it is a new way of thinking, but it is being revisited and newly appreciated, as a multi-disciplinary practise that allows our children to explore at the perfect pace for them. I like to think that there is "flow" between the left and right hemispheres of the brain - a sort of "brain gym".

"Loose Parts" have become a part of our morning routine and we will celebrate our journey in a series of posts. In this first edition, coloured rods and buttons were literally dumped in the middle of the carpet. We didn't know what would transpire... have a look. Within seconds, they were captivated. And so were we!

"It's a garden of flowers and food."

"It kind of looks like a dragon cage."

This child was balancing buttons on the ends of the rods.

"Just" creating. We think it's beautiful!

"Its a house. I put buttons inside."

I have to marvel at the zen quality with which the children are approaching "Loose Parts" time. They create, desconstruct, and create again. We truly celebrate what transpires on the carpet, in terms of language, science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

 

My aunt, who is a furniture designer in Toronto, and my uncle, a retired Professor of Art & Design, have commented on how important it is that children explore their creativity. They admire how these children approach creative tasks without inhibition. In kindergarten, it's all in a day's "work"!

 

Thanks for visiting the atelier!  

Scientists in the School

We are grateful for the parent volunteers who were able to spend some time with our budding scientists, a while back. With Scientist Cindy at the helm, our "Scientists in the School" day was a whirlwind of activity, learning and fun. A special thank you to our Parent Council and the Kindergarten levy, which made this event possible.

Initially, the children thought they were camping at the "astronomy" centre. Little astronomers learned about constellations. When the flaps were closed on the tent, the dome turned into a mini planetarium.

The "chemistry" centre saw the children dress up as chemists, with lab coats and protective eyewear. They practiced fine motor skills with pipettes, and experimented with mixing colours. Another discovery component had the children experiment to see which substances dissolve in water. 

Experimenting at the water centre, the scientists explored the similarities and differences between various materials, as these materials demonstrated different behaviours, or characteristics in water. Some materials floated, while others sank. They came to the conclusion that heavier objects tended to sink in the water, though it was determined that weight was not the only factor. Principals of buoyancy were explored as volume was displaced with various items.

"Paleontologists" tried their hand at using various tools to uncover fossils. They also got to try create one of their own! Once they dried, the children were thrilled to bring these treasures home.

With Scientist Cindy, the children explored tools used by "meteorologists" and they created their own thermometre. They discovered what happens when the temperature rises! With spray bottles and sponges, the children loved the opportunity to revisit the water cycle!

I have had the pleasure of working with Cindy Ross for many years, and when she was putting away the centres that day, she mentioned that she had written a children's book. We made plans for her to come in again and read with the children. 

The class was thrilled to have a celebrity reader in their midst, and interacted with Scientist Cindy, as she shared her beautifully illustrated book. 

The book presents itself in poems and riddles, and captures the readers' imagination to explore local animals that hibernate, migrate and adapt. Truly, the children were SO engaged! It is no surprise that this book is nominated for awards!

Cindy signed the book for the children, "Stay curious!"  A big shout out and THANK YOU to our friend, author and scientist : Cindy Missen Ross!  Our class library was gifted this beautiful book!

Thank you once again for your support for Scientists in the School. You too, can add Scientist Cindy's book to your own personal library through the contacts above. It is a treasure that will be reread time and time again. There are a few riddles that might even stump some adults!

Thank you once again, for visiting our atelier!

Lovely Lilacs

One morning, not long ago ... one of our friends ambled off the bus and presented me with a lovely bouquet of fresh lilacs! They were a lovely surprise, as the tree in my back yard had not yet blossomed. Of course, on the drive home it's all I could see! Lilac bushes were in bloom EVERYWHERE! How had I NOT noticed? My friend had given me a silent reminder to take time and smell the flowers.

I had already thought that the vase of lilacs would make a great provocation in class the next day. I suspected that the scent alone, would attract a following. But as I drove home, I felt that it would be important for the children to have a guided inquiry and really NOTICE the details of the lavender coloured lilacs that were popping up like weeds across the rural countryside.

With the wheels set in motion, the tables were assembled and ready. As a class, we took the time to really observe the lilacs. We noticed the petals. Specifically, we observed the shape, and the number that made up a blossom -- 4. We noticed that the blossoms are comprised of varying shades of purple. We noticed the shape of the leaves -- they are shaped like hearts. And the smell was amazing!

The children were excited to grab a paint brush and get started. They wanted to be scientists and record their data! There was some explicit teaching that took place at this point, and the artist were given direction to use a sponge to create a dark purple shape on their paper. Because the shape was to be the backdrop for the blossoms, we observed the shape of each bunch, or stem of lilacs. We decided it looked like a triangle or a hat.

Ready to add details, we remembered that the blossoms consisted of 4 individual petals. They looked like an 'X'. What could we use to paint the petals? It was decided that they could use a small paint brush, or a Q-tip. White and purple paint were delivered to the tables and the children leaned in to mix the colours, interpret what they saw before them, and record -- with flourish!

Lilacs continued to come in, and we thank you for contributions to our atelier. With one "lesson" under their belt, the bouquets were an attractive and compelling provocation.

The paintings are each a beautiful representation of what the children saw in nature. We marvel at them daily, on display in our classroom and our school foyer.

Thank you for taking the time to smell the flowers, and visiting the atelier!