A New Ramp

Yesterday I posted on our StrongStart Facilitators Facebook page about the children’s interest in ramps and asked for suggestions on how to extend their interest.
                     
One facilitator suggested using a slide in a kiddie’s pool at the art table.  I may try that one day but for now I set it up by our other ramp.
                    
We started with the balls that we used last week on our other ramps.  Then I had the children look around the room for other things to test to see if they would roll.
       
These two girls were the first to try it out and were very excited about sending anything and everything down the slide.  They really enjoyed sending the animals down, we learned that they don’t roll.
                        
          
Using the toddler size slide makes it very accessible to our smaller children.  In the background, of this picture, you can see our cardboard slide, it is a lot higher and the cardboard moves about.  This slide stays in one place and is easy for them to reach the top.
                   
                       Also fun to climb into the pool to clean up.
                        
New language was introduced with this ramp, predicting.  Will it roll or will it slide?
                            We'll look for other things to predict.

Dino Antics Day 9

              
This morning we found that the Dinos had pulled down jars of crayons and left
                              some art work for us to find.
              
            Oh oh triceratops was wearing a mask.  Who was the artist?
                  
      Reactions from the children varied from “hmm what are they doing?”   
 
                     to “let’s draw with them” or “I’ll clean up”.
                
                               The artist left their signature.

Dino Antics Day 8

             
           The Dinos discovered our ramp in the block corner this morning. 
              
It looks like Brachiosaurus was having a difficult time getting up the steeper part.
  
The smaller Dinos tied one of our measuring tapes around the long neck and were
                                         trying to pull him up.
           
The children weren’t too impressed but figured the dinosaurs could be helpful
                                                anyways.

An Interest in Ramps

During September and October I noticed the children building ramps using different materials that we have available in the classroom. 
 

Looking for a way to add on the children’s interest I borrowed a kit, from our Learning Resource centre, specifically for exploring ramps.
          
The kit included birch stands that can be stacked in a different ways, heavy PVC half tubes and balls.

The children loved it and promptly started sending the balls down.  The balls were rolling all around the room so we grab some of the big tin cans and baskets to use as collectors.
    
Each day it was built up in a different way with assorted amounts of ramps.
        
The balls varied in what they were made of, their size and their shape.  Some would roll easier and farther then others.  They would roll faster if the ramp was steeper versus flat.
                 
I spotted some children using the birch stands with our hot wheel tracks to build their own ramps for cars.  I wish we could have kept the kit longer but we will continue building using what we have.  I wonder where else in the room we could use ramps?

Dino Antics Day 7

           
                 We found the dinosaurs in the art area this morning. 
                          They had taken the turntables out for a spin.
                  
                                  We helped them spin some more.

Our Corn is Still Growing

In October I posted about sprouting corn, today we checked to see if it was still
                                               growing.

                   
This is what it looked like on October 26th when we planted our sprouted corn in
                                            the green house.
                     
                         The tops have grown higher and a little thicker. 
            I wonder if they will survive with so many so close together.
  
          Everyone had a chance to water the plant which it really needed.
            
              We noticed that a new plant is sprouting beside the corn. 
                                    I think it’s a pumpkin plant.

Dino Antics Day 6

It’s been over a week since the Dinos have been causing mischief in our classroom.  Each day as families arrive I hear a few more talking about the Dinos.  Wondering where they might be today.

They were well hid this morning.
                                 
               We found them inside the big box that holds our light table.
                             
                 They were being silly trying to wear our see through blocks.
                             
    
           We decided to help them build a castle and some towers.