The Preschool children have been interested in construction and building for the last couple of weeks. The educators set up a construction site playdough invitation using grey playdough, construction vehicles, and natural loose parts such as rocks, sticks, and small wood stumps. Looking at the provocation, Hudson said, “We need safety in the construction site.” Merline asked, “How can we be safe Hudson?” “We need a hat and a jacket, so we don’t get hurt,” replied Hudson. The children immediately put on their jackets and hats and got to work.
As the children worked in the construction site, Alice said, “I am building a sidewalk with rocks.” “This looks like concrete,” added Bela. The children transported materials on the vehicles and used their cement playdough to help secure different blocks and rocks together as they made new structures. During the process, the children seemed to be using their cognitive abilities to test out different strategies as they tried to create stable structures. Luke and Grayson collaborated together and dumped the dirt using the vehicles. While the process supported children’s fine motor skills, they also noticed the different imprints and designs that the vehicle wheels left on the playdough. The children felt the surface of the rocks and tried to distinguish between their textures. They communicated their findings with their peers nearby which led to a discussion of hard and soft rocks.
Following the children’s interest in rocks during the construction site activity, the educators set up a rock exploration provocation with different kinds of rocks and magnifying glasses. While exploring the rocks, the children began communicating their findings. Feeling some of the rocks Alice said, “This one is rough and this one is soft,” and looking at a big seashell she said, “This looks like a bowl.” Looking through the magnifying glass, Marcelo said, “Big hole” and he started counting the number of holes on the rock. Emily and Armaan went on to stack the rocks and tried to balance them one on top of the other. Holding two rocks in her hand Merline said, “I wonder which one would be heavier.”
We then decided to weigh the rocks using a scale. The children soon began to compare the different rocks on the weighing scale. During our investigation, we used vocabulary of measurements such as heavier, lighter, bigger, and smaller. We then used our cognitive skills and tried to understand the relationship between attributes such as size and weight of the rocks. From his observations, Theo concluded that “big rocks can be heavier than small ones.” The activity also supported social skills as the children exchanged ideas, shared space and materials, and also listened and responded appropriately to peers and educators.
Through constructive play, children learned about the attributes of different materials, engaged their curiosity and imagination, and experimented with applying critical thinking concepts while seeking out new ways to use the materials.
