I recently read the book Serious Fun: How Guided Play Extends Children's Learning by Marie Masterson and Holly Bohart. It inspired me to take a closer look at our center time and use some of the ideas I've learned in the book to up the ante, so to speak! Take a look at our work in our new centers:
Foil Boats: design a boat out of tin foil and see if it can float. Can it hold a toy policeman? Mr. Incredible? How can you make it move across our "pond" without using your hands? Have a boat race with friends.
The Office: Students decided together what type of office it would be and had to assign jobs to each other. They then worked together to make their office run like a well-oiled machine!
Construction Zone: Student had to work together to build a fort using foam pieces, plastic joints and fabric sheets. This took a lot of teamwork and communication!!
Great Artist: Students used famous paintings as inspiration for their own masterpieces. In addition, the students learned about Claude Monet and worked together to create a replica of one of his most famous paintings - his water lilies with the Japanese bridge.
Planning, communication, teamwork, revision and cooperation are evident in all centers. Sounds like hard work, right? Well, yes, but it is SERIOUS FUN!!
Foil Boats: design a boat out of tin foil and see if it can float. Can it hold a toy policeman? Mr. Incredible? How can you make it move across our "pond" without using your hands? Have a boat race with friends.
The Office: Students decided together what type of office it would be and had to assign jobs to each other. They then worked together to make their office run like a well-oiled machine!
Construction Zone: Student had to work together to build a fort using foam pieces, plastic joints and fabric sheets. This took a lot of teamwork and communication!!
Great Artist: Students used famous paintings as inspiration for their own masterpieces. In addition, the students learned about Claude Monet and worked together to create a replica of one of his most famous paintings - his water lilies with the Japanese bridge.
Planning, communication, teamwork, revision and cooperation are evident in all centers. Sounds like hard work, right? Well, yes, but it is SERIOUS FUN!!