Outdoor Environment

We've talked about science and science outdoors.  How about the environment?

Here's the thing about outdoor environments in preschool...they are NOT elementary school yards!  We are not on "recess"!  This is not the time for the teachers to hang out and chit-chat to each other while the children run around like chickens with their heads cut off!

No, the outdoor environment MUST be a place for the children to extend curriculum and learning!  As a matter of fact, I am under the impression (from my years of experience, not any research I have read...although there might be some out there, link it to me if you know of any) that children do MORE learning outside than inside.

The outdoor environment must be an extension of the indoor environment.  An additional place to learn.

You need to put as much thought into the outdoor space as you put in the indoor space.  Wait, scratch that.  You need to put as much thought into the outdoor space as you should be putting in the indoor space.

You need to change things up.  Will the children play with buckets and shovels in the sandbox everyday?  Sure!  Because they're there!  But what if you put out shovels and sand sifters only and hide treasures in the sand? 

Add to that activity and put a poster grid up next to the sand box so when they find a treasure they need to tape the item they found/draw a picture of the item/write the letter of the the item/ etc... on the grid!

I'm telling you, they will eat it up!

The key is to change up what is going on outside.  Make it interesting. 

Will they play with the same old toys outside the same old way and be happy about it?  Of course!  They're children and they will always find something to do no matter what.  But how much better will it be when we give them something so exciting to do that changes things up?

Science Outdoors

We’ve been talking about science the last couple of days, now let’s transition to the outdoors.  The best way to transition on these two topics?  Talk about how they correlate together.

The BEST way to involve children with science outdoors is to create a garden.  That is entirely science at it’s greatest!  In addition, you are teaching children to grow great food AND if they grow it, they’ll eat it!

There are two ways to grantee that children will eat their fruits and vegetables: 1. have them grow them in a classroom garden; 2.  have them cook something with them (salads, fruit salad, etc…).

Now it is very important that the CHILDREN are involved in the garden.  If you just put out a plot of land and you plant and grow things then bring the children in and say, “wow, look at everything growing” you are not going to get them interested.  In addition, you aren’t teaching them much.

No, involve the children from the beginning.  Are you going to have starter seeds grow inside in a tray before transferring them into the garden?  Have the children plant the seeds and document their growth.  Talk about when is a good time to transfer them outside.

While they are growing, teach them to notice the difference between weeds and plants.  Just to be on the safe side so you don’t wander over one day and see all your carrots uprooted because they looked like weeds, make a standing rule that they can FIND weeds but only adults are allowed to pull them out so they must get an adult.

As things start to grow (and they do tend to grow very quickly) have them document again and really watch.  Count how many flower buds there are and then flowers and then pea pods. 

The most important thing is to observe and wonder!  Just like every other science project, wonder and awe about what is happening in front of you. 

If you have ever gardened before, you know that you won’t have to even act.  I’ll never forget the first time I gardened and found how quickly the corn stalks grew.  You could almost see it grow before your eyes!

So, what do you grow in your classroom gardens?

Water Play Ideas

So it's summer and it's HOT! The children are running around and their little cheeks are turning pink; not from sunburn, but from dehydration. You are constantly reminding them to drink water...right? Even though we have drinking fountains in the yard, I also get some cups and a water dispenser to put out as well. They seem to drink much more water this way. As they are drinking, you can actually see the pinkness fade away.

How else do you keep them cool? Take out the hose! That's always fun. I time it so that I soak them real good and then turn off the hose. By the time we go in, they are dry. But really, running in the water is fun; however, ever thinking as a teacher, I want to know how I can enhance their development through this. Here are some ideas:

1. Give everyone a cup or other container. While you are spraying the hose, put the nozzle on a good shower and spray high up. Have them see how much water they can catch. Put a sensory table out of the spray zone and when their container is full of water, have them dump the water into the sensory table. How long will it take to fill? This works on eye-hand coordination, measuring, social skills, gross motor, and teamwork

2. Have a relay race. You don't necessarily have to race against each other; race against the clock if you like. Fill the sensory tub with water. Have two or three of the same item (large spoon, 1/4 cup measuring cup, plastic egg, etc...). At the start line (where everyone lines up) put the sensory table. At the other end place a sand bucket. Have the children fill their small container and run to the bucket and fill with the water. When they run back, they give their container to the next child in line. Continue until the bucket is full, the time is up, whatever works. This work on balance, gross motor, social skills, teamwork. Turn it into a math activity by having them guess how many times they will need to fill their smaller container to fill the bucket.

Let me say here that I am not opposed to a little bit of competition. Having two teams race against each other is fine as long as the children aren't allowed to have poor sportsmanship. Everyone is recognized for their efforts. Make sure you make the teams equal in strength and weakness. Run the event several times so everyone has a chance. However, if you children can't handle the competition, compete against the clock.

3. Make water parks! Get rain gutters, pipes, funnels, and lots of string. Use the fence to make ramps, tunnels, and mazes to dump the water into. Put a bucket at the bottom of the maze to catch the water. This works with conflict resolution, negotiations, spacial awareness, social skills, reasoning skills, math and science.

4. For the younger children who may not be able to think abstractly and create a water maze: take two sensory tables. Put one in its stand and fill with water. Take the other sensory table out of it's stand and put it on the ground a few feet away. Take a couple rain gutters or pipes and place one end in the tub on the ground. Lean the other end up on the edge of the taller sensory table. Provide different sizes of containers for them to pour water down to the other sensory tub. Is there a way to get the water back up? This plays with cause and effect, science, spacial awareness, science, reasoning skills.

5. Fill spray bottles with colored water (use liquid watercolors to make it washable). Put up a large white sheet or butcher paper. Let the kids spray! Attach things to the sheet (leaves, stencils, etc...) to spray at and see the impression that is made by the spray. If you are really brave have a child stand facing the sheet (so it doesn't get in their eyes) and spray around them to see the impression. With this activity (spraying the children with colored water) you need to have VERY understanding parents and enough knowledge to express what they are learning; but it's fun! The children will get fine motor skills, social skills, reasoning, creativity, science, social skill.

I am of the belief that every classroom should have a large white sheet/blanket/material/fabric that you can use over and over. The sheet holds color better and, if you do it right, it's washable. Plus with being white you can bleach it if the color doesn't come out. This white sheet can be used for spray bottle art, fly swatter art, painting with feet, and so much more. It doesn't matter if it loses its bright whiteness; it should! But it is so much sturdier than the butcher paper!

Does anyone else have any great water play activities?

Obstacle Courses

A few months ago we ordered one of these. It has come in very handy in our toddler yard. Yes, our preschoolers could use it, too. However, we had some toddler grant money and so they were the lucky ones.

What I like about it is the versatility. The cones have holes in them so that you can stick bars through them for the children to climb or jump over. The hoops fit into the tops of the cones. I have put a small step on one side and a landing mat on the other for them to jump through. They have also used it to throw balls through as well.

There are also ropes that fit through the holes to make other obstacles. What I didn't notice, but found as a great bonus, where the street signs that come with it. They have been great in the bike path. I also borrowed the circles for the graduation carnival to be used at the bean bag toss patterning game.

Overall, things have held up pretty well in its daily abuse (oops, I mean use) from the toddlers. They are really enjoying it.

Caterpillar Crawl

This has been at the center for longer than I have been there. When I first got there about 2.5 years ago, it was sitting in the front yard where no one played with it. About a year and a half ago, the two's teacher hosed it down and brought it to her yard. It is now a favorite!

Except for the pieces that were taken from it by the local skaters in the neighborhood (why they want plastic caterpillar feet is beyond me). But, the children love it. It's a great place to dig quietly by yourself, get away from the noise of the classroom, and just hang out with friends.

As they get older (more towards the young 3 age) they begin the pretend play of turning it into a car and sitting on top of it to "drive" to the store. It's very versatile and very sturdy. The color arches can also be rearranged so you can make the tunnel a winding one or one curve. The holes in the side make it easy for a teacher to supervise what's going on in there easily. The holes also make it easy for the children to climb right up to sit on top. We've only had a few children who have tried standing on it, but they were the type to stand on top of the monkey bars a year later as well, so I could say that it isn't much thought to standing on top.

It easily hold the weight of the teachers who play right along with the "rides" to the store; so it's sturdy! It is worth the money spent and has lasted quite a while.

Rejuvenating the outdoors

A while back I posted this about how simply moving a toy can make all the difference in renewing it's purpose. Well, I was surprised yesterday at something else. We had a volunteer day on Saturday where we had managed to get community members to come and spend 4 hours bettering our yard; part of this included adding a new layer of sand to our depleting supply.

This is bright, white, playground sand. It is fabulous! It took us 2 and a half hours to get it all moved into the area and raked across and all, but it was worth it. It was even more so when I walked out an literally saw children rolling in it! They were burying themselves in it and sitting in it and so much more. I think every child was in the sandbox at the same time.

So, in conclusion, I have determined that there is a whole new way to rejuvenate the area: add new sand

Of course this was an expensive way to rejuvenate (over $1000 for the entire area), but yesterday morning made it all worth every cent.

Outdoor Play...it's important!

I was going to tell you all about the play in our brand new sand today; but I am saving that for tomorrow. Why? Because I was appalled when I read this today.

First, I was amazed that any teacher wouldn't allow their classroom outside to avoid basic behavior issues that are easily curbed with some simple redirection (and buying of supplies like balls, shovels, and buckets). Then I was floored when I read how short people were talking about their outside time: 15-30 minutes! So, now I am discussing appropriate outdoor time and curriculum.

First, the fact: It takes a child about 20 minutes to find an activity in which to become fully engaged. Yes, some children reach this moment long before that 20 minutes, others may take a bit longer, but 20 is a good strong average. Watch a child wander the yard; just observe.

Maybe he goes running to the tricycle first, spends 1 minute riding around then is quickly sidetracked, jumping off the bike (leaving it in the middle of the path) where he runs to the monkey bars. Here he spends 6 minutes pulling himself up, hanging upside down, and just hanging around. He quickly notices that there are children "baking" ice cream in the play house and goes to join them; he stays there for another 5 minutes where he slowly moves over to the play "car" where he drives to the store for another 3 minutes delivering ice cream. This is when he notices that there is a rope tied to the top of the slide and he can climb up the slide pulling on this rope. This is his "task" for the day: Learning how to climb the slide using this rope, taking turns with others who are engaged here as well, and figuring out the best ways to accomplish this task.

What is he learning? Conflict resolution and teamwork; he needs to solve conflicts with others as they take turns and, most likely, these children will work together and help each other out in getting to the top. Gross motor skills; he will use different muscles in pulling up the slide with his arms and feet than just climbing normally. Self confidence; I can do it! What else can I do?

It took him 15 minutes to find this task, and he stays at this activity for 40 minutes mastering all these skills. Other children have taken different roads to their final tasks, but in the end typically settle on one or two that accomplish other skills: social, gross motor, dramatic play, math, reading, science, and so much more! All this because they are given the time to do so.

If we only allowed them 30 minutes to go outside what would they accomplish? Maybe 15 minutes into the time they would settle on an activity, that leaves 15 minutes more. After another 5, the teacher calls out "5 more minutes to clean-up". This causes the thought "I have to hurry and play before I can't play anymore" and that interrupts a little more than necessary as well. Then of course comes the 5 minute clean up. So what value does the child get from this short amount of play?

The question you need to ask is this: What do I want the children to get out of their play?

Once you answer this question, you will allow for long blocks of uninterrupted play (both inside and out); however, today we are talking about outside. There are some things that are out there that you have no control over them using or not (monkey bars and slide for example); and you want them to use these things. The question is how can you get them to learn and enhance their play. This is answered by what tools you provide.

Remember that rope on the slide? I added that because children were constantly climbing the slide and we had been given a bunch of jump ropes as a donation. The jump ropes were being used to tie each other up; so let's find a better use for them. What happens when we dig a hole and fill it with water? Put up an obstacle course for bikes? Hopscotch? Sidewalk chalk?

What we, as adults, choose to add to the environment, will enhance and change the play of the children. We must observe and make decisions ahead of time to do just this. Bug boxes, pendulums, hula hoops, etc... The outdoor environment should have everything you have inside in addition to the gross motor items. And it should be a well thought out and planned environment, just like the indoor environment.

Do we have problems with appropriate shoes? YES!!! When they come in we tell the parents, "These shoes are not very good for active play and their feet may get injured. We can't stop them from playing so it would be best if you could bring in a more suitable pair." At this point, if they are completely adamant that they can't go get some sneakers we find some socks to put on, at least they are a little protected. We used to have a policy that the children couldn't stay without appropriate attire; however we just changed the parent handbook and accidentally left it out and haven't amended it yet.

Do they throw wood chips? YES!!! We redirect them and help them find a more appropriate activity: throwing balls, climbing slides, filling buckets with wood chips, etc...

15-30 minutes is just not enough time. Yes, we have the advantage of sunny weather year round (San Diego!!!); but on a rainy day we take a rain walk. Years ago we asked for parents to donate rain boots to the center and rain jackets. We have enough for one full class. I can't imagine not taking the children out to play in the snow; especially if they had the appropriate attire. I'm not saying it would be easy; but I think it would be totally worth the fun!

Update on winchimes

Here is an update on my windkit: The windsock is long gone. The pinwheel has recently been retired because the front clip which kept the wheels on was accidentally broken when a wayward ball hit it; it was still in pretty good shape. The colors were faded, but the material was in good condition and it probably would have lasted a lot longer. Well, accidents happen.

Last to go just this week (7 months after it was put up) we took down the windchime. This had been put back together too many times to count. The middle rod is now being used as just a wind decoration because it was easily transformed by a long piece of string hung over a tree branch. However, the string that was holding all the parts on was worn and frayed. The tubes that make the music had to keep being tied back on, the middle rod kept falling off, and the string holding it all to the anchoring hook was frayed and sun worn. Is this a result of being in a preschool playground? I'm not sure. The children treated this item with respect and really didn't pull on it. I'm thinking it was more sun damage than child damage.

So, what have I done? I have gone to the dollar store where I bought two windsocks, two wind chimes, and two twirly things that spin in the wind. One windsock has since been torn, the other is in good shape. The children are fascinated by the windchimes as these have little plastic replicas of birds and stars. I'm curious to see how long these last.

Old toys made new

Remember this item? Well, it was sitting, unused again, still out in the yard. Children would walk around it, but they were pretty much done with it. Instead of putting it away, the teachers moved it. They moved it from the wood chips area to the sand area. The children are all over it again. They are still doing the same thing: finding trucks and riding them down; but the novelty of it has changed because they are now in the sand.

Sometimes simply moving an item from one area to the next is all that is needed to make something interesting again. You should be rearranging the outdoor area regularly. We set up curriculum areas daily with activities. Every month, or at most every two months, we rearrange the tables and interest areas. Sometimes all it takes is moving the table by 90 degrees.

Inside should also be changed regularly. Toys on the shelves should be rotated weekly. The furniture should also be rearranged. Sometimes it's difficult with the size of a classroom, but even if you just switch the block area with the dramatic play area it's enough change to get those creative juices flowing again. You'll find, if you do this right, that behavior problems will go down as well.

We'll be looking at room arrangements and outdoor environments in the next couple of weeks.

Take a ride on a roller coaster

Here is something that I never would have bought myself. However, when I came to this center that I am at, it was already here. The car was also missing. So, essentially, this sat in the toddler yard taking up space, not being used. Occasionally the children would walk along it, maybe even push each other down it; but that was about all. Finally, the teacher removed it from the yard and it took up space in the shed. For the price that was payed for it, I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of it...and I'm glad I didn't.

This past week, my preschool teachers decided to set it up in their yard. Something new to explore with and see what they children would come up with. Well, it turns out that we have some larger hard plastic trucks (something that is about this size, but it's more of a flatbed type truck). These trucks are perfect for a creative preschool class to take up to the top and ride on down. They are working out gravity and other science concepts like inertia, force, all that fun stuff. They are getting the smaller cars and racing them down, different size balls and rolling them down and up as well! They are doing so much exploring with this ramp, it almost makes it worth the money.

Don't get me wrong, I still would never buy this piece of equipment. I think it is completely unnecessary and takes up too much space. However, now that the preschoolers have found a productive use for it, I am glad we have it around.

Sand Mills

Way back in October, we purchased this set:

Okay, so not way back, only 5 months. We bought two sets of these. These are supposed to be able to be used in the sand and in the water. In my experience, they can all be used in the water; but sand doesn't work so well in the one in the middle not the one on the right. The one on the left seems to be the best one all around. Both of the middle sand mills have since broken. The lever in the middle has broken off, and it is really not very sturdy to begin with. The one on the right works in the water, but not at all in the sand. The best on is the one on the left. This one has proved to be the sturdiest and most flexible in use. If I had to do it all over again, I would just buy more of the ones on the left and leave the other two alone.

Wagons

About 3 weeks ago a parent donated one of these to our center;

They were moving into a smaller place and didn't have the space for it. Plus, the children never used it (key word there is never). So, how long does a wagon like this last on a preschool playground? Not long at all. Last Tuesday I went out and it had just broken. One of the front wheels had come off. Upon closer inspection, the plastic around the wheel split apart from the rest of the wagon. Does this mean this wagon is a bad product? No. In a home, I have seen these last for years. However, a preschool yard tends to give equipment years worth of use in just one short week. The children had a blast pulling each other around the yard. They are still putting it to good use:

I suggested we take the wheels off and put it in the sand box. At first when we took the wheels off, we didn't dig a hole for it to sit in. The children had fun pulling each other around the yard in their "boat"! That alone was worth it. After a while we saw a safety need to either get it out of the yard, or make it a more permanent structure. Now it's still a boat, it just doesn't go anywhere. Eventually they will get tired of it, and at that point we may move it to our garden and make it a flower bed; until then...it's a boat!

Joey Jump!

I used to go outside an see children taking our long handle shovels, lay them on the ground, put a ball in the handle, run to the other side of the shovel and stomp on it as hard as they could. The ball would go flying over their heads and they would laugh hysterically! I would turn to the teachers and suggest that someone should get a dad to cut some 2x4 boards into 2 foot long planks and screw a fat dowel of somesort into the bottom of it. They should even put them at different distances from the middle. Then the children could stomp on those...instead of the shovels which will eventually break from this kind of use. I really wasn't upset that the children were using the shovels, they had a need to explore these types of force and reactions and all that science stuff. However, after suggesting this for about 6 months, I was looking through the kaplan catalog and came across this. I don't know why they call it a Joey Jump, but I am thrilled they have it. I bought 2! They were deliverd less than 2 weeks ago, and it is probably the best thing I ever bought. It comes with 2 bean bags, which is great. The children have stomped on it, I can't tell you how many times. I introduced it early in the morning when there were only 3 children around because I knew it would be a popular item. I figured that if I introduced it that early, the ones who were there would be done enough with it that they would let others play with it; and as children trickled in the same thing would happen. Best plan I ever had! It worked exactly as planned, the two boys who were there when I introduced it played with it for a while, then went and found something else to play. When some more children came, they actually stopped what they were doing, excitedly showed the arriving children this awesome new toy, and went back to their other activities. And so it went the rest of the morning until breakfast.

Of course, after the first day came the real fun! You could see the exploring going on with these toys; you could almost hear the thinking: what if I put both of them next to each other and jump on them at the same time? What if I put two bean bags stacked on the end? What if I line up the bean bags all the way across the board? How about a ball? Lets stomp on it together! Who's can go farther?...and on and on!

This hasn't ended their play with force at all, it has only expanded it! Now maybe the teachers will see the importance of this play and get some parents to make some more of these!

Foam Floor Puzzles

Six years ago I bought a set of foam floor puzzle pieces. They look similar to the ones pictured, however I got mine from Target...on clearance. I bought 2 sets at $3.95 a piece. This is the best bargain I have ever gotten! My initial thought of use for them was as a mat under a sensory table. It worked perfectly. It was easy enough to clean up, and kept the materials right in the sensory table area. It also helped keep the children from slipping when we were using a material that could make the floor slippery (water, bubbles, instasnow, etc...) Snappy stretch wouldn't stick to it like it does in carpets either. Making cleanup real easy.

The next place I used it was under the art easel. This was because the classroom I used it in was wall to wall carpeting. It was perfect for that too! They wipe up real easy. Even dried up paint just chips right off. These puzzle pieces have been through a lot with everything that has been dropped and spilled on them!

Now, they are outside on our patio area for the children to play with. They spend hourse putting them together. Yesterday, on of the 4 year old's made a hopscotch with them! The pieces are easy to manipulate and the are very versatile. I know you probably can't find them for $3.95 anymore, but I would recommend them in the classroom. If for nothing else, use them for the sensory table!

Scooters

Last summer we purchased two of these scooters from lakeshore. Upon first look, I thought they were cool; upon closer look I thought "how are they ever going to ride these?" Maybe because of my adult view of the world, and how I always picture riding a scooter, I just couldn't picture it. I'm used to pushing with my foot parallel to the other foot. With these, you have to push from behind the body. A little uncomfortable at first.

When we first put out the scooters, I was beginning to think that I was right about these. It took about a week before any child really mastered the skills needed to ride these. After a year, most children are successful their first time on the scooters. Here's my theories:

When first introduced, the children had no experience with them (and may have had experience at home with a 2 wheel scooter). They had no reference to go off of on how to use them. Now, a year later, most of the younger children have watched the older ones be successful on the scooters. They have a frame of reference when they decide to take the challenge. Therefore, a preconceived notion does make it difficult to ride at first.

Now I go out in the yard and all the children are riding these, some racing around quickly. These are pretty well constructed. Considering they were "needs assembly" when we got them, they have stood up very well. Each scooter has since lost, and been replaced, one handle cover each. The wheels, platform, and frame had stood the test of time for the year. The coordination in using them is no longer a problem, and the children really love them. The older children (boys especially) who need more of a challenge have begun trying to do simple tricks on them: riding backwards, making small jumps over toys and curbs, popping the front wheel up, etc...

This has been a great addition to our yard.

Balls!

Okay, we have tried these, these, and these balls. All from very reputable child care supply places. We have even ordered some of these and these! You would think that with all the balls we have ordered, that our yard would be full of balls! We should have more balls than we know what to do with, right? WRONG! The foam balls are pretty good. At least, they are still able to play with them. They last a long while, until some child who is having anger or sensory issues for the day decides to pick it apart. However, I have yet to find a playground ball that will last longer than two weeks. We treat our balls pretty well, considering the problem we are having. We take them in every night, we make sure they have the right amount of air in them. We don't let the children abuse them by standing on them and such. And still, after about a day at least one of them has a pinpoint hole in it. By the end of the week, we typically only have one or two good ones remaining; and we usually buy 2-3 sets at a time, so you would think that would be 1-2 from each set...you would be wrong!

One set, the outer coverings actually began peeling off after just one day. One ball had a hole in it as I was putting air in it for the first time! After about 2 weeks, we are left with one lonely playground ball. I have tried patches, but it doesn't work.

I could just order all the foam balls, but they definitely don't bounce as well. They also don't act quiet like a playground ball because of their lightweightedness; and yes I've tried the bigger foam balls as well.

So, I throw this question out to all of you: What do you do about balls in your yards? Even when we have parents donate balls from the stores they all go flat pretty quickly. Is this just a highly consumable product? Or has the quality of balls really gone down?

Reading Pool

Okay, as promised yesterday, I am going to tell you about our reading pool. This actually started out as a fluke idea of mine about 6 years ago, and since then I have taken it with me everywhere I go. At the time, I had a huge blowup pool in the yard that was a pain to blow up and deflate every time we wanted to use it on a hot day. I also had a huge futon cushion that I kept outside for a reading area. One rainy day, we threw the futon into the pool and pulled it under the porch area so that the cushion would not get ruined and the pool wouldn't fill up. And so it began...Before we could re-set it up the next sunny day, the children had already climbed in with some books, took their shoes off, and spend 30-45 minutes just reading! It was a perfect place! We slowly added some smaller pillows to lean on and blankets to cuddle up in. Teachers would sit in there with them and read to them, sing songs, and just talk.

I have been a different centers since then, but I am sure to set up this reading pool (or one like it) at each place I go. It has been a hit each time. I usually use an old pool that we aren't using anymore, and then make sure to have plenty of cushioning. Right now we are using large pillows from Lakeshore. They are very durable and easy to wash when dirty.

Things to remember:

The children will have to be reminded that this is a quiet place to read and hang out. There's no jumping around (someone might get hurt).

It helps if there are blankets as well so cuddle up with. It is also nice if they are allowed to take off their shoes while they are in there. I usually have a place just outside of the pool where they can line them up or put them (one place I had a large basket even). The rule then is that if you want to leave the pool, you need to put them on. (I am actually a huge advocate for allowing them to play without shoes, but I always lose this argument. That darn toe safety and the bikes always wins out!).

Make sure that there are plenty of books available. One's that they are familiar with and are interesting to them. Also, rotate them out. Leave a few of the same ones in, but bring our new ones as well.

It's always nice to have a teacher sit in the pool and read with them as well. But, be aware, the teacher who is in the pool has to have "global awareness". Can he or she read and watch the area surrounding the pool as well? This teacher will probably get "stuck" in the pool for a long while; maybe even the entire outdoor time. That's is perfectly acceptable! Children need to be read to, encouraged to read to others, and just plain need to feel important! This accomplishes that to no end.

Wind Kit

I'm always looking for materials that will fascinate the children and spark their interest in things new. When I saw this wind kit from Kaplan for $35 I thought this would be perfect. And it is! It has also sparked the teacher's interest and there are plans in making a whole weather station in the part of the yard we put this up in. I chose to put it up in out quiet area outside. It has really brought the area to a whole new dimension. Children discuss with each other what they are seeing; teachers are talking about the wind and how it makes the items move around. Some children just sit in our reading pool (more on that tomorrow) and relax while watching the pinwheel or listening to the wind chime, watching the middle piece twirl around.
We placed these items close enough to the ground that they could touch them and instructed them in how to use the items the first time they were introduced to them With strong teacher supervision for the first outdoor time, the children quickly learned to be gentle with the items and remind their friends. This has really become a great thing in our yard!
I never went out and priced how much it would cost to get each item individually, but I figure that it works out even, or just less than even. You may be able to find individual wind chimes and wind socks and pinwheels on clearance at the end of gardening season, but this was worth it. It has definitely weathered rain and wind and sun very well. The material has faded a bit after 4 months, but that is really to be expected of any windsock material. The pin wheel has not torn. The windsock did tear, but that was after a child pulled on it pretty hard (she wasn't there for the initial use talk). We have also had to "re knot" the wind chimes middle piece once or twice which can be frustrating. It would have been better to have the items made with fishing wire. However, with the joy it has brought the children, it was worth it!