Making Our Own People Figures

My group this year loves the block center. I could just have the regular blocks and nothing else and they are happy to build and create. (And we do that a lot.) But this year I've been trying to add more things there so the kids can stretch their thinking. (You can see some of the things we've done with blocks and stuff here and here and here and here.)

This week I added some peg clothespins and markers. We worked to make our own people (and a few animals. Check out these fine-motor skills at work and the concentration as we make family members.

Of course, some building went on...and those people found themselves put to work in the "animal pen."

And some of those guys found their way into our barley. (We were scooping and pouring--but that's a different post.)

Adding some art materials to the blocks center can lead to some different play. Kids that may use blocks more than markers can suddenly engage with a new material. And some kids that may not venture much into the blocks center may become involved in a new place in the room. Mixing it up in the room can create more fun and more learning.