Sticky Note Collage

Making a collage is a standard type of activity in preschool and kindergarten rooms. Assembling a lot of different materials to create a larger visual item is a time-honored art form. In fact it is so familiar that often we overlook it as a creative endeavor. But preschoolers still enjoy making collages and experimenting with this visual art form.

In our art camp last summer, we created a collage with sticky notes. These collages were group efforts with different colors, sizes, and shapes of self-stick notes. We got most of our notes from the dollar store.

We used our magnet boards as a base for the collages. But you could use large pieces of paper. Or even create the collage directly on a wall.

This activity is great for all ages of preschoolers. Since no glue or other adhesive is involved, younger preschoolers can easily enjoy doing this activity. And our pre-kindergartners and kindergartners really enjoyed it, too.

Just make sure you have lots of notes on hand!

If you leave the collage out for several days, preschoolers can add to it or rearrange it. They can take notes off and replace them later.

Add even more creativity with pens or markers. Children can draw or write on the notes before or after sticking them on the collage.

A Flexible Room Environment

When I think about teaching, I think the room, the learning environment, plays a key role. The room should have materials that are engaging and will encourage children to explore and experiment. And the room must be a neutral space, ready to accept whatever ingenuity grows from the learners' minds.

The room must be a flexible environment, ready with engaging ideas and ready to be a part of a completely different engaging idea.

And in this flexible space, the children repurpose materials to create their own ideas. In this flexible room, blocks become letters and words and sentences.

Or the blocks center becomes a place to write your name.

Containers become building materials

Headbands (strips of cloth) become doll clothes

Food become bricks in a pyramid tower

Masking tape becomes a hat

A block bin becomes a hat

Tables and chairs become a tunnel

Tile becomes a lake

Green Lego bricks become landscaping

And gems become pizza toppings

Kids have great imaginations and great ideas. They can take just about anything and reimagine it into something completely different. 

But there's one barrier to this - ADULTS. We can dampen those ideas with a just a few words. Or a mindset. (Well, maybe it's not you. Maybe it's me.)

Often we say "no" when we could say "yes." Or at least "Hmm. Let's think about that."

As you work with a group of children or survey a classroom, think about ways you can say yes. Yes to creativity. Yes to fun ideas. Yes to repurposing. Yes to a flexible classroom.

I learn some of the best ideas that way!

Some Shiny Blocks

I love blocks. If you've spent any time here on the blog (or even with me in person talking about preschoolers), you'll probably already know this. Since I love blocks and I've had groups of kids who love blocks, I'm always looking for ways to supplement or create different experiences with blocks and building.

This summer in Vacation Bible School, we had shiny blocks. Well, we wrapped some of our blocks with aluminum foil so we would have shiny blocks.

Just a little change...a small revamping of a familiar item...can create some new exploration and play experiences. Some girls in our VBS group really were interested in these blocks. They built castles (princess castles, I think) with these "new" blocks.

Since this was an unfamiliar group of children, I didn't know their block building habits. I don't know if the shiny blocks made building more interesting or attractive to these girls. But they did enjoy building with them and reused them on more than one day.

We were using the blocks (and the room) where my church kindergarten class regularly meets. We didn't unwrap the blocks after VBS so we still had some silver shiny blocks for my regular class. I told the kids that we could unwrap them, but they wanted to keep them for a while.

I noticed that sometimes the shiny blocks were just part of a building, with no particular function or special place. But more often, the shiny blocks became a feature or special part of a building. They were using them as part of an overall design. This really interested me.

Just wrapping a few blocks in foil caused the building and creating to change.

We kept the shiny blocks for a few weeks. Then we unwrapped them and had our "regular" blocks back. But because of my experiences with two groups of kids, I will be wrapping foil around them again some time. And maybe searching for other things to wrap around my blocks and spark some new creativity.

Some Posts About Play

In recent weeks as I've been reading in the blogosphere, I've read a few things that have really excited me, made me think or rethink, or just made me happy about play and learning. Here are a few things that I want to share about play and learning.

Open Ended Baking (Play Counts)
"As with all open-ended opportunities in my program, open-ended baking involves no adult expectations or direction. The children are given the freedom of time, task, technique and most importantly, TRUST."

I love the story in this post. I love the way that Denita expands her philosophy into a new area and I love how this activity becomes so empowering for the children. Now I want to do this with a group of kids. Kids + materials + time + freedom = tasty learning!

Maybe We Should Teach the Way They Learn (Not Just Cute)

"Doing something earlier doesn’t make it better. Doing something better makes it better."

Amanda tells about some conversations she had with Rae Pica and other professionals regarding writing and literacy. Often best practice is overshadowed by what happens in the classroom (or what is sometimes demanded in the classroom.) We need to think about kids and what we are doing with (to?) them. Play builds other skills that we may not easily see.

Red Flags for Virtual Pre-K in Indiana (Teach Preschool)

"Virtual Pre-K puts the focus of early learning on one thing – academic learning. It ignores the incredible and critical broad range of needs young children have to be truly ready to enter kindergarten."

I had not heard of virtual pre-k until I read Deborah's post. She does a great job covering some concerns about this approach to help kids be "ready for kindergarten." It's seems that decision-makers make the mistake that Rae Pica has identified before - thinking of children as brains/heads only. Just building academic skills isn't really preparing kids for kindergarten. (And, in fact, those skills are probably of secondary importance than others.)

Teacher Tom's First Book (Teacher Tom)

"over time I was finally persuaded that there were some people, at least, who wanted to see an actual book."

Teacher Tom has written a book. If it's anything like his blog, it will be a book that inspires, challenges, pushes, and advocates ideas about play and teaching children. I cannot wait to read it and tell others about it. 

Spring Sand Pictures (Pre-K Pages)

"Using an activity that encourages different ideas allows children to create in their own unique ways."

This is a post I wrote for Pre-K Pages. I wanted to include it because it shows how play encourages kids to explore in different ways. I love to see kids explore. They will try some different ways of using the materials. They will continue to explore as long as the activity encourages them to think or until they feel like they have gained all they can from an activity. 

Anything Is a Possibility
"Children are creative. They see everything as a possible resource for what they are doing."

Children see beyond the defined use of materials. I love how the boy incorporated a basket/bin as a part of his structure. I am challenged to see beyond my own definitions of what to do and how to do it. I am challenged to see beyond my own limited understanding about children.

What have you read recently?

Anything Is a Possibility

Sometimes in my church kindergarten class I take a lot of photos. When I look back through those, I'm often reminded about things that I forgot. I came across this one again today. As I look at it, several things come to mind.

1. So many things happen in a classroom each week. I forget most of them. A remark or a shared activity will often formulate in my mind. But often I forget about the moments - big and small - without reminders. I need to take photos and/or write down things to remember.
2. Lots of learning happens in the classroom each week that isn't planned. These will also probably not be remembered individually but become part of the foundational knowledge in the child's learning.
3. Children are creative. They see everything as a possible resource for what they are doing.

This last one has come up before. And this photo reminds me again that I put limits on my thinking so often. A basket is for holding things. I don't consider it as a possible building item. If I were working in a blocks center and needed something for the top of my building, I would have overlooked this basket. It doesn't fit my definition of building item. But my friend saw it, decided to try it, and figured out how to use it in his structure.

We do the same for children. We see them in a particular light or through a particular lens. We try to figure out how they tick and interpret everything by our conclusions. "She's quiet. She won't be interested in doing this." "He is active. He will not sit down to do that." And so forth.

But at this age...well, at just about any age...anything is a possibility. With encouragement or freedom or availability, children will do things that are completely different from our expectations. I've seen the quiet child loudly and actively engaged in a game. I've seen the active child quietly absorbed in a book or art project. We are often too quick to categorize or label or conclude. I must remember that anything is a possibility.

I'm seeing that in my own life in my current journey. I tend to label certain actions or types of situations as "teacher" and discount or overlook others. I see myself as good at certain things or able to do other things and not see beyond these limited definitions. Maybe this photo needs to be on my desk or bulletin board to remind me to think in different ways and try out other ideas.

After all - anything is a possibility.

Stay Open to the Children's Creativity

Don't squelch the ideas of the children - either through what you say or how you react to them. On this particular day, blocks and people figures yielded a bus stop.

Play is all about creativity and seeing possibilities. And these are important "future skills."

"Walk Upside Down"

I love that my kids are inventive and have great creative ideas. I'm often surprised by just how interesting and expansive their thinking can be.

We were playing a moving game in the classroom a while back. I set up two tape lines to move between. (This group needs some suggested boundaries!)

We used a large inflatable cube with pockets. (Do you have one of these? They are great for all kinds of games. You can get one here. This link is just for information; I get nothing if you buy one.)

Anyway...I digressed there for a minute. We wrote different ways to move back and forth between the lines. The kids tossed the cube and then moved from one line to the other in the way they rolled.

I put "regular" types of movements--giant steps, tiny steps, crab walk, marching, and so forth.

After a while, I said, "Would you like to change what's in the cube?" Of course, they did. I asked them to suggest things to put in the cube. Their suggestions were much more inventive than I ever thought: Walk upside down, walk like a fish, bounce like a ball, slow motion.

Did we use those? You bet. Did they roll those odd things? You bet. Did they move in the suggested ways. They certainly tried.

Sometimes I'm quick to be in charge and direct things. Or I ask for suggestions and then dismiss them as impractical or whatever. But listening to the children can be great for creativity and for fun.

And when a child rolls something like "bounce like a ball," his interpretation may be completely different than yours. But certainly interesting to watch!

The Joy of Ordinary Stuff

It's easy to get caught up in the unusual or the coolest new gadgets. I know in early childhood, we are often looking for a new idea or activity or resource. We want to have fun new experiences for the kids to do. We want the tools that will help us as teachers or the kids as learners.

But sometimes the ordinary stuff brings as much joy as any cutting edge item.

Recently I set up a center for challenge games. Fun games or challenges that could be done with paper plates, straws, plastic cups, and tissue paper squares. (All of these things were readily available and already on hand.) I had a page with some game ideas. (I'll write about those later.) But things didn't just stay with the suggested challenges.

After playing and experimenting for a while, a boy wanted to set up the cups "like bowling." He set the cups in a triangle arrangement. I think his plan was to use a paper plate as a bowling ball, sliding it to knock over the cups.

I said, "I wonder if I can get this straw in a cup." I tossed the straw like a dart.

And my kids were hooked. They tried to toss the straw into cups like I did. I figured that they would try it and move onto other ideas - like before.

But they really got into this particular activity. After tossing for a few turns, the boy said, "Now we're trying to get it into this one." He pointed to the closest cup. They took turns tossing until someone landed a straw into that cup.

"Now this one," someone said, pointing to another one. And the tossing began again.

They played with this game for quite a while...longer than many other things they do regularly in the classroom. The challenge was difficult enough that they had to try several times. But rewarding enough that they didn't get frustrated or tire of trying.

One of my quietest girls, the one that will draw alone or watch others play, really got into the game. She interacted with the boy, tried again and again to land a straw in a cup (succeeding as much as the others), and talked more than I've ever seen/heard.

A few things that I observed--

• Truly engaging activities do not require fancy equipment or elaborate plans. Plastic cups and straws...simple tossing into a target...many minutes of engagement.
• Often the best ideas are a collaboration between children and adult. The idea to arrange the cups was theirs. The tossing of the straw was mine. The resulting game of specific targets was theirs. Give and take between adult and child is important for learning and exploration.
• Flexibility is important. The resulting game was not planned (by them or me). Being open to using materials in a different, unplanned way encourages the most learning and play.
• Think about what they like and provide ways for them to do it. My boys like to be a little rowdy. They like different. (And who doesn't like throwing stuff?)
• Accept their choices. I offered the idea of tossing the straws. But I was ready to move to something else if they weren't interested. "I wonder...." can be a great phrase that encourages exploration and yet doesn't impose ideas.

Mostly I was fascinated that cups and straws could be so interesting for such a long time. 

Maybe the most interesting things for play are just sitting in the closet, waiting to meet the imaginations and creativity of boys and girls. 

My Kids Don't Do Art

Now, if you know anything about me as an early childhood teacher, you know that I think choice is important and that I want kids to follow their interests. We often have activities that have little or no interest on a particular day. And that's fine.

But this year I've noticed something interesting about my little group of kindergartners in my church kindergarten class. They are not really all that interested in using art materials.

I often have no one go to the art table to even check on what's there. For the first few weeks, we had out painting every week. No one painted.

My group likes to be creative in many other ways. They like to explore blocks and build interesting balancing towers.

They enjoy playing games together. One day we played a counting/math game over and over and over.

They enjoy working puzzles. And even trying to work them out of the frames.

They do like to write sometimes. Or draw. So the writing center gets some attention from time to time.

But the art table is often neglected. And when they do go there, they like to do it as a social activity. They will talk and interact with one another or enjoy an activity that is more cooperative in nature.

Having a group that is less interested in art means that I plan in different ways.

1. We still have an activity at the art table (even if no one does it). It's important to provide that option every week. You never know when a child will need that outlet. Or if something happens in the room that leads a child to go to the art table.

2. Sometimes an art activity will be available for two weeks instead of just one. If no one does it, I may not plan a new one for the next week. The previous one makes a return appearance, just in case someone decides to choose it. (But after two weeks, something new appears.)

3. I make sure to tell my kids what's at the table. They often head directly to blocks or games and may not look at the art table on their own. I will tell them what's there in case it sounds interesting to them. (I have done this in the past, but it seems more necessary with this group.)

4. If we are doing a painting activity, I don't pour out paint until someone is ready to do it. I have washed some paint down the sink by putting out a pan of paint that no one uses.

5. My activities are less elaborate but still engaging.

6. I look for ways to include some options for art sometimes in other centers (like blocks or dramatic play). By including art in areas that seem more engaging to this group, I increase exploration opportunities.

Each year I learn something new (or am reminded about something) regarding teaching young children. This year my group is reminding me that it's okay if something isn't done in the room. And that the room should be about them and not about me or a preconceived idea of what activities should be done.

My kids don't really do art. But they do create and they do learn.