This week, we continued our open-ended exploration in the classroom. As the children played with various toys in the classroom, we were able to observe different trends and themes in their play as well as what they were not engaging with. Since last Friday, we have slowly removed the: ducks, pyramid blocks, plastic people, pegs, 2 puzzles, the bears, and bags/baskets. Recently for the most part, the children had not been playing with these toys, but would instead just dump them on the floor and walk away, creating a big mess on the floor. Since taking away these toys, the children have been utilizing every toy that they take out to use. Additionally, the children have not asked for any of the missing toys, which they seemingly have not noticed are gone. This week, the students have engaged in much more productive and collaborative play. Because there are fewer toys available, and the ones that are out are ones that the children are all eager to use, they have had to work on their sharing and negotiation skills. They are learning how to play together in harmony, and how to move a play scheme forward.
The two biggest imaginative play schemes that have come up in the classroom are food play and baby care. The children have been eager to make pretend meals for each other and for the teachers. In an effort to extend the play a little further, today we made menus by gluing pictures of the food in our classroom onto pieces of paper. The children were proud of their menus and excited to use them immediately in play, taking orders and preparing food for their friends and teachers. Over the next few weeks, we look forward to providing relevant provocations designed to extend and support the children in play.
