Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Working with Light

Children were eager to return to our long-term project of creating an entryway light.  Louise and Joslin had worked on it yesterday and today Lou Lou joined the small group.  They began by showing Lou Lou where the light would eventually live, so she could better understand the work.  Lou Lou headed to the middle room, saying, "Let's get going!"  Together they looked at the materials.  Joslin pointed out the rainbow sequins, saying, "Remember, this is from the rainbow collection, we put them in the collection."   The group discussed and debated which materials would be truly reflective, and again tested them with a light source.  Like yesterday, there were opportunities for problem solving, especially involving how to attach materials and objects.  They broke out the glue gun today, allowing children to demonstrate their competence and independence.  They also thought carefully about the placement of the shiny stuff, noting that if items were on top of the structure, they may be too close to the ceiling to be visible.   We are excited to see this collaborative project develop with other children and other perspectives during the coming weeks.

Dancing and Building with Light

Working with light took a more fanciful turn today as children used shiny and reflective materials as they danced.   The children noticed the shadows along one wall, but also noticed that the reflections could be almost anywhere.... the ceiling, the opposite wall, etc.   Alexandra has been a big fan of building with light, and she sought this out again today.   Soon, Maren, Leigh, and Grace had joined her.  By using a number of light sources and the stained glass blocks, children noted colorful shadows as they built.   

Clay Day

Before Thanksgiving, several children made clay candle holders.  Maren made one, but it ended up collapsing before it went in the kiln.  She has been determined to try again, and today was the day for clay.   She diligently worked through two versions  (the first one seemed fragile again) to complete this process.   Other children joined the clay table to work on more stable clay creations.

German "Wild Things"

There has been a lot of talk about Alexandra moving to Germany.   Today, Jessica read to her and her friends in German!  The book was a familiar one.... "Where the Wild Things Are."    Kids' Workshop loves all books, although Alexandra admitted that the German words made this version, "a little confusing."