"Can you see what I hid under it?" - Will, 3.6 years

As you know, we have been exploring some big concepts in Brown Room: Mystery, Hiding, Seeking, Concealing, Revealing, Finding, Missing, Lost, etc. (please take some time to look at the gray documentation board in the classroom if you haven't had a chance). And while we have been having some really great discussions and games of hide-and-seek, we have been brainstorming ways to explore these concepts through other materials and languages. 

Last week, we invited the children to explore the open, corrugated cardboard and a variety of materials. There were beads, corks, buttons, tissue paper, fabric, glass beads, plastic pieces, colorful cellophane, yarn, small wooden pieces, and more. The materials changed a bit each day as we used them. Our intention was to have materials that were small enough to fit in the holes and others that would have to be changed/altered (critical thinking, problem solving, and fine motor). 

As part of our process (the teachers), we make notes for observations. Sometimes, this includes making a more formal "chart" ahead of time. We think about why we are offering this specific provocation, what are we looking to observe, questions we might ask, questions we have in our own minds that the children might answer (in some capacity) during the work, etc. 

For this provocation, we were, of course, looking to observe the connections they might make between the materials/process and the concepts of hiding, concealing, finding, lost, and/or hidden. We also knew that this would potentially be a fine motor challenge for some children. Finally, we were only providing two "large" pieces of cardboard, so it would be a collaborative process. So often the children have their own "base" to work on, so we anticipated that this process would require additional collaboration, negotiation, and communication. 

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Introducing it at Morning Meeting

We introduced the cardboard at morning meeting, and the enthusiasm was high (see video). 

Group #1 - Henri, Caroline, Christopher, and Win

"I don't see anything under it." - Henri, 3.8 years

"I wanna get more materials because there's more holes." - Henri, 3.8 years
"We need more stuff." - Caroline, 2.11 years
"I'm going to put the red one on top of the blue one." - Henri
Can you still see it? 
"No." - Henri 

"Stick it in!" - Caroline [using pointer finger to push it]

Christopher and Win worked harmoniously side by side, primarily using materials that were closest to them. 

There were two techniques for making the tissue paper and cellophane smaller: crumpling and cutting with scissors. 

Henri and Caroline moved around the table and each other with ease. They were willing to reach across each other, hold the base steady for the other one, and made comments to each other about their work. 

Are the materials secure? What happens if we tip it? 
​Spoiler alert: materials fall out! 

Henri, Caroline [top cardboard piece], Win, and Christopher [bottom cardboard piece]'s work. When they were feeling ready for a next plan I asked what they thought a second group of children would add to the cardboard: 

"I can't see the stuff under, but I think they're not going to put things there [pointing to holes]." - Henri, 3.8 years

Group #2: - Lillian, Lou Lou, George, and Zoe

"It's hiding!" - Zoe, 3.3 years

Lou Lou and Lillian moved around each other, watching the other one work. Lou Lou was commenting on the materials, and Lillian was watching and following Lou Lou's lead. 

"I'm pushing it all the way in. I can't see it anymore." - Lou Lou, 3.7 years 
"I can't see it!" - Lillian, 3.0 years
​"I'm making a collage out of buttons." - George, 3.6 years

"How did it get away?" - Lillian
​"I'm trying to broke this." - Lou Lou [attempting to break the cellphone with her hands]

"Can we work together?" - George [to Lou Lou]

Observe the way they move around with comfort and ease, choosing materials from all over the table. They are working together and communicating even without the use of words. You can see their fine motor skills at work as they pick up small materials, scrunch larger ones to make them fit, and push the materials into the holes. 

"It went away." - Lillian, 3.0 years 
How?
"It went to my house." - Lillian 
How did you make it go away? What did you do?
"I covered it." - Lillian 
And if you uncover it, what happens?
"I can see it. Now I'm going to get tissue." - Lilian 

Contamination of ideas: George started layering large pieces of cellophane on top. Zoe observed and then joined in. Across the table, Lou Lou noticed what they were doing and chose sparkly tissue paper to use the same hiding technique. 

"That's hidden!"
​ - Lou Lou, 3.7 years

Henri returned to the studio, observed the second group working and asked, "Why did you pile it on top?"
George responded, "Because that was our decision to make."

​​"It's a collage. I called it a decoration."
​- George, 3.6 years 

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​At the end of the first day, our cardboard was pretty full, and there are a lot of things hiding underneath what you see! 

Groups #3 and #4 - Cully, Gracie, Lou Lou, Eliza, Henri, Adaline, and Will

The third group started by looking around at all of the materials that were on the tables. They were asked to consider the possibilities. 

"Silly rubber bands". - Lou Lou, 3.7 years
"Glass." - Eliza, 3.5 years
"I have glass too!" - Gracie, 3.5 years 
"This [cellophane]!" - Lou Lou
"I can see through you!" - Gracie
"You're red!" - Cully, 3.6 years
"Umm...corks." - Eliza 
​"Fabric! More fabric!" - Gracie 

"I made it stuck." - Lou Lou

"I need some pink." - Cully 
​"I can help you." - Henri

"How are we going to fit this?" - Eliza
"I think it's too big. You're not putting it in the holes." - Henri 
"Crumple, crumple, crumple. It's too big." - Eliza 
How can we make it smaller? 
"Rip it!" - Lou Lou 
How do you make it fit? 
​"I can rip it [fabric] in half! Nope. I can only rip this [cellophane]." - Gracie 

The fourth group was very focused on the cellophane, hiding, seeking, and transparency. 
"I'm going to hide the star tissue [paper] and the lobsters [tissue paper]." - Adaline, 3.6 years 
"Can you see what I hid under it?" - Will, 3.7 years 
[they all begin hiding their faces behind the tissue paper and cellophane pieces]
"Can you see me anymore?" - Gracie and Adaline [with their faces behind tissue paper]
"No!!!" - other children 
"I added so many colors [of transparent cellophane pieces] you can't even see me anymore!" - Adaline 
"Can you even see me through this?" - Eliza
"Can you see what is hiding?" - Will 

Observational Notes: 

These are on display in the classroom. They are placed in the windows between the classroom and studio. Please take a few minutes to look at them. Warning: if you move them too much things will fall out! But, perhaps it is a challenge for you to hide them again!