One morning this week, we extended our learning about the elements of water by experimenting with objects that may sink or float.
J and N said they use arm bands to keep them afloat.
O and L said they swam without arm bands but they sank to the bottom of the pool.
It was time to explore and experiment.
Whether an object sinks or float in a liquid depends mainly on two factors: density and buoyancy.
The provocation that Esther set out was a tub of warm water and an assortment of objects of varying weights and sizes. - corks, a balloon, straws, silver foil, plastic egg and some foam circles.
The children each had a turn to guess if their chosen object would float or sink.
This is what happened- Children observed and spoke about their findings:
N- silver foil- one will sink and the other will float. N suggested that the sheet of foil will float and the scrunched up piece of foil would sink.
Interestingly, he said, because the ball of foil was smaller. On testing this, both floated!
O- the stone will sink. It did.
L- the balloon will float . It did. And when we tested a balloon that was not inflated, it too sunk!
The " scientists' agreed that today we learnt that things that are light may float and things that are heavy sink.
Children may come to the conclusion that heavier objects generally tend to sink in water and it was fun finding out if this happened.
Exploring spaces- boxes and materials.
Cardboard boxes can engage children for hours for minimal cost and minimal impact on the planet. But more than that, playing with a cardboard box can build skills that toys with more bells and whistles can't - creativity, imagination and resourcefulness.
The children had fun finding different ways of using everyday recycled materials that are easily sourced and put out.
Exploring spaces- working on a large scale.
During group time, I introduced the afternoon group of children to the exciting big and small boxes. I asked the children how they thought they could use the boxes. Some of the ideas were:
A den by A,
Houses by M,
Spiderman by M
.
During the afternoon the play evolved from habitats to cars and trains, using the boxes in imaginative ways and adding other materials.
The children worked out that " one child in a box at a time" was a safe number, thus taking risk assessment into the play space. It is wonderful to observe our children learning to take responsibility for each other's safety and well being.
With nothing more than a little imagination, boxes can be transformed into forts or houses, spaceships or submarines, castles or caves. Inside a big cardboard box, a child is transported to a world of his or her own, one where anything is possible.
The best kind of play with boxes is unstructured play - giving children the opportunity to explore a versatile open-ended material without an end result in mind.
I simply put out the box/s and see where the play unfolds.
Having other open-ended materials available that the children can easily access and combine with their box play.
These might include:
- ropes
- string
- wool
- pegs
- masking tape
- scissors
- coloured markers
- glue
- play silks, scarves or lengths of material
- Smaller boxes or containers
- cardboard tubes
- empty yoghurt containers
- paper
- garden mesh
- paint
- cushions
- blankets
- carpet squares
- old sheets
- sticks or leafy branches
Loose parts, plus the time to explore them takes children's imagination and creativity off into a myriad of different directions.
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