Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Build with Rolled Newspaper

Build with Newspaper Rolls (Brick by Brick)

I have kids who love the blocks center - who love to build and construct and explore how to make things. Sometimes it's a challenge to find things that are different or that push them to explore in different ways. I'm always on the lookout for another way to bring different or expanded play into our building area.

Another one of my favorite things to do is repurpose materials, especially materials that were destined to be trashed. This activity reuses newspapers and challenges kids to build in new ways. If you are looking for a fun STEM exploration, this may be just what you need.

Take newspapers. Roll a few sheets together. Tape closed. Build.

Encourage kids to experiment with different ways to build. As you can see above, I put a few out in a configuration to invite kids to try this activity. But soon they launched into their own ideas.

When exploring with a new or unusual material, kids will get ideas that do not work. Or they will encounter new and different problems that need solving. I try to ask questions to help them think about the issue and consider new solutions. For example: "What could we do to help the rolls stand up?"

So we moved from the carpet to the tile area (his idea).

Another one: "The ends are rolling out. What could we do to stop that?"

She found some things in the room to help her create a more stable end to her structure.

Some variations:

Add tape and scissors. Kids can make more stable and permanent structures by attaching the rolls together.

Use pages from an old atlas, catalogues, or magazines instead of newspaper pages.

Roll the newspaper on a diagonal to make longer rolls with tapered edges.

(Check out my Dollar Store and Dumpster Pinterest Board for more repurpose/reuse ideas!)SaveSave

Monday, May 21, 2018

A Little Autonomy

from If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?

I've been reading the book If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face? by Alan Alda (yes that one). It's a book about communication, mainly his exploration of how to help scientists communicate their ideas more clearly with non-scientists. It's a great book about communication in general and I found many things that triggered my thinking as I thought about communicating with young children.

But the above quote definitely caught me. Play is all about giving the children some autonomy...and allowing them the joy of discovery. How can you give kids some autonomy, some say in what they are doing and learning? How can you give some independence? How can you recapture your own joy of discover?