Empowering our children to lead their learning! ❤

Today a group of children were leading their own play in the outside environment. I could see the group of children were engaged, focused, and attentive in their choice of play as they are intrinsically motivated, were following their natural curiosities, wonders, strengths, and interests.

It had been raining and a small puddle of water had formed close to the big tractor tyre and the children decided to jump off and make a splash in the puddle. Puddles have a uniquely magnetic effect on children.

Soon the puddle disappeared and so I asked the children how they could carry on splashing:

CH - we need more rain

CO - its stopped raining

DF - can you fill a bucket with water?

I said ooh I think the water butt is empty as the filling tube was not attached. To expand upon their inquiries, while also considering how to merge interests with concepts of math, language, science, and social/emotional learning, I asked the children:

"did the puddle shrink?"

BF - its disappeared

"where did the puddle go?"

"why did it evaporate?"

DF - it’s moved all in the floor

CH - it’s all gone

"Do you think you could find any water left after it rained, if so where do you think it may still be?"

DF - on the roof

CO - in the sky

CH - in the clouds

BF - here, there is some in the bottom of here (pointing to the well of the tyre)

The children used their problem solving skills to go off and find a tub and spades/spoons to help each other move the water into the tub. Once it was half full, they poured it on the floor to create a new puddle. Immediately their pace quickened and they each moved forward with clear determination. They climbed the tyre and you could see they were priming their legs for what’s to come: the double foot splash! Jumping develops balance, strength, and agility in little legs!

The puddle soon emptied again but this time they found lots of different receptacles like saucepans in the mud kitchen with little bits of rain water and added each to the big tub to allow them to take another turn!

I continued to scaffold learning by asking higher-level & open-ended questions so the children could think more critically about their play:

"What kind of jump makes the biggest splash?"

"Can you jump and all the water comes out of the puddle?

"What happens to a puddle when it’s stirred?"

There are so many possibilities for next steps such as looking at sinking and floating, measuring a puddle, critically thinking how deep do we think it could be? Can we see a reflection? is there anything living in the puddle? Reading pip and posy 'the little puddle'

I wonder what exciting play the children will lead tomorrow...