Let's Play: Snapshots from Our Classrooms II

Jia Min, Cohort 3

I love providing tools that capture children’s interests and support their thinking during play. In this experience, the children (class of ? year olds) explored the concept of noodles using string and paint.

They eagerly immersed themselves in the play, mixing the strings into the paint, lifting them up and down with their hands, and discovering tools in their environment to enhance their play, like using paintbrushes as makeshift forks. In the next session, I introduced actual forks, and the children thought creatively by dragging them across the painted paper, calling the lines they made "noodles."

I am always amazed at how toddlers form connections and use their creativity to make the experience more meaningful and unique to them.

This approach is inspired by the principles I learned from SUSS, particularly the importance of providing open-ended materials that encourage exploration and the development of problem-solving skills. By allowing children the freedom to explore in their own way, they can develop their cognitive, social, and fine motor skills while also making meaningful connections to the world around them.

Yu Jie, Cohort 3

This messy play was such a special experience for the children (class of ? year olds). They were fully immersed in this hands-on experiment to discover the properties of flour, water and its mixture.

The children were provided with tools and could freely take the materials (either flour or water) that they needed for experimentation.

Reflecting back on what I learnt in SUSS, I found that the activity was meaningful because multiple learning domains were naturally integrated. There was science (What do I get when I mix flour and water together?), numeracy (How many cups of water did I use?), new vocabulary, fine motor coordination and socio-emotional learning (like when they discussed findings with friends).

I follow the belief that every child is naturally a capable and competent learner. I allow children to make their own decisions in safe boundaries, and plan the materials and environment in a way that makes it possible for them to explore. For example, we did this experiment outdoors and made materials accessible.

I believe that the process of creation is as, if not more important that the product.  

Yong Ping, Cohort 3

We (class of 1.5-2 year olds) were having our usual outdoor time when the sky suddenly darkened. "What colour do you see in the sky?" I asked. "Grey!" The children tried to repeat after me while gazing into the sky - a colour that not many were familiar to. 

The darkening sky and the changes in weather were not merely external events but dynamic, rich opportunities for learning. Observing the children’s responses—from noticing the grey sky to experiencing the wind and rain—showcased their innate ability to connect new experiences with prior knowledge.

Strong gusts of wind followed and our children became very excited. They observed the hair of their peers flying because of the wind, and felt the direction of the wind on their skins. The children who were playing with balloons tried their best to hold onto the balloons amidst the wind. They watched as some flew out of the play space.

Not long after I asked the children if they thought it was going to rain, it started to rain heavily. Their attention was then drawn to the loud sound of the rain. Then, I invited the children to feel the rain on their palms by reaching their arms out of the shelter. They were intrigued, and some were able to make the connection to words like "water", "wet", and "cold". Their attempts to associate the rain with these words demonstrated their growing understanding of the world around them.

As the rain grew heavier, the children packed away and gathered to observe the rain together. Some children were startled by the loudness and sought comfort. They watched the rain flush down the stairs like a waterfall, and two balloons get washed towards them and then away by the water currents. "Bye-bye balloons!"

Spontaneous moments like these excite me, as they amplify children’s natural curiosity and their ability to engage with their physical and social environment to construct meaning.

I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing the children’s excitement and wonder as they interacted with the changing weather. Their joy in feeling the wind, their determination to hold onto their balloons, and their curiosity about the rain’s sound and sensation were all moments of pure engagement and learning. It was heartwarming to see how they collaborated and shared their observations—whether by noticing the “hair flying” or marvelling as the balloons were swept away.

The children’s emotional responses were equally priceless. While some were startled by the loudness of the rain and the darkness of the space, they sought and found comfort within the group. This highlighted their ability to navigate and manage emotions in an environment they had grown to trust.

This experience deepened my appreciation for embodied learning and the essence of exploration: children make meaning through their senses. It also prompted me to reflect on the autonomy I am given to maximize learning for the children under my care.

If I could, I would love to invite the children to chase their balloons in the rain—an obstacle course created by nature. How might it feel to fully embody this experience? To feel the pitter-pattering raindrops on their skin and the trickle of water as it runs down their faces? To sense their clothes growing wet and heavy, and navigate the familiar space with unfamiliar movements they once thought they had mastered? To experience cold water seeping into their shoes, deciding whether to balance carefully or surrender to the joy of landing in puddles, imagining them as swimming pools?

These moments of embodied learning would offer the children opportunities to explore their physicality, emotions, and sense of wonder in ways that are as playful as they are profound.