PVC = Science and Art!

When I was asked to take over the "patio" responsibility at our school, I had to think for a long time about what angle I was going to take with the activities. The patio is designed for the 3 - 5 year olds and is our version of "indoor/outdoor" flow for an hour during their free choice time. Though I work with the teachers on specific activities to strengthen particular skills, the rest is for me to "take it and run."

I envisioned a beautiful art area filled with ample resources such as recyclables, jars of paint, and oodles of colored paper. I thought about it, but then it occurred to me that our "Project Room" serves that exact purpose (click here to visit the I Work 4 Kids blog, written by our Project Room teacher).
Well, I could do dramatic play, puzzles, and fine motor. Nope...that is already IN the classroom! It finally struck me that large science, gross motor, messy art, water play, nature-oriented and sensory activities were just what we needed for the children who would be "naturally inclined" to choose the outdoor space for their free time activities.

This week, one of the focus activities was PVC tubes and balls. I had the children explore various sizes of PVC tubes with varying sizes of balls (golf, whiffle, and marbles). Of course, my idea was to roll the balls into the pool, but that lasted for about...oh...30 seconds!

Soon, ramps, tubes and slides were being built across the patio and balls were running wild. The tubes were hooked onto the patio fence, window sills and the 5 gallon paint bucket that I was using to store the PVC. However, the kids were focused and intention and they were creating unique and effective ramps designed to jump balls into cups, race marbles with friends, and test out force and velocity. Did I worry that my intended method wasn't in use? NOPE! The children had taken their learning much further than my idea would have allowed. And that should be a teacher's goal...to allow children to create their own thoughts, processes, and understandings.

Today, I removed several pieces of the pipe and left only a few select balls. I lined the pool with paper, squirted in ample amounts of paint, and let them discover how the paint reacted to the different balls.

One boy realized that the lighter balls would get stuck in the paint, while the heavier ones would roll through to make the longest tracks.

I didn't put too many limits on how to use the pipes or shovels (which were technically added for the purpose of scooping up balls in case the children didn't want to get their hands dirty...lol!). The shovels became "hockey" sticks for the balls and were also used to shmear the paint. One little girl even picked up a clean sheet of paper and laid it across her favorite "ball painting" to make a mirror image.

Tomorrow, we will use 3/4" PVC with marbles and paint!


The other activities I set out were: a "construction zone" with gutters, blocks, and lego vehicles;

  clay;

tree blocks with forest animals;

painting and printing on leaves from our playground;

and a sensory bin filled with beans, magnet wands and small magnetic items (click the links to see detailed posts on these activities).

If you don't have a patio, then I would highly recommend bringing any of these activities into the yard. Remember...anything you can do inside, can be done BIGGER AND BETTER outside!!!

The Benefits of Using Natural Clay in Preschool

The Philosophy:
Clay stimulates the child’s curiosity. Intelligence, imagination, and creativity are engaged and fostered.  Many new neurons and synapses in the brain are being generated when a child is engaged by the immediate tactile and visual feedback provided by clay. -Marvin Bartel, Ed D.
Read Full Article: Clay for Toddlers and Preschoolers: How and Why

Pumpkins designed by a 4 year old girl.

The "Real" Experience: 
Let me be honest for a minute. When I saw the box filled with a HUGE lump of brilliant orange clay (you know...the kind that gets all over your hands and doesn't come out of your clothes) I was not overly excited about it. Actually, I was terrified of it. Personally, I LOVE working with clay. It was the thought of working with clay and preschoolers that I wasn't so sure about. So, I ignored it...for weeks.

About 3 weeks ago, I finally took the plunge and opened the bag.  I offered the children some basic tools and some spray bottles to keep the clay moist. I "trained" a few of the 5 year olds to be "clay teachers" in hopes that they could help the other children learn how to use it appropriately. As other children came out to the outdoor patio (my domain for their morning hour of free choice time), many looked on with great interest. Things were looking good!

It went well while I was sitting with them, but when I turned my back to assist some other children, utter disaster! Wet, mucky, dripping, oozing and everywhere! The spray bottles were nearly empty and the children were covered! We do tell the parents that the children will get "messy," but this may have pushed the limits of acceptable! A great "process" activity, but not something I would be mentally prepared to deal with on a daily basis! Since our goal is to offer clay on daily, something had to give. I guess they weren't ready for an endless supply of water yet! Lesson learned. 

Needless to say, a few weeks later (and a lot less water set out on the table!), the clay table is a fantastic success. Some of the children use the clay for no other reason than to ooze their fingers through it and to feel the cool, smooth texture. Others have learned that clay can be finely molded into virtually anything their little hearts and minds desire.