The Community Helper We Never Think About...

..All month long we have been discussing Community Helpers. by Experience Early Learning.   We have learned about doctors, firefighters, police officers, plumbers, teachers, and so many more.  I was pleasantly surprised when I hung this on our study wall.  

Factory workers are a vital part of our community and seldom ever discussed.  Often, when parents discuss what they do for a living, they are hesitant to state that they are a factory worker.  This should not be.  This overlooked profession is the backbone of our community and provided just about everything we use on a daily basis. 

We made it a point to help our little learners understand this important role.  

In famous preschool fashion, we played a game.  We made this little game up and we called it, "Find something made in a factory."  Our toddlers raced around the room pointing to tables and chairs, plates and cups, crayons and markers, even their shirts and shoes.  Time and again we called out, "YES!", "YES!"  "That was made in a factory by a factory worker!!"  We then asked an important question. "If your mommy or daddy did not go to work to make those things, what would we do?"  We came up with some ideas but decided that being a factory worker is a VERY important job and certainly a "helper" job.

We then gathered into small groups and decided to make something of our very own.  Using loose parts and materials provided by Experience Early Learning

This activity provided us with LOTS of loose parts and the opportunity to create a unique project.  We made LOTS of robots.  We chose  parts and pieces as we discussed what our robots might do and say.  Loose parts can be in the sand box, on the playground, in the sensory table, or the block table.  We can provide loose parts in Creative Parts by supplying buttons, poms, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, beads, glitters, spangles, adhesives, and the time and space to explore and create without direction or expectation.  
​"Giving meaning to loose partsGiving meaning to loose parts requires us to think about the possibilities of how a child learns and consider the materials and environments she uses. Loose parts create endless possibilities and invite creativity. For example, if a child picks up a rock and starts to play, most likely that rock can become anything the child wants it to be. Imagination, creativity, curiosity, desire, and need are the motivation of loose parts.
Loose parts are materials that can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up, and taken apart and put back together in multiple ways. Loose parts can be used alone or combined with other materials. There is no set of specific directions for materials that are considered loose parts. The child is the direction." - https://extension.psu.edu/programs/betterkidcare/early-care/tip-pages/all/loose-parts-what-does-this-mean

Another one of our FAVORITE Creative Arts activities this month was Syringe Squirt Art!  

Using a syringe to paint with provided us with small and large motor opportunities.  Our mixed age group was all a twitter to get their hands on "shots".  During our "Doctor" Community Helper study we discussed "shots" and how doctors use them to help us get well or to stay well.  

We practiced pushing the plunger down, but the more difficult part for little hands was pulling it back out.  

Once we added the paint it was very difficult to operate.  We had to keep trying and persevere.  Our littlest learners worked hard and kept trying, asking for help of their older friends.

Giving children tasks that challenge them build their self-confidence, ability, and determination.   Allowing them to try and to fail in a safe and encouraging environment is fundamental to them developing even more determination to pursue harder tasks.  

"No one is great at something the first time they try it. Success comes from hard work, practice and, yes, even failure. When young children are learning to walk they have to fall down again and again and again in order to master the balance they need to stand upright (and even then, they will still fall down). When learning to feed themselves, tie their shoes or master long division, children have to try, practice and learn from their missteps and try again in order to master their new skills. You can help your child learn from their failures and use those failures to work towards great successes." - https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/the-key-to-success-is-failure

Our curriculum developers at Experience Early Learning understand this and value the importance of giving children the opportunities to succeed and to fail.  We often give our little learners motor skill activities that are just like this that stimulate efforts and grit.

Just look at how hard they are working!!

By the end of this experience we observed all the different colors they created using their syringes, paint choices, perseverance and time.  

All in a day of play at Woolsey Academy!

As always, we wish you well and we hope you get to play today!

​-L