June documentation - Finding Clues!
By Nomculelo Nyathi | 02 Jun 2021
Finding Clues!
The children moved around the classroom and were heard saying:
"Look I found a clue!"
"Let's look at it together"
"The blocks are missing!"
"Maybe the block monster took it"
"Oh look! a sand print clue"
"Maybe the sand monster took the blocks"
"I see hair!"
"I think its another clue"
"Where did it come from?"
"Maybe a hair monster!"
"Look, there's sand around these books"
"Maybe the sand monster was reading these books!"
The children were engrossed in this play! They made up diverse and limitless possibilities without restricting one another. With a little help, they took turns sharing their assumptions and finding different clues.
To extend their play and interest we secretly set up a provocation!
When the children walked in to find the chairs turned and footprints left all over the place, we saw different reactions! Some looked shocked while some looked excited. They wanted to know who had done this and where they had gone. The children walked around, wooden malooking for more prints and more clues!
The children spent a lot of time coming up with different ideas of what could have happened. A few of the children spoke up and said:
"I think it's a frog!"
"Maybe it was bigfoot!"
"Was it a paint monster!"
After searching everywhere and finding different clues, we still don't know who did this and why!
Learning Opportunities
- Cooperation
- Team work
- Problem solving
- Communication
- Critical thinking
"Providing time, space, and materials rich with possibilities for experimenting, imagining, and transforming allows children to create and explore in diverse ways based on their interests" (Early learning framework, 2019, p. 75).
Possible extensions
We would love to hear from you!
If you have any ideas on this particular interest please email me at nnyathi@nisgaa.bc.ca
