From The Acorn School in Boulder...
Debbie told me about the hole - that was once much much bigger and about how the adults became concerned about the safety of the children but instead of asking the children to fill in the hole the children were asked what the children were aiming to achieve with the hole.
The children knew exactly what they were doing - they wanted to know how deep they could dig and how many children could fit in the hole.
The children were allowed to continue with their digging but they needed to ensure that all the children and staff at the preschool were aware of the hole so that no-one accidentally fell in, as well as making sure they marked out where the hole was so that it was clear to everyone where the hole was located - just as real construction sites need to do...
On a photo it might look like just a hole - but there was a whole lots of learning involved...
- gross motor skills
- collaboration/social skills
- mathematics
- language skills
- understanding safety
- understanding how their actions affect others
... to name a few...
The hole has been filled up over time ... and probably fills some other purpose in the children's play... I bet it would be a great place for rain to collect and for muddy potions to be concocted - or even for feet to squish in!! Will treasure be buried for children in the future to discover? Could it be a pit of snakes to jump over or balance over - and what will they build their bridge from... I wish I could be there to see what more happens with the hole...
A hole as a lot of play and learning potential...
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