Let there be light...

Light is important (especially during the dark winter months of Sweden) but experimenting with light and utilising light to enhance the setting or to stimulate the senses is something we should all consider in our activity planning and the designing of preschools...

Here are some (not all) ideas I gathered from Boulder Journey School (BJS) and Acorn School (AS)

hole in the wall (one of many) BJS 

shadows - tree shadows and other shadows outside add extra interest to the outside environment. Stimulation to the eyes as they adjust from shade to sun, but also the opportunity to be creative with the shadow shapes...

light table turned on its side... another approach to light investigation, as well as a whole basket of materials for crawlers to explore... (BJS)

more light exploration at different heights (there will be a short film of this later) BJS

light exploration and mirrors... glad I bought some small round mirrors while in Boulder (the day before I saw this actually) BJS

exploring natural light - the chance to see the sun transformed into pools of colour (BJS)

the zip line and the shadows of two sun shades... they certainly add a new dimension to the play-space.... not only can the children trace how the sun moves during the day, but they could be used as a "can you land in the shadow game" (BJS)

paints under plastic on the light table to feel and to mix and to create patterns of light... (BJS)

using coloured material in the outdoor playspace to create pools of light outdoors, shade and the placing of this material under a tree allows for beautiful shadows to be created... (AS)

 Here comes the film of the lamp that changes colour shining down on reflective material (BJS)

another light changing light experince - there is a remote control to change the colours or to enable the light to automatically change colours - this was built be the staff at BJS

more light and shade opportunities outside - also the material is thin enough to see through it but durable enough to play on... more about these outdoor play materials I saw at Acorn School in an upcoming post... (AS)

again, I would like to point out that I have far more images of  BJS where I spent 16 hours over 2 days compared to 2 hours at AS... I took many images at AS, but many reflections of how to share all the wonderful inspiration came on the second day of the BJS Summer Conference... wish I had more time In Boulder to be able to return to the wonderful staff and setting at Acorn School