Kindergartners As Contractors!

The children have been very busy hammering away the past two weeks with recycled wood that has been donated by Canada Construction and Restoration.

The children decided that our outdoor classroom needed a new tree house and they were going to be the ones to build it. The children knew that before a structure can begin to be built that a blueprint must be drawn up first. 

"We need a blueprint, because if we don't have one the builders won't know what to build." said Donovan.

The sketch pads and pencils came out and the children went right to work.

We decided to move our outdoor project inside because we knew that building a tree house was going to take lots of time and hard work. We didn't want any rainy weather condition to come in the way of  getting our project done. The children went right to work and started moving all the wood and building materials into the spare portable located right outside of our outdoor classroom. The children called it "The Cottage."

Our amazing lunch aide Greg came in to help with the project and show off his expertise.

 

Our day came quickly to an end and the materials had to be put away. First thing tomorrow morning the project will continue. Please stay tuned for the updates to our new tree house that the children have been  working so hard on.

Thursday November 12, 2015- Today's progress

The children worked so hard again today. They are really starting to see what the end product is going to look like. They started discussing what colour the walls, floor and roof will be and of course the interior design team went straight to work.

Stay tuned for tomorrows progress! 

Friday November 13, 2015- Today the children worked hard at sanding the tree fort up, making sure all the rough edges became smooth and got it ready for painting.

After the children were finished sanding they were encouraged to design the image they will be painting on the tree fort.

Monday morning the children will begin to paint!

Monday November 16. 2015

The finished product! 

Our Builders At Work

Whatever good things we build end up building us.

~ Jim Rohn ~

Builders come in every shape, size and wonderment!

Builders become royalty, captains, astronauts, engineers, scientists, zoo keepers, mommies and daddies, knights, pirates, super heroes, planners,

...well, everything they could ever be!

Builders can balance, calculate, think, determine, revise, experiment, collaborate, discuss, problem solve, disagree, find solutions, share, position, count, add, take away, tell stories...inspire!

Building windows to the world, or are they cubbies for animals, or are they doorways, or maybe steps or ladders or...?

2 sets of 4. 
4 on top and 4 on the bottom...8 hollow blocks in all.

Now it's time to make a wall.



"Mmmmm....this is our rocket ship."

This rocket ship began with areas. Areas for sitting.

Areas for waiting. Areas for, "Mmmm...that's just for where we can stay."

More blocks were added. More blocks filled in spaces. More blocks were set on top...and beside...and inside...and more and more and more.

Ivy took two curved blocks and balanced them together over top a tree slice.

A rocket ship that goes "up to space".

A rocket ship that gets made and unmade and remade.

And the captain is ready to fly us to the stars.

The next day...the rocket ship had many engines ready to blast off!

On some days, the big blocks stay on the shelves.

Given the chance to value only the tubes, small blocks and materials in the baskets,

a king's throne becomes more.

Many small blocks are stacked, placed and balanced.

Many small blocks fill every little space!

And then knights are added. A city becomes a kingdom.

Cylinders, quarter rounds, rockers, bridges, tunnels, cubes, rectangular prisms!

Very big 'protector guys' come to protect.

Inspiration, excitement, gentle and careful work.

Great battles are fought and won.

Days and days of epic stories.

Then tubes become tunnels and a way to deliver blocks.

Tubes carry small blocks to the ground.

But, wait a minute...cars are near...

"Hey, I got a  idea. What about you get the cars?

We could shoot the cars down!"

"Miss, we can use the big blocks and the ramps and aim our cars."

Oh my! Tubes are aimed to direction cars into other tubes and onto lanes and ramps.

Precision! Coordination! Perseverance! A new game!







Challenges are made and unmade and remade.

And then another day comes along.

Another day.

Another idea.

Builders gotta' build.

And show their thinking with their doing.

And inspire.

Becoming...

who they could ever be.

Planning and recording for others to know.

Building a great foundation in the wonderful world of kindergarten.