On Thursday I heard a giggles echoing across the playground. I wasn't sure about the game I was seeing at first. Once I observed for a few minutes I realized it was full of cooperation.
I love seeing the kids organize games on their own, by chance. I think this game started because there was not enough room for everyone to "swing." I was impressed by the give and take that was going on between a group of kids that aren't usually a unit. This game continued for at least fifteen minutes, with them switching places without even discussing it.
Check out these videos to see it in action.
Did you notice how in this video the kids are not even actually bumping the kids in back?
I'm sure this game will return in the future.
We also had a lot of fun playing on a frozen puddle that we found.
The laughter in the videos says it all. I am not surprised at the physical nature of the play. I think at first, there is no real bumping, just the fun of falling. I think by the second video, though, there is bumping and the children are taking a measure of how much "real" bumping can happen without getting hurt. I also noticed that the children changed places on the rope. How did that come about?
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly what was happening! They didn't need reminders to be careful, because they were already setting their own boundaries. It was so fascinating to watch. They were just naturally switching places, without even really discussing it. I was so excited to see that you commented, because I thought of your NAEYC session several times as I was re-watching the videos and writing the post. I kept thinking about how you said one of your videos looked "like a dance." I really enjoyed watching and hearing the laughter in your videos and I am excited to have captured that same joy in my own program! Thanks again.
DeleteI love watching children play and seeing how they self regulate, co-operate and interact with each other. Watching those videos really made me smile, they were having so much fun. Thanks so much for sharing with the outdoor play party :-)
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