This summer, my 5-year-old and 8-year-old children were able to attend an outdoor summer camp run by the YMCA. Each week the summer camp focus on a specific activity (visual arts, science, outdoor adventure, dance, among many others!). The entire camp took place primarily outdoors and bussed in children from all over the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Each day, my kids would leave camp still buzzing with excitement. They would talk about all the activities they participated in, and the new friends made, the songs they sang and how much fun it was to be outdoors. They looked forward to the next day!
It was a different attitude than when they came from school, and it made me think about the question, 'how do young children learn?'.
Observing my children's experience in summer camp made me realize that fantastic learning can happen when we incorporate children's natural energy and excitement into learning. However, as I reflected on how I could include the type of learning that takes place at summer camp in my classroom one day, I felt that there would be some natural barriers in traditional school environments. For example, teachers are limited to working inside the classroom and even taking trips outdoors or outside the physical classroom needs approval from the school's administration.
Private schools like the Waldorf school are great examples of how they can incorporate a hands-on approach to meaningful learning and how it can be incredibly beneficial to students. That said, the ever-increasing cost of private education (especially in the GTA!) has created a divide in which private-school settings often lack socio-economic diversity.
In public school settings, it is very much possible for teachers to create and foster classroom environments that promote creativity and curiosity. However, it is at the discretion of each teacher to decide.
For example, teachers can use materials like play-dough for learning, unlocking creativity & fun!
One way to incorporate play dough into early learning is by using it to teach children about Procedural Writing. Young children need to be taught how to write about a series of precise, sequenced steps or directions. Here students can use play dough at the beginning of a lesson. Teachers can ask students to make something like a hotdog, pizza or taco. Then, ask students to think about the steps they are taking to build their food and what they are including. Once completed, students can use a worksheet to detail the steps they used to make food.
Here is an example of the different types of food students can create using play dough.
Students can also use play dough in early learning to teach children about science and how different ingredients can come together to create a new material. Once the class has made the play dough, they can use this material for future lessons or play-based centres.
References
Harris, C. (2020, June 11). Teaching the writing process using playdough! A hands on experience! Ciera Harris Teaching. Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://cieraharristeaching.com/2020/06/the-writing-process-with-play-dough.html/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=1124045474_54138092_118106
Kao, J. (2021, October 1). Is private school the Right Financial Decision for your family? The Globe and Mail. Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/featured-reports/article-is-private-school-the-right-financial-decision-for-your-family/
Kim. (2022, April 11). The best playdough recipe. The Best Ideas for Kids. Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://www.thebestideasforkids.com/playdough-recipe/
Sprouts. (2016). Waldorf School Education. YouTube. Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://youtu.be/BkrgkslnD9g.
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