"Legos"

Several times a day, Kehillah’s youngest children step outside the classroom and start exploring our welcoming outdoor environment .What might look like simple play is actually something much richer: children learning through the relationships they build and the discoveries they make together. We believe children are naturally curious and capable to guide their own understanding of the world around them.

What does the ice look like?

   IG: Legos!

How does it feel?

   LO: Cold

   VR: Warm

Is it really warm, VR?

   VR: (smiling) No, cold!

What are making IG?

   IG: Blue people (dropping people

              figurines into the blue water)

   VR: Water table!

What are you making IG?

   IG: A circle

When children play outside, there is a lot more happening than it seems. One child spots that ice cubes look just like Lego bricks, that is her brain naturally sorting and connecting things in the world, something educators call perceptual categorization. It is a small moment, but it is really her making sense of her environment. Nearby, kids pushing themselves along in ride-on cars are quietly building strength in their legs and getting better at balance, one push at a time. Add some ice to the mix, and suddenly there is a whole new sensory experience: cold, slippery, melting right in front of their eyes. Then there is the pure joy of discovery: a child picks up a paintbrush, or maybe a dish scrubber, and realizes she can make marks! That spark of curiosity and creativity is exactly what open-ended materials are meant to invite. And when another child shouts “Water table!” she is communicating everyone that this is her spot, a place where she feels safe, happy, and completely herself. 

We wonder what new connections children would make if we set out real Legos next to the ice cubes, we add different mark-making tools, or add an obstacle course to use with the ride- on cars.

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