"Just Playing?" Marble Run

Thanks for joining me here for another installment in our "Just Playing?" series! You are invited to view the photos/videos and really think about what you see going on here and be sure to share your thoughts, observations and reflections in the comments. Sure, the children are playing, but they are also learning! 

This week, I'm sharing a pictures of a marble run some of my school age kids made with blocks. They were so excited to share it with me! They kept revising it, trying to get the marble rolling faster and faster. About halfway through the run they would have to blow on the marble to keep it going. Finally, they tilted the end of the table up just a bit to create a slope which helped the marble roll without any help.

This week is NAEYC's official "Week of the Young Child". I've been so inspired by our "Just Playing?" series, that I wrote a post on PreK+K Sharing this week called "Play Is Where Learning Begins: WOYC".

We may be "just playing", but....

What are the children doing here?

What do you see?

What learning is taking place?

What skills are being practiced/developed?

This post is part of the "Just Playing?" Blog Hop!

Thank you for remembering that young children do not "just play." Young children play. They develop through play. They learn through play. They experiment through play. They grow through play. A child's work is play. Play is important!

Please take a moment to reflect upon the photos and questions above. I would love for you to share your observations in a comment. I'd also like to invite you to "hop" on over to all of the other bloggers who are sharing photos of children learning through play this week:

If you are looking for more of our “Just Playing?” posts and resources from around the globe, please visit our Pinterest Board.

Are you a blogger? Would you like to join the JUST PLAYING? blog hop community?

You can join the hop via our Facebook Group: Just Playing?

or please contact Amy from Child Central Station for more information.

Beach Bummin': Loose Parts

This week, I've been posting some of the adventures our family had while at the beach. Some of the little kids had hours of fun with "loose parts" in the tidal pools. ("Loose parts" are usually defined as easily moved materials used in play, often real and found items from nature and the surroundings.) Our kids were initially using shells and rocks, but in our craft kit I found a baggie of police figures that I had stashed away, so I shared them with the kids to use in their play.  

There was a whole scenario, played out over a couple of days. I'm not sure what exactly was the background story, but in any case, the kids were fully engaged for several hours at a time, making imaginary scenes and acting out their story.

Look for more highlights of our Beach Blast coming soon under the tag, Beach Bummin'.

Thanks for visiting! Be sure to leave a little "comment love"---I'd love for you to share your thoughts!