A few weeks ago, the weather promised to be delightfully warm. We took advantage of our freedom and flexibility and traveled to R.B Winter State Park to experience the waters of Rapid Run and Halfway Lake.
We began and ended our day with a song by Matthew John Dorman called simply, The Water Song. Here are the first and last verses:
Oh, water, water
flowing down the stream,
into my thoughts
and into a dream.
And in this dream, I am a fish,
swimming freely wherever I wish.
Oh, water, water
flowing down the stream,
into my thoughts
and into a dream.
And in this dream, I am free,
being what I am,
being me.
The mud squished and squelched and claimed a few boots!
We moved on to the lake with the warm sandy beach. Such joy!
Back in the classroom, we read books about streams, rivers, and water. We offered loose parts to invite collaborative expressions of the idea of “water.”
Over the days, the creations grew to include tributaries, waterfalls, ponds, lakes, and wildlife!
Friends recreated the river from the Little Pig Saves the Ship by David Hyde Costello. They included the pond, the river, and the bridge.
The following week, students individually used the materials to form patterns, designs, and sculptures. Some told a specific story, while others experimented with balance and stacking or symmetry – the results, but more importantly the processes demonstrated beautiful creativity! “These are the trees along the stream.” “These could be bridges. They are hard to balance!” “Look! I made R.B. Winter Park.”
“The wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivations and the richer their experiences.” – Loris Malaguzzi