School Age Program

november 2021

Over the course of the past week or two students have showed great attention to the blue mats found

on the walls surrounding the gym. In the beginning students were working together in creating different

fort structures with the mats. This creative play demonstrated collaboration between children and how

they put their teamwork skills to use with one another. Students first started using the mats in

collaboration to make forts, these forts all had different structures to them, making them unique to

each group of students working as a team. The different groups tended to personalize their forts with

different décor inside and out. Students began shifting out of building forts when they discovered how

to fold the mats into triangles. The triangle mats became a huge hit with all the kids, that they were

soon all intrigued to try maneuvering around inside of them. From here students created different

games with one another revolving around them standing inside the triangle mats. Students made new

discoveries and tactics regularly as to how they could stay standing in their mats the longest, how to get

back in the mats if they fall over, and how to balance within them. Students made observations of their

own and others action when they would fall over in the mats, with these observations they were able to

understand what factors were contributing to their downfall. Some observations made by students

included: the way their mat was folded (structure), the speed they were moving, and shuffling their feet

as opposed to walking normally. Students continue to make mat building a part of our day-to-day

routine, demonstrating plenty of enthusiasm and joy from the endless creative opportunities they

provide.

Sarah Johnston, Miranda Lange RECE