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