february 2022
The children have been extremely interested in gross motor play, in particular gymnastics. This interest sparked when one of the older children wanted to learn how to do a handstand. We used the gym mats to set up an area for her to practice. She was incredibly determined to perfect her handstand; she practiced every morning and afternoon for a week.
During her practice, the other children noticed her. They would come over to her and ask her to help them do a handstand. This created a whole gymnastic area in our program! The younger children would refer to the older children as their “coach” and they would spend all afternoon helping each other learn new skills. It was nice to see the older and younger children playing together and problem solving with each other. The children improved so much during the week!
We came up with the idea of a ‘gymnastics club” for the children to help with their social play and to organize their gymnastics. The children created a “club” sheet where they gave everyone a job to do. This helped with problem solving as everyone knew their role in the club! We wonder what new skills they will practice next week!
Miranda Lange RECE, Sarah Johnston
