Free play emerges everywhere, you just need to let it happen.
Free play involves anything, you just need to have stuff around.
Free play can be more fascinating if you have a friend to mess with.
Free play can be relaxing, you just need to let yourself be.
Free play can be collaborative, you just need to share it with your friends.
Free play is natural, it’s play and it’s free!
(by Spyridoula Patouna, teacher in pre-K class, in Athens)
When we looked through our big plastic telescope, we noticed something very strange: everything had turned upside down!
So, we asked help from Yannis, an amateur astronomer!
He brought his professional telescope, let us see the sun through it and answered all our questions.
Children grabbed the opportunity to make constellations on the ground with sand and small stones.
But why not even form the whole universe!
(by Spyridoula Patouna, teacher in pre-K class in Athens)
During time of free play, I took a roll of toilet paper and cut it into pieces. Then, Anastasia came and asked me what I was trying to do.
I told her “I’m trying to think what to do with this material, but I can not. Can you help me”?
She said we can make a case for pencils using the whole roll. Katerina came at the table and constructed a perfect case!
Then another idea came up. “We can make bracelets with the pieces you cut!”. So, Katerina, Artemis, Emily and Andriana made lots of beautiful bracelets.
Katerina said “hey, my case can also be used as a hanger for the bracelets!
Emily had another idea, and made a nice palm-tree!
So many ideas, with just some pieces of recycling paper…
(by Spyridoula Patouna, teacher in pre-K class)
Something special happened in pre-K class!
Everyone brought his or her favorite doll or teddy and turned it into an astronaut!
The space suit was made from aluminum foil.
When all astronauts were ready, went to the roof top of the school and flewwwwwww!! (wearing parachutes for protection)
An I-don’t-want-it-to-end game!
(by Spyridoula Patouna, teacher in pre-K class, in Athens)
During their “exploring space” project, children in pre-K class did a number of things…
Constructed their own telescopes to watch the stars…
Created their own planets, based on what they read about in books…
Also constructed the moon: used everyday materials to make the shape of a circle and then painted it white by using glue, shaving foam and glitter!
Their next mission: teddy bear visits the moon!
(by Spyridoula Patouna, teacher in pre-K class)
When you are 4 y.o. you ask questions, all the time. Never ending, unlimited questions .
Questions like these lead us to look for answers about space.
Today, our children experiment space by creating paper planets. Tomorrow, they may go visit them!
There must be always a way!
After all, astronomy is a science – and we never say never to science!!!
(by Charitini Stavroulaki, teacher in pre-K class in Athens)
Last year’s pre-K class worked on a project about communication (how we talk and listen one another, when away).
Under this concept, kids decided to create their own antenna to be able to listen to radio, in class. And so they did. But, then had to find a way to connect it to the radio.
So, they called in class Vasilis, dad of Philip, who is an engineer, to help them finish their project
With his assistance, children managed to connect the antenna….
Participating in the International Fairy Tea Party day on September 18, our pre-K class goes in the woods around Athens to look for fairies and party!
(click on the picure to see more)
Life-derived Learning 