(video by Claire Hadjinicolaou, English teacher in Athens)
symbolic play
Sharing is a great thing
One day, Thanasis brought in toddlers’ class a book titled “This is mine!” Two friends who play together but find it too hard to share their toys…
“How easy is for us to share our toys?”, we asked children. Not so easy…
One small car in our class had the same problem. It was alone, because it could not share its toys. So, we decided to help it…
We became friends with the small car and drove it to the big “Luna Park of sharing”, the place where all children and cars share their toys.
Each one of as waited at his/ her own station, to drive the small car towards the next station and finally up to the end of the road, where the Luna park was. When the small car arrived there, it wasn’t alone anymore!
Kids played, cooperated, waited patiently for their turn, but most important helped the small car to understand that sharing is a great thing…
(by Jenny Diamantopoulou, teacher in toddlers’ class in Athens)
Getting autonomous and developing fine motor skills in babies’ class
One day in babies’ class, “Frogy” the frog paid a visit, reading us the book ‘’Frogy is getting dressed’’!
Children were very happy to see and listen to him and decided that they want to get dressed like Frogy!
We opened the box and took out all clothes we had. Hats, scarves, bags, shirts, shoes…Every kid chose what he or she liked and put it on. Some of them even posed for a picture!
We all then helped Frogy to get dressed. Kids worked so patiently and used their imagination in order to put on him as many clothes as they could!
And when finished, we hugged our friend and we went for a walk in the yard, all dressed up!
(by Maria Gryllaki, teacher in babies’ class in Athens)
We are the robots!
Robot inspired play in post-toddlers class!
(by Irene Lithoxopoulou, teacher in post-toddlers class in Athens)
Our “new” toddlers’ classroom
Coming back from christmas holidays, we decided we need some changes. Everything changes in toddlers class, we become older and our needs change, too.
So, we decided to accordingly adjust our surrounding, thus our classroom. At first we added more loose parts. Loose parts like wooden blocks, ribbons and clothes, items that can be used to create anything children may imagine.
Everyone got excited with this decision. Children immediately became interested in new material.
Elvira used two wooden blocks to ski and then put them together to form a skateboard! I was so excited by the way she adjusted her movement, depending on the sport she was supposed to perform!
Eleni turned ribbons into the big tongue of a whale.
Moreover, Bill turned to be a superhero with magic glasses made out of ribbons, too.
I think loose parts’ play introduced toddlers into a new way of thinking and playing, and I observed that from the very first day, in our “New classroom”!
(by Evangelia Nteka, teacher in toddlers’ class in Athens)
“Well done for choosing the book by yourself!”
One day in toddlers’ class, Cynthia decided to read a story for her friends.
She chose two books and asked Helen: «Helen, which one do you want to read?” Helen chose one of them and Cynthia said: «Well done Helen for choosing the book by yourself!»
Then, children sat in a circle and Cynthia started “reading” the book. All were listening carefully and of course at the end had questions. But Cynthia, had all the answers!
(by Jenny Diamantopoulou, teacher in toddlers’ class in Athens)
A spontaneous workshop
In free play time, Cynthia took a wooden block from building corner and a handsaw.
First, she tried to cut the wooden block with handsaw. But then, she thought twice and realized that it would look real if she put together two wooden blocks and pretend to cut where the two pieces come together!
More children started participating in her activity, by stacking blocks against the wall and creating a spontaneous workshop.
It was a symbolic play children started themselves and which helped them further develop their imagination, creativity, fine motor skill development and cooperation. Plus having fun, of course!
(by Evangelia Nteka, teacher in toddlers’ class in Athens)
Life-derived Learning 