OOBLECK PLATFORM

What is an Oobleck Platform?  A few weeks ago, I wrote about a Pegboard Platform.    Whereas the Pegboard Platform handles a dry medium like sand, the Oobleck Platform is built to handle a wet medium like water, or in this case, oobleck.  Oobleck is a mixture of cornstarch and water and is considered a colloidal solution with dual properties of a solid and a liquid.

The top is a sheet of 1/8" black plastic that I bought in the window section of a large hardware store.  (The technical term for it is HDPE or high-density polyethylene.  In lay terms, it is #2 plastic.)  It is easy to cut with a utility knife and a straight edge.  The frame is 3/4" pvc pipe with 3/4" fittings.  There are eight elbow fittings and ten T fittings in all.  I also got those at the same hardware store.  To secure the platform to the table, I use a 1" x 2" strip of wood that spans the width of the table.  The strip of wood is duct taped to the each side of the table and the frame of the platform is taped to the strip of wood.

Holes are drilled in the four corners to attach the sheet of plastic to the frame using 3/4" multiple-materials screws.  Attaching the sheet on the four corners was more than adequate.  Rows of holes are drilled in an array similar to that of the pegboard platform.  A pipe is fitted in the middle of the top of the frame to give the sheet load-bearing strength down the middle.  

Children do not need an apparatus to explore oobleck.  Oobleck fascinates in its own right.

Introducing the platform, though, adds another level on which to work.  (See dimension #2 and axiom #3 in the right-hand column of this blog.)

It provides an additional level onto which the children drop the oobleck or onto which they set their bowls and such for hands-free pouring or mixing.

It also offers another type of surface to work on, a surface that is flat and will not let the oobleck pool.  In the bottom of the sensory table, the oobleck pools and, because of its solid-leaning nature, is hard to scoop or scrape.  The flat surface allows children to more easily scrape the oobleck with tools.  Watch as the three boys use their shovels to scrape the oobleck from the platform.

Scraping the Oobleck from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

At the end of the video, the boy on the right says: "I think this is the grossest thing in the whole world."  Notice that he is staying clean.  He can stay clean in part because of the flat, elevated surface.

For those who want to explore the oobleck with their hands, the flat surface allows them to easily feel and scrape with their fingers.  Again that is not as easy when it pools in the bottom of the table.  It becomes too thick and takes a lot of effort to handle.  Watch these set of hands fondle the oobleck while  engaging in some free association about how it is like milk.

Caressing the Oobleck from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

At the end of the video, the hands in the foreground have stopped scraping the oobleck and begin to caress the hard, smooth surface of the oobleck.  The child goes from scraping to caressing in part because of the flat, elevated surface.

Aren't you wondering what is going on under the platform?  I personally thought the sand filtering through the holes of the Pegboard Platform was cool.  I think what happens as the oobleck pushes through the holes of the Oobleck Platform is wondrous.  Watch and you decide.

Oobleck Platform-Underneath from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

Let's take a closer look underneath to what is happening. The oobleck is being squeezed through the holes by gravity pulling on its mass.  But do you see the droplets that form at the ends of the streams of oobleck. Why is that?

I do not know why those droplets form.  I do not know why the oobleck flows at the rate it does.  I do not know why some streams reach the bottom of the table and others do not.  There is one thing I do know: it is a wonder to play with, to feel and to behold.

 

PAINTING SNOW

The second week in February we still had a good bit of snow in Minnesota.  In fact, we just got rid of most of the snow on the ground the last weekend in March. And the truth be told, there were still snowflakes in the air just two days ago.

When we have a good winter for snow, I like to do two indoor activities with snow.  The first is to bring snow into the sensory table to let the children play with it without having to wear all the cumbersome gear---snowsuits, boots, mittens, hats---that they need when they go outside to play in the snow.  This year I added Snow Tubes to this activity.

The second activity I like to set up is Painting Snow.  For that I attach the wooden tray in the middle of the table so it serves as a platform on which the the children can work and as a place on which to put the paint cups.  The paint cups are filled with watered-down tempera and long-handled brushes.

Since the season for snow is pretty much over, I really debated whether or not to do a post on Painting Snow.  Looking over the videos and pictures of the activity, though, convinced me to post. The setup is just an example of an invitation to explore and, in the grand scheme of play, their explorations are more important than the activity itself.

There is, of course, painting the snow with the brushes.  Sometimes that type of painting can be quite attractive because the colors show up vividly on the white snow.

Once the children get into it, though, it takes different variations.   In the following video, the girl in the foreground is painting the snow in the table.  The boy across from her is asking to dump the paint in the table.  The girl next to him is painting the tray.  The boy next to her is holding a clump of cold snow and painting it.  How does he do it?   And the girl across from him is painting the snow she has gathered into a bowl.  As the video comes back to the first child, you see her begin to pour the paint from the paint pot.  (I think she was reading the request of the child across from her.  It is amazing how children pick up on another's operations.)

Different Ways to Paint Snow from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

Children need to transport the snow out of the table (Axiom # 1 in the right-hand column of the blog).  Depending on how that is done, that can be simple or more complex.  The girl in the video below has chosen to transport the snow from a pot to the side tub.  That is not as easy as tipping the pot and dropping the snow in the tub.  Somehow she knows that to get the snow out, she has to bang the pot against the tub.  Where does that knowledge come from?

Transporting the Painted Snow from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

In addition to satisfying that inner drive to transport the snow, she has also created a new level on which to paint the snow.

The Painting Snow activity incorporated the snow tubes mentioned in the previous post.  That led to many interesting operations.  Here is one that is especially fetching.  At the beginning of the video, the boy has lifted the tube from the snow.  There is a little pillar of snow left in the table. He carefully places the tube back over the little snow pillar.  He then reaches down into the table to scoop some more snow.  As he does that, it is interesting to watch how he uses his other hand on the tube for balance, especially as he reaches further into the table to scoop the snow.  After getting some snow, he tries to drop in into the tube.  He gets some of the snow in but most lands on his hand---which must be cold---and back into the table.  He lifts the tube up again and implores me to "look it."  This is a happy and capable two-year-old who has just created his own 3-D puzzle.

Painted Snow in the Snow Tube from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

I must caution you that if you are averse to messy activities, stay away from this one.  By the end, the color is "mud" brown and the children are covered with splatters of paint.







If, on the other hand, you appreciate full-on sensory exploration, keep this in mind when the snow flies in your neck of the woods.  If it never snows where you live, then just delight in watching these children paint the snow.

FACEBOOK

A couple of months ago I got an email from an Australian fellow named Alec Duncan from Child's Play Music, an excellent blog about bringing music into schools using homemade instruments. He strongly encouraged me to create a Facebook page for this blog.  He offered a lot of good information about setting up a page and for that, and the nudge, I have to thank him.

I have been mulling the prospect of setting up a Facebook page ever since.  My tech-savy daughter is visiting this weekend, so I asked here to help me set it up.   She did---thank you, Ester--- and as you can see from the new gadget on the right, the Sand and Water Tables blog is now on Facebook. Check it out here: Facebook.

And if you like it, Like it.

I will be back next week with a legitimate post about play and exploration at the sensory table.

WHY?

When I look over pictures and videos I have taken of the children working in and around an apparatus at the sensory table, I often ask: "Why is the child doing that particular operation?"  I found myself doing that a lot with the new apparatus, Pegboard Platform.

Why does a child feel compelled to methodically cover the platform with sand even though that takes a lot of time and work?

It may be hard to see from the picture, but almost the entire pegboard is covered with sand. The child's arm is in the foreground as she pours from a scoop onto the platform.  She only has a small bit left to cover just above the blue of the scoop.

Why do some children feel compelled to completely clear the pegboard of sand by sweeping it with their hands?  Or pound on it?  Or pour sand down the tube?

Sweeping the Pegboard from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

Why does a child transport rocks and sand from the bottom of the table to a measuring cup on the platform?  And why does he decide to pour the contents of the measuring cup down the nearest tube?  

Transferring the Sand from One Level to the Next and Back Again from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

Why does a child start at one end of the table to scoop sand into a tiny scoop and then walk to an adjacent side of the table to empty the tiny scoop into a measuring cup?  And why does he do it two more times?  Why does he decide to check the red scoop and then empty the contents into the measuring cup?  Why does he start spinning the cup after checking the level of sand in the cup?

Using a Tiny Scoop from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

Why is it possible for children to work so effortlessly together on a mutually agreed project that involves multiple steps?

Chugging the Bottle of Sand from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

Why?  First we need to understand that children think by doing.  One action seems to lead to another action which in turns leads to another action and so on.  The result is a flow of operations that is an interplay between the actions(thoughts) of the individual child or group of children, the available tools, and the features of the apparatus.  That flow changes the nexus of the question from me to the child.  It also changes the question from me asking "Why?" to the child posing the query "Why not?" 

PEGBOARD PLATFORM - LEVEL 2

Last week I introduced a Pegboard Platform.  After building this, I still had pegboard and tubes left over, so I decided to take the apparatus to another level---literally.  By that I mean, I added a second platform over the first.

Because the top platform is narrower, a piece of wood is attached to the bottom to make it more rigid so it can bear the weight of the sand.  This top platform is propped nine inches above the first platform by two longer tubes. One of these longer tubes sits between two shorter tubes at one end of the table.  This tube has a notch for each platform and is taped to the end of the table for stability.  Because the top platform is longer than the bottom platform, the second tube stands alone in the middle of the table and only has a notch for the top platform.  To make the second taller tube stable, it is taped to a piece of wood that spans the width of the table.  

Here is another view of the apparatus that better shows the difference in width between the two platforms.  It also gives you an idea of how the top platform and the bottom platform are wedged into the taller, middle tube on the end.

And a view from the other side shows the hole cut in the bottom of the larger tube.  Again, that provides an outlet for the sand the children WILL feel compelled to pour into the tube.

By the way, the red bucket hanging from the lip of the table is a recent find at a farm and fleet store in town.  It is a feeding bucket for animals.  It also works great as a pail into which the children can transport the sand and other objects.

It is useful to analyze this apparatus in terms of the dimensions and elements listed in the right-hand column of the blog.  Number one talks about orientation.  This apparatus actually has two orientations on which the children operate.  The platforms are horizontal and the tubes are vertical. Number two states that levels are important to children to understand space.  In this apparatus, there are at least three levels: the top platform, the bottom platform, and the bottom of the table. Number three talks about spaces that are open or closed.  This apparatus is a very open and airy. Number four talks about creating spaces.  The apparatus creates many spaces over, under, around and through.  Number five states that children need to put things in holes. This apparatus has two types of holes: the small holes of the pegboard and the larger holes of the tubes.

The purpose of analyzing is to see how complex the space is.  The space is only complex upon analysis.  What a child sees is an inviting place on which to operate.  More complex spaces foster a larger variety of operations that are both more complex and are particular to the apparatus.

Children can operate on spaces that are on different vertical and horizontal planes---all at the same time.

The simple act of scooping sand from the bottom of the table now becomes an exercise in working around obstacles and barriers.

The simple act of pouring is becomes a cascade to follow with your eyes and feel with your hands.

Pouring through two Platforms from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

And some operations are fostered directly by the apparatus.  For example, a horizontal plane promotes a different type of operation than a vertical plane.

Rubbing the Platform with a Tin Cup from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

Children do not shy away from complexity if they can physically explore it.  For them it is a stage for experimentation that frame a continuing sense of wonder.

PEGBOARD PLATFORM

I was walking through a big hardware store in January and saw some pegboard on sale.  I have never made anything with pegboard, but I was fascinated by all the uniform holes so evenly spaced.  The fascination turned into a desire to make something with the pegboard.  The result was a Pegboard Platform.

The Pegboard Platform consists of a piece of pegboard held up by four cardboard tubes that serve as legs. As you can see, the dimensions for the platform are slightly narrower than the sand table and half as long.  The tubes are cut so the pegboard rests nine inches above the lip of the table. Notchers are cut near the top of each tube so each corner of the pegboard fits inside.  The pegboard is sturdy enough that there is no need for support across its length or width.  There is also a hole cut in the bottom of each of the tubes so when children pour sand down the tubes---and they will---it has an outlet.

As you can see from the picture above, the tubes are duct taped to the sides of the table.  The pegboard corners, however, are not duct taped in place.  The notches are narrow enough so the corners fit in snugly.  To tell you the truth, I was a little surprised at how well this stayed up with a minimal amount of taping.

The Pegboard Platform transforms the sand table in at least three ways.  It provides a surface above the table on which the children can work.

It also creates a space under the platform for the children to explore.

(If you are very industrious, you can work both above the platform and below the platform at the same time.)

Finally, the tubes provide holes for the children to put things in.  The tubes make deep vertical holes that are an irresistible draw for children.

I do not use the word cool very much in this blog, but after setting up the apparatus and then pouring sand onto the pegboard, something really cool happened on three levels.  On the top level, the level of the pegboard, sand slowly sifted through the holes and left a pattern that we all thought looked like a waffle.  On the sand in the table, another pattern was formed consisting of little mounds of sands of differing heights.  Mirror patterns?

The third level of cool was the space under the pegboard.  What happened that was so cool in that space?  The pattern of the sand as it fell through the holes.

The children thought it looked like rain.  Did I say it was cool?

p.s.  Greg at Males in Early Childhood interviewed me via email and posted the interview.  We all like to tell our stories and Greg gave me a chance to tell a little bit of my story.  Thanks Greg. And while you're there, check out his other posts.  He is a dedicated early childhood teacher from Australia and cares deeply about children.

ROCKS, STICKS, LITTLE DINOSAURS, AND CLEAR PLASTIC TUBES

I like to bring natural elements into the classroom.  Here are four previous posts that feature natural elements: Wooden Tray and Rocks, Sticks and Stones, Swamp II, and Gems, Sticks, and Stones.  I present to you another post that features natural elements: rocks and sticks.  Since I had just finished with Snow Tubes, I decided to keep the clear plastic tubes in the table plus add some little dinosaurs.

The thing about loose materials like the rocks and dinosaurs and various utensils is that they often all get dumped into the table at once.  I guess there should be a second corollary to Axiom #1 on the right-hand column of this blog.  That corollary would read: Children will transport all the loose items provided for play into the table---in very short order.  Actually this operation is important to realize because often we put our own aesthetic on what is really the children's endeavor.

The children, of course, filled the tubes with sand.

Dinosaurs also fit into the tubes nicely.

Rocks did, too, but not all of them.

Three very interesting pursuits from the week are worth noting that demonstrate the ingenuity and wonder children can experience during non-scripted play at the sensory table.

The first was a realization that sand can flow like water making what looks like a waterfall.

SAND FLOW from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

Did you hear a second boy say there were three [sand flows]?

The second pursuit happened when I asked a child to move the tube so when he poured sand into it, the sand that missed would not end up on the floor.

I thought it was a reasonable request.  He tried pouring the sand with the tube over the table.

For some reason, though, he did not like the tube in that position.  I think it cramped his pouring style. So he insisted that the tube face the original way.  To my surprise, he also had his own solution for the sand dropping on the floor: put the bucket under the tube.

This episode reminds me of the boss who told his employees that if they came to him with a complaint, they also had to come with a solution to the problem.  This young three-year-old is way ahead of the game.  Imagine the difference in the outcome if I had insisted the tube stay over the table.  We were both happy with the solution and I am sure he felt empowered.

The last pursuit was really an experiment.  A child stuck his hand and part of his arm into one of the clear tubes.  He examines his hand in the tube and then decides to use the tube as an extension of his hand by scooping up the sand with the tube and lifting it in the air so the sand would fall down into his hand.  He was a little surprised at first and proud of what he discovered. Then he proceeded to take a larger and larger scoop of sand with the tube before removing his hand from the tube.  Watch especially how he tracts the sand as he lifts the end of the tube up and the sand falls into his hand and imagine what he must be feeling both in terms of physical sensations and sense of agency. 

HAND IN THE TUBE from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

Looks like a future engineer to me.

Early in the post, I mentioned the chaos in the table when everything gets dumped into the table. I also said that adult aesthetic is not a child's aesthetic.   I did not mean to imply that they do not have a sense of aesthetics. The children get the last word today with their sense of beauty using natural elements.