CREATIVITY AND TONGS REVISITED

In June I will be traveling for three weeks to the UK and the Netherlands  to do several presentations on sand and water  play around the sand and water trays.  For the next few weeks, I will be preoccupied with preparations for that trip.  Because it takes me so long to do an original post, I will revisit some earlier posts.  The first post I would like to revisit is  called Creativity and Tongs.  That post was written in October 2010.  Looking over the post, I am surprised that I had the audacity to think I understood were creativity comes from.  I do not.  I do know that if given the setup and provisions, the children try multiple schemes to complete their self-selected tasks.  Their solutions may be creative but where does that creativity come from?

Newsweek had an article in its July 10, 2010 issue referencing the decline in creativity scores of children in US since 1990.  The article can be found here.    With emphasis on testing and getting answers right, is there any wonder creativity suffers?

There is an easy antidote to this problem.  Here is a video clip of a child using tongs that illustrates the antidote nicely.  Two-year-old Teddy has a pair a tongs.  He is trying to pick up a rock.  He has not yet mastered opening and closing the tongs to pick up the rock.  He jabs at it and says: "I'm cutting the cupcake."  Then he picks up the rock with one hand and slips it between the open tongs he is holding in his other hand.  He has not yet mastered pinching the tongs to hold the rock, so in a sweeping motion with his hands, arms and tongs as one, he drops the rock into the water.

Tongs from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.


Teddy has not mastered the use of the tongs by adult standards.  What he brings to the task of mastering the tongs, though, are abilities, such as large and small motor capabilities, and concrete operational schemes, both of which are the wellspring of his creativity.  By allowing him to experiment with the tongs---instead of teaching them how to use them---he will master them.   By experimenting with them he will have more "tong scenarios" on which to bring to any new task using tongs or similar implements.  Can you use tongs to cut a cupcake?  Of course, especially if the tongs have a spatula type head and you do not have a knife handy.

The antidote to decreasing creativity:  Let them play!  And let them play with real-life, three-dimensional materials on tasks they set for themselves.

FUNNELS AND CLEAR PLASTIC TUBING - 2014

Simply said, The Funnels and Clear Plastic Tubing apparatus is a favorite in the water table because of the breadth and depth of play fostered by the apparatus.  Funnels are taped to one end of clear plastic tubing and then the tubing is threaded through a crate.  The tubes vary in length and empty back into the table at various points or into a tub on the side of the water table.  The crate is taped to a wooden tray that spans the table and holds the apparatus above the water table.

The exploration usually begins with the question: "If I pour water in this funnel, where does it come out?"  That is not so easy because the water has to flow through the maze of tubing in the crate.

If more than one child is pouring at the same time and the water is coming out of multiple tubes, the children are treated to a worthwhile perceptual challenge. 

Once the children have figured out where a tube empties, there is no end to their explorations. The child in the video below has figured out that the black funnel empties into the tub through the black hose.  As the video clip begins, he has found a bottle that fits perfectly over the end of the hose. Listen to his reaction as he watches the bottle fill after he has poured water into the funnel.

"Wow," Filling the bottle. from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

This child had already figured out that if he pours water into the black funnel, the water comes out the black hose.  Why is he surprised that he was able to fill the bottle when he placed it over the hose and poured water into the funnel?  Has he changed the apparatus enough by adding the bottle to the end of the hose that he has to test the new configuration to see if it works according to his plan?  He is certainly pleased with his work.

He does not stop there.  He pulls the bottle off the hose and examines the bottle closely.

What is so intriguing about this bottle filled with green water?  Is it the color?  Or has he noticed that the green water in the bottle provides a different lens through which to see the rest of the classroom?

One of the changes in the setup from previous years, is that there were some loose parts available to the children as part of the provisions.  The loose parts added a new dimension to the play and exploration.  

Let me show you one one example of how a child used one of the loose parts for her own purposes.  The child has taken a funnel and tube that is loose and not part of the apparatus.  She uses it to pour water into a measuring cup resting on a little stand in the water table.  She does an amazing job of balancing the tube and funnel all the while keeping it in the measuring cup.  That is not an easy task because every moves she makes has an effect; she constantly has to make adjustments to pull off this supposedly simple operation.  

Loose parts - funnel and tube from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

After all the adjustments, she is able to get water into her cup.  She lifts up the cup and proudly states: "I poured some water from there into here."  Without missing a beat, she lifts up the measuring cup to eye level and---like the scientist she is---asks: "How much water is there?"

As adults, we often overlook these types of accomplishments made by children.  Of course, the water will flow into the bottle.  Of course, you can pour water from there into here.   The significance of these accomplishments has more to do with process of exploration rather than an actual outcome.  The children set up their own challenges; they try out different procedures or operations; and they evaluate the results.  No wonder some people think children embody the spirit of a true scientist.


P.S.  If you are interested in other posts about the funnel and tube apparatus, there are two that explain different setups here and here.  There is also another one that highlights other types of exploration at the apparatus here.

PLANTER TRAYS - SENSORY TABLE STAPLE

A planter tray has been a staple in my sensory table for more than 12 years.  It all began so innocently.  One fall in the hardware store, I found two planter trays on clearance and thought they might be useful in the sensory table.  To my surprise and good fortune, the trays fit perfectly inside the table.  Not only that, they also created a second level in which the children could play.

Next, I found bins that are similar to the planter trays in the our back storage area and decided to stack those bins on top of the planter trays.  The result was a multiple tray apparatus.

This apparatus created more levels and more spaces in which the children could operate.  The spaces were also more complex.  To scoop the medium from the bottom of the table or from one of the lower trays, it was necessary to navigate under and through spaces.  In other words, it took more motor control to transport within the table from one level to the next.

A couple years later---again in the fall and on clearance---I bought a couple more planter trays and built a bigger multiple tray apparatus with more levels.

From this one apparatus I was able to document at least five types of play: motor, sensory, cause-and-effect, science, and social.  As long as the apparatus is open-ended, there is no end to the variety of play children will create in such intriguing and complex spaces.

This school year, I visited the hardware story again to find more planter trays.  I went hog wild.

This multiple tray apparatus lives up to its name.  It is a total of 11 trays creating five distinct levels.

Here is what one half of the apparatus looks like from a slightly higher vantage point.  The levels are labeled.

Watch how a two-year-old navigates scooping pellets from the bottom of the table to depositing them into the very top tray.

Maximum reach from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

What an operation by this two-year-old.  After she scoops the pellets into her tiny scoop, she slowly stands---she is on a stool---to keep her balance without spilling any of the pellets.  Next, she uses her left hand to help her reposition the scoop in her right hand so she can grab the handle.  By holding the handle, she will have her maximum reach. She reaches as high as she can and drops the pellets from her scoop into the top tray even though she cannot see into the top tray.  She cannot even see if all the pellets drop out of the scoop, so she shakes the scoop a couple of times to make sure all the pellets are out.

One of the upshots of building vertically is that it beckons the children to engage in vertical endeavors. What are vertical endeavors?  Operating on the lip of the table can be considered one.

There is one more reason why planter trays are a staple at the sensory table.  They often serve as a base to hold other apparatus above the table.

When the trays are turned upside down, they span the table and create a higher base for structures that need higher elevation over the table.

P. S.  No matter how many levels I create using the planter trays, the children have no compunction about adding their own levels.

Can you see the children have turned one of the stools upside down to hold containers that they are filling?  Another level just above the floor is now available for their operations.

GIANT SPONGE - 2014

It has been more than two years since I wrote about a Giant Sponge in the sensory table.  A Giant Sponge is simply a big piece of foam cut to the dimensions of the water table.

Dish soap is squirted over the top of the sponge and water is added to the table.  I want enough soap and water to make good suds when the children squeeze the sponge but I do not want so much water that the sponge begins to float.

This year I added a wooden tray to the apparatus.  The tray connects the blue water table with another small water table.

The children used the addition of the tray for two main purposes.   The first was to hold containers on a different level and to pour and mix into and out of those containers.

The second purpose was to hold the suds the children created.  One group got really close to filling the tray with suds.

That amount of suds encouraged some in the group to experience the suds using their sense of smell.

One facet of the sponge is that it fosters physical exploration by the children.  Watch the video below to see how the children physically examine the sponges.

Getting physical with the sponge from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

As you just saw, the physical exploration including squeezing a small sponge hard, smacking a small  sponge on the bottom of the pail, pressing down hard on the big sponge and hand pummeling the big sponge with force.

Here is another instance of physical exploration by the children.  In the video below the two children have filled a five gallon pail full of suds.  One of the boys decides it is time to dump it. The other boy is all in and even helps to get suds out with his spoon.  If you watch to the end you will see the excitement of the venture is palpable.

5 gallon pail of suds from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

Imagine what the boys are experiencing.  The volume of the five gallon pail of suds is great but the weight is not.  How would this have played out if the pail was full of water instead of suds?  

Of course there is more than the physical exploration.  Some of the exploration verges on the ethereal.  Watch this final video to see a child slowly insert a plastic bottle into a full container of suds.  The result: a suds fountain.

Suds fountain from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

I almost think the whole operation skirts the threshold of meditation.  If you listen to the conversation at the table, you might agree.  One of the boys at the table is collecting small sponges.  The fountain creator asks the him in the most serene voice: "To make cookies?"  He answers:  "Chocolate chip cookies."

I usually like my ethereal experiences with a side of chocolate cookies, too.

BLOCKS IN THE SENSORY TABLE

Back in September 2012, several girls brought a whole bunch of blocks to the sensory table. They asked me if they could and I said: "Why not?"  Part of the reason I said that was because I wanted to see what kind of building they would do with the blocks in the sensory table.  As it turned out, there was not much building and a whole lot of piling.

That was OK because when they asked if they could bring the blocks, I stipulated that they had to return them to the block area when they were done.  When they were done and without a complaint, they returned everything to the block area.

In November of that year, I went to a session at the annual NAEYC national conference on block building done by staff at the Bing Institute of Stanford University in California.  It was a very good session that got me thinking about blocks and block building.  Remembering the September block episode at my sand table, one of my thoughts was that I should try to set up blocks at the sensory table as a provision.  It took me more than a year to do it, but I finally did it.

As you can see, the first set up did not include a lot of blocks.  In addition, there are other loose parts like the packing corners and cut up cardboard tubes.

I must admit that there was not a lot of building with the blocks.  When the children used the blocks, it looked a lot like the September 2012 episode: pile everything into the table.

Although when it was time to put things away on the shelf, some building or stacking did materialize.

The biggest surprise with this setup was how much the children used the cardboard rings.  They were used for making impressions in the sand.

They were used for filling

They were used to accessorize.

They were used for building.

And in one boy's hand, it became a tool for scooping sand.  

Creating a tool to scoop the sand from Thomas Bedard on Vimeo.

How does a child know he can use the tube as a shovel?  I asked him and his answer was quite straight forward.  "Well, I actually did it."  That is what he said.  For the child, the mind and body are one so if you want to know what a child is thinking, just observe his actions.

Besides the fact that the one child has just created a tool, there are a couple interesting things of note in this video.  First, the child using the cardboard ring as a shovel is able to scoop a significant amount of sand without loosing too much sand out of either end of the tube.  Second, there is nonverbal negotiation of space in the table by the two children.  The child in the foreground needs more room so he can scoop sand so he pushes things in the table out of his way into the other child's container.  Without missing a beat, the child who created the tube shovel, moves his container to accommodate the other child's need for more space.

As far as blocks in the sand table are concerned, I am left with the questions: Why didn't the children build with the blocks in the sand table?  Were there too few blocks?  Could the provocation be set up differently to encourage more building?  Should I even try providing blocks at the sensory table again?  Why were the other provisions more attractive or more suited for play and exploration in the sand table?  What was it about the tube rings that was so appealing?   TBD

SUDS PAINTING

This past week I have been working on a new presentation on how children explore water using different apparatus and different provisions for the Reggio Inspired Network of Minnesota.  For those of you who attended the presentation today, thank you for all the discussion and input and here is an apparatus that did not make it into the PowerPoint, but I think you will appreciate.   For those of you who follow this blog, this a reworking of a post from nearly three years ago that is a form of water play and color mixing.   

Is Suds Painting a sensory activity?  As you will see, it becomes highly sensory in nature.  Is it an art activity?  It is definitely a color mixing activity, but there is no product.  Even the mixing of colors is momentary.

The set up for Suds Painting is simple.  A plastic gutter splash guard is taped on an incline to a planter tray inside the table.  Children paint both the tray and the splash guard.  If enough suds paint is applied to the splash guard, the sudsy paint begins to flow down the splash guard and colors begin to mingle.


To make suds paint, I use a foaming soap dispenser.  Pamper Chef has one that has the amount of dish soap to water ratio right on the side of the bottle.  The ratio is 1 part dish soap to 7 parts water.  Some hand soaps now come in foaming soap dispensers and I use those, too, using the same approximate ratio.  I put tempera paint on the bottom of a paint cup and then add the sudsy foam.  A long handled brush is used to mix the paint and the suds.

I put caps on the paint cups so it is not a pouring activity.  Each cup has a brush. Besides the tray and splash guard, other objects are provided for the children to paint.  I make sure there are always bowls or plastic margarine tubs so the children have containers for mixing the different colored suds.

It is definitely a color-mixing activity.  My son-in-law is a Peruvian-trained artist. When I told him about the activity, he said it was not a good activity because when you mix all the colors all you get is an ugly brown.  It is true that by the end of class each day, the color is not very appealing. However, the colors the children come up with along the way are amazing.  Take a look.

This last one was the children's lava flow.  Some children know a lot about volcanoes and are spontaneously able to build a narrative that invites others to join.

The color in the bowl below is not so impressive, but look at the child's hand.  

As the activity progresses, I keep adding suds.  You can see that in the picture above.  Often times the children will ask for more suds in their container and then mix in the colors.  The suds pumps have been used a lot so they are hard to work for the children.  As a consequence, I or another adult spend more time at the sensory table than usual.

The children mix and paint with the brushes.

And they mix it with their hands.

I never noticed it before, but this child looks like she is in an mixing trance.

And sometimes a child will use both brushes and hands.

Brush, hands, color and painting all become one for this child.

There is something about the characteristics of suds and paint that invite a kind of sensory bliss. Watch the six-second video below of a child rubbing the paint, the suds and the bristles of the brush around in her hands.  Pay special attention at the end as the child exhales.  Is it bliss?

Bliss or not, at this point the Suds Painting is totally sensory.  The color now is a grayish purple and it is not getting used to paint.  Who needs color when suds dousing is an option?  Does it get any better than this?

VERTICAL ENDEAVORS

In the right-hand column of this blog, you will see under ORIENTATION the word vertical.  In addition, Axiom #3 states that children will find all the different levels of play for any given apparatus.  That includes the lowest---the floor--- and the highest level---the top of the apparatus.   If the apparatus takes a vertical orientation, then the children can be found at all levels from bottom to top.

Take for instance the latest box tower creation: The Step Box Tower.

Let's start with the floor

The floor---in this case, the bottom of the green pail---is the lowest level and a place to play.

Next is the bottom of the table.

This child is watching himself scoop pellets from the bottom of the table through one of the holes in the apparatus.  You might say he has gained a unique perspective of that level.

Next is the level of the first step formed by the three bottom boxes.

Notice how this child is using the hole to stabilize his cup while he fills it on this level.

Next is the level of the second step formed by the two boxes set on top to of the bottom boxes.

This child is taking pellets from the funnel and throwing them in the window.

And finally, there is the top most level created by the top box.

What is important to note in this process of operating on all the different levels is that to continually work on higher levels, the children have to reach higher and higher.  They often start by appropriating the stools that are always around the sensory table.

If they really want to see the top level, they will, in short order, climb up on the lip of the table to get a better view or better leverage.

  Would you let a child climb on the lip of the table?

And sometimes the child actually climbs up onto the apparatus.  As you can see in the picture below, the child is standing on one of the boxes that forms the base of the structure.

I think most teachers would have little trouble with the children who keep their feet on the floor or on those stools.  How about those children, though, who want to go higher?  Is it OK to climb on the lip of the table or the apparatus itself?  Is it even safe?

I do not always know the answer.  Some of it depends on the child and how comfortable and stable he is with climbing.  What I do know is that if the apparatus has a vertical orientation, the children will want to challenge themselves every time with vertical endeavors. 

Here's are a couple of questions for you.  In what ways do you see children in the classroom show a need to reach and climb?  What sorts of outlets are there in the classroom for them to do so?   

There is one final note: If you have loose parts, the highest level the children reach can be higher than the top of the apparatus.