Building Challenge!

 

The children have been playing with different kinds of building materials, experiencing how the stability of their structures are affected by the ways they put materials together and by the materials they use. Some of the children have become interested in stacking blocks; others build tall structures such as rockets and towers as part of their magnitile and block play. On Monday at our morning meeting we invited the children to become expert tower builders by trying to build the tallest structure they can using foam and/or rectangular wooden blocks. We asked the children..Which blocks do you think are best for making tall towers? Which towers do you think will get the tallest? As the children were busy building towers we engaged the children in breif converstions. We asked them about their structures and then in the context of their play encouraged them to build up. For example...Tell me about your building? Can you add a look out tower? Tell me about the house you are building can you build a roof? Some of the other children were really interested in making a car garage and playground. We did not want to interfere with their focus. Today we discussed strategies for tower building, Charlotte suggested, "Building flat helps blocks stay up." Elias and Josie said, "A lot on the bottom will keep them up." We will continue to facilitate science talks, take photos, sketch structures and encourage the children in the tower challenge!