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Things that Go! at BestStart Pipiwai Kindy
Over the past few weeks, we have noticed tamariki at BestStart Pipiwai Kindy have been showing a strong interest in rolling and sliding resources. Because of this, we have started a learning group focused on cause and effect related to physics!
Tamariki have been experimenting with a variety of provocations and learning experiences to encourage deeper thinking around this topic. They have been learning about how the different heights of pipes and other makeshift ramps will change the speed and distance in which the resources will roll. They have been learning the difference between rolling and sliding, which has been teaching the scientific concept of friction.
They have been experimenting with these concepts by using a range of resources such as vehicles, balls of various weights and sizes, water, sand, and more, and have been noticing the differences and similarities of each one. These learning experiences have occurred not only through smaller provocations where they have been using their hands to manipulate the resources, but also by using larger gross motor skills such as rolling their bodies down the hill, sliding down the slide, or pushing go-kart tyres down ramps or across the grass.
For those who haven’t wished to experiment with the rolling/motion activities, we have been theming other learning experiences around the same topic but in different ways. We have been reading pukapuka (books) about vehicles, watching short videos about various ‘wheels’ (tamariki have especially enjoyed watching stunt videos), and exploring manipulatives such as building materials and playdough with some vehicle-related images as inspiration.
It has been incredibly interesting watching tamariki explore new concepts and think deeper about the ‘why’ or ‘how’ the things around them work, and we have been able to see a lot of learning and engagement take place at BestStart Pipiwai Kindy.