Wednesday 26 March 2014

Horsing around in the morning and the afternoon.

Sometimes simple things can be the catalyst that lead to other activities and interactions developing. This morrning a group of children enjoyed using basic props- the 'horse' a wand, crown, and sword to support them as the characters in "there was a Princess Long Ago". This old and to many, boring,song seems to appeal children. We know that repetition is beneficial in helping to develop reading skills through knowledge and familiarity around sound/phonics, pattern and rhyme. Turn taking, listening for cues and following the 'rules' are also important for everyone to be able to participate and enjoy the game. Holding a sword and cutting down trees, then holding a princess by the hand is incredibly empowering, just as being part of a large group is.




This afternoon Isaac,Grace and Alice noticed the horse had a 'wound' on its neck. So together we decided to fix it.

Out came the sewing box, we talked about how a real horse might have a cut seen to by a vet, and using local anaesthetic to stop it hurting as much, because we didn't have any, Alice suggested that we could hold the horse and give it a cuddle then it might not hurt as much. He pai koe ki te whakaaro pena/that's good thinking.

Once the sewing box was out, there were more excitig possibilities. Sewing and necklaces, but again the horse took centre stage, the children were problem solving, trying to remove the saddle, working together sharing the spanners, communicating,and thinking flexibly.

That's one way to hold it still, by the nostrils.

You can sit backwards and join in with jump jam, and you can even have  a drink of water on horse back.Tu meke! Awesome.

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