Home Away From Home

It's June! The end of the school year is fast approaching, summer vacation is about to begin and sizzling hot, sunny days are ahead! How exciting!

​The children have taken an interest in constructing "homes" out of colourful, magnet tiles and wood patterned puzzle mats. These "homes" were created for tech decks (mini-skateboards) or rather, a skateboarding park which turned into a garage for superfast cars! 

Upon seeing the magnet tiles, one child decided a home was necessary for the tech deck. She carefully placed the tiles in a square formation and said it was a skateboard park. She looked at her skateboard park and she said it lacked something. She realized a ramp would make her skateboard park look complete. With a smile on her face, she rolled the tech decks down the ramp and exclaimed to an educator. "I think little ants would like skateboarding here!"

Another child was watching from a distance and asked if he could join her. She agreed and both children added more magnet tiles to the skateboard park. They laughed as they took turns rolling tech decks down the ramp. 

Afterwards, the other child announced, "I think I should make a garage beside the skate park so it looks even bigger". He took different-size magnetic tiles and created a box and said it was a multi-level garage so more toy cars could fit in. When he was done constructing his garage, he stated matter of fact, "The skate park is better now because there's more room for the cars and tech decks!"

On another day, two children made a collaborative effort to put wooden-looking puzzle mats together to create a condo. Both children joined puzzle mats piece by piece. The condo was starting to take shape. According to one child, he proceeded to  make a hallway so that the rooms for the condo look separated. He then went on to build a smaller room so that the other child he was building with and I quote, "Wouldn't get on his nerves" Haha! As an educator, I explained that it was okay to take some private time for yourself if you feel you needed space.

The other child was quickly piecing the puzzle mats together to build a large living room. He said, "My living room is bigger than this but it's big enough to put toys in". He brought some toys inside the condo and started playing with them. A couple more children asked if they could join and the builders suggested they needed security guards for this "expensive" condo. The security guards were very good at their jobs. They cautioned anyone who entered the condo to be respectful and to fix a puzzle mat if it came apart. All in all, the children had fun and they learned that a home was more than just a home, but a place you make memories.

- Leilani