Even though the last few weeks of school have been short, they’ve been filled with stimulating activities and great joy. We experienced celebrating (yet another!) chag (holiday) together; when the the leaves starting turning colors and the fall harvest season had begun, we knew it was time for Sukkot! A week before it began, and prompted by our reading of It’s Sukkah Time! in Design Lab with Ms. Guttin, we thought about the different ways we might design a sukkah. We then experimented building small huts with Legos, Lincoln Logs, and other manipulatives. Afterward, we admired the ornate, whimsical, and radical sukkot from Sukkah City in NYC (check it out at http://www.sukkahcity.com).
Inspired by Sukkah City, as well as our experiences building prototypes in Design Lab, we decided to build our own sukkah in our classroom! With Peter’s help, we used electric drills to build our hut.
Working collaboratively to build the sukkah, we honed our fine-motor skills, practiced communicating effectively, and utilized our mathematical & spacial skills.
Once our hut was complete, we decided it was just too plain!
We needed to make decorations . . . including a paper chain.
After we made our paper chain, we were impressed with how long it was. We began to wonder if it would reach from one end of the hallway to the other. “Let’s try it!” everyone exclaimed.
Some of us predicted it would be longer than the hallway; others insisted it wouldn’t make it past the entrance to the Design Lab. Ultimately, we discovered it was long enough to pass the first door to the Kindergarten! Later, we even experimented with measuring it using a yardstick!
When our sukkah was finally finished, we were thrilled with the result. We have enjoyed our time playing in our structure.
Last week we also enjoyed visiting the imPOSSIBLE DREAM Playground in Warwick, RI. Thanks to Val (Aeden’s mom), Kiara, and Gilor, (the Alliance’s Israeli Emissary), for joining us!
The park is Rhode Island’s first integrated playground. It offers an environment that is play friendly for children of all physical abilities. The playground is filled with playsets of all sizes, swings of all kinds, playhouses of all shapes.
We had a wonderful time exploring the playground . . .
Afterward, we talked about what made the imPOSSIBLE DREAM Playground different than our playground at JCDSRI. Some of the children noted that there were lots of ramps in the Warwick playground, ensuring that people using wheelchairs would have easy access (unlike our playground that has steps leading up to it). Others pointed out that there were lots of different kinds of swings, as well as see-saws – enough so that both able-bodied children and children with disabilities could use (and enjoy) the playground equipment.
* * * * *
We look forward to now having many full weeks of learning and play together!