One of the memorable stories from our Open House Pop-Up on Labour Day weekend – as retold by Aviva:
I arrive on one of my many visits outside to find adults and children of all ages exploring large pieces of fabric. Some are building landscapes, others are building forts. Some are standing nearby, taking it all in… looking for an entry point. I begin by lifting a large swath of yellow and shaking it out in the air. The wind lifts it higher and captures someone’s attention – I have found joy in the face of a child. I run with the connection – and the fabric – letting the light and the wind do the provoking. Soon I am holding one end of the fabric and this young child is holding the other. We run through the clearing with a ribbon of yellow trailing behind us on the breeze. With each return trip we get closer to her mother and sister – and eventually envelop them with our billowing blanket of colour. Mom soon discovers that it is increasingly more joyful when the fabric comes unexpectedly from behind. She shares this “aha” moment with us. Her favourite part of the day is this unexpected delight.
I arrive on one of my many visits outside to find adults and children of all ages exploring large pieces of fabric. Some are building landscapes, others are building forts. Some are standing nearby, taking it all in… looking for an entry point. I begin by lifting a large swath of yellow and shaking it out in the air. The wind lifts it higher and captures someone’s attention – I have found joy in the face of a child. I run with the connection – and the fabric – letting the light and the wind do the provoking. Soon I am holding one end of the fabric and this young child is holding the other. We run through the clearing with a ribbon of yellow trailing behind us on the breeze. With each return trip we get closer to her mother and sister – and eventually envelop them with our billowing blanket of colour. Mom soon discovers that it is increasingly more joyful when the fabric comes unexpectedly from behind. She shares this “aha” moment with us. Her favourite part of the day is this unexpected delight.
Before long, a young boy leaves his fort-building and comes over to explore. Then an older girl comes to inquire, and the play shifts from an exploration of movement to an investigation of colour. The girl begins by standing under the moving fabric. I provoke her thinking by asking “what colour are the trees under the orange fabric?” “They are green and brown,” she answers. I am completely taken aback! I was sure the orange fabric would have tinted the landscape accordingly. I investigate, confirm her observation, then suggest “let’s try another one!” More children join our investigation. Our closer look leads to complex discussions about translucent and opaque colour concepts. Soon the girl is spinning herself round and round – wrapping her body in multiple layers of fabric. With each new fabric we hypothesize, test, re-test, confirm or discard our developing theories. We document our findings by taking photos from inside the fabrics. We laugh as we share our fascinating discoveries and push our thinking.
Standing out there in the fresh air and sunshine, I remember thinking how these inquiries – both movement and colour – are such full-body, sensory experiences. So I am not surprised when I hear the older girl ask her mother, “when are we going to do this again?” As the glorious day comes to a close, I reach out my arms to the younger child who jumps up and hugs me tight. The tweet from her mom says it all:
Heather Read @kindy_outside
Wonderful time at @ThinkinEd's Loose Parts Open House! My girls are the best kind of tired tonight :) Loved meeting so many from #ReggioPLC
Read more about our Open House inspired by the Group of Seven or click here to see more images. To share your own memories from this incredible day, please leave a comment or send us an email.
Heather Read @kindy_outside
Wonderful time at @ThinkinEd's Loose Parts Open House! My girls are the best kind of tired tonight :) Loved meeting so many from #ReggioPLC
Read more about our Open House inspired by the Group of Seven or click here to see more images. To share your own memories from this incredible day, please leave a comment or send us an email.
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