One of the funniest, yet simplest things I have ever seen since working with children happened on Thursday and even now, just thinking and writing about it, I have the giggles again. We have a 'family play' area set up for the children. They have a little seating area, a round table, two small cots and a small bed for the dolls or some of the smaller children, though they are bigger than the dolls and my fear is the wood for the base of the small bed may give way and then we will be in agony city.
This family play area has a kitchen set up. There is a wooden oven, fridge/freezer, a bench and sink with wooden taps, washing machine and dryer, all with little wooden knobs and dials that can be turned around. (It's all very sophisticated!) The little oven has raised elements with red spirals painted on each raised circle to denote where the heat would come from. Plastic plates, cups, knives and forks, wooden pots and pans and wooden items of food complete the kid's kitchen. I like being in the family play with the kids as most of the time I can sit down and the kids will make me 'cups of coffee' or we'll have a tea party.
On Thursday, after I had swapped with another teacher and came inside from being out, I headed over to family play to break up a fight that had happened between two girls playing with the dolls. It was a sharing issue, both of them wanted the same baby doll, which is now scarily accurate looking. I managed to settle the issue, and we discussed the 'waiting our turn' system.
One little boy was in the kitchen area doing the 'dishes, ' and two of his friends were sitting at the table, happily chatting as children do. I watched as the boy who was clearly in charge of all of this, picked up a teddy bear, opened the oven door and shoved the teddy bear in there, clothes and all, squeezing him in so he could fit. He then slammed the little wooden oven door, turned some dials and then turned around and faced his friends sitting down and proclaimed, "The food will be ready soon."
Something so simple, yet I laughed and laughed and laughed. It was brilliant and is now one of my favourite 'cute kid' moments.
This family play area has a kitchen set up. There is a wooden oven, fridge/freezer, a bench and sink with wooden taps, washing machine and dryer, all with little wooden knobs and dials that can be turned around. (It's all very sophisticated!) The little oven has raised elements with red spirals painted on each raised circle to denote where the heat would come from. Plastic plates, cups, knives and forks, wooden pots and pans and wooden items of food complete the kid's kitchen. I like being in the family play with the kids as most of the time I can sit down and the kids will make me 'cups of coffee' or we'll have a tea party.
On Thursday, after I had swapped with another teacher and came inside from being out, I headed over to family play to break up a fight that had happened between two girls playing with the dolls. It was a sharing issue, both of them wanted the same baby doll, which is now scarily accurate looking. I managed to settle the issue, and we discussed the 'waiting our turn' system.
One little boy was in the kitchen area doing the 'dishes, ' and two of his friends were sitting at the table, happily chatting as children do. I watched as the boy who was clearly in charge of all of this, picked up a teddy bear, opened the oven door and shoved the teddy bear in there, clothes and all, squeezing him in so he could fit. He then slammed the little wooden oven door, turned some dials and then turned around and faced his friends sitting down and proclaimed, "The food will be ready soon."
Something so simple, yet I laughed and laughed and laughed. It was brilliant and is now one of my favourite 'cute kid' moments.
