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Observing and measuring are important mathematical skills that are used in everyday life. Lots of opportunities to observe and to measure, especially through play, help children to develop these skills.
Experimenting and understanding cause and effect is part of developing scientific thinking.
A wide vocabulary helps children when they are learning to read and to communicate with the other people in their life.

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With their questions, I came up with an idea, I took some chalk and I let the children draw their shadow on the surface on that morning.

In the afternoon, I let them stand on their spots and let them draw their shadow again. There are different of outputs was spoken: "My shadow is shorter", "My shadow is straight"

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Children were outside as the sun is up and bright. They were looking at their shadow. One child asked me "Why we have shadows?" I then replied, its because of the light

They then describe their shadows. "Look Im so tall on my shadow." "My shadow is following me." "Look at my shadow its slant"

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We even explore through an art activity!

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We even explore through an art activity!

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Poke

Mold

Form

Shape

Squeeze

Pinch

Manipulate

Squishing

Pulling

Pushing

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"Im sad" - Chelsea

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"Im happy." - William

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The children expressed their emotions through clay

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The children expressed their emotions through clay

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\ ˈjəŋk  \ secondhand, worn, or discarded articles

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\ ˈklā  \ an earthy material that is plastic when moist but hard when fired, that is composed mainly of fine particles of hydrous aluminum silicates and other minerals, and that is used for brick, tile, and pottery

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Shadow

Dark

Light

Big

Small

Long

Short

Sun

Shade

Cloud

Wide

Narrow

Straight

Curved

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To follow about childrens learning about faces, the children manipulated the junk and they are showing me that they are making their faces. One of the children showed me her face through putting those loose parts on the cardboard she put the yellow crystal as an eye and the cork as a nose and mouth and the can opener as a nose. One of the children showed me her face as well she put the black buttons as an eyes and she arrange the buttons and said that this is me happy face. On the other hand, Child A and Child b started making their faces as well. After making it they showed it to me and to their friends.

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The ECT implemented a paper exploration in Kinder room. She put heaps of used paper beside the cubby house might as well she put a box on the roof and on the sides of it and some resources such as paste and paint-brush. The children started to explore the resources by pasting those papers on the cubby house. The children work together and they are using their social and language skills.

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During art time, I asked each children why are we using paper:

Olivia: "For us to draw on it"
Ellie: "To write a letter"
Jacob: "To cut and fold it"
Chiara: "To fold it"
Cupid: "To paint on it"
Mary: "To paste it together"

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Fairy Dust Teaching. 2020. Reggio Inspired: Clay Play - Fairy Dust Teaching. [ONLINE] Available at: https://fairydustteaching.com/2013/02/reggio-inspired-clay-play/. [Accessed 15 June 2020].

Better Kid Care (Penn State Extension). 2020. Explorations in light — Better Kid Care — Penn State Extension. [ONLINE] Available at: https://extension.psu.edu/programs/betterkidcare/early-care/tip-pages/all/explorations-in-light. [Accessed 20 June 2020].

Me and my shadow | Department for Education. 2020. Me and my shadow | Department for Education. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.education.sa.gov.au/parenting-and-child-care/parenting/learning-your-child-greatstart/working-it-out/me-and-my-shadow. [Accessed 20 June 2020].

Dictionary by Merriam-Webster: America's most-trusted online dictionary. 2020. Dictionary by Merriam-Webster: America's most-trusted online dictionary. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/. [Accessed 17 June 2020].

Junk Play . 2020. Junk Play . [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.kccc.ie/Resources/Play-Tipsheets/Junk-Play. [Accessed 8 June 2020].

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Light is known to be one of the most intriguing elements of exploration and discovery with young children; a way to tap into emotion, beauty, vivid imagination, and concrete learning. Light sources can evoke feelings, and assist our work, living, and play.

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builds vocabulary – pound, pinch, roll, flatten, poke, tear squeeze, coil, stretch, squash, twist, and bend

Creative story telling with clay pieces

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Fosters beginning pattern making.

Builds an experiential understanding of 3-dimensional shapes.

Tactical experience of size and weight differences

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Manipulating (squishing, squeezing, pulling, pushing, etc)  a piece of clay helps develops the child’s large and small muscles – improving dexterity.

Fosters eye-hand coordination.

Builds a child's ability to focus/builds attention span.

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The first papermaking process was documented in China during the Eastern Han period (25–220 CE), traditionally attributed to the court official Cai Lun. During the 8th century, Chinese papermaking spread to the Islamic world, where pulp mills and paper mills were used for papermaking and money making.

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material manufactured in thin sheets from the pulp of wood or other fibrous substances, used for writing, drawing, or printing on, or as wrapping material. (Oxford Languages)

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The use of open-ended materials supports children’s role as scientists who are constantly conducting experiments, testing ideas, and building their understanding of the world. As children play with the materials, they are exploring what happens, coming up with new ways of manipulating the materials, deciding that one material can symbolise something else and using lots of language. This type of play is open-ended and builds creative thinking.

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Empathy, Cooperation and Problem-solving skills are Learned

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Empathy, Cooperation and Problem-solving skills are Learned

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While playing with open ended materials children are engaged in decision making and problem solving opportunities. By exploring the materials children become innovators, designers, explorers, artists and collaborators as they build, sort, design, manipulate, arrange and stack in a variety of different ways.

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Social and Emotional Abilities are Developed

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Social and Emotional Abilities are Developed

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With no predetermined outcome, open-ended play eases off the gas pedal of achievement and allows children to focus on creating based on inner inspiration. During play, children have choices and decisions to make. This format offers great potential for self-discovery.

Open-ended play gives children a sense of freedom and autonomy to develop initiative and self-confidence. They enjoy making choices themselves, affirming their ability to be responsible and self-directed.

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Open-ended materials provide children with opportunities to think beyond the obvious and to develop their own ideas and imagination. How often have we witnessed the box that the new toy comes in offer more fun to a child than the actual toy? And why not, depending on the size of the box, it can become anything, from a spaceship, to a house or to a bed for a cuddly toy.

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Research has shown there are several advantages to a child’s development if they engage in play that has no expectations or outcomes.

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What is the essence of Junk Play in children's lives?

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What is the essence of Junk Play in children's lives?

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Open-ended means not having a fixed answer, unrestricted. Open ended materials are materials that can be used in numerous ways indoors and outdoors by children. The children themselves decide what do, how to do it and what to use, when given access to open-ended materials. They are objects/materials that have many uses and endless possibilities. There are no exceptions, no specific problems to solve, no rules to follow and no pressure to produce a finished project.