Water in the Outdoor Classroom
Water in the Outdoor Classroom
Water is an infinitely interesting element for children to explore. Because it is naturally a part of our outdoor classroom, we wanted to know how children think about water and its many uses. We posed the following questions while they played with water.
Where does water come from?
Hoses, ponds, fountains, irrigation, sky, ground
The sea, the lakes, ponds, swamps, rain, frozen snow, condensation, our bodies
Hose, buckets, rain, river
Rain, oceans, hose, faucet
“Water for the ocean”
Where does it go?
Ground, plants, buckets!, sky, earth, everywhere
Into earth, flowers, to drink and play, into mud!
Down with gravity, up with pressure, still in containers, into the ground, into plants
Fits into spaces, finding new ways
Chalk in water - “this is chalk and it just melted”
How can we use it?
Watering, cleaning, chemistry, cooking, planting, playing, drink, helping people, saving lives
To drink, for baths, SOAK THE PARENTS, in play, to cool off, water plants, chasing water streams, splashing in puddles, create paint with chalk
Gardening, painting, cleaning, calming, music
Get others wet
Drink, cook, grow things, swim, boat
Water into spaces, unexpected use of objects
“We can make it grow”
“Have to make the plants grow”
Sprinkler for game of Soak the Parents
How does it change?
It can vibrate, change colors, shapes, ice, evaporate
It makes ice, it can get hot, different weather
Solid to liquid to gas
Speed
Volume
Frozen, liquid, vapor
Water plus dirt equals liquid mud
Ducks swim in the water/dirt
Bucket, shells, chalk turns into melting in water
How is it connected to other things?
It helps things grow which makes them connected
Dancing in water!
Chalk melts in water
Connects play with all ages
Life, energy, movement
Make paint, make mud, make soup
Kids all integrated together - imagined objects with plants, ducks, dirt, play
The children’s responses reveal much about their prior knowledge and their curiosity, and suggest ways in which we might engage them to learn more. With water as their medium, children can explore topics in science, math, art, movement, literacy, history, and community. Documenting a morning of water play is a powerful way to begin the process of joyful learning at our school.