As children manipulate water play materials, they begin to understand why and how things happen. For example, given sinking and floating objects, a child will soon discover that just because something is large in size does not mean it will sink. Children begin to understand and experiment with concepts such as more/less, same/different, many/few, empty/full, before/after, greater than/less than, and counting. Water gives children an avenue to contemplate issues such as: What makes rain? Where does water come from? What makes mud? Children also learn physics principles such as the effects of force (increasing the water flow through increased force); effects of gravity (water runs downhill); and change in state (solid, liquid, gas).
Playing in puddles encourages the development of eye/hand coordination through pouring, squeezing, stirring, painting, scrubbing, and squirting. Children strengthen their gross motor skills by running, jumping in and pushing things through puddles. They widen their sensory experiences as they put their hands in different textures (gritty, squishy, and slimy) and different temperatures (warm, cool, and cold). Whilst for some children their puddle play remains high energy, others are lulled into an almost trance- like, contemplative state of relaxation as they repetitively pour, pound, and swoosh. In addition, social skills expand as children play cooperatively; negotiate; and share equipment, space, and materials. As a teacher, the most entrancing aspect of this kind of play is witnessing the creative abilities of the children unfurl as they develop a seemingly endless array of imaginative scenarios based on their puddle, and use rich language to convey their ideas to others.
Early Childhood Education
Early childhood teachers should encourage children to embrace the outdoors in all its variations, and aim to suppress our 'adult' squeamishness about getting wet, or dirty. It is wonderful to see children coming to kinder in clothes that allow them to fully participate in all of these outdoor delights, regardless of weather. The memories that are created through these kinds of experiences last a lifetime.
For more information on Early childhood education and child development please go to http://www.jackandjillbeaumaris.com.au/
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