Weekend Links

Three years ago, I was thinking about a tape challenge that had preschoolers in the US, Canada, and Belgium making their classrooms all sticky!  We had a great time then, and I don't doubt that tape would be an interesting prompt for the preschoolers I'm working with now. I'm just not sure we can spare the tape!  I do feel that if the interest is solid, then there is no reason to put a cap on the materials.  Do you agree?

More weekend links after the jump...

Build with Chrome is a gorgeous marriage between Google + Lego!  I can envision it as a tool for elementary age students.  There is integration with google maps, showing local makes and creating lego/google maps.  Makes me long for the #clmooc days of last summer!

I'm new to the term wildcrafting, but it sounds a lot like what I would like our preschool afternoons to look like as we work and play in these gloomy northwest winter months!  We'll be transitioning to a new schedule that gives us a long, flexible afternoon to explore.  I wouldn't necessarily celebrate the "craft" part of these ideas, but the idea of using natural materials for both temporary installations like land art and take-home pieces like nature mobiles is appealing.  I'm also longing for the days when we spent our hours in the forest, and I want to foster those experiences with these children.  I'm thinking of a time we went to the forest in Belgium but we explored a brand new trail that brought us down to the pond, and the delight that the children had in this experience, from the trail obstacles to sliding on our bottoms!  How could this experience not be memorable?

I'm envisioning spending time in nature now, as the temperature is low and we suffer from a lack of sun, and then welcoming that seasonal change as we experience it unfolding day by day.  

How much time do you spend outside when it is cold?  How do you make sure children have the right clothes?

Happy Weekend!