We have noticed that our Birch friends LOVE pretend play. We have noticed variations of "family" since the very beginning of the year. We see the children reenacting many of the things that happen during their stay at home days. We see doctor and dentist visits, family routines, and most recently, variations of eating.
This noticing gave your teachers an idea to follow your lead with a new invitation to play.
Our "stump table" as we have come to call it, has been the home to magnets and small part building lately. Today it was covered with a cloth and some new loose parts were strategically placed along with a sign to guide our play.
"May I take your order?"
I sat down at the table and it wasn't but a moment before I was joined by a friend.
"What are we supposed to do here?" CF
Well, what would you like to do here? What do you see that sparks your imagination and drives you to play?
"There is a sign. It says 'May I take your order?'." CF
It sure does. So, "May I take your order?" I asked you. And that was all it took to begin a morning of creative play!
It IS like a restaurant! What should we do?"
"I want a hamburger." CF
Hmmm...well how are we going to do that? How can I get you a hamburger?
"I know! We can make one with this stuff." CF
As soon as you began creating food, MS you declared...
"I'm cooking!" MS
Wait, so you're the cook, MS? Who are the rest of us?
"I'm the customer." CF
'You be the server, Ms L." CG
"Can I play too?" GC
Absolutely! and as was the plan along, your teacher stepped aside and watched the magic of play unfold.
Roles changed from cook to server to customer again and again as friends came and went from the space.
I heard laughter, saw "food" being served, saw place settings being created, and at one point I even heard something unexpected...
"I'm speaking French!" CG
Ooo la la! This must be a FANCY restaurant!
MS your friends served you a delicious meal that you gobbled right off of the plate!
I noticed a friend folding up one of the mats on the table and wondered what was going on.
"It's closed." CF
How do we know if a restaurant is open or closed?
"It's all cleaned up."
This sparked a discussion about how we know if a restaurant we go to is open or closed.
I have gone into restaurants and there are not plates on the table yet. They bring them with the food. Is there another way to tell?
"There are no people."
Have you ever been the only person eating in a restaurant? Or maybe the first one there? I have.
How can I tell when I walk up if the restaurant is open or closed?
"You look at the sign."
What sign?
"We can just flip this around when it's closed and then turn it to "May I take your order? when it's open." CF
How will I know what that means? What if I think the sgn is just facing the wrong way?
"We need a sigh that says 'we are closed.'." CF
And so...you made one!
We cannot wait to see what happens at our restaurant next. One thing's for sure...I'll be brushing up on my French!
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