fairy houses (1)

The children spent the week preparing for the building of fairy houses. From sorting and counting materials to engaging with text about different kinds of homes, we have made meaningful and authentic connections across Kindergarten curriculum. 

There were many moving parts to this experience, opportunities for a variety of learning, but perhaps the most important piece was community. 

Our building materials were a collection gathered by children and families, bags and bins of treasures. The children eagerly shared pinecones, acorns, scrap wood, paper, moss, shells, and tiles with their peers. For many children, there was a story attached to each material. TW talked about the shells collected in Kauai. OM explained that the moss he brought was found on rocks at his home. JF said that his dad collected pinecones at his work to share with us.
I watched as each child expressed an excitement and joy to give - to give a piece of themselves to their community. 

To give to others encourages cooperation and a social connection. A deep social connection nurtures whole body health. When we explored and talked about the many materials shared with our community, the children felt a sense of gratitude. There was a shared feeling of happiness through acts of kindness and encouragement. Upon viewing the final fairy houses, one child exclaimed, "I just love them all!"