A great integrated learning experience that Kate has done and that she can now do with the children is a Treasure Hunt + Observational Drawing activity. The experience worked on developing Kate's own observational skills (watching, seeing and understanding) that she will need when observing children playing.
How to set up the experience?
This is best done is a small group of 2-6 children
Ask the children to grab a container - a bucket/ice cream container/basket or paper bag
Ask them to collect 5 things (any 5 things they choose) - it is a treasure hunt
Either inside or outside - set up a clip board with a piece of paper and a black fine-liner pen for each child around a little table or on a mat on the ground.
Ask the children to show their treasures and to tell you which one is their favourite and why.
Ask the children to draw their treasure with their fine liner pen with as much detail as possible. They shouldn't draw what they think the treasure looks like but what it actually looks like with all the tiniest details in the picture.
When the children are finished drawing, ask them if they can describe their drawing to you and show you the details they have drawn. Ask the children how they felt when they were drawing. Write down their answers either near their drawing or on a separate piece of paper.
What are the children learning?
This activity is helps with all of these things all at once:
Physical Development - the children are moving outside on their treasure hunt and they work on their fine motor skills when drawing.
Emotional Development - the children are calm and focussed when drawing
Social Development - children are exercising agency as they choose what to collect and what to draw. Working in a small group encourages the children to discuss their findings with other children and maybe even help each other with the details of their drawings.
Cognitive Development - children have to think about what they are going to collect and explore the environment with curiosity to find treasures. They develop observational skills as they draw details. The educator can ask questions about the treasures that might lead to talking about nature or animals for example. The children learn to make meaning of their world.
Communication Development - children talk about their treasures and learn to describe things in detail. They also learn to express themselves in different ways such as through the drawings and even through what treasures they have chosen.
Kate loved this exercise when she did it and reflected that she felt "so calm" when doing it. Here are Kate's drawings of a bike handle, a plastic turtle and her keep cup.
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