In our outdoor classroom, we continued our “I Can Day” by adding tin cans and magnets to our discovery table.
In each jar behind the cans was a different kind of DIY magnet for the children to use with the tin cans.
At the discovery table, we generally do not give any instructions to the children as to what they are to do there. We simply let the children discover the items that are out then make their own plan for play or exploration of the items.
The children are very good at figuring out what to do with the materials at the discovery table all on their own.
In the process of their play, the children fiddled with the magnets to determine which magnets would stick where and which magnets would stick what to what.
On the first day of our magnetic and tin can discovery table, we had mostly independent or parallel play going on.
But by the end of the first day and on into the second day, the children began to play together. Also, on the first day the boys primarily played at the magnetic discovery table but on the second day, the table was taken over by the girls.
The children used the magnetic DIY toys as coins for a store and as parts of a robot.
If you would like to read more about how the magnetic pieces were made, then click here to read the details I provide on making your own magnetic play set.
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