Core Skills Analysis
Creative Play and Spatial Awareness
- Kinder learned to use large pieces of material to cover the frame structures, developing an understanding of size, shape, and how materials can be manipulated to fit spaces.
- By hiding underneath the cubby houses, Kinder practiced spatial awareness, recognizing enclosed spaces and negotiating their body in relation to the environment.
- Engaging in this activity likely improved their fine and gross motor coordination through lifting, placing, and adjusting the materials on the frames.
- The activity fostered imaginative play as Kinder explored the concept of ‘cubby houses,’ creating a private space that supports creativity and role-playing.
Tips
Encourage further exploration of building and constructing using different materials such as cardboard boxes, blankets, or natural items like sticks and leaves to deepen understanding of spatial relationships and structural stability. Invite Kinder to collaborate with peers or family members to plan and build cubby houses, promoting social and communication skills. Introduce storytelling or role-play scenarios within the cubby houses to enrich language development and creativity. You might also experiment with different sizes and shapes of frames and coverings to explore problem-solving and design thinking.
Book Recommendations
- The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton: A gentle story about a small house and the world changing around it, encouraging children to think about homes and spaces.
- Not a Box by Antoinette Portis: A story that celebrates imagination and creativity in transforming simple objects, like boxes, into play environments.
- A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle: Explores creating a home and adapting it over time, inspiring engagement with building and personal space.
Learning Standards
- Children have a strong sense of identity: Kinder experiences autonomy and confidence by constructing and navigating their own cubby space.
- Children are confident and involved learners: Engaging hands-on helps them explore concepts of space and structure through play.
- Children are effective communicators: Using imaginative play within the cubby encourages narrative building and expression.
- Children have a strong sense of wellbeing: Creating a personal play space supports emotional security and comfort.
Try This Next
- Create a worksheet where Kinder draws their ideal cubby house and labels parts like windows, doors, and roof.
- Set up a simple obstacle course that requires crawling through tunnels or small spaces to enhance spatial awareness and motor skills.