One of my favorite benefits to being a small, independently-run school is having the flexibility to change the plans as needed.  Several of us Tugboats were having an off morning and there was only one solution:  trains!

We revived our old favorite, the train set, which has been “resting” in storage for a couple of months.  As we listened to Thomas music, the children worked together to design an elaborate track that covered most of the floor.  Not only did the project offer a soothing element, but it also provided an opportunity for some really amazing teamwork and sharing!

Speaking of teamwork, Peter developed a fun an innovative group project this morning involving almost entirely recycled materials.  He presented the children with a stack of old boxes, some of which had been painted last week, along with a few styrofoam cubes leftover from the Hammer and Nail project during H week, and lots and lots of glue and tape.  Working together, the children assembled a massive piece of abstract sculpture, capped off by the addition of colorful bits of paper from the scrap bin.  This project is a fantastic example of the “process over product” style of art project that is the cornerstone of emergent curriculum.