Conversations Visible in and around Studio Blue

At the Playground...

One of the first children out to the playground after snack, Cassie plants herself against the structure in a comfortable place where she can see the door.
Cassie soon asks a question.

Diane, when Vivian comes outside, can I play with her?

Of course. Is that your plan?  

That’s my plan. My body made that up. 

She continues.

I don’t really want to be by myself right now.

You could play with somebody that’s already outside while you wait for Vivian. 

Dax, do you want to play with me? 

Dax: Ok. Want to make a cake? 

Off they go…

 

 

Later that morning…

Cassie and Vivian have a lovely game of mom and baby.

At the Clay Table...

Will: A robot.

William: I’m making a snort again.

Will: Huh?

William: I’m making a snort. 

Will: He’s making a snort. I have the snort book at my house. It’s…it has, Are you my mother? 

William: I have that book at my house too.

Will: But my book is a snort, and it says, Are you my mother? 

William: I have that book too,Will. 

Will: I have that book at my house…but it’s in Siena’s room. 

With some Puzzles...

Joe and Llewyn get to know each other with puzzles.

Then continue to play together around the room.

With the Lego Pieces...

On and Around the Ramp...

Out in the Park...

We have heard and seen a red-tailed hawk outside of Studio Blue in recent weeks. A small group heads out to gather more information about the hawk…

Will: It was way over in the distance. Where I live in the distance. Where I live in Concord. That’s where the hawk was. Where I live. We have to go really far so we can see it. I live in Massachusetts.

Kairan: Maybe I’ll call for it and maybe it will just come back. Hawk, hawk, hawk!

We stop right outside of the playground to decide which gate to go through next.

Which way should we go? Should we go this way or that way? 

Will: This way.

Kairan: Good idea. Thank you Will. This is the best way! Just where you pointed.

Kairan: What’s that sound? It doesn’t sound like the hawk. 

Will: Yea it is, it’s in Concord.That’s where I live. That’s where it is.

Will: Concord is straight ahead in the distance.

Kairan: I’m thinking the hawk is in my town. I live in Concord MA.

Jemima: And me.

Kairan (to Will): You don’t live close to me.

Will: It’s far away.

We spot the hawk at the very top of the same playground tree.

Kairan: See that white belly? That’s the hawk. Hawk! Hawk! Hi hawk! Can you make some sounds?

Vivian: Why is he sitting there and not making any noise?

Kairan whispers: Maybe he’s sleeping? Don’t wake him up.

Kairan: Can you make some sounds?

Will: It’s not making sounds.

Kairan: I think maybe when it goes away, he will make sounds?

Will: Let’s get going that way.

Kairan: I like that hawk. I can still see hawk. I want to see hawk.

Standing up on top of a snowbank, Will says, I can see it better!

We decide to head back to Studio Blue. As we head back, near the silver car, pointing towards the back gate near the Cafe, Kairan makes a suggestion, How about we go that way? Because that way is shorter. So how about we go that way? What do you think, Will?

Will: Yea. 

Kairan: Come on.

At back gate, we look up and can see the hawk at the top of the tree from there as well. We stop for a minute to look. The hawk is still not making any sound and it is mentioned by someone, still wondering why.

Kairan: But, I think maybe he’s doing something with his wings…rubbing it.

Jemima: Maybe he’s busy?

Kairan: Maybe that’s why he can’t make sounds? Or he’s sleeping?

Jemima: Maybe that’s hurt birdie?

Kairan: Maybe the hawk doctor is gonna come and take care of him.

When we notice that the hawk is gone now, Kairan concludes,

Whatever he’s doing, he’s not there. We gotta find out what happened.

Playing a Game with a Sculpture

Augie, Camden, Ferdinand and Llewyn are out on a walk in the park with Diane. Camden notices something and calls us all over.

Camden: What’s that falling? That sculpture’s falling. He is sitting up on the stone wall in front of the museum entrance, looking over at Three Lines.  Let me show you. It’s coming down for me.

Camden walks closer to the sculpture and stands under it. 

Augie, Ferdinand and Llewyn are captivated, and standing a safe distance away. Camden continues to stand in front of this sculpture, where he thinks it is falling. When it comes toward him, Camden runs off. He does this again, following along to the movement of the sculpture. Upon looking up at it in a moment, Camden positions his body a bit closer, widens his stance and spreads his arms out. I will catch it.

As he waits for it to come down, Camden looks closer at the sculpture and then over to me (Diane). Can we touch it? 

No. I’m glad that you asked. You have a great idea, but this is a sculpture that we can’t touch. Thank you for asking.

As Camden tells us about coming here with mom, the sculpture begins to make a squeaky sound. Camden looks up at it, he is a bit startled and starts to flee but he stops, still under the sculpture. Ferdinand warns, Run away! Camden runs and rests his body on the stone wall. Ferdinand tells me, It was starting to get him. 

You were keeping him safe. 

Ferdinand notices that the sculpture is moving upwards again. Go! Come, he tells Camden, indicating his thought that it was safe for Camden to go under the sculpture again. Camden runs back under it. 

As the sculpture shifts again, Ferdinand shouts Run away! Then, Come!

Llewyn who has been mesmerized by this interaction, but standing a safe distance away, approaches, now stepping up on the first step. He is looking back and forth between Camden and Ferdinand as the game is played. Run away! Ferdinand laughs. Llewyn finds an opportunity to join in and he stands under the “falling” sculpture. 

This game is played for several minutes. The children shout, Run away! and Come back! to each other as they follow the movement of the sculpture. Ferdinand holds a stick up as he shouts out to the others. After awhile, he asks, Could anybody be the director? and he hands the stick over to Camden as they switch roles in the game.

"Children discover that the value of communication is in enhancing the autonomy of individuals and the group. The group becomes self-sustaining, developing its own conversation, its own way of communicating, acting and thinking."
-Loris Malaguzzi