Our “endless and proper work” is to support children in engaging in generative play, which is why we observe, document, offer materials, and make children’s thinking visible. Recently we have observed children engaged in dramatic play around airplanes, talking about airplane trips they’d taken, and creating airplane instrument panels out of felt. This week we responded by printing out photos of real control panels and posting them on walls and the drawing table alongside photos of the ones they made from felt. We offered plexiglas tracing forms of circles at the drawing table for creating their own control panels. We read the book “The Way Back Home” (by Oliver Jeffers) about a boy (and his airplane) who connects with an alien (and his spaceship). In this way, we promote a deepening of their play, and the storyline evolves.
On Tuesday, children come up with the idea of putting chairs on the stage when playing airplane. Last week there had been talk of snacks on an airplane, and today, Sam delivers a basket full of muffins, placing one on each chair. Children are introduced to the idea of making their own control panels, and many use the plexiglas tracing forms for this.
On Wednesday, Kaya joins Travers on the stage, and Travers points to the control panel: That’s how you turn it off. Then – We need chairs chairs chairs! and he brings some to the stage. We need to sit in front so we can control. Does anybody want to go on the airplane? (Travers flips a switch:) Now the plane is off. We need more people. We’re going to Boston. Rrrrr. (hits control panel) Jets are off. (Travers, to Karen) Here’s a control panel.
Karen How do you know what they all say?
Travers (pointing to control panel) That’s where you see one way out of the window. It says the airplane is ready to take off… We’re at Boston. Bye bye! Get your luggage out of the airplane.
Kaya Oh man, I forgot my luggage!… Got it! Thank you, bye!
Travers Bye bye… Luca, you can sit right here. (points to photo of Saige’s felt board control panel in front of the chair) And that’s where the control panel is.
Thomas sits on a chair in the back of the airplane now; he places a block beside it, then goes to the drawing table and traces out circles for a control panel. He brings it the airplane, setting it on the block beside his chair.
Travers adds more blocks to the airplane, explaining This is a package airplane.
Luca gets a control panel from the drawing table and brings it over, too.
Nest Travers, Kaya, Thomas and Luca move blocks onto and around the airplane. Travers explains: the stairs are all in! But then he has another idea: This is the wing of the airplane. Now we need one on the other side. He completes his idea and then it’s time for meeting.
During meeting we read The Way Back Home.
