I have written before that some toys are favored by children based on their play value, not based on how fancy or expensive it is. That was the case during Pete the Cat week when I covered a can with yellow paper, cut out a slit in the lid, and put it out with oversized play buttons to drop through the lid. This week we had simple activities that were enjoyed by all.

I introduced a ‘game’ in which colored cups have to be arranged as shown in a photograph. This is a one child at a time activity. Everyone wanted a turn. I took photos of colored cups that I have in my cabinet. It was interesting to watch the children and their individual strategies. Some completed the task easily. Some needed help arranging the placement (Is the yellow one in the picture in the same place that you put it?). Some needed reminders to start with the cups on the bottom. The children who would try to place the cups on the top before completing the bottom row needed the most instruction. It was a great activity for which the only expense was printing the photos.

I have found over the years that it is best to have the play kitchen in the classroom in the spring rather than early in the year when the children are very young. The younger the children, the more of the play food and utensils go in their mouths, and they throw the food rather than play with it. Because of COVID this year and last, I have put out less kitchen items. Instead of plastic food that looks inviting to put in their mouths, they have cans and bottles of food. Rather than plates, forks, and spoons, they have just plates. It’s amazing how much the children are able to pretend cook and eat with a minimum of items. Sometimes it is overwhelming when too many things are available for play.

Our Big Room has many pieces of equipment to rotate each week, keeping the Big Room interesting. Kathy Reiss is always finding new ways to use the equipment or new things to put in the room. This week, there were many cardboard boxes with which to play. One day they were out with long, heavy weight, cardboard tubes and small plastic trucks. It was interesting to watch the children build with the boxes, small groups cooperatively played with some holding the tubes in place while others put the trucks down the tubes. In fact, the first day the children spent our entire Big Room time in this box corner. Another day, the trucks were replaced with small balls. And later in the week, the tubes and balls were replaced by stuffed animals. Something as simple as cardboard boxes generated a lot of play.