Rainy Days and Puddles

It would appear that the seasons are starting to turn and that we are definitely heading towards winter with the increase in rainy days and nights as of late. This means opportunities for the children to play in the rain and puddles at kindergarten. 

We do have some raincoats at kindergarten and the children are encouraged to wear them if they want to play outside when it's raining. 

Recently, a few of the children braved the rainy weather and ventured outside to the sandpit. There they discovered that the rain converged at a point on the shade sail, allowing bigger and heavier drops to fall through. 

"The water is breaking through" said Braxton.

"It's dropping on my head" said Waituhi.

"It's dripping on my head too" said Aotea.

It became a challenge to try to catch the falling drips and the children utilised different tools to help them....

...including their mouths!!

 

"I like the rain... I like the rain cause it makes muddy puddles" said Waituhi.

"I like muddy puddles too" said Belle.

And so do a number of the other children. When it rains, the mudpit becomes the biggest and best muddy puddle. And the lure of all that water is just too hard for the children to ignore.

The number one way the children choose to explore the muddy puddle is by throwing things into it to make splashes. They throw small logs, they throw small tyres, they throw things from up high and down low. They even use their own bodies to make splashes... and they absolutely love it!

 

"Tell me about the rain..." I said to encourage the children to share their thoughts and ideas.

"The rain is not inside... I bring my gumboots... I like water in the mudpit and playing" said Nat.

"The rain comes and we get wet... we can't get wet and my Mum will be happy" said Asher.

"I'm just a bit scared of the weather and the clouds that go boom... I like the rain to get me cold cause sometimes I get hot" said Caden.

"I like the rain - it's different on me" said Kendall-Lee.

And Kendall-Lee is right...  Bob Marley once said "Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet." Some people appreciate what the rain brings, the way it feels, puddles, and rainbows; they live in the moment ... while some people find the rain simply a nuisance. 

Some of the children preferred a gentler approach and leisurely wandered through the puddle, without all the big splashes and mess.

And there were others who wanted to play in it without even touching it let alone walking through it!!

And because some of the children don't like the 'muddiness' of the mudpit puddle we also make puddles in the sandpit...

"Water play fosters learning in all developmental areas. It provides opportunities for children to experiment with math and science concepts, strengthen their physical skills, advance their social and emotional skills, and enhance language development" (Angie Dorrell, 2008).

There is an old Swedish saying that goes "There is no such thing as bad weather. Only bad clothing." 
And rain or shine, the children here at kindergarten find numerous ways to play in the water and get wet.