Our Classroom Today--May 4

Our classroom today was a park. Not unlike many other Tuesdays when the weather is pleasant. There was lots of equipment, and the promise of a walk to the Lock and Dam on the river. So what did our kids do for the better part of the 5 or six hours we were here?

Well, this:


It is dry in the picture, but it was not dry for most of their play time. They started adding water to it by scooping water out of very shallow puddles into buckets. Very shallow. It took lots and lots of time, and they got little water. But they were OK with that, and just kept plugging away. Then one of them noticed the spigot. It was maybe 10 feet from the puddle. And the water really started flowing.

I am amazed at how little it takes to entertain our kids! This was week number 3 of sand/dirt play. And they have always had the option of playground equipment/zoos/other sites, but they are somehow drawn to the dirt. Kiddo played for probably 3 hours before he decided he was a bit hungry--at 2:30! We didn't leave until almost 5, which meant driving in rush hour traffic, but it is always worth it!

As we were nearing the end of our stay, we gave a five minute warning to all of the kids. Their response? "Ah, Why?" We all looked at them and laughed. The response was "because we have been here for 6 hours!" (we were a little late--every one else had been there for a while before we got there.) There was a woman sitting on the bench who asked one of the other moms if we had really been there for 6 hours. She could not believe it! But really, once we gt outside, that is the norm. 4, 5, 6 hours. Time flys by, the kids have fun, and we get to talk. I love Tuesdays!