adding to...

We've been adding to our collection of supersized Froebel blocks, these being from gift number 4.  I set out the first of the number 4 blocks this morning so they could be discovered at recess.

Of course the kids know immediately how to play with blocks. These are heavy so the kids have been warned about dropping them on toes, and have been warned that fingers can be pinched. If the kids use them safely, they will remain.

These blocks are inspired by Froebel's gifts and our use of them in the classroom. They are also influenced by Jean Lee Hunt's 1918 book, "A Catalog of Play Equipment," about play equipment that the kids can build for themselves. The pieces from the "catalog" would never pass OSHA standards. But they give the kids a sense of creative agency.

What I observed about our gift number 3 blocks had been that every time I'd arrive on campus, the blocks had been moved into new arrangements and new positions. And so the blocks create a fluid and responsive play set. Adding the number 4 blocks will offer new possibilities, including stacking them all into a 4 ft. x 4 ft. x 4 ft. cube.

Make, fix and create... assist others in learning likewise.