Bad, Yucky Water!

The three boys, Jamie, Fergus, and Jack, were at our "mud kitchen area" helping each other pour in and fill up the buckets with water and dirt. They were delegating tasks to each other on who was going to fetch water, or make tea, or prepare what to add to their water. Meanwhile, I was just watching them close enough so I could hear their conversation but also far enough to not interfere in their play.

As I was curious as to what they were trying to do or achieve, I asked them what they were doing. The boys replied, "We are making bad water."

Jack said, "It's easy to make bad water."

Jamie aded, "All we have to do is put sand and dirt in and mix them all up."

Fergus said, "We need more water," seemingly with the sound of urgency in his voice.

At that stage, another Educator was over to the other side of the yard and was helping other children water the plants in the garden. So I suggested to the three boys to ask the Educator to please fill up their buckets with water.

Fergus and Jack went and asked the Educator, and the two boys did two rounds of fetching water. After the second time, Fergus said to his friends, "Guys, this is the last one. We have to save our water."

Jamie kept himself busy by stirring the dirt in a small cup. Then he came to me and said, "Mrs. V., I made you a cup of tea. Just pretend you're drinking it because it's yucky water." I said thanks to Jamie and said, "Wow! I'm surprised that it tastes really good, even though the water looks terrible."

The boys said, "We are good at making bad, yucky water!"

Then all of a sudden, another child came and tipped their water out onto the grass. But the three boys showed resilience and self-control by not retaliating and getting frustrated. Instead, they used smaller cups and spoons to scoop the water from the grass as much as they could.

Reflection:

Jamie, Fergus, and Jack worked collaboratively with one another, showing good sharing and turns taking behaviour. They accepted and responded positively to the ideas of their peers and communicated well with each other. When they ran out of the water, the boys showed resilience and problem-solving skills.

Future Experience:

Read or re-visit "Wombat Stew", set up a "Wombat Stew" Literacy table and small world play.

The above anecdotal record is an example of my observation of children's social behaviour and their engagement and exploration of their natural environment. As a Preschool Teacher/Educator, I make observations for the following specific reasons:

Planning the programs or experiences

Gauging and knowing if the child has achieved his or her goals

Describing the child's interest, skills, and abilities

Providing parents with information about their child's learning and experiences