In the Classroom: The Rainbows
The Wonder of Wheels
At a recent morning meeting the Rainbows discussed taking a neighborhood walk to look for wheels.“But what type of wheels?” the teachers asked.
One Rainbow said “the wheels go round and round,” recalling a very, very popular song in our classroom.
So the question was asked again “What type of wheels?” The teachers observed the children’s eyes and we could see their ‘wheels’ turning and out rolled the following list:
“Trolley!”
“Stroller!”
“School bus!”
“Scooter!”
“Cars!”
“Bikes!”
That day, we took pictures of the wheels we saw on our walk around PIC.
Wheels are very useful. Our study of wheels continued with several books that highlight how wheels bring us our fruits and vegetables. Some favorite titles were, What Do Wheels Do All Day? by April Jones Prince and How Did That Get In My Lunchbox? by Chris Butterworth. The children were fascinated to learn that seeds go into the ground on farms – bees help pollinate the flowers - farmers pick the fruits and vegetables - tractors, wheelbarrows, trucks get the food to factories, farmers markets and grocery stores.
And then...
“I RIDE IN MOMMY CAR!” “I GO IN MY STROLLER!” “I RIDE MY DADDY BIKE!” Yes, the Rainbows screamed out how they bring their fruits and vegetables home with those useful wheels.
Some items were brought into our class thanks to trash picking and our local thrift store. Rainbows dragged and repeatedly filled a rainbow colored rolling bag. They rolled loose wheels and painted with them. Presently, they are enjoying using a water wheel and Rainbows can be seen dragging around the wheel barrow in our nature playground.
We look forward to more rich discussions by asking the children:
- Do you have a favorite wheel?
- How are wheels useful to your family?
- What wheels do Rainbows use to come to PIC?
- What other wheels do we see often in our community?
- How do wheels help some dogs and people walk?
Rainbows teachers anticipate and encourage discussions about wheels and their daily use in all of our lives. You can help deepen the learning by talking with your toddler about wheels in your home, community, and on vacation this summer.
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