Monday, November 14, 2011

Collaborative Maps and Mazes


Young artists minds are bursting with ideas. The studio is a great place to harness this creativity and encourage the use of a variety of materials to explore these ideas. A recent recurring theme has been maps and mazes. Students enjoy constructively playing together with blocks to create mazes, maps, and games from their creations. 



 This interest in cooperating to build mazes has at times been further developed by offering large sheets of paper along with markers to create plans for the construction of the maze. This collaborative effort to design opens opportunities for dialogue that revolves around deciding how the blocks create paths, traps, and dead ends. This cooperative and constructive play is an excellent example of how the studio environment supports the development of necessary social, cognitive and physical skills! Children build relationships by engaging with the materials and others, which is key to the creative and learning process.



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