Do we need rules for games?

In Autahi this term, we have been exploring about ways that we play as part of our inquiry learning.
Over the last two weeks we have been using a mixture of our imaginations and some ingenuity to help us create some games.
We had to use common equipment and think about what we need to know to play.
First we tried playing with no rules. It was fun for some people but many didn't know what to do or how to play. So we tried thinking of rules and instructions to see if that would help. More people were able to join in and have fun when we had a few rules. We came to the conclusion that sometimes playing just to play is really fun but when there are lots of people then we need some instructions and rules to help us.

Check us out enjoying the games we came up with.

First Week Back!

Our first week back!

Outside these guys were making sparkly potions.  One potion was magic and it made you go up to the moon.  The potions had soap, oil and gold glitter and we used measuring spoons to mix them up.  We were working together, noticing how different combinations of ingredients made the potions look different and came up with ideas about what our potions did. One potion was a spell to make you invisible!

We were working together to make clothes for my horse and a feeding bowl.  We were making sure there were no holes in the fabric by taping up any gaps. We worked out the size the fabric needed to be and had to fold it up a few times to make it fit. 

We have been writing some stories about what we've done over the holidays.  We are drawing pictures, sounding out words we want to say and trying to remember our finger spaces and full stops. We all did very different things over the holidays!

 We have been playing imaginary games together, working on taking turns, following the rules of the games and playing different parts.  We were playing a game of house and we were looking after the baby, dressing her and wrapping her up nice and warm.  We used the wheelbarrow as a buggy and wheeled her around. 

We've been having a wonderful first week back.  We've been talking lots about working together, sharing, taking turns and "being the best me I can be!"

Creating our own games

Over the last few weeks as we have developed our understanding of different games--both cooperative style and tag style--we have also been experimenting with creating our own games.  

These are pictures of mixing up with Tautoru and playing a game called Scurrying Slaters.  We had to work in teams using one object (material in this case) as our shell and make our way through the class without bumping into anything.  This game seems simple but involves lots of communication, negotiation and turn taking.  Without working together it was almost impossible to get your slater across the room.  

After practising this game, along with others which included balancing things on our heads and obstacle courses, we were given free reign to use any materials and make up our own games.  The only rule: everyone on the team had to be involved.

Some of us made forts

 Some made obstacle courses

 Some made a slater house using both building skills and an element of imaginary play or role play

 Others created a bus which then turned into a cruise ship

With everything that was created there was lots of conversation, testing and trying, rethinking and evaluating.

Play at the Beach

It is great to get outdoors and take advantage of our backyard!

Last week we went to the beach to have an explore and a play.  What happened there was extraordinary.  At first many people were playing and building on their own and there was one bigger group building together and slowly the groups work became one big city.  People were co-operating, taking turns, and negotiating.  There were conversations and disagreements about where the garage for the castle would be and who would put the car in it.  But eventually, through some coaching, compromises were made. 

Building the main castle.  We had to work on stabilising the sticks, digging the holes, choosing decorations and deciding how to get them to stay up.

There were a few smaller castles and houses being made.  Stones were used as the doors.

Then we found this massive seaweed.  At first we were just interested in it and how heavy it was.  It was pretty heavy so we had to have team work to move it across the beach.  Then we noticed that dragging the seaweed was making something that looked like a road. 

We took turns making the roads go around all the buildings and creations in our city. 

Then some of us decided we were the line-works men and women and we started using sticks to draw the lines in the sand.  Some of us outlined the road and others made the middle dotted line.  Cities have roads and roads have lines to keep the cars and people in the right places.

Overall it was an afternoon filled with fun, imagination, creativity and lots of managing ourselves and relating to others.  There was also lots of thinking and questioning going on.  Will our structures stay up? Should this go here? Will this fit here? How can we make it stronger?

This week we are also going to the beach and we can't wait to see what gets created this time!