Friday thoughts - We built this city

Over the past few weeks, we have been focusing on 'People in the community' with the children that I work with. We have had a number of parents share about their occupations, why they chose that occupation and what they use as part of their job. We have had a linesman, a traffic officer and a travel consultant share about their work. We have a police officer and a doctor to share a little later.

The children and myself have been practicing construction techniques so that we can build our own community - our own city next week. We practiced making doors, making windows and verandahs with cardboard and cardboard boxes so that we can get into our 'city making' next week.

Boxes are wonderful to fuel imaginative play and to practice construction techniques. I showed the children how to make a simple door by cutting into the box with an upside down 'L' shape and folding it, so it opens and closes. Similarly, cutting out rectangles out of card, folding over one of the edges and taping it to the box with masking tape creates 'opening' doors and windows.

Providing children with empty boxes and card and teaching them how to make doors, windows, wheels, etc, can 'turn' the box into anything that the imagination creates, let alone a shop.

Have fun creating!