Revisiting Firetruck Making

Dramatic play unfolded over the days after the children had made the fire truck.

We set the truck up outside and the children as a group took control of the equipment that was needed on the truck to fight all the fires.

Ladders, hoses, fire fighter helmets and coats were added to the growing pile.

Problem: How to fit everything into the truck as well as all the fire fighter (as there was many).

Jordan had an idea, “Lets get a trailer”

A climbing box was added to the back of the truck.

Hemi added a steering wheel for driving which sparked Finn to add two rocks in front of the wheel for “The brakes”

Tyla added a small box behind these for the seats.

Make it.

Then more boxes arrived and as we had planned from the day before discussions the children set to work on the rescue helicopter.

And WOW what great team work as the children discussed and negotiated how they would. Jordan who had been one of the leading ideas persons the day before when they had discussed making a helicopter ran off and had a look at the posters that we displayed on the walls.

He told us the colours we would need and how there needed to be propellers on the top and a tail at the end.

Over the remainder of the day the children engaged in large group dramatic role plays using the box and the fire engine.

They did revisit a number of times over the next day but once the initial making had been completed the interest was not the same.

Learning occurring.

The children had the opportunity to build on the plans they had discussed and use visual prompts such as the posters to help to extend their thinking on how they would achieve their plans.

They used lots of negotiations and language and listened to each other.

Peer tutoring was very evident as they discussed and worked together with some of the older children taking on leadership roles.

This was a large project with lots of interest from many children with provided opportunities for children to develop the ability to work as a team and alongside others on a joint interest.

AND FUN FUN FUN!!!!