Tuesday, May 3, 2016

“A team is when you play soccer and everybody kicks the ball and makes a goal.”-Louis, age 3

We were due for a team building exercise in the Rabbit Burrow, and a messy one at that. So, for morning meeting, we sat on the floor around a giant piece of butcher paper. I asked our friends if any of them knew what a “team” is. A few friends caught a bubble and raised their hands, but Louis was the friend to give this answer: “A team is when you play soccer and everybody kicks the ball and makes a goal”. Yes! I added that a team is a group of people working towards a common goal. This got us talking...we came to the conclusion that WE are a team. Wow!

So, we busted out this activity….

I showed them the materials we would be using: a paint roller tied to a string, which was

tied to a horizontal stick. Then, paint was squirted all over the length of the paper.

After demonstrating how we can use teamwork to move the roller up and down the paper, we let the kids take turns using the stick to paint as well….

Alex and Vachi walking straight, at the same pace

Alex and Vachi realizing that it doesn’t work the same if they did not walk on either side of the paper

Our friends figured out that the roller did not paint the paper if they did not walk on either side of the paper together. It was more difficult to walk at the same pace, but it was also more effective. Our friends also discovered that keeping the roller on the paper was loads easier if they walked more slowly.

We plan to try this activity again using a sprig of rosemary from the community garden instead of a paint roller