Yesterday, the infants at RisingOaks Early Learning | St. Patrick gathered around the whiteboard, showing so much curiosity and excitement as they moved the magnetic shapes back and forth. Inspired by their interest, Bea borrowed some magnetic shapes and brought out a large whiteboard for the babies to explore again today! Lucia and Evanna were among the first to investigate the shapes. They carefully tested how the pieces stuck together, while Lucia squatted in front of the board and tried to pull two rectangular shapes apart. Bea noticed her efforts and asked, “Are those shapes hard to pull apart?” She encouraged Lucia to keep trying and use her hands to see if she could separate them. What a great opportunity to explore and discover!

From a distance, Leo watched the activity with great interest. As soon as he finished his morning snack, he made his way over to the play area and eagerly reached for the magnetic shapes. He began gathering several pieces and stacking them on top of one another. Bea wondered aloud if he was building something. Leo responded by collecting all the shapes he had gathered and handing them to Bea. Thank you for sharing, Leo!

Then came a funny little discovery! Leo realized that the magnetic shapes made a sound when he shook them. With a big, proud smile, he shook them again and again, enjoying his exciting new discovery. His enthusiasm soon caught Lucia’s attention, and before long, she joined him in shaking the shapes too. It was such a sweet moment to see the two friends exploring and enjoying the sounds together! Maverick was busy making discoveries of his own. He quickly learned that the shapes could stick together and come apart. He repeatedly connected the pieces, pulled them apart, and put them back together, exploring what they could do through his own hands-on play. Leo and Maverick also made an exciting connection when they began placing the magnetic shapes onto the large whiteboard. They seemed to recognize that this new board worked just like the whiteboard in their classroom! It was wonderful to see them make connections between something familiar and something new. Bea was so impressed by their curiosity and discoveries! Later, Harnaaz and Finley joined in the fun. Harnaaz gathered several shapes and began stacking them to create her own little structure. As she worked, one of the square pieces landed on her arm like a bracelet! Bea playfully asked her if she liked her new bracelet. What a lovely little surprise in the middle of her building adventure! Today’s play was filled with curiosity, problem-solving, laughter, and exciting discoveries. The infants explored how the shapes connected, experimented with sounds, practiced stacking, and made connections with familiar materials. Most importantly, they were given the time and space to explore in their own ways, following their interests and learning through play.