This month, the Preschool 2 children have been enjoying a bowling activity that involves rolling various sizes of silver balls on wooden rectangular boards. Cyril initiated this play by demonstrating his knowledge from home, sharing that he had gone bowling with his parents, which inspired his friends to join in the excitement. Initially, Cyril rolled a large silver ball on the floor towards the classroom wall, creating quite a bit of noise. To address this, Cyril and I discussed ways to play the game without making loud sounds. We experimented with placing a blanket on the floor, which worked beautifully. Soon, his friends, who had been observing his engagement, eagerly wanted to join in the activity. The preschoolers and I brainstormed how we could enjoy the activity together and enhance the fun. They set up wooden blocks of different sizes on the floor under our arched cozy cove, creating a cave-like structure with a soft cushion board against the wall to serve as bowling pins. They then placed a long rectangular wooden board on the floor to act as a bowling lane. Taking turns, they rolled their silver balls down the lane to knock down the blocks, thoroughly enjoying the experience. To further enrich their play, I introduced a similar activity. I taped three Styrofoam bowls onto a table and placed rectangular wooden blocks on both sides to prevent the Pom-Pom balls from falling off. As soon as I finished setting up, the preschoolers excitedly took turns rolling Pom-Pom balls towards the bowls, aiming to get the balls inside. All the children participated enthusiastically, cheering for their peers with claps and encouraging phrases like "Hurray!" and "Go!" These bowling activities not only helped improve their gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination and concentration, such as measuring distance and controlling speed but also fostered friendship and social skills as they engaged with one another. Additionally, they demonstrated problem-solving skills as they figured out how to minimize noise, manipulate classroom items, strike the bowling pins, and get the balls into the bowls. It was truly delightful to witness their positive interactions and engagement throughout these activities.
