Last month, the children were very involved in following the Olympic Games. Each morning they arrived eager to share stories about watching the games with their families. To extend their growing interest, we planned a variety of activities inspired by the Olympics, including art experiences and physical movement games. As the weeks went on, the children began incorporating the Olympics into their imaginative play. For example, Kairo used our building blocks and explained that they were his ski equipment as he prepared for a skiing competition.
The preschool children showed great curiosity and excitement while learning about the different sports and the medals won by our Canadian athletes. When the Paralympic Games began In March, we decided to further expand on the children’s interests and conversations. We explored the Paralympic Games by learning about one particular sport: sledge hockey. Nicole showed the children a short video clip so they could observe how the athletes move their bodies during the game. We also looked at a photograph of the adaptive sleds used by the players. Together, we discussed how the sleds have blades on the bottom, similar to skates, and straps that help hold the players securely in place.
We wanted to try to incorporate this sport into our program. We brought in two skateboards so the children could experiment with moving their bodies in a similar way. Each child had the opportunity to sit on the skateboard, lift their feet up, and move across the room. It was fascinating to observe how the children adapted the materials in their own creative ways. Luke placed his feet on the floor to push himself forward, while Julia and Ruby wiggled their bodies back and forth to make the skateboard move.
Through this experience, the children explored new ways of moving their bodies and began to understand that people can move and participate in sports in many different ways. This month’s exploration of the Paralympic Games expanded the interest from last month’s Olympics, and supported the children’s curiosity about sports, teamwork, and movement, while encouraging empathy, creativity, and an appreciation that everybody can move, play, and participate in their own way.
