Children are naturally interested in exploring the physical environment, observing, acting on, seeing how things react, and building new theories.

By exploring moving objects, we can bring awareness to the influence of weight and size on movement.

This Play Invitation challenges children to interact with a lightweight material floating in the air, inspiring their imagination and interpretation to find new and unexpected play spaces and ideas.

What Could Lead Us to This Play Invitation

  • Children have been exploring the movement of objects;
  • Children are curious about the effect of wind on different objects, like leaves, and curtains;
  • Children are excited about watching fans working.

Materials Needed

• Fan
• Polythene dust sheet or a piece of light fabric
• Tape

Setting up this Play Invitation

  1. In an ample room, hang the plastic to the ceiling with tape.
  2. Place a fan blowing into the plastic and making beautiful movements. If you have two fans use them both.
  3. Choose a piece of instrumental music like Rodrigo Leão’s Cinema, or Tardes de Bolonha.

    Tip: Choose a low speed for the fan so the movements can be smooth.

How to Explore

  1. Explore with the children the art of Daniel Wurtzel.
  2. Turn the fan and the music on.
  3. Invite children to contemplate the movements of the plastic, with time.
  4. Then challenge them to interact and dance with the plastic, exploring its movement and the new spaces it creates when flowing freely in the air.
  5. Observe their play and record the dialogues.

How to Nurture the Natural Unfolding of the Child’s Identity During This Play Invitation

  • Children have the right to have experiences that do not result in material realization. Dance, theatre, and free movement are essential for their development and are part of their learning processes.
  • Children have the right to observe and contemplate with time. The educator needs to recognize that observation is one of the main mechanisms of learning.

The Academic Learning Opportunities

  • MATH: Explore rhythm, speed, line, and direction.
  • LANGUAGE: Engage in exploratory and imaginative play, and elaborate on imaginative ideas.
  • PHYSICAL: Develop motor skills and spatial awareness.
  • ART: Adapt body movements to rhythm to perform, explore new materials and techniques, and contact with art references.

Extensions

  • Find some lightweight materials in your classroom and try to float them through the air or across the floor using just your breath – a balloon, a feather, or a ping pong ball.

Book Recommendation

An exciting story about a boy and the way his kite helped him overcome life challenges.