Team Building

Yesterday the Cardinals took part in team building. To begin the activity we read If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen. In the story, the main character uses his imagination to create all different rooms and spaces. We discussed how the boy in the story used his imagination to build and create fun, special and magical places to be. We turned it over to the Cardinals and explained that they would get the chance to build a structure and make it into anything that their imagination desires. Friends chose their partners by selecting a friend that they do not usually play with.

Cameron and Jacob built with duplos to create The Underwater Creation. Jacob said, "In the morning, the mermaid swims around in the ocean and then it's nighttime and she sleeps in her underwater bed." Cameron shared, "So if she wants to go over here and there's water blocking her, she can get through by swimming through the underwater ocean spinner."

Vivian and James worked with k'nex and made Eyeball Tower. Vivi described it as, "There's a scary game you play where you go in line and then we make kids step on a monster foot, but not a real monster foot, and then they step on a shoot ladder, and then they look away and say, "Not too scary." Then they look and the monster eyes are open." James said, "There's a ghost helping the monster scare away all the grown-ups and kids. It's fun cause it's not real"

Milan and Reyn used cups to build The Princess Building. Milan shared, "There's a lookout, and there's another lookout. The princesses eat on the lookout." Reyn said, "That's the princess's house. We got cups and we builded."

Joseph, Jamesy, and April used the marble run to build Marble Run. Joseph said, "It rolls it down into that part. I made this part for it to go down." Jamesy shared, "We just build it. My marble goes right here." April said, "It go down."

Cameron and Thea built with gears to create, Buttercup Farm. Thea shared, "I standed up and picked them out and put them on. Cows live on the farm. This is to make the cows go right here (jingles a bell). This is the water ice truck, a flower truck, and a fruit punch truck." Cameron said, "I put this thing on and this. When you turn this milk comes out. The cows stand right here and the milk comes out. This part regenerates the milk to make the milk come out. It's when something runs out and people come to fill it up."

Amelia and Alycia created The Long Stick using Unifix cubes. Alycia said, "I build together with Amelia. We made it bigger than Amelia." Amelia explained, "We used these and make it longer. We used chairs to make it stable so it won't fall down."

 Through these amazing creations, the Cardinals worked to further developed their social, cognitive, and language skills. As they compromised, problem solved and worked to find a common agreement. Friends enjoyed this work and asked to do it again!