The Pups and Calves were given a challenge in the morning for their morning ITP (Invitation To Play) where they were asked to create music. The twist was, they needed to make music with no musical instruments. 
The reaction was priceless - excitement, curiosity, eyes sparking up with wonder, confusion, lost...
F: Go ahead and make music! You can do it!

Suddenly they were everywhere. The facilitator wasn't prepared for their reaction. Some started clapping, some were trying to whistle, some banged the tables, walls, tables, some stomped, some made sounds with their mouths, some banged on beds, some took chairs and banged against the wall...needless to say there was a plethora of sounds that arrived as part of their experimentation. Some wanted to sing, so they did. 

Suddenly T says, "Let the girls sing and boys make music!"
And that was what happened. With a little help from the facilitator, girls got together and sang our school's anthem while boys clapped, stomped, whistled, etc. And vice versa. 
All in all, children had a gala of a time making music today with absolutely no instruments! 

Who said we need instruments to make music? As long as we have our imagination, we can achieve anything!

Contributed by Sruthy Krishna, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool.

#inspiringconfidentlearners
#youngachieversacademy
#sparklingmindzglobalschool
#21stcenturylearning
#socialemotionallearning
#everychildcancreate
#everychildcanplay

The facilitator at SM preschool noticed that the class of 12 four to five year olds were establishing comfort zones and forming smaller groups within the class. They played with the same group of children and struggled with making new friends. To address this issue, on one of the morning hours, the facilitator set up an invitation to play with lego blocks and animal toys.
 
Children were given the choice to create something together as one team and were given 15 minutes. Even though children began to create something together, towards the end of 15 minutes there were two smaller groups and few children playing individually on their own.
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At the end of 15 minutes, children were asked to stop, leave whatever they were doing as it is and move to the side. Each of them were asked what their team was doing but they could only recollect and say what they were doing individually.

The facilitator reminded them of the initial goal of the activity and posed a question at the children, "What do you all think we can do now?"
"Maybe we can join everything together", T suggested and everybody agreed.

The children were given another 15 minutes to complete their task. At the end of that 15 minutes and a lot of mini conflicts, they had together built a gigantic animal carrier.

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When asked what they liked and disliked about working together as a team, the few things that emerged were:

Sh: We made so many different things and we attached it, I didn’t like it when J destroyed it.
T: I learn’t to do a big building with so many blocks with the team, I didn’t like when Ar destroyed what I made.
Ad: I liked to put the animals together with the team, I didn’t like J destroying it.
Ar: My team helped me make the big building, I didn’t like that there are a lot of items that are not used. I felt very bad when my team was not listening, only V was listening.
An: I learn’t how to build animal home with the team. I didn’t like everybody screaming and I was not able to hear others. Everyone was very loud screaming “I want to put it”.
Av: I liked building the animal carrier truck. I didn’t like that everyone was shouting.
Ad: I like about my team when they were doing a great building work.

So it is with anytime children work together, there is bound to be conflict, lack of feeling listened to, screaming and a lot of me-me-me. Even if at the end of it what they produce looks amazing the feeling of how the experience was stays with them and they continue to avoid collaboration.

As children listened to how they all felt at the end of the activity it started to create bridges between one heart to another and slowly mend fences from one child to another. At the heart of good team work and collaboration lies trust and at the heart of that lies empathy and listening with an open, non-judgmental mind is a good start!

Collaboration and team work are two of the most essential life skills. By learning to make new friends and collaborating with them at an early age, children become more tolerant and appreciative of others' ideas and develop a sense of social adeptness which they are going to carry with them through adulthood.

#sparklingmindzglobalschool
#inspiringconfidentlearners
#youngachieversacademy
#everychildcan

​Contributed by Yashika CG, Asst. Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz.

​Children came running into the class after playing a very fun game of ‘Aim and hit’ using balloons. While the 2-3 year olds had used bats to hit the balloons, the 3-4 year olds had a challenge at hand – to hit the balloons using only their hands and not letting it touch the ground. They all seemed to love the game; screaming, running and chasing their balloons, trying to keep them afloat!

Later, when they gathered for circle time, the facilitator asked the children ‘Is it important for us to move our body and play?’ All of them agreed in unison, ‘Yeeees!’ However, there was one voice that said ‘No!’.
F : Oh! N says it is not important for us to move our body.
V (looking at N) : No, it is good.
Av :  It is good only!
F : Why is it good?
V : Because it make us healthy..and and strong.
F : Yes! And how do you think our body feels when we move it?
Ad &V :Haaaappy!
F : What do you think N? Should we move our body to stay healthy?
N : Yes!

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This small conversation is an example of how children as young as 3 year olds are capable of peer intervention! When children understand the why, what and how of their learning, it gets deeply imbued in their minds and shapes their values and views of the world.

Contributed by Disha, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global School

We have had a lot of parents talk to us about continuous application of thinking skills and also giving them an opportunity to work with their children on thinking tools independent of our programs. So, we have come up with the concept of 'thinking corner' where parents and children or children by themselves can explore the various thinking tools. Keep tuned to the website, as we announce further details about thinking corner series...

Currently, we have launched the thinking corner creative game with several Just Books centers in Bangalore. Whether you are a member or not, you can go to the Just Books closest to you, pay a nominal fee and register for the Thinking Corner Game for the next one month! Every week, you will get two fresh creative activities to work on and what's more you can work on it as a family or as an individual and submit it at Just Books branch and/or email it to us and you are in the running not only for the 'creative prize' but also would have burned off some non-creative fat to score on some creative muscles!!!

So, what are you waiting for - sign up here and get your right brain rocking!!!