Choice Time is an especially important time in the YMCA Global Kindergarten day.
Students are free to engage with a variety of materials, and to deepen and expand their own interests to their heart's content.
One day during Choice Time, two children noticed something. Two children seemed to notice something.
They stood on a piece of toilet paper core. Naturally, the core could not support the weight and was crushed.
Then, they tried to bundle 6 or 7 pieces of toilet paper and gently put their weight on it, and this time, they were able to stand on it without being crushed! The children's amazing power did not end there.
I wonder why.
When they gather together, they become stronger. (In the team gymnastics we did at the field day), it hurt when one person was on the back of the other, but it was easy when there were only two people on the bottom. It's the same thing!
I've seen it in science shows! You can do it with eggs, too.
Respect the children's free flapping of the wings of their inquisitive minds, rather than adults setting the frame. By doing so, children easily surpass the assumptions of adults.
I am reminded once again that we adults are the ones who learn a lot from children in our daily lives. I am deeply grateful for this. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to be a place where we can recognize each other, resonate with each other, and create a rich harmony.