Having a ball
As soon as the ladder was made available for play, the children eagerly began practicing how to toss the balls up toward the baskets. A tried and was able to hit the highest point—a moment of great excitement and accomplishment.
Connection to Learning
Educators foster children’s learning by having the environment thoughtfully prepared and ready for exploration. Here, elements of dizzy play were showcased as the children launched balls up the ladder. They engaged both fine motor and gross motor skills, using their whole bodies to throw, aim, and explore.
roddlers naturally love throwing objects-so why not embrace this interest? Today we leaned into their trajectory and orientation schema offering a playful opportunity to explore ladders, balls, and movement.
Our little explorers tested their limits by throwing balls toward the higher basket and watching them roll back down. They challenged themselves to throw higher, and when that wasn’t enough, they problem-solved by climbing the ladder to make more accurate throws or place the ball directly in the basket.
Together, we enjoyed, participated, learned, experimented, constructed, and explored the playful possibilities of ladders and balls.
Reflection
Children demonstrated a growing understanding of action and reaction, mastering how their movements change the path of the ball. Time and space are deeply valued when children are given long, uninterrupted periods to engage with the ladder and ball toss.
I wonder what they will explore next perhaps more experiences involving height, tossing, velocity, ladders, dizzy play, catching, and rich cause-and-effect learning.
