Why Play?

I've been scanning youtube lately and have come across a few videos I think explain why I focus on a play-based curriculum, attempting to create what is known in the early childhood community as a "developmentally appropriate practice"...these films explain some of the basic concepts

Developmentally Appropriate Early Childhood Environments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-h4IHIqkcc&feature=related

All They Do is Play...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75Kan48OftU&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktz_28vP_Jo&feature=channel

Transcribe: Observations on Fixing the Road, 11-5-2009

On a walk to see the horses we observed a work crew working on road repairs. One of the men was using a torch to put fire on the road. One of the children in the class was enthralled by this process...here are his ideas! What does this conversation tell you about this child's thinking? How do the questions I asked add or detract from his thought processes? Where could I have gone from here? (as it turns out they were more interested in bikes than the road repairs when they got back to school so it didn't go anywhere...)

A visit to the horses...

More to come....maybe, just trying to get some photos up so I have something to blog about!