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Day 31 - Opening Day
The children arrived,
along with some parent helpers, at 9:00. During morning meeting we reiterated
which children would be helping to set up each hole. The parents, friends and
relatives arrived at 11:00 to play miniature golf in the golf course created
by their children. At 12:00 the families gathered in the converted
play/picnic area for a post-game barbecue.
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WELCOME TO THE GOLF CLUB!
- Please help your child
find his/her scorecard, golf ball & visor
- We'll be sharing golf
clubs, please pick one up at each hole.
- Grown-ups are welcome to
take a white golf ball to play with.
VISIT ALL FIVE HOLES, IN ANY ORDER
HOLE 1 - Knock Down,
located in art room
HOLE 2 –
Pathways, located on circle time rug
HOLE 3 –
Lions, Bears, & Trees in block area
HOLE 4 –
Up the Hill, located outside, around the corner to left
HOLE 5/18 –
The Hole You Lose Your Ball, located on playground
- To keep “score,”
children will rubberstamp their card each time they complete a hole.
- Each hole should have no
more than two players golfing at a time, please move around to other
holes to minimize waiting –
please leave your golf clubs at each hole.
- Please encourage children
to set items back up for others after completing the Knock Down Hole
in Art Room.
- Please remind children to
leave their ball to dry after completing Hole 5/18. Children's balls
can be picked up after lunch, and can be taken home.
- Be sure to check out the
documentation describing the children's ideas and thinking regarding
the creation of each hole (easels are located at each hole with this
info)
ENJOY GOLF 11:00 – 12:00, ENJOY LUNCH
12:00 – 1:00
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Hole 1: Knock Down
Click here to view enlarged sign for Hole 1: Knock
Down
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Hole # 1 Knockdown
The mini golf
course was conceived in early March as a result of an attempt for
redirection from a teacher. On this particular morning many of the children
were gathered in the block area building an enclosure. Kate noticed that
some of the children, Victor and Bart in particular, were really more
interested in knocking down the walls than building them up. In order to
minimize the amount of children in the block area and to focus on the
children's true interest Kate built a cardboard block structure in the
circle area and invited the children to roll balls at the structure in
order to knock it down. The children became completely engrossed in this
activity. When Laura realized that one of the balls was a golf ball she
mentioned that she had played miniature golf at the place with the bumper
boats. Many of the children excitedly said that they too had played
miniature golf. In lieu of the animated miniature golf discussion, Kate
suggested that the children and the teachers at the school make their own
miniature golf course. The children loved this idea. Christina, one of the
student teachers, picked up on the enthusiasm and invited Victor, Bart, and
Leslie into the art room to begin designing a miniature golf course.
Recognizing that the children were completely intrigued with building their
own mini golf course the teachers began to co-construct a golf course with
the preschoolers.
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As the
construction of the golf course commenced different materials were
introduced. In order to challenge the velocity and momentum of a golf ball
we offered the children various materials to experiment with. We began with
small cube blocks. The children stacked these up into small towers then
rolled a ball down a gully to try and knock the tower over. We introduced
dominoes to the children and had them experiment with them. The children
would line the dominoes up on a table and then touch the end domino and see
the whole row of dominoes fall down. These dominoes were also integrated
into the mini golf course. A knock down center was created and the children
would toss a ball tethered to the ceiling at a pile of cardboard boxes.
Cardboard buildings were also constructed by the children and were knocked
down by the golf balls.
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The
preschoolers experiment with dominoes, which will eventually be
integrated into the minigolf course.
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Nico
tries to knock the stack of blocks down by rolling his ball down a
gutter.
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Brenna
tries to knock down the cardboard blocks as she swings the tethered ball
at them.
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As the golf
course grand opening approached Gryff's mother gave us a new golf apparatus
to experiment with. This little machine sucks the golf ball into its base
and then ejects it. The children were captivated. Bobby described this
machine as “ a super golf machine
– the ball can go out by itself.
We should make one out of metal .”
Susana responded by saying, “ You could get two
ramps and you swing the golf club into the tree house and then you bring it
back down .”
The children
designed and created the various cardboard structures for the knockdown
hole.
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Set up for Hole
1: Knockdown
On opening day Susana,
Cathy, Victor and Jane (a teacher) set up the course for the Knockdown Hole
in the art room. They integrated Gryff's golf machine, various gutters and
many cardboard buildings and figures that they had previously constructed.
The object of the Knockdown Hole was to hit the ball in the gutters, through
the tunnels, and down to the various cardboard figures to be knocked down.
One component of this course was hit the ball into Gryff's return the golf
ball machine and then have the expunged ball knock down the blocks and/or
figures in front of the machine. Another goal was to hit the ball up a ramp
and then have it knock down an object after it rolled back down the ramp.
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Susana,
Cathy, Victor and Jane set up the Knock Down Hole.
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Overview
of Knock Down Hole
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Cardboard
buildings and figures made by the preschoolers to be knocked down.
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Hole 2: Roadways and Pathways
Click here to view enlarged sign for Hole 2:
Roadways and Pathways
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Hole #2 Roadways and Pathways
Nico was completely
intrigued with the concept of a classroom miniature golf course right from
the start. He built an elaborate pathway, out of cardboard blocks, that
lead up to one of the golf holes. He spoke of the need to have a tree house
and a doghouse in the golf course like the one he had at home.
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Nico and Leo
construct a pathway out of cardboard blocks.
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Gryff golfs his way
down the pathway.
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Abby paints the
doghouse for the course.
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Lola was fascinated
with the tubes and gutters. She loved the challenge of making the balls go
up a straight incline through the hole and then back down the other side.
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Lola shoots a ball
up the gutter and down the tube of her addition to Nico's pathway.
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Susana cheers after
her ball makes it up and down Lola's incline.
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As we discussed
plans for building our golf course we asked the children what we would need
to do. Bobby said that we needed to bring the outside in. We already had
plans to construct a tree and a doghouse to incorporate Nico's vision for
our course. Bobby's suggestion furthered our impetus to incorporate typical
outdoor items as part of our indoor golf course.
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Rebecca puts paper
machete on a big bucket that will become the tree stump.
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Brenna and Jewel
paint the tree stump.
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Set up for Hole
2: Roadways and Pathways
On opening day Nico,
Lola, Gryff and Kate set up the course for the Roadways and Pathways Hole on
the circle rug. The children included many of the props, such as the doghouse
and tree stump, that had been designed by them. This is the area in which the
outside had been brought in. Note the clouds hanging from the ceiling and the
mural of a golf course on the rear wall.
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Lola
and Nico lay down the cardboard blocks for the pathway.
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Nico
adds the doghouse to the pathway.
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Kate explains
that the walls to the pathway need to be straight.
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Gryff
points to the toy puppy that belongs with the doghouse.
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Nico
and Lola look over the course.
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Nico
tests the course as Lola looks on.
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Nico
grabs for his ball that is lodged in the doghouse.
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Overview
of the Roadways and Pathways golf course.
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The guests
arrive.
At 11:00 relatives and
friends of the preschoolers arrived at the school to play golf. The goal of
Roadways and Pathways course was to hit the ball along the walkway through
the doghouse, around the corner into the gutter, around another corner, then
up and over the tree stump, down the gutter, around the corner and into the
pipe and ultimately ending in the golf ball catcher.
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Nico
and his mom read the Introductory sign.
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Jewel
and Christina golf around the course.
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Henry
waits while his dad takes a turn.
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Gryff
explains the course his mom and dad.
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Click here to view enlarged view of the Mural
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The Mural
In keeping with the
children's idea of “bringing the outside in,” an
invitation was made to any interested children to visit the art studio to
create a mural that looks like outside. Children brainstormed together what
the picture on the mural could be. They also drew their ideas.
Cathy: I want to make five
Clown Fish swimming in a pond. They'll be happy to be there just like in
Finding Nemo.
Victor: There should be a golfer on some grass and maybe a bridge.
Henry: I can make the best
sunshines. Let's make a sunshine in the sky. You need sun to golf; we can't
do it in the rain.
Bobby: There should be
flowers. The bees will help pollinate them. They get the nectar from
flowers.
Lola: I can make a flower
and a butterfly too.
Leslie: I can make a
butterfly and help with a snail.
Laura: I can make flowers.
I know how to use scissors. (Laura helped several children cut out their drawings
for the mural.)
Nico: We need trees and
maybe a tree house at our golf place. (This became a separate project.)
Jewel: I can make a duck.
She'll go in the water and swim.
During the next
several weeks' children transformed their drawings to the canvas and painted them.
Many other children came in to help paint the sky blue, trace and paint the
clouds white, and paint the grass green. Children painted the grass green
using the edge of cardboard dipped in green paint to create the vertical
lines.
With quiet music playing in the background, children were encouraged to
slow down and try their best. Sometimes drawings were made several times
before they were large enough to be transferred to the mural. Emphasis was
placed on learning various painting techniques and using different types of
brushes to complete each piece.
This was a joyful collaborative project –
rich with wonderful conversation, creativity and learning.
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Drawing
of a butterfly.
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Butterflies
on the mural.
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Butterflies
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Leslie's
drawing of a snail.
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The
snail on the mural.
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Henry's
drawing of sunshine.
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Sunshine
on the mural.
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Lola's
drawing of a boy golfer.
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The completed mural.
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Lola's
drawing of a girl golfer.
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Hole 3: Tunnels
Click here to view enlarged sign for Hole 3: Tunnels
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Hole #3 Tunnels
The children were
fascinated with the tunnels at McCray's Farm. The ball would disappear into
a tunnel and the children would excitedly run to the end to watch the ball
reappear.
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Leo
looks for his ball that has disappeared into a tunnel.
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The
golf ball appears in the tunnel.
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The first tunnel
came from a provocation set out by Dotty. She asked the children what we
could do with a large box. Edward thought it could be a bear's cave and
Bobby and Laura thought it should be a lion's den. Using the “How
to Draw Animals” book the children first sketched their pictures on then enlarged
them on the box. They painted in their sketches and then added the details.
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Bobby drawing the lion for the lion's den.
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Vic
painting the tree.
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Edward
painting the tree for the bear cave
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The second tunnel
came from the idea of “bringing the outside
inside.” Nico thought we should have trees in our golf course. When it came
time to draw a blueprint for the tree Nico was frustrated because he did
not think he knew how to draw a tree. Bart showed Nico how to first draw a
rectangular trunk and then add a bushy top. With a little help from his
older classmate, Nico was able to successfully sketch the design for this
tree.
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Bart's
drawing that illustrates to Nico how to draw a tree.
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Nico's
sketch of the tree.
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Set up for Hole
3: Tunnels
On opening day Edward,
Abby, Susana, Victor and Christina set up the course for the Tunnels Hole in
the block area. The children included many of the props that they had
constructed, such as the tunnel, which was both a lion's den, on one side,
and a bear's cave on the other side. The tree that the preschoolers had
designed and built was also included in this course with a tunnel going
through it. Note the detail on bear's den sign.
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The
children gather and lay down blocks to use as a roadway for the tunnels
course.
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A
close up of the bear's cave drawing including various flowers, insects and
spiders climbing on or near the tree.
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The guests
arrive.
At 11:00 parents and
friends arrive to try their luck getting their ball through the various
tunnels of the Tunnels Hole. The goal of the Tunnels course was to hit the ball through a pipe
under the tree around some rocks then through the tunnel beneath the bear's
cave/lion's den to the ball catcher on the other end of the tunnel.
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Overview
of the Tunnels course.
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Ally
pauses and waits for Laura to shoot her ball through the tunnel under the
tree.
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Nico
shoots his ball under the tunnel beneath the bear's cave.
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Jewel
walks away from the Tunnels hole with her scorecard.
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Hole 4: The Hill
Click here to view enlarged sign for Hole 4: The Hill
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Hole #4 The Hill
The Hill at the
McCray's Farm was perhaps the most challenging hole for the children. Some
children pushed the ball up using the golf club like a hockey stick and the
others practiced hitting the ball harder and harder until it made it to the
top. Back at school we recreated the hill using wooden blocks and ramps.
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The
Hill at McCray's Farm.
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Leo
golfs over a replica of the hill from McCray's.
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Set up for Hole
4: The Hill
Shea, Jenny, Brenna,
Leo, Rebecca, and Fynn set up the course for the Hill. They loaded bricks
(wooden blocks) into a wagon and pulled these out of the classroom, up the
gravel road and onto the side of the hill. They then laid the bricks in
parallel rows up and around the hill to form the perimeter for the walkway.
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Shea
pulls a wagon full of bricks with help from Leo and Rebecca.
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Brenna
takes the handle of the wagon while her classmates help her along.
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Shea
guides Leo, Rebecca and Brenna as they lay down bricks.
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Jenny
helps the preschoolers align the bricks.
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Fynn
and Rebecca head up the hill with the bricks.
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The guests
arrive.
The Hill was the golf
hole that was between the parking lot and the play area of the school. Many
of the families started off playing the game at this hole. The goal of the
Hill course was to hit the ball up the hill around the corner and then back
down the other side. At the completion of the Hill the children would stamp
their scorecard and thus record the completion of this hole.
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Victor
hits his golf ball up the hill.
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Jewel
scoots her golf ball around the corner at the top of the hill.
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Fynn
and his mom pose for a picture as they await for their turn.
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Fynn
golfs his ball down the hill.
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Susana
begins to golf up the hill while Timothy waits behind her. Susana's mother
and her younger sisters watch. Christina helps the children get started.
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Gryff
picks up his ball at the bottom of the hill while his dad continues golfing
behind him. At the table Edward, Rebecca and Rebecca's mom stamp their
scorecards.
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Bobby
stamps his scorecard after he has completed the Hill course.
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Bobby's
sister Ally stamps her scorecard with a little help from her parents.
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Nico
stamps his scorecard with a bit of assistance from his mom.
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Abby
and her dad stamp Abby's scorecard.
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Hole 4: Into the Pool
Click here to view enlarged sign for Hole 5: Into the
Pool
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Hole #5/18 Into the Pool
From the earliest
day of our miniature golf inquiry, the children were very interested in
adding a pool to the golf course. The idea took off on March 3 rd . At
circle time the children and teachers and co-dictated a story about a
brother and sister playing mini-golf for the first time. Victor said there
was a pool at the mini golf course and this idea was repeated over and
over. When we arrived at McCray's Farm we were delighted to find there was
water! With the help of the children we decided that the pool would be the
hole. Henry loved the idea of using a net to scoop balls out of the water.
The tunnel leading
to the pool was inspired by Hole 18 at McCray's Farm, where the children
delighted in watching their balls roll down the gutter and then “disappear”
into the mini golf shack.
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The water and disappearing
ball at McCray's.
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Set up for Hole
5/18: Into the Pool
Gryff, Henry, Leslie,
Laura and Leo helped Dotty and Linda set up the Into the Pool Course. This
course was set up on the playground. A wading pool was immersed in the ground
at the end of a bridge.
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Dotty,
Linda, Leslie and Laura set up the Into the Pool bridge.
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Gryff
tests the scoop while Henry waits.
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Overview
of the Into the Pool course
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The Guests
arrive.
The goal of the Into
the Pool course was to get the ball around the big rock, over the bridge and
into the pool. Then the golf ball was to be scooped out of the water using a
fishing net. This hole was numbered 5/18 because it was representative of
Hole 18 at McCray's' in which the ball disappears at end of the course.
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Lola
golfs over the bridge while Leo awaits his turn.
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Eric's
brother scoops the golf ball out of the pool. Note the frog perched on the
end of the diving board.
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Brenna
and her mom read the sign at the beginning of the hole.
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Ally,
Lola and Bobby stamp their scorecards at the end of the course.
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After playing golf the
families gathered at the outside tables to share a potluck lunch and discuss
their day on the course. The families and teachers ate hotdogs and tofu pups
from the snack bar. They ate pieces of a cake that was designed to look like a
golf course.
The following day a
second grade class from the nearby elementary school came over to play golf
with the preschoolers. This led to alliance between the preschoolers and the
second graders with several visits back and forth between the two schools.
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