The temperatures have been high these past few summer weeks, and the teachers and children of ONE Arts: Colchester have come up with many fun and creative ways to beat the heat. Here are just a few examples!
Splash Pads and Kiddie Pools
Once everyone is sunscreened and changed into their swim attire, the hose turns on and the water starts spraying! Our children delight in running through the mermaid splash pad, getting sprayed by the pool elephant’s nose, and giddily sliding down the slide into the kiddie pool!
Water Tables
You’ll almost always find a group of children crowded around our water tables. Beyond being incredibly refreshing, these basins of cool water provide endless learning opportunities for our young scientists…What sinks and what floats? What happens when we try to dump the water from one cup to a smaller one? How far can we make the water splash when we slap our hands on the surface?
Frozen Games
Our Preschoolers were recently tasked with an icy challenge: several small animal toys were frozen into large ice cubes, and it was up to them to “rescue” the animals! The children employed many different techniques to free their animals, from dropping the cubes on the ground to using child-friendly tweezers to chip away at the ice. This game was a huge hit and several children from the toddler classes joined in to help with the rescue efforts!
Watermelon, Smoothies, and Popsicles, Oh My!
We take frequent water breaks over the course of our days, but we also try to stay hydrated in lots of other fun ways, too! Watermelon is a beloved summer treat that frequently appears during outdoor play to keep everyone cool and hydrated. Sometimes, for a special treat, we have Smoothie Parties outside! Our schoolwide favorite smoothie combines frozen strawberries, mangoes, and oat milk for a bright pink, frosty-cold drink that is a huge hit with children and teachers alike.
The Older Toddlers recently worked hard to make homemade popsicles. After reading Paletero Man, a vibrant bilingual story by Lucky Diaz about a child’s love of popsicles, the toddlers used their fine motor skills to squeeze the juice out of lemons, carefully add sugar and water, and pour the combined mixture into popsicle molds. The next day, the delicious icy treats emerged from the freezer and our toddlers happily enjoyed their popsicles while listening to the Paletero Man song!
Thank You, Air Conditioning!
Of course, we are also intentional about keeping the children inside during the hottest times of the day. We take advantage of our Motor Room for big body play away from the sun, and we are lucky to have two air conditioning units to keep things extra cool. (They also double as fantastic bubble blowers for indoor bubble play!) The Young Toddler room has the distinction of being the coolest room in the school, and recently hosted a lively indoor playtime with the infants.
Stay cool, everyone!
ONE Arts Community School 