Stones in Water - Open Learning Series

While the schools are busy in getting the children to memorise and recite the story of 'HUNGRY CROW', we are here, picking stones to drop in a tumbler of water to see the water rise.

More importantly, driven by the child herself. 

I do not call her for this activity.
I do not declare this is story time.

I let the child be in her thoughts, while she was having her breakfast and seemed to not finish it soon enough for me to finish mine and clean up. I waited, observed her.

She said:
I am thinking about something.
I got an idea

Me: What is it?

DD1: We could see how water rises from the bottom to top.
We will put stones in bucket of water and see what happens.

Me: Sure

She completes her breakfast and runs to kitchen to get all the necessary materials.

DD1 and DD2 start to pick stones and put in the tumbler. Noticed the water rising.

Next, they pour this mixture from tumbler to a bucket.

Next, they pick sand, grass and add to the bucket.

DD1 stirs this mixture saying she is preparing something.

Keeps it for a while in the same place.

Brings it to the kitchen, puts on the stove and does a pretend-play as if lighting the stove.

She weaves an explanation for all that she has done.

And, before she ends the day, she poured all this mixture into a strainer to see the water draining out and stones caught up in the strainer.

What was more important?

Memorising a story and reciting to hear applaud from parents/teachers OR this freedom to immerse in one's own thoughts, bring about an action based on it and create a new story altogether?

Isn't this creativity?

Don't we tend to kill this natural creativity within every child by forcing them into a schedule/curriculum?

Experiencing the joy of Open Learning!!!!

#children #childhood #letthechildbe #thoughts #noforce #selflearn#selfcreate #truelearning