Collaboration in Preschool

Today I spent part of the day working with a group of 3 and 4 year olds. We used a variety of recycle materials to create hats. Some of the items included:

• paperboard boxes
• toilet paper rolls
• construction paper
• paper bags
• tissue paper
• duct tape
• berry cartons
• cardboard boxes
• egg cartons

The kids looked through the materials and we talked about the different kinds of hats we could make using each of the items on the table- a cardboard box could be a robot helmet, a paper bag could make a top hat, paperboard could be cut into a crown.

The kids grabbed their materials of choice and got to work. Emma wanted to make a crown and asked for help cutting the paperboard. Kyle thought that was a good idea and asked for one too. Then Kyle decided that a toilet paper tube would make a good tip of the crown. Emma liked the look and decided to add one to her crown too. Meanwhile Jordan decided to decorate his paper bag top had with bits of tissue paper. The crown-makers loved it and added tissue paper to their crowns. Kyle got to work decorating his crown with markers while Emma added a piece of construction paper to close off the top. Kyle liked it and did the same.

There was no complaining, no talk of “stealing ideas”. Their creative juices were flowing and they were having a great time exploring and sharing ideas. It was the sort of creative, collaborative environment that most innovative companies strive for. Moments like this should be cherished, praised and fostered.

In the end some really unique hats were created and worn with pride throughout the day. It was fun to pick out common elements and see how an idea was changed by different children’s interpretations. I was thrilled to experience such wonderful collaboration among such young children.