It hasn’t been a week since the school started. Actually, it only was a couple of days and some kids only saw each other once or twice. Yet, they are working together amazingly well.

Yesterday they decided to play with marbles. The marble run was their favorite toy these past few days and they were exploring what else they could do with them. We suggested using the ‘ramps.’ They are V-shaped pieces of hard cardboard that come with new furniture. We have been using them for so many different things this past year. They were a hit.

Kids started taking taking turns dropping the different sized marbles down the ramps but they noticed the marbles are escaping and rolling all around the preschool. For a little bit, they were chasing them and picking them up.

‘Hmmm, is there something we could use to make the marbles stay on the carpet and not roll away?’ we suggested.

And that is how the wall was born. It started with one child and one block. And it grew and grew. Suddenly there were two kids, then three… and then six working together and making a wall all around the carpet. The younger kids were sending the balls – and other tings – down the ramp. They were experimenting with what does and does not work. The older kids were figuring out how to make it faster, more stable and more secure. It was a wonderful synergy. It was one of the reasons why I think the mixed age classroom works so well.