August 12, 2025
B began his play outdoors, observing his peers in play. Once a bike became available, he decided to hop onto a bike and observe his peers engaged in the sandbox. He rolled back off of the grass hill by the sandbox and went around the bike bath and came down to the gate. He turned around and as he was heading towards the bike path again, a spider crawled onto his hand. He became afraid as he called for help, “A spider, a spider!” His educator came by and said, “Where’s the spider?” and B pointed to the ground in the direction he had shaken the spider off to. I asked him, “Are you hurt? Did the spider hurt you?” and he responded, “No.” I said, “You”re ok then. The spider is going somewhere else now.” He nodded yes. A peer came over, concerned for B’s safety, and asked, “Are you ok?” B proceeded to tell him about the spider who crawled onto his hand. B even came off his bike to go with his friend to look closer at the spider. In the meantime, another peer hopped onto the bike he had put down and B didn’t seem to mind as he observed other peers in play. He then looked back and noticed his peer was on his bike. He said, “I had that bike!” His peer smiled and said, “Okay,” and got off to give him his bike back. He appeared happy as he smiled at his other friend and said, “You want to sit here?” while pointing to a spot on the bike and his friend said yes. They went around the bike track one time when his peer noticed another free bike and got off the back of B’s bike. They rode together around the bike path, smiling at one another.
Belonging: B was able to participate in meaningful play with his peers, based on their concern for his spider incident.
Well-Being: B was physically active with his peers as they rode their bikes multiple times around the bike path. He was also able to regulate after the spider crawled onto his hand and managed his stress levels by sharing his experience with his educator and his peers.
Engagement: He was able to express his feelings to his peer who took the bike he got off of to problem solve receiving his bike back. B expressed joy as he was able to retrieve his bike and continue in play.
Expression: B started and continued conversations with his educator and peers to discuss the spider and to participate in meaningful play during outdoor time.
By Diane, RECE
July 2, 2025
M began his play by building a bridge with road blocks for his vehicles to cross. As he zoomed his vehicles from one side to another, he noticed a peer that was looking out the window, talking into the play phone. The educator approached his peer and asked who they were talking to, and the peer told her he was talking to Mommy. M came by, intrigued by W’s phone conversation and picked up the second phone in the classroom to call his mom as well. They both smiled as they called their mothers and the educator observed their play. The educator then showed M how to use the phone and said, “This part is for your ear to hear what Mommy is saying and this side is where your mouth is to talk to Mommy.” He looked at the phone and made sure that’s how he held it. Curious about our conversation, the other peer also looked at his phone and held it up to his ear and smiled. Another peer came rushing in and said, “I want that phone! I had it first and he took it from me!” The educator, who observed the scenario, told him, “No he didn’t take it from you, he picked it up from the shelf, but if you want a turn with that one when he’s done, I’m sure he will share.” M then hung up the phone and went to go play with the vehicles he was playing with earlier during play. The other peer who wanted that phone was now able to pick it up for his turn so he could call his mommy too. They had created a city with bridges and trees, using materials in the classroom. C looked at M and also dropped his phone to go play with the vehicle city. His peer wanted the larger red fire truck instead of the smaller cars and M and other friends chose the smaller vehicles. M was crossing the bridge with all the smaller vehicles and the other peer rushed in with his giant fire truck and shouted, “There’s a fire!” and he rode his truck through all the trees his peer had put up. Another peer came over and said, “Oh no! My trees!” and the peer paused looking at his peer in distress. The educator said, “Your friend worked really hard at adding all these trees to the city, can you help him pick them back up to put in the city?” The peer said, “Okay!” M continued to play with the vehicles on the bridge with another peer who also joined at the end just before it was time to tidy up. M was able to positively parallel play while sharing the bridge.
Belonging: M was able to share experiences with his peers as they all called their mothers from daycare to say hello. He felt included as they took turns with the materials and the educator showed him the proper use of the phone.
Well-Being: He was able to see that another peer wanted that phone and he was able to give it up to go back to the vehicles to give his peer the opportunity to play with that phone.
Engagement: M investigated the phone as the educator showed him where his ear goes and where his mouth goes to speak into. He also investigated the bridge to have it in the correct placement for the vehicles to cross.
Expression: He was able to collaborate and share materials on the bridge he set up for play, noticing the play city was large enough for everyone to participate.
By Diane, RECE
June 18, 2025
L and her peers were making their way back inside after enjoying the weather outdoors, when she noticed that the educator had set three mirrors, connecting toys and toy animals on the table as a table top activity before lunch.
The children began to play with the connecting toys and the toy animals. L immediately focused on the mirror that was on the table. She was fascinated that there were three different mirrors for her to view herself in. After a few moments of observing herself in each mirror, L began to make silly faces in the mirror to see if the silly faces would be different in each mirror. The rest of L’s peers noticed that she was having so much fun with this activity that they asked if they could have a turn with the mirror next. When all her peers were done with the mirror and it was L's turn to have the mirror again, she decided to expand on her play and began moving her hand backward and forward behind the mirror. When the educator asked L what she was doing, she responded by saying that she was trying to see if she could see her hand through the mirror on the other side. A friend then asked L if she could see the face she was making on the other side of the mirror and they began trying to guess what each other were doing behind the mirror.
Well-being: L was further developing her sense of self when she studied her reflection in the mirror to see if it would make different facial expressions then she was making.
Belonging: L was able to participate in the activity in a way that was comfortable for herself by choosing a different toy to play with than her friends, allowing her to feel comfortable in her environment. She shared her play of the mirror with her peers, allowing her to feel more comfortable with these peers.
Expression: L was able to extend the play with her peers by putting her hand behind the mirror and engaging in a guessing game with a friend while using the mirror.
Engagement: L focused all of her attention to her different facial expressions that she was making in the mirror and continued to maintain her focus when later playing a guessing game with a friend even though other children around her were playing with different objects and trying to get her to use the toys that they were using.
Written By Rachel Sommerville, RECE
