Garden Letter Making with Preschool
/To begin thinking about and in some cases reinforcing the shapes and building of letters, preschoolers and their teachers went on an expedition to our garden to do some extraordinary work. Early this morning, students began harvesting flowers, herbs, vegetables and berries to create a brand new “Breakwater Garden Font.” In order to create each letter, students first chose a letter to make, found the letter in a basket, talked about their lines and curves with a teacher, and then used items from the garden to recreate the shape on white paper. Students will then be able to use the letters to create alphabet borders in their classroom, title their Reggio-inspired documentation, and most importantly, spell their names to decorate their classrooms, their cubbies, their bedrooms!
It was such an exciting time in the garden! Students were abuzz talking about different lines and shapes, how to make lines that curved for C’s and D’s (curvy green beans were an excellent choice!) and how to decorate their letters using flower petals, seeds and berries. Not only that, students began thinking of other connections around letters and shapes. “Look! I can make an X using my arms AND my legs!” said one student. “When you turn a W upside down, it makes an M!” discovered another. "Both of our names start with A!” giggled two students who were working on their letter designs. “My name has a J and and N in it. Can I make those letters?” “I finished my D, now can I eat this green bean?” Commentary about letters and vegetables continued late into the morning.
The preschool students are excited to share their new font with you very soon. In the meantime, visit the Breakwater garden so you can also benefit from its beautiful late summer bounty, sample a tomato or two, and feel the creative energy that is so alive in a garden that consistently has children to care for it, build in it and imagine in it. We love our garden full of sunflower stalks, fresh vegetables, berries by the dozens, and a whole bunch of children eager to grow and learn from it. We hope to see you soon!
