STEAM Tobogganing/Ice Skating Small World Play

We have been exploring arctic animals and all things winter so we wanted to invite the children to explore how arctic animals can go tobogganing/skating all through this STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, & math)/ Small World Play invitation!  

First, we froze some arctic animals in Colorations liquid watercolors, metallic/fluorescent Biocolor paint, and tempera paint. We covered our Discount School Supply tuff trays in aluminum foil to mimic an ice rink. The children were invited to explore the materials and have the animals go Tobogganing or Ice Skating! 

STEAM activities are designed to engage and stretch a child's creative thinking. Through this STEAM invitation the children were able to discover force and motion, cause and effect, formulate their own theories, observe the ice going from a solid to liquid state, enhance their color recognition, and learn about different habitats/environments.

When children engage in small world play they break through the walls of reality, use their imagination, pretend to be someone or something different from themselves, explore different worlds, & have actions to go along with the roles they have chosen to play. Play is an integral part of the developmental learning process and by allowing children to develop skills in a timely natural manner they are able deepen their connection and understanding of how the world works.