This lesson was sparked by the children's natural curiosity during outdoor play, when they discovered vehicles "stuck" in the ice. This led to a focused exploration on Friday, where the children set off into the garden equipped with tools like hammers and forks to "save" the frozen vehicles.
The children demonstrated fantastic teamwork as they worked together to hit and scrape the ice. This provided a great opportunity for them to observe the physical properties of materials; they noticed that the ice was hard and were fascinated by the cracking sounds and visual patterns as it began to break apart. Their excitement grew as they successfully freed the cars from the ice.
The children observed a change in state compared to yesterday, noticing that there was now water in the tray. This sparked a meaningful conversation about ice melting, which they explored further by splashing in the water. To enhance the sensory experience and encourage further investigation, the children were supplied with paint and textured brushes to mark-make directly onto the remaining ice and in the water, combining scientific observation with creative expression.