Acorns were a very exciting addition to our classroom! After examining the outsides, the children really wanted to crack them open. They started by removing the "hat" of the acorns and then using their fingers to pry them open. All of this took a lot of problem solving and innovation. Through trial and error they were able to determine what fingers work best to pull open the hole at the top. This took persistence and the strength of their fingers and hands.
During our second week of investigations, a new tool was introduced for cracking open the acorns. Using a nut cracker requires a whole new level of fine motor control. It took a lot of practice- it can be quite tricky for little hands to use.
This project was so engaging for the children that it created many social opportunities for them to work together, share their ideas, and collaborate.
Acorns were integrated throughout our classroom into the sensory bin and the math table. Using interesting materials offered fun ways for the children to practice early math skills such as one to one matching, counting, and sorting.
They discovered new ways to get them open and how to separate the insides by using some of our classroom materials.
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| Cracking open acorns takes a lot of muscles! When they found the worms inside they were so excited to crack open more! We kept the worms in a clear cup in order to observe them throughout the week. The children kept track of how many we found. They used math language to explain how many we found. "Yesterday we found 3, today we found 2. 3 plus 2 more equals 5!"    |
This project was so engaging for the children that it created many social opportunities for them to work together, share their ideas, and collaborate.
Acorns were integrated throughout our classroom into the sensory bin and the math table. Using interesting materials offered fun ways for the children to practice early math skills such as one to one matching, counting, and sorting.
