Mission Moment: Open-ended Play

Today’s Mission Moment comes from a play facilitator who witnessed children working with our open-ended exhibits in a way that made sense to them, which is what open-ended and multiple-outcome experiences are all about!

“In Math Connections on the edge of Young Explorers there are “Pattern Blocks” that Velcro to the floor. I saw 3 children ages 4-7 using these to build vertically. They turned the blocks on their sides and built upwards. They were very careful and balanced the blocks perfectly so that all the shapes could be incorporated into the design. They built many different shapes and really engineered these buildings creatively! It was really terrific to see the connections of the way shapes form together going upward as well as horizontal (as they normally go). Great creativity and spatial skills.”