06/19/2026
Making a case for real life manipulatives and materials in children’s play.
Kelly and I spent an hour trying to source affordable water play items. Cost per amount of items on childcare stores meant a limited amount for a high cost.
And then we realized, with a little creativity, we could source most items from hardware stores at a lower cost for higher durability materials. With a little help from an employee, we got gutters cut down to size, pipes and drains of different sizes. A community member donated hard hats, and Kelly found plastic spools and a coffee table on the side of the road. We had a very active yard with construction work, dismantling the table, using the spools as wheelchairs and cars, aqueduct building and hands on learning about the flow of water.
These materials have become part of the ecology of the yard and their play. As educators, we have ideas about how things will be used, and every time they impress us with their ingenuity, creativity and experimentation. Truly magical to watch them engage in their own unique ways.
