AnjiPlayDate #9: What happens when a lot of people show up?

Whew!  Sixty people showed up today and of course it was the first time that I introduced some new pop-up tunnels that take up a lot of floor space so it felt a bit.... crowded.  Here's a quick peek to give you a feel for the room:

 

 

But despite the extra chaos, the kids still found a way to play.  Here's a few shots of the new tunnels:

 Love that someone figured out how to keep a curve in the tunnel!

 

There was also plenty of clay play:

Um, maybe pretend eating instead?  :)

 

Even some play on the clay table without using clay!  I love watching this little one fill and empty this tube:

The cardboard box drew a lot of attention again.  This time with the addition of a bungee cord:

Bungee cords were also used as belts:

 And that belt was used for hauling a spool across the floor (hard to see in this photo, but there's a blue rope connecting the spool to his "belt.")

 

More spool-foolery:

I caught this great balancing act:

Check out this awesome inter-age play!

 

Here's an interesting interaction.  As an adult watching, don't you want to say something to the girl who knocks down the blocks?  But check out what happens when no adults step in to problem solve for the kids, but instead let them handle it on their own:

Here are some play stories from today.  Can you spot any connections to the photos and videos above?

Please note: "Anji Play,” refers to a specific philosophy and comprehensive approach to early education developed by Ms. Cheng Xueqin in Anji County, China. I use the term "Anji Play" to describe my programming and throughout this blog with the explicit permission of Ms. Cheng because our programming has been developed as part of a close collaborative relationship with her and her team of Anji Play educators. If you are interested in learning more about how you can bring Anji Play to your community, please visit www.anjiplay.com