Rebecca Ariburnu Activity Plan 4
Rebecca Ariburnu Activity Plan 4
Rebecca Ariburnu Activity Plan 4
Preliminary Information:
Best Start Expert Panel on Early Learning. (2007). Early Learning for Every Child
Busy Toddler. (2017). Make a DIY Ball Ramp [Blog Post]. Retrieved from:
https://busytoddler.com/2018/01/diy-ball-ramp/
before/after/extend/enhance learning):
Raschka, C. (2011). A Ball for Daisy. New York : Schwartz & Wade Books
Part I – Planning
List one from each domain and indicate the reference to ELECT
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While participating in the activity the child will, independently or limited assistance:
Physical
5.1 Gross Motor - Walking
Specific Skill: walk around the room in order to collect balls
Social/Emotional
1.1 Social Interest
Specific Skill: return my gaze during the activity and show interest
Cognitive/Language
3.2 Receptive Language Skills
Specific Skill: respond to instructions to pick up balls and put them on the ramp
Description of Set-Up:
This is an indoor gross motor activity where the children will take turns picking up balls and sending
them down a large cardboard ramp. During the first part of the activity the children will decorate the
cardboard by painting it with various sizes of paint brushes. Once the cardboard is painted and dry,
children will watch the ball go down the ramp and end up in various parts of the classroom. The
children can then walk around the room in order to collect the balls and repeat the process. The ramp
will be constructed using a large cardboard box and packing tape. A broomstick will be taped to the
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back of the ramp for stability and the whole ramp will be placed on a plastic stool and held steady by
a teacher in order to bring it off the ground.
Part II – Implementation
1) Begin by putting smocks on each child and inviting them to stand around the art table. Lie
the large piece of cardboard on the table so that it can be reached by all of the children
2) Place a selection of paintbrushes in the center of the box and allow each child to choose
one
3) Squeeze a few colours of paint directly onto the box and demonstrate using a paintbrush to
smear the paint all over the box. Ensure all of the children have a chance to participate
and allow them to switch brushes if they would like
4) Remove smocks and wash children’s hands. Move the box to an inaccessible area so it
can dry
5) At some point before the next part of activity, read the book A Ball for Daisy to the children.
This can spark a discussion about balls that can lead to an explanation of the ball ramp
activity
6) Once the cardboard is dry set up the ramp by leaning the cardboard against a wall, using
the broomstick for support. The ramp should be off the floor, using a stool or some other
object to lift it up.
7) Ensure the ramp is stable – have a teacher hold it if necessary. Bring out a variety of balls
for the children to choose from
8) Invite the children to one-by-one select a ball and send it down the ramp. “Look what
happens when we drop the ball here? Where do you think it will go?”
9) Help the children find the balls and encourage them to bring them back and repeat the
process
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Closure:
Once the children have started to slow in their exploration of the ramp end the activity by saying
“Great job everyone, that was so fun. Let’s put away our ramp now and we can bring it out another
time to keep playing”.
Transition:
After the activity the children will need to get ready to go outside. Have the children help to pick up
the balls in the room and put them back in the ball bin. “Thanks for helping tidy up everyone. Now
let’s find our warm clothing and get ready to go outside”.
i) Creativity
This activity promotes creativity as each child is encouraged to paint creatively in their own way and
using a paintbrush of their choosing. The second part of the activity also promotes creativity as the
children get to experiment by dropping the balls from different locations on the ramp and in different
ways. For example, children can throw the balls and the ramp, or drop them gently. Children can also
choose from a variety of different sizes and colours of balls and observe any changes in the outcome
of their actions.
ii) Inclusiveness
All children can participate in this gross motor activity. Children are free to paint using any type of
brush, or with their hands if they prefer. Children than do not wish to participate in painting the box
can still watch the colours being added watch the other children paint. Children that do not wish to
send balls down the ramp will still get to observe the cause and effect of the activity.
The most surprising and delightful part of this activity was how engaged the children
were immediately with just the plain piece of cardboard. The size and weight of the
cardboard seemed to instantly attract attention and the children immediately began
exploring it by touching it, walking on it and dragging it around the room. It seems that
just bringing large novel objects into the classroom to be explored can be a valuable
activity all on its own.
The next part of the activity was also very successful. My initiate thought for the activity
did not include painting the box, but I thought of extending the activity in this direction
when I was brainstorming ways to make it more creative. Being able to paint freely on
such a large surface as a group seemed to stimulate a lot of creativity in the infants and
keep them very engaged. The large paintbrushes were the most popular with the
children. They seemed to enjoy making large, broad brushstrokes. A couple of the
older infants in the group were particularly focused during this part of the activity
remained engaged for a long period of time.
The painting activity took place in the morning, allowing the cardboard to dry and for me
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to set-up the ramp while the children were napping. Before nap I was able to read them
the book, which lead into a conversation about balls, and let me suggest the idea of a
ramp to the children. I had the ramp set-up when the children woke up from their nap.
In hindsight I should probably have waited and set it up after the children were finished
their snack, as it proved to be quite a distraction when the children were trying to eat.
Once the children were finished their snack, I invited them to choose a ball from a bin
and showed them how to drop the ball on the upper part of the ramp and watch it go
down. The activity seemed to be very developmentally appropriate for the older infants
in the group, but the younger ones had trouble grasping the concept. The older infants
were very engaged in experimenting with the cause and effect element of the activity,
walking around the ramp to drop balls in different locations, and even independently
experimenting with sending toy cars down the ramp instead of balls. They expressed
delight by laughing, clapping and smiling when the balls rolled down the ramp and into
the room. The younger infants did not stay very engaged with the activity, but still
enjoyed watching the older children explore the ramp.
After the activity was complete, I put the ramp away for use on another day. One of the
other great surprises about this activity was how versatile the decorated piece of
cardboard turned out to be in the classroom. A couple of days later I brought it back out
during gross motor time and used it to make a small tunnel for the children to climb
though. The children loved this activity even more than they love climbing through a
ready-made tunnel that the centre has. It seems that “homemade” items that the
children can participate in creating help them stay focused and engaged in activities. I
hope to use many more cardboard boxes in my activities in the future!
Analysis of Learning;
(What did the child(ren) do and understand during this experience?)
The children used their gross motor skills by walking around the classroom, picking up balls, and
sending the balls down the cardboard ramp
The children practiced coordinating their movements by picking up balls and sending them down
the ramp
The children practiced their palmer grasp and fine motor skills by holding a paintbrush and
painting the cardboard box
The children practiced simple turn taking by taking turns putting balls down the ramp
The children returned my gaze during the activity and showed interest
The children responded to my verbal instructions to pick up balls and place them on the ramp
The children explored the cause-and-effect of sending the balls down the ramp
Extension of Learning:
I extended this gross motor activity by allowing the children the opportunity to paint on the
cardboard first, allowing them the opportunity for sensory exploration, creative expression, and to
watch the box transform from a plain piece of cardboard to a colourful ramp.
I asked the children wonderment questions such as “what will happen if I drop the ball here” and
allowed them to independently explore cause-and-effect
I read a book that allowed me to introduce new vocabulary to the children
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I brought out the cardboard on a future date and extended the activity into another gross motor
activity (tunnel)
Strengths:
(how did the student impact the success of the activity minimum of 2):
I had my materials (cardboard, paint, smocks, brushes) organized and ready ahead of time for the
painting part of the activity
I allowed the children a lot of choice in how they wanted to paint the box (type or brush, fingers,
colours) to allow for creative expression
I allowed the children to extend the activity by sending various objects down the ramp (toy cars,
etc.)
Recommendations:
(what can the student do differently to change, improve, enhance the experience – minimum
of 2):
I should have waited to set-up the ramp until after the children were finished their snack in order to
avoid distractions
I could have provided a low step-stool to allow the children to explore dropping the ball from
higher up on the ramp
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