During centres time, students have free choice within the classroom. I have some students who love to read books, some who love to play with Lego, and some who enjoy building with loose parts. Loose parts are small items that can be used for making patterns, pictures or creative arrangements.
During their time playing together, students are learning about how the world works. They learn how to balance blocks together so their tower does not fall. We may have the beginnings of an architect or a carpenter. We test out what keys match 6 different locks. We may have a future locksmith in our group. Many of the students enjoy telling stories and looking at books. We may have future authors, writers and teachers. As we play and discover, we learn more each day.