Have flooding? Build boats!

We already pride ourselves on not allowing the weather to stop us from playing outside. But with a playground half flooded by the current deluge, it was time to step up our game.

There were mini lakes everywhere we turned. Lake in the sandpit. Lake in the pathway. Lake under the swings. Lake under the pole and under the slide. Even lakes around the drainage grates that could take no more water.

Enter Inspiration.

LET'S BUILD BOATS!

Dustin quickly ran upstairs to gather supplies. Aluminum foil, some popsicle sticks and some tape. The equation turned out to be simple. 3 materials + imagination = the best hour in the playground this week.

Various boat designs were created and tested by the children. Flat shapes, standard canoe shapes, box shapes, and even ball shapes were attempted. Sarah A showed off her origami skills with her precise folds.

Once the boats were launched, brooms were brought out to create waves and current. Some of us even tried blowing with our mouths to sail the ships. Some were brave enough to sail their ships down the slide. Some were adventurous enough to drop their boats from the top of the pole.

Many returned to the supplies to refine or replace their designs. Some got the idea to use the popsicle sticks as the passengers. And some found out, the hard way, that gumboots are not impervious to splashing around in really deep water.

Until the next flood,

Dustin

Shift into Game Mode

Since Winter Break, a new board game has appeared at Jr OSC...
It has struck the interest of children and leaders alike...
It involves a twist on a classic...
A twist that forces players to predict the future...

SHIFT TAC TOE!

Anyone catch the problem with this implied move on the game box?

While doing some purging at home, Dustin unearthed this hidden treasure. First produced in 1988, Shift Tac Toe does not appear to be in production anymore. However, a quick web search reveals that "new" and used copies of the game are available for purchase for as much as $50 plus shipping.

The rules to the game are simple, but the consequences are not. On your turn, you must decide to either drop a piece or shift a row one space. A shift may result in pieces sliding over, a piece dropping out of play, or pieces dropping down - or all three events may occur from a single shift! First player to get three in a row wins.

The game forces players to think about the consequences of their actions, intended or otherwise. New players will often shift without proper forethought, giving an easy victory to their opponent. Even worse, players occasionally shift their opponents directly into a win!

Mastery of the game by any one person has yet to be achieved. Even Dustin, the most experienced player, attempted to hold court for a long string of consecutive wins, but was easily dethroned after a handful of matches.

Enough with this blog - time to shift into game mode!

Dustin

Winter Break Recap

This Winter Break provided us with many fond memories. The days seemed to fly by as we were kept busy with exciting out trips and jam packed In Days. One new addition to this Winter Break calendar was a new out trip destination called Kidtropolis. An interactive cityscape, Kidtropolis allows children to use their imagination to create their own world. Some of the features include a gas station, ice cream shop, grocery store and a fire station. The children seemed to love the freedom to roam around and interact with others in this realistic city.

Here are some of the highlights from this Winter Break!

The inside of a residence in Kidtropolis.

The city's gas station.

Some of the submissions for city planning during Kid City day!

Sliding down an icy hill at Garden City Park.

Jason helping the children warm up with a his famous hot chocolate.

Pretending it's summer at 6Pack Indoor Beach.

Celebrating the New Year in style with sparkling juice!

Warmest Regards,

Emmett