With an intention to make connections between children, Teacher Amy facilitated ‘the line game’: It’s a game where making a line with any material, in this case charcoal, is then passed to or continued by another child at the table. This invites connection between two players, awareness of others, and personal experience with varied materials.
(enter the password: venice1987)
Between turns, Grey and Agnes are enthralled with the texture of the charcoal, rubbing their arms and hands in it with delight. I noticed Fiona was aware of the texture too.
When it was Fiona’s turn to receive the charcoal from Clem, Fiona shook her head ‘no’. She then reached for the charcoal and passed it to the closest friend, Agnes, without reaching. After Agnes took the charcoal, Fiona headed toward the bathroom to wash her hands. She repeated this several times. We all have textures or smells or sounds of which we are not fond. When Fiona encountered charcoal, her aversion to its texture was postponed while the overriding desire to connect to her peers was stronger. – Kristin