Editor’s note: The following is from Maven Lane, the Vernon child care and early learning centre.
For anyone who has ever visited our Stepping Stones 2 program, you would know just how informed the children are when it comes to the many names of the different “diggers” that can be found on a construction site.
They also understand the importance of safety and will always wear their vest, goggles and helmets when “working.” Because the children go on community adventures so regularly, it was inevitable that a friendship would blossom between the children and the crews working at the Schubert Centre. The children could not help themselves — they were fascinated! The crew couldn’t help themselves either; how could you not answer their questions, and share their enthusiasm? The children watched the crew measure, saw, pour concrete, change buckets on the excavator, lay pipes, and stood thoroughly engrossed with all the hustle and bustle of the job site. After one such visit, a crew member ran after the departing children to tell them they were just about to start blasting, and they might like to come back and watch (but be sure to cover their ears).
What a wonderful learning opportunity for the children. They took all their observations back to the classroom and practised how to be construction workers. Thanks to the patience and generosity of spirit of those crew members, our children have a deepened understanding of all the things that they see in books, and look at from car windows. When they start seeing people move into the buildings that were once a construction site, they will have a “big picture” of how their homes came to be.
By way of a thank you, the children took the crew some Timbits to enjoy on their coffee break. Maven Lane strives to ensure our children are active members of our community, and it is interactions like this that will instil a sense of belonging and citizenship.
It is true; you should always buy lemonade from a child’s stand. Every little interaction will leave an impression, and the children will remember the way you made them feel. A big sense of community grows from one glass of lemonade, or sharing a Timbit.
