At Carrot Seed the children enjoy making special dishes with sand, rocks, sticks, cones, grass; whatever they can find. Imagination holds no bounds as to what is created… and for what occasions! Parents are often greeted with a cheerful invitation to come and have some birthday cake or cupcakes, muffins, pizza or spaghetti… many exciting food items are lovingly prepared by the children.
Gathered around our red picnic table on a lovely sunny afternoon in April, R announces to her friends, “Let’s have a picnic!” Other children immediately join in, running to the sandbox to gather sand, stones, muffin tins, jugs and shovels. They return to the red table and work together mixing and carefully pushing sand into various containers, smoothing it with a shovel or fingers and then decorating with stones.
Lots of conversation accompanies the process, as children join in and then move on again. B instructs friends to watch the food while she runs off to get more sand. Some water is located and is carefully poured onto the sand cakes. A holds up a stone and announces “I found this one” It is carefully placed into the sand.
As some excess sand is pushed off the table, there is discussion about wasting food. B announces “She can eat her food however she wants to.” A pretends to eat many mouthfuls of the cake, using a shovel as her utensil, throwing the sand over her shoulder. “yum yum yum” she repeats. She then says “I don’t want any more, I’m full.” B says “OK, come on, let’s go” The children move on to new adventures.
April 8, 2014