Solo – Build something you like

Variation 1 Variation 2 Variation 3
In this variation of 'Build a Model', you can be creative and build a model you come up with yourself.
The task

We each build a model of something we like. While we build the models, we can tell stories about what we build. The aim of the activity is that we practice our construction skills and that we create a feeling of comfort with the materials and the routines.

Solo – Build a Model We create a motivating framework for the child. 

Procedure

Framework

Suggestion for introduction

We create a motivating framework for the child. 

For instance, we can say: “Today, we will build something we decide ourselves. There is only one rule: we build something we like.  Afterwards, we can tell each other what it is. It can be a model that looks like a car, if that is what we like. This is not a competition so there is no winner. Instead, we help each other. If we struggle, we just ask for help. If one of us finishes before the other, there are some small extra building sets that can be built.”

Time

The activity can be adapted to the framework of one lesson and varied according to the time available and the child’s prerequisites. 

Materials

We can use small Lego sets that we are familiar with, or wooden blocks, colored cubes, magnetic tiles, paper, or something else. All that matters is that the material motivates us.

During the activity
Reflection Routines

During the play session, the child encounters challenges and successes, where we can stop and help spot what is difficult or what is going well. We can do this in several ways:

Reflection routines 

When we get the opportunity to reflect together with the child on what challenges or discoveries arise along the way, we can use one or more reflection routines. It could be, for example, a learning metaphor with a social strategy that we practice, an emoji that describes the feeling we have right now, or a rating of how well we think the building is going. In this way, a reflection routine can help to show and put into words the experiences that the child has during the play session.

Facilitating questions

We can ask facilitating questions to the child along the way, as they naturally arise in the building process. In this way, we facilitate the play session so that we continue the play and at the same time learn something from it. For example: 

  • I see that you have stopped building. I wonder how we can continue from here? 
  • I see that you have encountered a challenge. Should we try to solve it together? 
  • Try to notice what you are doing right now. Do you think this is a collaborative strategy? 
Show and Tell

Finally, in the play session, we give a Show and Tell of our construction, so that we have the opportunity to share our experiences, reflections, and feelings about the construction process.

First, we talk about our model and the process of building it. During the Show and Tell, we can use reflection routines and reflective questions to support the discoveries that have been made. For example:

  • What went well? 
  • What was difficult?
  • Is there anything that you want to do differently the next time we build a model?
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