Even the ordinary things that are a real pain to adults are endlessly fascinating to young children,’ says Ginny Andreas, manager of Little Adventurers Daycare Nursery in Upminster, Essex. ‘I've learned over the years that we have to think like three-year-olds, and I teach my staff that everything is interesting to children because they've not seen most things before.’
So, when Ginny's car windscreen annoyingly developed a crack and needed replacing, she saw it as a perfect learning opportunity for the pre-school children. ‘I always remember a comment that early years trainer Alice Sharp made – “curiosity leads to investigation and investigation leads to discovery” – and I see that as our job, to ignite that curiosity, because children are curious beings anyway. We need to slow down and show them the ordinary things in life.’
what they did
During lunchtime, Ginny told the children that her car windscreen had been hit by a small stone and a hairline crack had appeared. They discussed the importance of having a windscreen that can be seen through clearly and that the glass is made weaker by any cracks. Children questioned why cars need to have windscreens and talked about how they are there to protect people inside the car.
The children were fascinated by the idea of the windscreen being removed and were intrigued to find out how this is done, so they were excited to watch when Dave, an Autoglass technician, visited the nursery that afternoon.
They observed him detach the car's windscreen wipers and cut the adhesive from around the windscreen before lifting out the glass using special suction pads. Dave then cleaned off the rest of the old adhesive before applying new adhesive and lifting the replacement windscreen into place and connecting the windscreen wipers back. Once Dave had finished, he showed the children the suction pads that he had used and how there are cups to safely attach to the glass without scratching it. He let the children hold and experiment with them. They found that they formed a ‘vacuum’ which made them stick firm to the side of the van so tightly that the children were unable to pull them off. Dave likened the suction cups to how Spiderman fixes onto the side of buildings and climbs up without falling.
Through the experience, the children were introduced to lots of new vocabulary, such as ‘chip’, ‘shatter’, ‘windscreen’ and ‘suction’.
extension activities
- One child commented that they have a Tesla and asked Ginny what make of car she has. ‘I showed her the logo on my Ford Fiesta,’ says Ginny. ‘We then had a walk around the car park to look at what other cars were parked there, to identify print in the environment and see that it has meaning.’
- Watching the windscreen being replaced sparked a wider interest in cars and vehicles, so staff shared fiction and non-fiction books with children on the topic.
- Children transformed a large cardboard box into a car. Using their newly gained knowledge, they wanted their car to also have a windscreen. The children opted for cling film because they knew that they needed to see through the windscreen. Staff then helped them to fasten the cling film onto the box car with masking tape. They used colouring pencils to decorate the cardboard car. One child went to the garden to source a plastic steering wheel before three children ‘drove off’ in the car together. Children continued to enjoy role play around making and driving cars.
- Children are often fascinated to watch when the window cleaner visits to clean the windows. They were able to link this back to the car's windscreen and how it is important to be able to see clearly out of the glass.
what they learned
‘There was lovely communication throughout as the children watched the windscreen being replaced, spoke to Dave and asked him questions,’ says Ginny. ‘We try to teach the children about solving simple problems and this was one of those opportunities – from how Dave was going to replace the windscreen to going back to the nursery with questions around how we were going to make a windscreen for our own box car.’
She says that by watching Dave at work, the children experienced awe and wonder and were able to learn about the world around them – from questioning how things work to gaining knowledge around different people's jobs.
‘Learning about the world around them in a very concrete way is at the heart of early years practice,’ adds Ginny. ‘Our nursery is opposite a primary school and I encourage the pre-schoolers to stand and look out of the windows because I believe that children need time to watch and ponder. They can look out of the windows and watch lorries going past or people walking dogs. Our lives can be very full and busy so I want our children and staff to slow down, consider what's happening outside and chat about it.’
book corner
Cars and Trucks and Things that Go by Richard Scarry
A fun tour of everything that moves in the magical world of Richard Scarry. This children's classic is bursting with all kinds of vehicles.
Toot Toot Beep Beep by Emma Garcia
This chunky board book has a built-in sound chip providing traffic sound effects. Watch the colourful cars zoom across the page while listening to them making their own special noise.
Mr Grumpy's Motor Car by John Burningham
Mr Grumpy has decided to go for a ride in his motor car. What chaos lies ahead?
Who's Driving? by Leo Timmers
A new play on the fable of the hare and the tortoise. Investigate which characters are driving the different vehicles and where they are going.
Usborne Look Inside Cars by Rob Lloyd Jones and Stefano Tognetti
Young car enthusiasts will enjoy this fascinating flap book, where they can find out how cars work, see them being made and watch them roar around racetracks.
My Big Book of Transport by Moira Butterfield and Bryony Clarkson
A vibrant celebration of things that go, with a lively rhythmic text, fascinating facts and bright pictures.
Cars, Trains, Ships & Planes by DK
Packed with more than 1,000 images and full of facts, this book takes you on a journey across land, sea and sky.