Kindergarten In Full Color
I remember kindergarten vividly. In full color. There were books and paints and tambourines and blocks, and lots of other wonderful things to play with. But what struck my fancy was the little playhouse that sat in one corner of the room. It had a door that opened and closed and window boxes filled with fake flowers. The players who “lived” in the house didn’t vary much––there was a busy mama, a deep-voiced father, and a crying baby, but if you were lucky you got to be the milkman delivering little wooden bottles of milk. Time for pretend lasted a long time in those days. I also remember my rug. Each kindergartener brought a little rug to school that rolled up and fit into a little bin. When it was time to quiet ourselves, we pulled out the rug, selected a place on the floor beside of our best friend and just rested. After rug time we had a snack to get us energized for the fun to come. It was quite wonderful to drink milk from a little carton with a straw.
In his book, All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten, Robert Fulgram talks about how we learned very important things like not to hit people, and to clean up our own messes. And we spent lots of time drawing, singing, and playing. And maybe most important of all, we learned to wonder. I would love to know what you remember about kindergarten. Send me a comment!
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Amazing to think that my little boy will be off to Kindergarten in just a few years! I love that pretending and creative play can encourage that sense of wonder in a child….and even in an adult.
Hi Kelly, Yes, kindergarten is definitely on your doorstep––time goes by quickly as I’m sure everyone tells you! And it is amazing that so many of us remember kindergarten with such fondness and rich detail.
Yes, I too have fond memories of Kindergarten. Lots of play, making friends and learning to get along. I still remember my first friend, Sofia. We spent a lot of time together in the dress-up area pretending to be mommies, princesses, doctors and so much more. I have to say my son’s kindergarten experience included more instruction with work centers rather than play areas. There was not much time for pretend and learning through play. The testing was stressful at that age. Now what does that do to a child’s sense of wonder?
My mom put me in kindergarten early thinking that I would be there for a year and a half. Surprise to her, I did so well in sandbox and coloring that I “advanced” to 1st grade after only 6 months. That set me off on a future of being a year younger than all my classmates which didn’t affect me until I was too young to drive with others in high school. Not to worry, I was in a military school and no one could drive! When I started that boarding school they wanted to hold me back to repeat 9th grade – to get me “caught up” with the other students. I said NO and survived! Now, those coloring skills are really shining in my career as an architect, and the age difference is really appreciated!
I think kindergarten has changed over the years in many ways. There appears to be more emphasis on academics such as reading earlier and less time for creative endeavors and even outside time. Research on the importance of play in building social and cognitive skills is conclusive. And, of course, play is filled with wonder!
Thanks for sharing that perspective. I’m glad you did well in sandbox and coloring––obviously two very important childhood endeavors!
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Thanks, Roberto. It’s all about communication–what fun!
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Thanks for the bookmark and comment.