Open ended activities encourage children to explore and uncover knowledge. When engaging in an open ended activity, there is no finished product, and the focus is on the process.

Today we invited the children to observe rocks found in our yard. We talked about the textures,sizes, and colors of the rocks. The teachers offered water and sponges for the children to wet the rocks and watch the transformation from dried to wet. In addition to the color changes, the pattern on the rocks became more visible when they were wet. As the water evaporates, the rocks dried and returned to its original state.

The children repeated the wetting and drying process over and over until they were done. There were no right answers or end time to this activity. However, the children gained knowledge in problem solving, making predictions, coordinating hand-eye muscles, and working with others.

Some open ended activities you can do at home include: blocks, paint, sand/water, or Legos. Happy playing!!