sol17-7 What if we relived the story with blocks?

I am participating in the
Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC).
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day, every day of March 2017. 

A big thank you to Two Writing Teachers for providing this unique opportunity

for teacher-writers to share and reflect.

I read the sweet book The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton and the block center became transformed...preschoolers made the story come alive.

Right after we read the book, one student was building with blocks and she built a small house. 

I said, "Oh, is that The Little House? The one in the story we just read?" She said "Yes! And now we need a city!" Several children started pitching in, building around the little house.

The first blocks were pretty intentional, with the goal being high buildings around the house and a bridge on top of the house.

More children became interested and the creating went in many different directions - making a zoo, a metro train, "my" house, a railroad track, a playground, more tall buildings...

Children added more and more details, more and more ideas, more and more blocks. 

Everyone worked together. No one took apart another's work, they simply scavenged for additional blocks and created something new for the city. The Little House became forgotten. The new goals were as varied as the children building - what if we built a city around us? Let's fit inside our city! What if we built a super tall house? The tallest house in the world? What if this city was only for animals, no people? Let's make animal families. What if we used all the little blocks, too? What if?

I have always loved this classic story. My students do, too.