Perhaps the most anticipated time of day for children is choice time, a time of day I always make sure we fit in, partly because it is almost everyone's favorite time of day, but mostly because so much learning takes place during this unstructured, self-directed time.

Recently a popular option has been making tube creations.  Initially this was inspired by the books "I am Not a Toilet Paper Roll" and "Fun Things To Do With Cardboard Tubes." More recently, children have run with the concept and are thinking of their own ideas for tube creations: castles, bats, owls, unicorns, alligators, sharks, monsters... the possibilities are endless! Thanks to Joe Robinson, our custodian for graciously collecting paper towel tubes for us.  We use them as fast as he delivers them to the room! We have also discovered we can just make our tubes using colored paper. 

Another favorite choice is building with big blocks, where a wide array of things are constructed, from castles to cars and recently a pirate ship complete with flags.  Some other popular choices include magnet tiles and puzzles. Ask your children what their favorite choice is!