Hunting for Cherries

Last Fall when we moved into the Preschool House, we noticed a large cherry tree in the neighbors yard at the back of the house. There were a lot of pits and stems on the ground and we wondered what it might be like in the late Spring when the tree would be covered in bright green leaves. Would there be flowers? What color would the cherries be when fully ripe?

Over the last few weeks, we have had the opportunity to find out the answers to these questions. And as we have observed the "signs of Spring" as IR says, we have also had the signs of the ripening cherries thrust upon us as they fall to the ground and in our sandbox throughout the day. 

One day, a few of the Preschoolers were on a cherry hunting mission, that involved foraging the ground and partaking in some more risky stick and pipe maneuvering.

The preschoolers communicated with each other, taking on different roles as they searched for cherries.

 

IR and EB worked together to stack the crates and then IR quickly ran to the play structure.

IR- "GS, get in the house! It's going to be a cherry storm!"

GS- "Go EB, go! Baby wants some... Cherries, cherries, cherries!"

As IR held tight to a container with one ripe cherry in it and watched from the top of the play structure with GS, EB went back and forth from the crates to the play structure. While the three of them were together, they talked about what they might do with their cherries... "make pie," "make jam," "eat them fresh." Then EB made her way back to the crates, clutching a large pipe in her hands.

 

EB- "IR, I almost got it."

IR- "Alright, try one more time."

EB- "I might have to try a few more times."

"IR, you can try. I couldn't do it. I can help take care of the cherries."

GS- "I can help! I can help pretty well. I can help really well."

GS then walked over to the crates and carefully balanced holding the pipe in one hand as he climbed on top of the stacked crates.  

GS held the pipe up high in the air, touching the end of it to the bottom branches on the tree. He then said, "I tried to get them down, but I couldn't. I was almost there."

IR waited to eat the only ripe cherry she had collected until they were finished trying to gather cherries. EB and GS did not even ask to have the cherry, which shows the cherry gathering was not about having a reward at the end, but was about the reward of the work itself!
It was about the process of working together and the 5 C's: Collaboration, Cooperation, Coordination, Communication, and Change.
It was about the feat of being able to reach the bottom branches of the tree by taking risks and being a bit dangerous.