“We need to organize!” Brooke

“You should go to the food place.  They make really good food.  I just had a chocolate pancake.”  -Chester

Studio Red has opened a restaurant. In previous iterations it was a candy store, lasting for a day or so. This past week it has opened its doors and extended across the spaces of our studio. Children have been weaving in and out of roles as chefs, waitresses, customers, and cashiers. They creatively find materials and tools to use in our spaces to serve as food, plates, and money. An extra layer of clothing is tied around their waists, holding the clipboard where orders are recorded with paper and pen. The workers wear name tags, often reading the names of siblings. There is excitement!

However, observing this play,  we teachers noted some concerns felt by children and ourselves. Materials were ending up all over the studio on tables and floors where they were stepped on or simply in the way of other explorations.   Some children were exasperated when asked continually if they would like something to eat while drawing at the table or working with clay: "I am not playing that game, I said!" At the end of one day, Brooke finally exclaimed, "We need to organize!" And so, we brought this thinking to the children, posing our observations as a problem they could work to solve together.

problem posing and envisioning possibilities

What was the problem?  Lyla

We had to organize the restaurant.  Vivian

I organized it.  Because the, if it was messier.  I was getting tired.  I saw a pieces broke that was purple.  We won’t be on the floor if it’s organized.  Brooke

No, because in a real restaurant they don’t just ask you what you want.  They say, “Would you like something to eat?” Birdie

They gave me a cake when I didn’t want anything.  Beatrice

You didn’t even order a cake.  Chester

No one gave us menus.  Charlotte

We did give them menus!

They should ask, “Are you ready?”  Then someone comes with a notebook and then they make the food and bring it to them.  Charlie

Look at the menu, blah, blah, blah.  Beatrice   (Laughter)

So I have heard you talk about organizing two different things to make the restaurant work well: the materials and the people.  Emily

10,000 cakes and I didn’t want any!  Beatrice

People told me to make them.  What am I supposed to do!  Lyla

People can come through a door when they want to order food.  Like we can use those blocks.  Chester

Lauri and I brought those big blocks here to help with the restaurant play.  Emily

We could make a door with those big blocks, if you want to come in.  Charlie

I think I imagine in my brain two blocks and then you open it and that’s the restaurant.  Birdie

Or we could make a table out of blocks.  Arya

I was thinking for a restaurant, two for a door and we could open.  Sevi

We make a line out of the blocks and if you walk by the blocks, you buy something, and if you don’t, you don’t.  Lyla

We pretend in our door you would have to buy something.  Jane

I did same-same as Lyla so I don’t have to say anything.  Graeme

Some places, like a fancy restaurant have two poles with soft in the middle. People line up.  Zaarha

We could make, be a line.  Lines of blocks and you step over.  Chester 

problem solving

“Now, let’s get working!”  Jane

reflecting

We solved it! We did my idea except Jane helped by wrapping it all around the table.  Lyla

And when it got dirty we would stop, clean it up, get dirty, stop, clean it up.  Arya

And then Graeme put up a don’t step over sign except we were supposed to step over.  Lyla

No, we had a door.  Arya

Yeah, there was a space.  Graeme

Same-same.  The cleaning-up-messy, was my same-same.  Jane

There was one more problem: other people were at the restaurant when other people were [supposed to be] at the restaurant.  Birdie

But we solved a problem.  The chefs told me to be a waitress and that is what I wanted to be.  Graeme

Also another problem! Charlie was stealing our food. Brooke

How did you solve that problem?  Emily

We were hiding our food.  Lyla

And one time we hid his sweatshirt.  Brooke

Did that make the problem smaller or bigger?  Emily

Smaller.  Children

Yeah, cuz I didn’t even know where the food was and I didn’t care about my sweatshirt.  Charlie