This is snow

On Tuesday, some of us were invited in to Elliot's imagination. Over the next few days, we went on a journey together, up and down snowy mountains, to different states, countries, even continents. Though at times a slippery slope, requiring various equipment and shifting safety guidelines, we stuck together and had a great time!

Here is the story:

Elliot carefully sets up a long plank block on top of the ramp in the running area.

Elliot: This is snow. That my ski shoes.

Elliot bends down and pretends that he is adjusting his ski boots. He then shifts his weight slowly towards the end of the block until the block (and his body) slide down the ramp, down to the floor.
Both Chris and Jamie have noticed what Eliiot is doing and are interested. They each get a similar block and come to try this out.

Chris: Now can I try? I’m skateboarding. I just have a helmet on.

Elliot: I have skateboarding. You are skateboarding? (To Chris)  I want to do that.

 

Elliot: Watch out for my ski!

Wesley comes over to the area carrying a block.

Elliot: You go skateboarder? Are you gonna be a skateboarder? I go skateboarder!

Jamie: I’m a skateboarder!

Wesley: Hold my hand. We have to go one more time because my ski fell off. I want a hand.

Elliot: I be teacher. For snow. I be teacher for snow. I be the teacher for snow…It’s not scary. It’s not scary ski. No. I pretend.

Oh, it’s not scary to go skiing?

Elliot: No. No. I pretend.

The next day, after Mark and I talked about it, we put this set up by the cubbies, removing it from the running place.

Elliot brings a block over and starts this up again on Wednesday. Chris soon joins him.

Chris: Now let me go. Now let me go on my surfboard. I can ride my skateboard back.

Elliot: I have a skateboard too.

Chris: I got this from America…

Elliot: I did it! My own!

Chris: I got this surfboard from South Africa.

Elliot: My turn!

Johann sits in cubby and watches.

Are you a watcher? Or a waiter?

Johann: I am a watcher.

Josie comes over with a long block.

Are you a watcher?

Josie: I want a turn.

She watches for a bit and then asks the others, When is it my turn?

Elliot: My ski board! My block!

Previous slide
Next slide

Chris: You have to be a watcher. I can go on my skateboard. I got this from South Africa…There! Now it’s your turn. There. Now it’s my turn.

On Thursday, Jack brings a block over and starts to ski like the other children had done earlier.

Chris joins him for a run.

Chris: I have my helmet on. I got it from San Francisco.

When it is Jack’s turn again, he rides down the mountain on his skis one time, but then appears to be thinking about something new…

Jack shifts his body so that he is kneeling on the floor next to the ramp. He starts to move his block up and down the wooden ramp. 

Jack: I gonna be…I saw someone…I saw a sawmill builder and it can go up the mountains. A sawmill build can go up the mountains and down the mountains.

Elliot and Jamie come over to see what Jack is doing. 

Hi guys! You want to try ski?

Off to the slopes they go!