Working Out

Jamie, Johann, Josie and Ellie are in the classroom at or near the playdough. The rest of the children have elected to play outside.
Jamie approaches Mark and asks, Where mommy?

I don’t know – where does she go? Grocery shopping?

Jamie Yeah.

I know that Stella’s mom goes to the gym and works out.

Ellie My dad works out.

Your dad works out too? Does he lift weights? Does he run?

He doesn’t run. Dad lifts his feet – he puts his feet like that. (straightens her feet under the table)

So that’s how he works out?

Yeah. He puts his feet there. Yeah. Can you try that?

Mark straightens his feet. So you put your feet out there. And then what do you do when you work out?

I do this. (Ellie positions herself sideways on the floor, holding herself up by one foot and one hand)

Ahh! You do that. Let me see if I can do that. You go like that?

Yeah.

I see. Oh! Josie has something she does, too.

Now Josie begins assuming different poses; she and Ellie move from one position to another with their bodies. At one point Josie does the swan, tilting her head back and touching her feet to the back of her head.

Mark tries it and says, I can’t do that.

Josie explains Yeah, you’re too big.

Ellie tries it: I can’t touch it.

Johann stands up Look how big I am.

Ellie I’m big – my brother’s bigger and taller than me.

Josie makes herself tall, reaching up to the sky.

You guys are all really tall.

Josie And my big sister is tall.

Ellie My big brother is tall, too.

I bet Luke is tall, too.

Johann My brother is taller than me.

Ellie Charlotte’s tall, too.

They try out more poses and moves.

Ellie says: I tiptoe and walk on my feet.

Johann shows a pose where he balances on one hand and one foot. Josie does the donkey kick. Johann stands on one foot and spreads his fingers out: Look at this, he says.

Ellie balances on her feet and her head – no hands; her sweater flips over her and she says I’m exercising with my jacket.

Then Johann does a donkey kick, too.

Josie says I do a seesaw!!!

They finish their workout, and it’s time to clean up.

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The next day we see more “working out” of different sorts. Chris demonstrates a somersault. Wesley and Josie throw a ball to each other. Then Wesley shows off his drop kicking skills, working on it for some time. Josie, Henry, Wesley, and Elliot try out the curvy boards on the playground, some switching from standing to sitting and rocking. (Josie gets the idea to rock a boat on hers!) Jack moves carefully between standing on his wagon and walking along a row of bricks, singing “This Little Light.” Johann drapes himself over the climbing structure, making nonverbal sounds to himself.

Some children are playing in the car outside at the playground, saying goodbye and then coming back. Wesley and Elliot have just come back from a car trip to see their moms. Wesley approaches Diane, Hi, I’m back.

You came back?

Wesley: (With a heavy sigh) I have to go for a run.

Oh. Now you have to go for a run…

Elliot: I run too. I run.

You’re going to go for a run too?

Elliot: Yea.

Wesley: I’m going for a run too.

Oh, you’re both going for a run. Ok.

Elliot is looking down at his feet and pointing, first at his own shoes and then at Wesley’s shoes.

Elliot: This shoes.  With those shoes…  This run. This shoes.

 

With those shoes you’re going to run and Wesley will run with those shoes. And then you’ll come back?

Elliot and Wesley: Yea.

And off they go!

These children are working out what their bodies can do, watching and listening to others, wondering:

What can my body do?
Can my body do what someone else’s can?
What if I do something like it, but new, that’s my own way of doing it?

This is a different sort of “working out” than adults do!