Holiday Care Billie Carts
After four days of intense planning, preparing and construction, the children of Nangkita raced their newly built Billie carts around the Stage 3 playground. The vehicles dashed down the slope and bent around corners in a blaze of glory!
On the first day the children were introduced to the concepts underpinning the Billie cart, such as the mechanics behind the movement of the wheels and how it is steered. Children then selected their materials and began the design-make process. This involved measuring the wood for cutting and pinpointing where drilling will occur. Children were guided through how to safely operate these pieces of equipment; and in true Montessori spirit, the children engaged in hands-on learning in order to operate the drill and saw.
Not only did the children prepare the materials for the billie carts, they also put them together! Though it was a challenge at first, all children successfully screwed and bolted their (extravagantly colourful) pieces of wood together.
Ultimately, Friday’s afternoon skirmish was a gratifying experience for the children and teachers alike. The children finally got to enjoy the fruits of their labour, and the teachers were in amazement at how well the children performed the task.
