First of all, I should say, that I love bubbles! Even before Covid-19, I would try to include as many bubble activities as possible in the children's outdoor playtime. They're just really cool and quite irresistible!
Now that our hybrid class is back on campus, I'm constantly trying to find ways to combat the fear of the Corona Virus. In an effort to calm the children's nerves in the classroom, I'm intentionally trying not to post warning signs to stay 6 feet apart, or to wash hands before and after we enter or leave the room. The children know the health protocol routines, and definitely need verbal reminders to social distance, and to wash hands, but a sign won't help them to put those routines into practice. However, constant and gentle reminders will. The children already seem so wound up internally that they need a way to connect to pure joy and to forget, even for a moment, the dangers that lurk in our new shared reality of this global pandemic.
One way that I'm trying to combat the fear is through bubble play. Now, I obviously can't blow on the bubbles to make them soar, but I can wave the wand in the air to create the bubble-magic that way. It lifts their spirits in a way that nothing else can. I also had to figure out a way for the children to jump for the bubbles but not get into one another's personal space. So, we came up with a game called, Bubble Burst. The children sit in a circle on the grass with social distancing, and I stand on the outside of the circle in various places waving the wand. When the bubbles come to them, they try to pop as many as possible. For each bubble they pop, they "get" 5 points.
As a twist on the game, one day the children picked up some rainbow dance ribbons we use for fun, and started flicking and whipping at the bubbles with the ribbons all while sitting in a circle. It was pretty creative and very funny. Anything for a smile and a laugh.
We will keep exploring ways to let our spirits soar through safety and pure joy!
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