It was a hot, sunny afternoon yesterday, and the kiddos weren't moving very fast, and I realized it was time to get out the water misters. Wow did everyone perk up! At first they just jumped and danced in the mist, rubbing the water on their faces and into their hair, and announcing things like, "It's summer!" "It's foggy!" "I see a rainbow!" Pure joy, a wonder to behold. Then something even better happened! Here's the story, mostly in pictures, with some explanation from me, and quotes from the kiddos. One of the kiddos noticed a small leak in the hose, spraying water up in a small arc. Quickly word spread, and the kiddos who were using buckets to try to catch the mist quickly moved over to the leak. They all shared and took turns! There was, of course, some negotiating: "I'm next", "You're taking too long!" "You're getting me wet", etc., but the kiddos quickly sorted that out, and did an awesome job of waiting for that most precious resource: the water. Here come some more kiddos to investigate... ... and off they go to get buckets! Now, as an adult, I saw a problem: the water wasn't spraying up very far, and the children had the buckets laying flat, or even slightly inverted, so they weren't catching much water at all. They tried putting their fingers over part of the leak - I'm not sure if they were trying to focus the spray so only the part going into the buckets was leaking, or if they were enjoying the feeling of the spray on their fingers - my guess is it was a little of both. It didn't matter how little water they caught! They were having fun! They compared... "Hey, can I have some water?" The children started sharing the few drops they had worked so hard to collect! "I gave my water to my friend." Next step, add some dirt. Look how industriously they are working to collect it! Into the now communal bucket. "Here's some nice crunchy leaves." Isn't it pretty? "We need to stir it!" Sticks were found, broken to a good length, and the mix was perfected. What a treat, as their teacher, so see all the skills the kiddos brought to this experience. I was, and still am, impressed by how well they all played together to enjoy this experience. They shared, took turns, listened to each other, and worked cooperatively to make this glorious bucket of muck. They compared volume and water color. They labelled what they were seeing: mist, fog, a rainbow. They were scientists in a very preschool way, and joyous in the learning and doing. Yes, sunshine + water does indeed = joy!