The Cottontails love opportunities to play creatively. Pretend play extends their imagination and provides them with chances to build upon their communication skills as well as their social and emotional development. The Decorah Eagle Cam has the Cottontail class excited for the new life that Spring brings. During our daily iPad turns, students have access to the "UStream" app where they can catch the Eagle Cam's live feed. Within the last couple of weeks all three eaglets have hatched. During Free Play time, friends may call classmates over to the iPad to share in the exciting live video images found through taking a peek into the eagles' nest.
The Cottontails have become so excited over the nest's flurry of activity that they have taken what they've seen on the iPad and created their own "Eagle Cam" world at recess. Together, as a whole class, the Kindergarteners can be found using their recess times to play "Eagle Cam". Prior to the hatching of the eggs, friends would take turns being the mama and daddy eagle while other friends were the eggs. They built a large eagles' nest within the wood chips. The eggs would stay cuddle in the nest while the mama and daddy would soar around protecting their home. At one point, they asked if I'd be the mama and sit on the eggs (who, remember, are actually the students!). I graciously declined to sit on them :), but offered to "fly" with the mama and daddy eagles to hunt for food and keep the eggs safe. Pretend play can be fun for adults, too!!
One day, our view into the nest gave us a peek into the food the eagles would bring back. We took group time to watch the mama carefully section pieces of prey (a cottontail rabbit nonetheless) and feed it to the eaglets. Since then, the Kindergarteners have become flying eagles out searching for prey to feed to the friends that are the designated eaglets for the day. A week ago, I held the coveted "mama eagle" position. Now, I'm chased down by a group of eagle friends as I have become their prey!
Regardless of my position in their game, I love taking moments to watch my 15 friends play together. Their interactions are fantastic! To see the whole class play together with smiles on their faces, laughs in their voices, and energy in their bodies is, simply put, a wonderful benefit to what I can amazingly call my job.
Take a moment to check out the baby eaglets and their parents via the Decorah Eagle Cam and check out this picture of my eagle and eaglet friends. They are too much fun!
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