Encounters with some children - observing for schema

I was allowed to roam free in the nursery this afternoon observing the teaching and learning space and interacting with children if possible. As I have mentioned, the children are very used to visitors and initiate interactions freely. I was watching some children racing up and down a long hallway with wooden trucks 'transporting treasures' from one end of the hall to the other (hallway may be up to 20m long - I am spatially challenged - and the 3 children were racing up it pushing trucks). Not once were the children asked to stop this activity and it went on for over half an hour noise and all....no drama...no crashing. Others knew to get out of the way and respected the activities.

 I met a child while we watched others play games on the computers. There were some animals on the bench so we started to play with them. The next series of photos show the way the play was repeated many times over - lining up the animals 'connecting them in a row'. The teachers talk a lot about schema in their every day language with children. It is a 'default' framework for thinking for the teachers. There is a strange chaos in the environment inside that the children joyfully navigate around.

 Sorting them this way and then that...

 each time different arrangement - applying different criteria to line them up

 These photos are the same - I wanted a more artistic photograph :O)

 The toy at the end is her own toy from home - you can see it is a bit different from the other animals.

Each of these photographs is a different arrangement of the same animals. The child would set them up and then flick them over. The children are free to explore their schema in ways that are meaningful to them. I am impressed by this as it may be thought of that this full on space is not carefully orchestrated...don't be fooled....it is!!!