Over the last few weeks the infants have been enjoying playing with toy fire trucks. They pretend to drive them and make siren sounds. Walter’s favourite song is “The Fire Truck Song” by Danny Go! He started requesting it regularly. “Weeo weoo?” he asked. After listening to it a few times in a row the other children also asked for it. The children would run around the shelf singing “weoo weeoo!” Educators also sang “Hurry Hurry Drive the Fire Truck,” and the infants would put their hands out, pretending to drive.
To expand on this interest, educators provided Fire Fighter hats. The infants wore them as they pretended to drive around the classroom. To continue this play, educator Lorie built a fire truck out of a box. As the children entered the room they shouted “fire truck” and “weeo weeoo!” Walter was the first one to try it out. He put a helmet on and proudly stood in the truck. “Weoo weoo,” he sang over and over. When Allie arrived, Walter got out of the truck and walked over to Allie and asked if she wanted to join. “Allie weo weeo?” he asked. With a smile Allie joined him. Walter and Allie practiced opening and closing the door to the truck. Educator Lorie put on the Fire Truck song by Danny Go. Walter and Allie sang along while pretending to drive the fire truck.
As more friends arrived they took turns in the fire truck. There was room for two people to be inside the truck. Maverick and Damian examined the outside of the truck. “That?” Maverick asked. “That’s the light,” educator Kiva answered. “That?” he asked again. “That’s the ladder,” Kiva told him. “That?” he asked again. “That’s the wheel,” Kiva answered. Maverick and Damian both repeated these words. “It looks like the wheel needs fixing,” Kiva pretended, “can you find me a tool so that we can fix it?” Both Maverick and Damian grabbed a toy tool and pretended to fix different parts of the truck. Maverick pointed where he was working with a big smile. “Is it all fixed?” Kiva asked. “Yeah,” he said with a nod. Later in the day more children pretended to “fix” the outside and inside of the fire truck. The truck continues to be part of our dramatic play area.
As this interest continues we may read books about fire trucks and fire fighters. Educators may attempt to make individual fire trucks out of boxes. Educators are also in the process of finding a real fire truck to come visit the center!
