JFK Elementary has a new playground attraction-a paleontology sandbox where kids get to be paleontologists and dig for fossils during recess.
On the first day it was unveiled, students lined up to excavate and find specimens. They wore sanitized goggles, delicately dug and brushed bones–playing, pretending and engaging.
“I think it’s the side of a T-Rex,” said Ethan Lawlor.
“It’s definitely the ribs of a dinosaur,” said Madison Heredia.
The paleontology sandbox was a team effort: the cost of the sandbox was split between the school, the elementary PTA and the Brewster Education Foundation.
“After observing and listening to the needs of our students, it was evident that our youngest learners are still working on gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Looking at best practice and taking a multi-sensory and multi-disciplinary approach, I thought it was the best way to incorporate all of these needs and make it look like the students are just playing in the sand. This is what I consider "academic play." As student's uncover the bones we ask... "What type of dinosaur do you think it is? "What part of the body do you think you are looking at and why?" Students have to share time in the sandpit. They work together as teams, uncovering different parts of the skeletons. It has been a wonderful addition,” said Principal John Conroy.
And the sandbox comes with high expectations. Students must behave exceptionally well in order to keep the area safe. It is easy for kids to behave and rise to the occasion when they are motivated to learn. Students must wear safety goggles. The goggles are used once. Then they are disinfected before the next use.
As a majority of students dug to find the dinosaur fossils hiding beneath the sand, others built castles. One student, Delaney Tarantino, built a volcano. There was an excited buzz of activity.
“Hey, I found something over here,” said Anderson Gonzalez Perez, “it’s a Stegosaurus, or maybe a buried treasure.”
