Wooden Blocks

Some of the preschoolers are interested in using the wooden blocks each day.  They are so focused on creating something that they request photos to be taken of their creations.  I have one problem though that they tend to take all the blocks off the shelf and then decide what they would like to make. I'm thinking that having some drawing paper available nearby would allow the children to plan what they are going to make and discuss with the teacher/peers any other materials they need prior to taking the blocks of the shelf.  Does anyone have a similar suggestion about using block corner or do you allow the children to go and build straight away?  I was also thinking about have pictures of structures that the children could build available to promote their creativity nearby.  They are pretty creative already - we have made a "Michael Jackson musical stage", "guitars", "microphones", "drums", "pet houses", "doll living areas" and "ramps". I'm always surprised at what the children can achieve given the space to do so and find we rarely have accidents with the blocks - just the occasional 'they took my block' drama.

Preschool Classroom/s

Here are some photos of my current preschool classroom.  It is a large room but just enough to have 24 children in each day.  We have our own bathroom and taps as well as storeroom and sink.  The children have a range of toys and open ended activities to peruse through.  Most of my teaching resources have been made at home and laminated which has taken lots of time to do but really worth it in the end.  We clean our rooms each day but find that having so many children in the room they decide to rearrange little bits and pieces.  I feel comfortable when I have set up a room with learning activities and have designated areas for play and learning.  Everything has a place and I do my best to keep it that way.  Our classroom changes every few months as my assitant likes to move things around - i would prefer to have the children's input into the arrangement of the room next time it is moved. Are you proud of parts in your classroom that you would like to share?