Preschoolers Discover Manhole Covers - Art at Your Feet

Have you ever stopped and considered manhole covers? 

No? No worries, most of us haven't. However, when our Afternoon Explorers class of preschoolers took a walk recently around the school's neighborhood of Hyde Park, the kids became interested in manhole covers.

And it turns out, once you actually look, there's a lot to consider. 

The children noticed that the manholes had different patterns and different words. 

Do the different patterns mean anything? What is written on them? The class decided to do rubbings of the manhole covers to study them more closely.

Back at school, the children studied the rubbings, noticing patterns, words, making out company names and figuring out what the covers were for. 

This even prompted the teachers to look up the different company names to learn more about who makes these covers and what goes into them.

The children's rubbings are now on display in the preschool's stairwell and all who pass stop to consider manhole covers. 

Goes to show that you do not need to travel far to discover interesting, beautiful and intricate things that introduce you to a whole new world - below your feet, no less!