The Transformers
Located on the East and West ends of Stillwater, right on Highway 51, G&M Body Shop is the home of two giant Transformers, Bumblebee and Optimus Prime. A visit to the Transformers is a fun opportunity to build children’s language, observation skills, imagination, and curiosity.
In 1909, local banker Frank Wikoff worked to save land for parks across Stillwater. For many years, city workers built playground equipment themselves. In 1969, the city had extra money and was able to buy ready-made playground equipment for the first time. After that, the city began saving money to buy new playground equipment and make its parks better. Today, generations of Stillwater families enjoy the city’s parks and playgrounds.
To learn more about Stillwater History visit the Stillwater History Museum, at the Sheerar Cultural Center on the corner of 7th and Duncan.
BUMBLEBEE:
P = POINT OUT: The Transformer transforms from a car into this. Can you find Bumblebee's headlights?
L = LAUGH: Bumblebee speaks through song lyrics; what song would he be singing today?
A = ASK: · The mechanics here had to reinforce Bumblebee to withstand Oklahoma weather! What types of weather will the statue experience?
Y = YAY: · What amazes you about the statue?
OPTIMUS PRIME:
· P = POINT OUT: There are many gears and tires, all circular. Can you and your family count them all?
L = LAUGH: How do you think Optimus Prime would walk? Would that walk change if he was running low on gas?
A = ASK: Optimus Prime transforms out of a semi-truck; what goods do you think he would carry in her truck form?
Y = YAY: What name can you give your family's car?
"I Spy" is a great activity for children of all ages. here are some ideas of things to find!
I Spy a playground. What’s your favorite thing to climb on?
WOW! Look at the colors. How many different colors can you find? Show me!
How many swings do you see? Remember some may look different than you are used to.
Listen…do you hear any birds?
Have you seen any squirrels with bushy tails? How many?
Look and describe: “Look at that big robot!” or “I see black and yellow or red and blue.”
What catches your baby’s attention?. Say, “You’re looking at his face!” or “You see those big wheels.”
Connect words and gestures: Point to the robot and name what you see: “Big,” “shiny” “wheel,” and “robot.”
Enjoy back-and-forth interaction: Smile, imitate your baby’s sounds, and pause to give them time to respond with a look, smile, or coo.
What children are learning: Visual tracking, attention, listening, early language, and the foundations of back-and-forth communication.
Find the colors: “Can you find something black?”
Look for body parts: “Where is the Transformer’s head? Can you find his arms? What about his feet?”
Compare sizes: “The Transformer is so big! Are you big or little? Can you stretch up tall like a robot?”
Listen and imitate: Take turns making robot sounds, beeps, and pretend engine noises.
Notice the details: “What do you see on his body? Do you see wheels, lights, or shapes?”
What children are learning: New vocabulary, color and shape recognition, early concepts such as big and little, listening, imitation, and gross-motor coordination.
Go on a robot detective hunt: Look carefully for wheels, gears, lines, shapes, and different parts. “What details do you notice that you didn't see at first?”
Count and compare: Count visible wheels, arms, legs, or other features. “Which parts come in pairs? How many can you count?”
Explore shapes and patterns: “What shapes do you see? Can you find a pattern in the colors or parts?”
Think like an engineer: “What do you think the Transformer is made of? How do you think all those pieces fit together?”
Look at it from different viewpoints, from a safe, permitted viewing area. “What can you see from here that you couldn't see from the other side?”
Take a photo and describe it: Invite children to describe their favorite detail or explain what makes Bumblebee interesting.
What children are learning: Counting, classification, spatial awareness, descriptive language, problem-solving, scientific thinking, creativity, and following multi-step directions.
Bumblebee
How much bigger is Bumblebee compared to you? How many of you stacked up would this tall?
Bumblebee was put on display, or "born," in 2015. How old would that make the statue now?
A bumblebee is a small insect, which is a funny name for such a huge guy! If you were to rename this statue, what would be a cool name?
Optimus Prime
Let's estimate how tall Optimus stands. A piece of paper is close to one foot. How many feet does that make Optimus?
Optimus Prime is made out of metal. What other material could you use to make a statue this big?
The colors on Optimus Prime are patriotic. Can you think of a theme song for this Transformer?
Expand the playful learning experience with the Stillwater Public Library. The library has many books about playing, being in nature, and seasonal topics plus activity kits to get moving and learning outside. Visit the library at 1107 S Duck or place a hold to explore the options.
Click here for the Young Athlete backpack (https://tinyurl.com/youngathletebackpack)
Explore the Take It/Make It kits for outdoor citizen science (https://tinyurl.com/TIMIkits)
Check out picture book stories about parks and playgrounds (https://ltfl.librarything.com/syndeticsunbound/lp/1024.1392/list/8809)
Don’t forget to check out the Storywalks at Couch and Strickland Parks.