Sensory Experiences
Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.
-Mary Lou Cook
By now you’ve heard young children learn actively by using all five of their senses. Keep your young child busy by providing sensory experiences. Eliminate the word “mess” and let them explore and discover using their whole body!
At school we take of our shirts or wear smocks. We cover the floor or stay ready with the broom always keeping safety in mind. We keep the “rules” simple, try to keep the contents in the bucket/bin!
At home try the bathtub or the kitchen sink for wet sensory explorations. A small basin on the floor, with a towel on a plastic trash bag to catch spills will work as well. Baths are a great place for sensory investigation. There is so much to explore and learn with very little equipment or cleanup. Supply your child with props such as sponges, basters, colanders, strainers and pitchers.
For dry sensory investigations any shallow bin will work. Shovels, scoops, containers, tongs, and so on work for dry investigations.
Go outside for sensory experiences and exploration, get into mud, plants, rocks, sticks and so on…..
Remember it is only water, mud, paint etc. The benefits for your child will outweigh the cleanup!
Idea list for Sensory Experiences
Dry
cut straws, rice, flour, noodles (cooked or uncooked) all shapes and sizes, salt, sand,
yarn, cotton balls, dry cereal, oatmeal dried beans, soil, rocks, pompoms,
easter grass, bottle caps, fish tank rocks, rocks, shells, sponges
Wet
ice, pudding, jello, bubbles, mud, water, colored water, doughs, paints, whipped cream
Are you unique?
I heard a story this week about an older teacher who “wears tall socks with her shorts”. I am an older educator so I reflected on this. She was categorized as odd, different, and out of touch by younger educators. This teacher clearly was held in the spotlight of not being in touch with or connected to the much younger “in crowd”. I pondered, but how does this reflect in her teaching?
Some of us try hard to fit in while others reject cookie cutter replications and express ourselves by wearing tall socks and shorts! As professionals we are modeling for children that we are confident in our own choices and that they should be confident in their choices no matter what popular opinion is.
There is a balance to being old and wise and young and hip. I am in the struggle to find that balance myself. Here is to being unique!
Valentine Box
This Valentine’s Day let’s use a recycled cereal box to make a Valentine box for cards and treats.
This is a fun inexpensive interactive Valentine’s Day project for young children.
You will need an empty cereal box for each child, some wrapping paper (or paint) and stickers or cut out hearts.
Procedure:
Tape the box closed.
We opted to wrap each child’s box as painting took several layers to eliminate show through. It is possible for an adult to spray paint the boxes first.
Our children enjoyed the process of wrapping the boxes in festive Valentine wrapping paper.
Next we laid the wrapped box down and cut a slit in our Valentine Box for cards and goodies from our friends.
We labeled one Valentine box for each child. Finally, the children decorated with cut outs and glue. Some children added stickers. Our Valentine Box is complete.
Time to deliver the Valentine cards and treats!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Eliminate a behavior
Expectations for behavior are defined by our culture, by society and the environment in which we are in. We have different expectations for behavior in the library or church than we do for the playground. We want to guide young children to behave in a defined way as appropriate to the situation.
There are some behaviors we’d like to see in any environment such as manners (yet even the definition of manners can vary widely). What happens when we wish to eliminate a behavior?
First, ask yourself what is my child doing and why? What needs is he/she trying to meet? Then think, is this behavior unacceptable? Is it important to stop? Also consider, is the behavior age appropriate?
If yes, then reflect, can I adjust?
If you cannot adjust, focus on the behavior and its effect on others not on the child (person). “Yelling is loud and hurts my ears”. Refrain from saying “YOU are (pick one)___________ “loud”, “bad”, or “naughty”.
Make observations that you can see and or hear without making a judgement. “Wow that is loud.”
Do not wait to respond. Ten minutes after an incident is too long for a young child to process the feedback you are providing. Allow the child time to process what you are saying, this could take a few minutes.
Give information and not advice. Communicate clearly why the behavior need to stop. Allow the child to come up with solutions for themselves. The ultimate goal is self-regulation. You may offer to help by brainstorming. “Yelling is loud inside, is there another place we can yell that might not cause your friends to cover their ears?”
Lastly, be flexible and make all solutions appealing when possible. “Can we yell into the trashcan?” I would personally prefer waiting to yell until we go outside. Occasionally, I have to be flexible in accommodating an immediate solution so we yell into the trashcan!
Encourage Please!
Part two of encouragement or praise.
As a result of my professional goal (blog-Encouragement or Praise) I was asked to describe internal control for young children. One of the goals of early care is internal control. My intentions were good however my answer needed refining!
I found that three words, self-regulation, self-control and internal control are used interchangeably to describe the process of learning expected social behavior. Should we praise or encourage to get the desired results? We want all children to learn the process of internal control. How do we help young children achieve this?
The simplest way to answer that is by the environment that we set up. My colleague made a wonderful point about each individual child’s unique set of circumstances and temperament. Children need flexible adults to help acquire the skills of self-regulation.
The point is environment matters. As early childhood educators we must learn which types of phrases encourage and acknowledge. We alternately need to know which phrases are external empty praise remarks.
When we praise it needs to be specific and not far reaching or generic please refer to the list below. Doc1 for a bigger view.
•Phrases to avoid since they impose • Phrases to consider that help
outside “authority”, external control or children develop their own worth and
simply your opinion. It is best to allow not the worth you impose, which
the child to value his/her own effort, might seem impossible to measure
work or outcome. up to.
Encouragement or Praise
My professional goal for 2015 was to acknowledge the difference between encouragement and praise and then incorporate the findings into my practice. I knew that I wanted to encourage children rather than praise them.
I was looking to eliminate from my practice praise statements where I put a value on the child’s work, ideas or accomplishments. I started my research by noticing how much I said “good job” and “I like_____” as both phrases are praise as are other statements that are similar to this.
I replaced these statements with comments that at first sounded bland to me and perhaps even phony but they allow the children to internalize and decide for themselves a value on their accomplishment. I now try to use specific observation such as; “you used yellow”, “you got your boots”, “you figured it out”, “you tried hard” or encouragement such as a simple high five, thumbs up or smile works if you observe the child to be proud, happy or accomplished.
My ultimate goal is for your child to feel good from the inside out and not need strokes of empty praise from those around him/her.
Merry Christmas
Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas!
photo: Fairbanks, AK
Loose Parts
Young children learn most when they are actively participating in the learning process by interacting with adults, each other and the environment. The materials that children interact with are placed in one of two categories, open ended or closed materials. Open ended materials are materials that can be used in many different ways, opposed to closed materials that have one intended use. Wind-up toys, puzzles, talking toys, worksheets and coloring pages are a few examples of closed materials. These types of materials have only one correct way to use them and they require very little higher order thinking.
Loose parts are categorized as open ended. Open ended materials encourage thinking, creativity and experimentation. Loose parts play is intended to be limitless and timeless. It is helpful to think of loose parts as something that will inspire imagination and creativity for each child based on their unique personality and temperament.
Loose parts can be natural or synthetic. They are materials that can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up and taken apart and put back together in multiple ways. Loose parts can be used alone or combined with other materials. There are NO directions with loose parts.
Let’s look at aluminum cans. They can be stacked, rolled, used as containers, hollered into, kicked, used in the play kitchen as imaginary food, become a telescope, etc. They are virtually indestructible, easily replaced and free (except for the original contents).
Here is a list of loose parts in the environment. It can be found here: ribbonshttp://extension.psu.edu/youth/betterkidcare/early-care/our-resources/tip-pages/tips/loose-parts-what-does-this-mean
Loose parts in a natural play area:
water • sand • dirt • sticks • branches • logs • driftwood • grasses • moss • leaves • flowers • pinecones • pine needles • seeds • shells • bark • feathers • boulders • rocks • pebbles • stones
Loose parts on a playground:
balls • hoops • jump ropes • tires • sand • water • dirt • straw • boulders • rocks • stones • pebbles • buckets • cups • containers • digging tools • chalk • scarves • ribbons • fabric
Loose parts in an indoor environment:
blocks • building materials • manipulatives • measuring • pouring devices (cups, spoons, buckets, funnels) • dramatic play props • play cars, animals, and people • blankets • materials • floor samples • water • sand • sensory materials • recycled materials (paper tubes, papers, ribbons, caps, lids, wood scraps, wire, foam, cardboard) • plastic gutters • small plungers • tools • art materials (buttons, spools, natural and colored popsicle sticks, beads, straws, paints, brushes)
What else can you collect?
Resolutions and Change
The year is half over, if you’re like many people, you start off every year with good intentions for keeping your New Year’s resolution. Now is the time for a mid-year check in. How are you doing? Here is a list to help you get or stay on track.
Renew Your Commitment – Review the reasons you made your resolution(s) in the first place. Are they still relevant to your life?
Be Realistic –Is your goal something you can realistically accomplish in the amount of time you set.
Set Small Goals – Break your goal down into realistic small parts, be specific about what you want to accomplish, set milestones.
Talk About your Goal – Don’t keep it a secret. Involve your friends, your family and your pet. They can be a support. Find someone who is working on the same thing and do it together. Meet at the gym, share healthy recipes or join a book club. You’ll motivate each other and a little friendly competition may be just what you need to stay on track.
Expect Setbacks – Accept the fact that you are not going to be perfect every day and don’t beat yourself up for a minor setback. Recognize your success, reward yourself appropriately and, if you do fall down, get right back to it the next day.
What, you ask does any of this have to do with young children? The answer is twofold. One, I made a commitment to enhance my teaching skills, to learn something new and to bring it into my practice. It was time to review my progress. Two, these same skills apply to working with the young child!! I follow each of these steps in my classroom with teamwork and intention towards a common goal! It is a joyous, workable, pleasurable learning environment. Isn’t that what we are all striving for?
Dramatic Play Prop Boxes
Circus Prop Box
The importance of dramatic play was outlined in another of my blog posts, this blog overviews some fun, inexpensive open ended dramatic play ideas for your early learning center or home. When children dress up or play in the Dramatic Play Area, they try on various roles which help them process and understand the world. Young children are developing social skills and the ability to play with others, while using their imagination and being creative.
Dramatic play is not just a “housekeeping” kitchen center but we’ll start there.
Housekeeping, it is familiar to most children and therefore a great starting point for dramatic play. All that is needed are items you have in your home or center already. Old phones, pots/pans, bowls, spoons, kitchen towels and some open ended materials such as blocks, river stones or fabric pieces that can be used imaginatively. Open ended materials (materials that have no specific intended use) add richness to dramatic play.
Here are A FEW other ideas for dramatic play centers/areas or prop boxes.
Restaurant/pizza parlor- discarded pizza boxes, play money, order pad, phones, aprons, cash register, stove, play pizza cutter, cardboard circles (pizzas) with felt on one side, felt toppings – green peppers, mushrooms,
Grocery Store-play food, empty food containers/boxes, paper bags, cash register, play money, sale flyers, grocery cart/basket, aprons, purses/wallets, coupons, paper and pencil for lists
Ice cream shop – ice cream scoops, paper cones, empty ice cream tubs, play money/cash register, apron and hat, order pads/pencils, wipe-off board menu, empty whipped cream spray cans
Flower Shop-Plastic flowers, water can, tools, seed packets, smock, plastic pots, cash register, money, tools, phone, garden hat, ribbon, pen and paper
More Themes:
Farm/zoo/jungle safari/pet shop/vet office
Camping/fishing
Lemonade Stand
Archeological dig
Doctor Office/Eye Doctor/Dentist/Office
Construction site
Airplane/train/boat
Use your imagination and add inexpensive hands on materials for discovery. Remember to add open ended materials to stimulate the imagination. Boxes, tubes, plastic containers, pieces of fabric, paper, writing instruments and tape can be anything the child wishes to create.
I’d love to hear your additions!