Potato Container Garden
Want to try container gardening with your little ones? We had success with potatoes! Here is why it worked for us!
First, seed potatoes or potato eyes are large enough for little hands to manage. Have you ever tried planting tiny carrot seeds with young children………you get the idea, potatoes are doable!
Second, the potato grows under the soil so there is minimal disruption if a child or children pick the leaves of the potato plant. Unlike, if a just forming tomato is picked, the project is over!
Third, the potato is not delicate. Children can dig into the box at the end of the growing period and find the potatoes without harming the produce.
Here’s how to set up a potato container garden.
You will need some kind of big container, soil, starter potato, a trowel,water and mulching material.
We used an old window box, filled it with soil, dug a few holes into the soil, plopped the potato in and covered the whole box with more soil and a layer of old leaves and straw. Place your container in a sunny location.
Water your container steadily if you don’t have rain from time to time. Water it, watch the plants grow and when the plants die off sometime about 10 weeks from the start of the project, it is time to dig up your potato!
Small potatoes, big impact!
Process Art Experiences
NAEYC has written a great article about process art experiences. I have edited the content to show the benefits of process art. The whole article is here. http://www.naeyc.org/tyc/article/process-art-experiences
Many of us still look for “cute” projects. Cute is usually not art, it is craft and product based. Pinterest has made it easy to find product oriented “cute” projects. One needs to understand the difference between process and product art and use that knowledge when offering art experiences to young children. There are many ideas online however don’t be fooled by posts that come up with the heading process art but are product art in disguise!
The following is about process art as summed up by NAEYC.
Characteristics of process-focused art experience
- There are no step-by-step instructions
• There is no sample for children to follow
• There is no right or wrong way to explore and create
• The art is focused on the experience and on exploration of techniques, tools, and materials
• The art is unique and original
• The experience is relaxing or calming
• The art is entirely the children’s own
• The art experience is a child’s choice
• Ideas are not readily available online
What children might say
“Look what I made!” “I’m going to do another!”
“Can I have more time?”
Provide open-ended, creative art experiences by offering activities such as
• Easel painting with a variety of paints and paintbrushes (with no directions)
• Watercolor painting
• Exploring and creating with clay
• Finger painting
• Painting with unusual tools like toothbrushes, paint rollers, potato mashers
• Printing and stamping (stamps purchased or made with sponges)
• Creating spin art using a record player and paint, squirt bottles, paintbrushes, or markers
• Stringing beads independently and creatively
• Weaving cloth, yarn, or paper
• Drawing with pencils, art pens, various sizes of markers, or crayons
• Using homemade doughs
• Making collages using tissue paper, various sizes of paper, glue, paste, glue sticks, scissors, and recycled materials
Tips for leading process-focused art
- Approach art like open-ended play—for example, provide a variety of materials and see what happens as the child leads the art experience
2. Make art a joyful experience. Let children use more paint, more colors, and make more and more artwork
3. Provide plenty of time for children to carry out their plans and explorations
4. Let children come and go from their art at will
5. Notice and comment on what you see: Look at all the yellow dots you painted
6. Say YES to children’s ideas
7. Offer new and interesting materials
8. Play music in the background
9. Take art materials outside in the natural light
10. Display children’s books with artful illustrations, such as those by Eric Carle, Lois Ehlert, and Javaka Steptoe
11. Let the children choose whether their art goes home or stays in the classroom
12. Remember that it’s the children’s art, not yours
What children do and learn through process-focused art
Social and emotional
Children relax, focus, feel successful, and can express their feelings
Language and literacy
Children may choose to discuss their art and add print to it (on their own or by dictating to a teacher)
Cognitive
Children compare, predict, plan, and problem solve
Physical
Children use small motor skills to paint, write, glue, use clay, and make collages
Full article is here: http://www.naeyc.org/tyc/article/process-art-experiences
The Poop Blog
Today we found “poop” on the playground.
It was just another day on a snow covered playground when all of a sudden above the din of the children playing there was the call of “poop”! Several two and a half year old children gathered around the spot as did I, their teacher. Much discussion followed as to how this poop got here. I listened intently as the boys discussed. There discussion went from “a dog did it” to “a moose did it” to naming one of their friends who must have pooped there on the ground (fully dressed in snow gear, giggle giggle). I looked at the “poop” with the children and would occasionally utter, “oh” and “I see” and “interesting”, I wondered aloud how a moose entered the yard. Sometimes I repeated with an inquisitive tone, “a dog?”. As time went on they got a little braver and a little closer to the “poop”.
Another teacher wanted to know what was going on here. I answered we were looking at poop. To which she replied, “oh, Riley spilled her coffee yesterday”. My little friends overheard this and the investigation came to a halt. I casually said, “or it could be split coffee”. NO one answered. Their behavior turned. Where they had been exchanging and processing information, taking turns and learning they began to stomp on it and kick at the snow!
I later reflected the impact of adults “solving” the “problem”. These children were not in harm’s way. Why are we as adults so quick to fix what these young children were able to negotiate? I don’t know if they would have concluded “coffee” however I did watch them getting physically closer and closer.
At lunch time we recalled the situation and talked about one of our favorite stories, It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw (http://www.amazon.com/It-Looked-Like-Spilt-Milk/dp/0064431592) where the clouds take on different shapes. The children were processing that what we see can sometimes be something different. Young children can be trusted as intelligent problem solvers. Let them investigate, explore and come to conclusions, right or wrong, no need to solve their poop!
I am going to read Duck and Goose by Tad Hills (http://www.amazon.com/Duck-Goose-Tad-Hills/dp/037583611X) which has a similar “things are not what they seem” story line. I’ll report back with results.
Creating a Win-Win
How do you create a win-win situation with your toddler?
The young preschooler by nature is the master of battles. We have witnessed and experienced the change of season clothing battle, the “I want it the way I want it” battle and the “I don’t like it” battle for the past few weeks! It is important to choose your battles wisely and create a win-win for you both!
Let’s look at how to create a win-win situation, since that is the preferable outcome.
When your young child is thrashing about, stomping, yelling or whining, you might want to banish them to the moon until they grow up. Not possible? Then remember this, your child is not being disrespectful but rather learning how to be a leader. He/she is learning how to voice his/her opinion and looking for your respect. The young child is learning how to navigate the world by asking why (over and over) instead of accepting your word. So let’s see, raise your hand if you want your child to blindly follow the leader! Not so much. You want your child to listen and respect, remember respect is earned.
There are several ways to make things easier for both of you and empower your child at the same time. First, create an environment of mutual respect. For the young child this means, listen to their side of reason. It might be completely unreasonable to you that suddenly your three- year-old wants to wear her party shoes to school. Stop to find out why and there may be a great explanation or story how she and her friend had a plan to have a princess dance party at school. If the rule is “shoes with ties for school” you now have a place of understanding for compromise. Remember you are not giving in, just respecting his/her opinion which is part of your win-win plan.
Second, offer choices and make sure that either choice is acceptable to you. Put out two pairs of pants that you find appropriate and then let your child choose. Your young child is just beginning to understand that he/she has an individual voice, and that it can have an impact on his/her world.
If compromise or choice is not possible, explaining helps your child learn that there is thought and reason behind what you have asked him/her to do. This goes back to raising a leader not a follower, remember perhaps your child is not being disrespectful but rather he/she is seeking an explanation to a situation that makes no sense to him/her.
Lastly, to fend off some outcry try to give clues or “warnings” that a transition is about to occur. In nursery school we have a timer or we flicker the light or we give a verbal reminder. This helps to set the children up for what is ahead.
We all want to win, child and adult alike. Cheers to setting up win-win situations!
The “talking” blog
Let’s reflect on our practice of talking to children.
Just the other day an early childhood colleague jokingly said, “you should be a commentator” as we were walking with a group of children and I was pointing out trees, birds, trucks and signs along the way. In my quest to evolve as an early educator and person, I try to listen to what people say to me at a deeper level. I recalled an article I had recently skimmed about talking to/at young children.
How much should we talk to children?
The answer is children should talk to us. Asking children too many questions can lead to a child not talking at all. Imagine being bombarded with “what are you doing?”, “what are you making”, tell me what you drew”, “could you add/change this?”, “look at this, look at that” and on and on. There would never a peaceful moment to reflect.
Children like adults need quiet to reflect and assimilate information. If we allow uninterrupted space children will come to us with what they need.
Does your classroom or life have peaceful moments where you can reflect? This week practice being quiet.
St. Patrick’s Day Jello re-post w/ a twist
I am excited to share with you a fun St. Patrick’s Day snack.
First a disclaimer, you have to really like having fun with young children on Saint Patrick’s Day as this is a time consuming snack, you will need several days to complete this.
Supplies
One box each of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple jello
Water
Small clear cups
Start by making the purple jello according to the directions. Pour about a ½ inch worth of purple jello into your pre-counted cups. Make sure that the children watch this process. This is the only step that they should see, so that they are surprised at the end when their jello has turned rainbow!
Next make the blue jello according to instruction and pour a layer on top of the purple jello layer. Continue with green, yellow, orange and last add a layer of red!
On Saint Patrick’s Day surprise your young child with rainbow jello!
If you are into leprechaun tricks, here are a few favorites at preschool.
Turn the milk green. Turn the toilet water green. Turn anything green!
Build a leprechaun trap. During the night leave a glitter trail leading to a lost piece of gold.
Hide gold coins.
Leave a trail of small handprints/footprints leading up to a small tea party.
Leave a tuft of leprechaun hair and a piece of clothing on the window sill as if a leprechaun left in a hurry.
Turn a select few things upside down.
Leave a message from a leprechaun.
Here is the link to the 2016 version! Combining St. Patty’s and Easter as the dates are so close this year.
Have fun, happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
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!