tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34129099537272793292024-03-13T19:30:01.386-07:00Three SticksAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-88979368757212985132013-09-26T03:42:00.001-07:002013-09-26T03:43:52.316-07:00Autumn Days"Autumn days when the grass is jewelled and the silk inside a chestnut shell, jet planes meeting in the air to be refuelled, all the things I love so well. So I mustn't forget, no I mustn't forget, To say a great big thank you, I mustn't forget!"<br />
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If you went to primary school in the 70s or 80s in the UK then you will be familiar with the above song from assembly. This time of year always takes me back to being a child - conkers scattered at the bottom of a tree, leaf piles asking to be crunched and sunny days with a hint of a cold wind make this a lovely time of year.<br />
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One of our favourite things to do is make an autumn collage with materials we find whilst out walking. Beautiful coloured leaves, bark, sticks, conkers, fir cones and acorns all make great materials for an autumn treasure hunt and gathering them is part of the fun.<br />
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Next take some card or a canvas, pva glue and let the children go wild. We also decided to do some hand and food prints on our canvas this year before sticking the found items plus some autumn coloured items from the craft box on. <br />
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Here's Ethan making his collage last year:<br />
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What a difference at year makes:<br />
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Autumn 2012 picture:<br />
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Autumn 2013 picture:<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-89864370282978818022013-08-10T10:53:00.001-07:002013-08-10T10:55:22.435-07:00Myriad of Mini Beasts One of the beautiful things about summer is the way life blooms outside. As well as the trees bearing fruit and flowering plants, children also remind us there are lots of mini beasts that come out to play. The bumblebees have been attracted to the flowering sage in our garden and both bees and butterflies have loved visiting the purple loosestrife.<br />
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I have also planted some hyssop, evening primrose, chives and maiden pink brilliancy in the hope of attracting wildlife in the garden in future years (and providing some edible flowers for my family and mindees!). Children tend to sit and stare and get involved with the plants and dirt in the garden more than adults and thus every creature is spotted and asked about.<br />
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The other day we spotted a caterpillar and thanks to the power of Instagram <a href="http://pinterest.com/fizzpopbangblog/following/" target="_blank">Rachel at fizzpopbangblog</a> identified it as a lime hawk moth. We were able to find photos and <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/jamesalden/works/9872540-life-cycle-lime-hawk-moth" target="_blank">pictures</a> online documenting the life cycle of the lime hawk moth which was a lovely way to visually learn more about it.<br />
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A few months ago Ethan developed a slight fear of spiders but since we now let them crawl on us feeling the way they tickle and he names them (the last one was called Squeaky) he has grown to love them. Most of the time when we encounter mini beasts we look at them and don't touch. If a bee or wasp is close we stay still & observe them and I try not to panic the children. In my experience those who get stung are usually the ones freaking out the most around bees or wasps.<br />
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The only mini beast that I really have trouble with irrational fear with is the slug. But this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoGn9bRWuHQ" target="_blank">video</a> of them mating shows that even they are capable of amazing beauty and ingenuity.<br />
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I am planning on building a wildlife hotel as shown <a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/gardening/insects/wildlifestack.aspx" target="_blank">here</a> with the children to extend their learning and love of mini beasts further and will update when I have! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-88119589553245836632013-08-05T04:07:00.000-07:002013-08-05T05:50:40.698-07:00Process ArtOften as adults we are so obsessed by goals that the process of doing things becomes unimportant. This can especially be the case in early years settings in the UK where the government continues to make box ticking and goal setting a statutory requirement. Children are much less concerned with where they end up and able to live completely in the moment much more easily. It can be especially tempting in art and craft projects to take over and start directing children in order to get a more aesthetically pleasing end result but this stifles creativity and inhibits growth whilst not building confidence. So today I attempted to create an environment for Ethan where he could enjoy the process of the art (for more about process art read <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process_art" target="_blank">here</a> ) he made as much as possible and with as little interference from myself as possible. The fact we live in a rented house with beige carpets added extra challenges to this! First I covered the living carpet with a big dust sheet. Then I brought in the tuff spot. I had some wallpaper samples I covered the tuff spot with before taping them in place with gaffer tape. Then I poured paints in the inside packaging of a biscuit tin (chocolate packaging, cardboard or paper plates etc would work just as well or if you have an artists pallete use that!). I put some other items of interest out too - old megablocks, lids from jars and milk bottles, a dragon stamp and a toilet roll tube plus some paint brushes. Ethan was excited to see the blank canvas before him and soon got stuck in using the megablocks to print squares and then the lids to print circles on the wallpaper. <br />
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He also used the brushes and then started painting the megablocks and lids with the brushes and then his hands and arms. Soon he asked to add water to the mix. He also wanted to add more paint so I helped him do this when he got stuck. The end result was not as conventionally pretty as if I'd sat down and given him rules and directed him but he seemed to thrive in the freedom he was given. He was fascinated that by mixing red and blue on his hands that he could make purple or blue and white made light blue. It can be hard when we get resources out for children and hope they will use them in a certain way to sit back and observe (only helping when asked) but the benefits of this are so much more enriching for children than trying to force our agenda on them. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-72821576144947190022013-08-04T05:26:00.001-07:002013-08-04T05:28:04.692-07:00The Power of Play Dough Play dough is one of Ethan's favourite things and I can see why. There are endless possibilities to what it can be made into and how it can be manipulated. There are also so many different recipes for home-made play dough available on the internet that Ethan has only used the bought stuff at playgroups we have visited. I much prefer the home-made stuff, it keeps better, feels better to handle and doesn't combine together to make the murky grey colour that the commercial stuff does. Below is our favourite play dough recipe.<br />
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<u>Kool-Aid Play Dough </u><br />
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2 Cups of Plain Flour<br />
1/2 Cup of Salt<br />
3 teaspoons of Cream of Tartar (available in the baking section of supermarket, next to baking soda)<br />
2 tablespoons of Oil<br />
1 Sachet of Kool-Aid<br />
1.5 Cups of Boiling Water<br />
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Pour into the bowl in the order given. Mix until combined with a spoon. Leave to cool a bit and then knead. If it is a bit sticky add a bit more flour. Store in an airtight container. This play dough smells really nice and keeps for ages. I use some coloured kool-aid and some clear which I put liquid food colouring into until it took on the colour I wanted. I ordered my Kool-aid off amazon but apparently you can get it from market stalls or some supermarkets in the UK now. <br />
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Play dough is a great tool for imaginative play as it can become whatever we want it too. It's also good for making into letters and numbers for introductions to literacy and maths. Ethan likes adding his vehicles to it for small world play. Adding different things gives a fresh element to the play too. As well as specific play dough tools that shops sell, why not add sticks, pine cones, pebbles, shells and leaves? As grown ups we all still like to have a go if play dough is in front of us. There is something very satisfying about rolling up a piece into a ball, a sausage or a snail! When I play with Ethan with the play dough we both relate to each other in a new way. I become his play mate and I feel like a child again. Ethan loves this and directs me and we think of ideas together. Play dough is a good reminder in the importance of play which is child-led and spontaneous. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-18805939753998174702013-07-21T03:24:00.000-07:002013-07-21T03:24:53.797-07:00Just Add WaterThe gorgeous summer weather has been a great time to involve h2o in our outside play. The paddling pool came out the shed and got cleaned up. Part of it had sprung a leak so it didn't fully inflate but Ethan was just as happy with it as last year and his play has become much more precise with detailed storytelling going on involving boats, shells, cars and london buses. Quite often a toy will end up in there that is not really made for water but Ethan just wants to involve all his toys in whatever game he is playing! Ethan remembers back to the sinking/floating experiments we all did at Belsize Bears whenever he is in water now and loves to predict what will happen with new objects and test it out. I do hope he gains a love of science which I found very uninspiring at school as it is actually interesting when presented in the right way!<br />
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When Marley came to play I filled the tuff spot with water and the plastic food and tea set for them to play with. This soon became a big muddy puddle! They splashed around and got the watering can and measuring jug to pour muddy water on each other. They also both lay down in it. It was one of those occasions I am glad I am not friends with people who are overly precious about their children getting mucky as both boys were covered in water and mud by the end of the picnic. My theory is clothes and children can always be washed so let them go wild! Children can sense our inhibition in situations and it can stifle their creativity. The beauty of childhood is living in the moment so if we can allow them to just be, then we should.<br />
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At Belsize Bears we filled the tuff spot with water again but this time it was set up outside on a concrete path with no mud around so it was an entirely different experience. The invitation to play we set up was drinking straws, beakers and an early learning centre pour and play run. I also filled an old washing up bottle with coloured water. The beauty of the tuff spot (or builders tray which can be purchased at builders merchants or ebay) is that children of all ages can access the play. This meant the whole group was engaged in an activity at once and it was lovely to see. They did pouring, squirting, splashing, paddling, imaginative play and were able to practice social skills negotiating a play space involving lots of other children.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-49087509434318655212013-07-02T08:25:00.000-07:002013-07-02T08:25:03.071-07:00Down on the FarmEthan used to love playing on the model farm I picked up for £3 from a summer fete last year (mainly putting on the vehicles on it, sometimes adding pebbles too) but lately he hasn't been interested at all. So while he was at nursery today I thought I would jazz it up a bit with some compost and hay (shhh, don't tell the guinea pigs!). I also got all the farm animals out, a tractor and some small model cats.<br />
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I had placed the pig in a box containing compost as it's pen. Ethan said "How can the pig get out of there? I know, he can jump out!" and then he spotted Jess the cat and told me he needed Postman Pat and his van too. It was lovely to see him engaging in play with this again after many months of being disinterested in it. Adding natural materials was a great way to make this play a more sensory experience and Ethan enjoyed smelling and touching it. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-54919556914258250672013-07-02T03:03:00.000-07:002013-07-02T03:04:48.675-07:00Coloured SaltGiven the success of yesterday's invitation to play, I have decided to try and do one each day for Ethan. I have been meaning to do something with coloured salt ever since I saw it on <a href="http://theimaginationtree.com/" target="_blank">the Imagination Tree</a> website. I poured some table salt into a tub, added quite a few drops of blue food colouring and then stirred it until it became a powdery blue. I liked how sparkly the salt made it look and Ethan commented on that when he came down and found it presented in a blue (unused!) cat litter tray with a tool in.<br />
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Ethan thought it was sugar at first and ran straight over to investigate further. At first he used the tool to drag through the salt. Then he asked if he could make a hand print. Then I showed him how I could write an e in it for Ethan using my finger and he copied. <br />
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After this Ethan ran to get the cookie cutters to make shapes in the salt. He made a hexagon and diamond and asked me what the shape names were. He also made a crocodile and pig.<br />
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Then Ethan added the cars.<br />
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He had so much fun with the existing resources by utilising them in a new way with the salt.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-56478558928869593032013-07-01T05:49:00.002-07:002013-07-01T05:49:58.610-07:00Time for TeaMy sister Jo gave us the tea set her girls have now outgrown so whilst Ethan was in bed last night I set up an <a href="http://theimaginationtree.com/2012/05/creating-invitations-to-play.html" target="_blank">invitation to play </a> . I used a muslin as a makeshift tablecloth on his small table and then set up the tea set. I added coloured lolly sticks and pom poms from the craft supplies. When I'd finished it looked so tempting I wanted to have a play myself!<br />
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When Ethan woke up and saw the table he was very excited. He ran straight over and began placing one pom pom in each teacup. Then he took them out and filled the teapot with pom poms. He used the lolly sticks to get the pom poms out from the bottom of the teapot when they got stuck. Then he made me a cup of tea and some breakfast (filling a saucer with pom poms and giving me a lolly stick "spoon". Then Ethan made lots of dinners for me and gave me a lolly stick knife, spoon and fork to eat them with before placing the crockery and cutlery in the "washing up" on the sofa. Ethan continued this game for two hours. It was wonderful to see his imagination sparked and be included in his imaginative play. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-66850515503473280562013-03-05T06:02:00.000-08:002013-03-05T06:02:51.639-08:00The Power of PetsWith the beautiful weather we have been having, we have spent two mornings outside in the garden this week so far. We have recently acquired more guinea pigs (bringing our total to four) and it has been lovely for the children to feed and observe them. I loved having pets as a child and I know Ethan and the other children get so much from our furry friends. All the children love the cats but the cats take time to build up trust. When the children have shown they can be calm, quiet and controlled they will be rewarded with Simba letting them stroke her. The guinea pigs are much more nervous but when the children are quiet and still they can watch them nibble on some pepper, drink a bit of water, clean themselves and chase each other around their hutch. I love how calming it can be to have pets around. They teach children to be still and gentle sometimes before returning back to the crash bang wallop of childhood!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-56615594584749902962013-02-26T08:20:00.000-08:002013-02-26T08:36:21.526-08:00Living in the MomentAs adults we spend so much time planning or thinking over past events that we can often forget to "<a href="http://www.poeticexpressions.co.uk/poems/What%20is%20this%20life%20if%20full%20of%20care.htm" target="_blank">"stand and stare"</a> as William Henry Davies encapsulated beautifully in his poem. Living in the moment comes so naturally to children but as adults and especially as busy mothers we are constantly multitasking - writing shopping lists whilst arranging doctors appointments whist packing a bag for nursery and wondering what to make for dinner. I spend so much time being busy that when I get some rare time off my work as a childminder and Ethan is at nursery I feel strange. Perhaps I had better clear the cupboards out or go into town I think, make use of this time.<br />
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This afternoon I didn't do anything productive. I went for a walk, bought a pot noodle and enjoyed consuming the powdery wrongness (I would blame pregnancy hormones but to be honest I just really like very wrong food!) before finally seeing what all the fuss was about and watching Black Mirror on catch up. I didn't decide what we are having for dinner. I didn't do next weeks planning. I just enjoyed the passing of time. I went to pick Ethan up from nursery feeling recharged and positive. He stopped to pick a leaf up on the way home. Why? Because he saw it and he liked it at that moment, simple as. When we got in I got the pebbles and a baking tray out for him to play with. He loved playing with them, describing what they felt and looked like. Then I asked him if he wanted them on the farm. He did. We got the construction vehicles out and he played happily with them using the tipper truck to pour pebbles out. He added his die cast Chuggington trains and toilet roll tunnels to the game. We shared a beautiful time together, living in the moment. Sometimes the simplest materials to play with provide the most enriching experience for child and parent (or Grandma - the toilet roll tunnels game was one they started together and play every time she visits now). Seeing the satisfaction my boy takes from <a href="http://threestickslearning.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/heuristic%20play" target="_blank">heuristic play</a> I wonder why we are seduced into buying fancy electronic plastic fantastic stuff for our children. A child's imagination and way of being is something we could all learn a lot from. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-40221090806719861342013-02-22T09:45:00.000-08:002013-02-22T09:45:54.379-08:00Science Play - Bicarbonate of Soda & VinegarTo show the children a chemical reaction I got out the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and vinegar. I put a bit of bicarb in the messy play trays and then filled some plastic egg cups with malt vinegar. The children added the vinegar to the bicarb and loved the fizzing sound and watching the bubbles and flow of the mixture. I explained how the bubbles were carbon dioxide which is the same chemical we breathe out. Here's the <a href="http://library.thinkquest.org/3347/vinegar+bsoda4.html" target="_blank">scientific explanation</a> <br />
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Food colouring could be added to the vinegar in the egg cups for dramatic effect and to show what happens when different colours are mixed. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-3985187906172307702013-02-22T09:07:00.000-08:002013-02-22T09:08:39.685-08:00Science Play - Float or SinkThis week I decided it would be nice to introduce some scientific concepts into play with the children. I did not take my science GCSE and must admit it was something that I lost interest in at secondary school but by researching experiments I found I had a renewed interest in the subject and it was fantastic to see the children learning and making predictions as to what would happen next.<br />
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The first experiment we did was:<br />
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<u>Float or Sink?</u><br />
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This experiment is to show displacement in action. I put a bit of food colouring in a clear plastic mixing bowl and filled it with water. What objects sink and what objects float? Why is this? I looked for objects that were similar so we could talk about why one sank and the other floated. I looked for things made from the same material that were different shapes as well as lots of different materials. I also encouraged the children to go and find objects to do the experiment with. The children loved guessing sink or float and placing the items on the correct piece of laminated paper afterwards.<br />
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Here is the <a href="http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/forces/sinkorfloat/grownups.weml" target="_blank">theory and some other ideas.</a> <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-21698775965798463852013-02-17T09:08:00.000-08:002013-02-22T11:43:54.632-08:00The Outdoor LifeEver since Ethan Bear was very young he's loved being outside. When he was a few months old we used to go for mammoth walks with him in the buggy taking in the world around him with eyes full of wonder and a happy smile on his face. When Ethan was three months old we went to Cornwall on holiday. Ethan put his toes in the sea for the first time and loved it. He also had a good crawl on the grass outside the cottage we were staying in.<br />
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When he learned how to walk and could interact even more with the world he was firmly in love with the outdoor life. It was hard when he went through the phase of being impulsive and having to learn boundaries and about keeping safe by not running into the road but soon he realised that to keep safe he must be aware of limits. Ethan loves pushing himself physically and usually the best environment to do this is outside. All of the children I look after become more vocal and light up when we do activities outside. They love running around together chasing each other, sitting under slides talking and picking flowers on the grass for one another. <br />
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During the summer months we are barely inside the house. Why stay inside when there is the local paddling pool and sandpit to explore at Central Park? Or the wooden play park and ducks, geese and swans to feed at Ferry Meadows Country Park? Or <a href="http://www.thegreenbackyard.com/" target="_blank">the Green Backyard</a> where we can see chickens and rabbits, meet friends for a shared picnic and pick vegetables and fruit? I am blessed to live in an area where there is a wealth of activities for the children to experience all within walking distance. Sometimes people will say we haven't had a summer but my childminder tan and the fact I can count the number of days when we had to stop play because of rain on one hand tell a different story. We often meet up with other families outside during summer and lunch is a bring and share picnic where the children are keen to try new foods and flavours due to the social aspect of eating together. Children end the day tired and very happy. <br />
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Even during the winter months we try to get out as much as possible. The children all love playing in the snow and rain and gain a lot from observing what they see, smelling different things and watching animals and people. The recent snow gave a great opportunity for us to build an igloo (or wiggly woo as they called it), make footprints and talk about who's were the biggest and who's were the smallest. The children also loved making snow castles with their buckets and spades. After all this snow play the children loved watching an inuit boy build his first igloo and some polar bears emerging from their snowy den on the computer. Without the practical outdoors element of play I don't think the children would have enjoyed watching the videos so much. <br />
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I urge you to get outside whenever you can with your children. Buy good waterproofs ( I picked up a great all in one for Ethan from Mothercare), wellies, snow boots, sturdy shoes they can climb easily in , warm coats, snow suits & hats and there is no reason why you can't get out most days. Often we are the only ones at the play park in winter which is such a shame as (unless its very wet) there is no reason why the children can't have a play. We love to come back and get stuck into warm toast and honey on a chilly day and appreciate it all the more having worked up an appetite first. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-54006412608809695002013-02-12T06:18:00.000-08:002013-02-12T06:18:30.846-08:00Pancake DayOne of the children I look after is vegan so I decided to find a vegan pancake recipe we could all make and enjoy eating. This <a href="http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/9076/vegan-pancakes.aspx" target="_blank">recipe</a> turned out to be perfect. The children all loved spooning, pouring and mixing all the ingredients. They also liked seeing the change when I cooked the pancakes and watching me toss them. Next was the best bit...eating our creation! We squirted some lemon and sprinkled some sugar on and got stuck in. They tasted delicious, who needs milk and eggs to make pancakes?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-59090089371229273472013-02-11T06:50:00.001-08:002013-02-22T11:46:15.303-08:00The Baby Led Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I remember in the early weeks of Ethan Bear's life when I was getting my head around motherhood and feeling the overwhelming responsibility for this tiny person, I sometimes felt all at sea due to the wealth of advice from relatives and health professionals and just about anyone I met on the street. Health visitors were the worst, full of judgement and extolling themselves as experts. Maybe any person coming into the sanctuary of your home and telling you what to do is going to get your back up from the get go and I am sure their intention is just to do what they think is best but I found their advice made me question my instincts and try things that just weren't necessary. My health visitor told me the fact my husband was feeding our newborn baby once at night with expressed milk in a bottle would lead to nipple confusion and mean Ethan could not breast feed. I had just had a c-section and I think without that chance at a four hour sleep once a day I would have got much more run down. Ethan did not get confused or ever favour the bottle if Mummy was around and I fed him until he was twenty months old. I also committed the cardinal sin of co-sleeping.<br />
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The health visitor told me it was dangerous and I should put baby in a cot and do controlled crying. If hearing my baby screaming upset me too much I should go down the end of the garden where I could not hear him rather than tend to him as my heart told me too. I was making a rod for my own back apparently. Me and my husband took on board the health visitors advice and put Ethan in a cot and let him cry for about ten minutes before both deciding we couldn't do that to our child. It felt wrong to deny this tiny person anything. We continued to cosleep together until Ethan was about two, maybe a little older and showed signs he didn't need to be in bed with us anymore. Relatives told us what we were doing by cosleeping was unnatural and not right but it felt right for us and there was no painful period of adjustment when Ethan went into his own room as he was ready. We seemed to sleep better than those with babies in separate rooms as if Ethan stirred he was met by a loving cuddle before he'd even had the chance to wake properly let alone scream the house down and get distressed. We weaned Ethan from breastfeeding at twenty months as he was getting a bit rough with me and I found I was resenting him as a result. For the sake of our relationship I felt it needed to end. Daddy took over the role of night time pacifer and they bonded more as a result. That first night I felt a twinge of sadness that our breastfeeding relationship was coming to an end but it was just the beginning of finding new ways to comfort and love my boy. Ethan starting eating solids at six months old.<br />
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He ate lots of fruit and vegetables and whatever we were having for meals. People scoffed as I gave him curry or strong cheeses but Ethan has always eaten well and had a healthy relationship with food by being able to feed himself and try the wealth of flavours on offer rather than bland purees. I had a few tries with potty training Ethan when he was younger but it was obvious he wasn't ready. Some ridiculed that my boy was not trained before he was three but I just sighed and thought "once again we will take our own path led by Ethan on this". He turned three a few weeks ago and began showing signs of being ready. He has done really well in the past week with only a few accidents. He takes great delight in his new found independence and once again, the time is right. Potty training is not the nightmare I pictured but I can guess it would have been if we had tried to make him do it before he was ready. As a parent I have learnt to be very suspicious of self proclaimed childcare experts (who more often than not don't have children) or medical experts (who may be qualified in medical care but are not experts on my child) and grown a thicker skin as competitive parents scoff at my relaxed approach to parenting ("He still sleeps in your bed? He'll be there until he's eighteen at this rate! " "He is still in nappies? Our girl was trained at two years old!" ). I am not a childcare expert but I am the expert of my own child and will continue to trust my heart and my instincts about what is right for Ethan and Minnie. <br />
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I have been told this post has a negative air to it which was never my intention. My main point is that I just believe we should all trust our instincts more and act on love for our children not what others deem acceptable. Do not feel guilty or ashamed because your baby cosleeps with you (or vice versa), don't stress if your baby is the last out of a group of peers to walk, talk or do anything. Don't be goal orientated, live in the moment just like a child. I love being a Mum more than anything and when I had the strength to follow what felt right for me both me, my husband and my child we were all happier. Enjoy your children and let them be children, it won't be forever :) Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-43843818540562365582013-02-09T13:30:00.000-08:002013-02-14T09:36:56.437-08:00Valentines Day IdeasInspired by these fab felt <a href="http://ittybittylove.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/counting-valentines.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+IttyBittyLove+%28itty+bitty+love%29&utm_content=Google+Reader" target="_blank">counting valentines</a> at Itty Bitty Love I decided to make some out of corrugated card I picked up from my favourite discount store Wilkos! Ethan Bear finds numbers a bit tricky so I hope using some physical objects to aid counting will help him understand the meaning and relevance of numbers more. Sticking the gems and foam shapes on and the tactile feel of the card all contribute to this being a very sensory experience of learning numbers. I will update further how all the children get on with this new resource when introduced to it. <br />
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This links in with the EYFS in the following ways:<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mathematics - Numbers: <span class="dev">Knows that numbers identify how many objects are in a set<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">.</span> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="dev">Shows curiosity about numbers by offering comments or asking questions.</span></span></span><br />
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I also made some strawberry jelly play dough, a very slight variation on the <a href="http://www.theimaginationtree.com/2013/01/raspberry-jelly-valentines-play-dough.html" target="_blank">valentines play dough</a> at The Imagination Tree. It was really simple to make and turned out much nicer than the shop bought stuff. Ethan loved using the rolling pin and heart cutters to play with the dough. He made a giant cake by filling all the cutters with dough and stacking them on top of each other and moulded the dough round the rolling pin to make a turtle with rolling pin head. He chattered away whilst playing getting the big cutters to talk to the little ones and putting on different voices. Ethan got so much from this resource playing with it for hours before going to play with his duplo and then returning asking for it to be brought out again. <br />
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Today I made some <a href="http://www.theimaginationtree.com/2012/01/easy-chocolate-play-dough-recipe.html" target="_blank">chocolate play dough</a> (another great recipe from Imagination Tree) to add to our collection. I gave it to Ethan with some birthday candles and he had a ball. He recently turned three so loved me singing happy birthday and then pretended to blow the candles out. He made a spider cake (pictured below), horse cake, chocolate chicken, eggs and sausages. These play dough experiments have really taken Ethan's imaginative play into a whole new dimension and the versatility of the dough means it can become anything at any time. Big success :)<br />
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All the children have loved the play dough today. They have offered me a cake and a cup of tea and set to work rolling it out and poking candles in before taking the candles out and putting them back in the holes. <br />
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This activity links to the EYFS in the following ways:<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Expressive Arts & Design - Being Imaginative - <span class="dev">Engages in imaginative role-play based on own first-hand experiences, </span><span class="dev">Notices what adults do, imitating what is observed and then doing it spontaneously when the adult is not there, </span><span class="dev"><span class="dev">Uses available resources to create props to support role-play, </span></span><span class="dev">Plays alongside other children who are engaged in the same theme.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="dev">Expressive Arts & Design - Exploring & Using Media & Materials<span style="font-size: small;">: </span> </span><span class="dev"><span class="dev">Explores and experiments with a range of media through sensory exploration, and using whole body.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="dev"><span class="dev">Communication & Language - Listening & Attention: </span></span><span class="dev"><span class="dev"><span class="dev">Maintains attention, concentrates and sits quietly during appropriate activity.</span> </span> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="dev"><span class="dev">Communication & Language - Speaking: </span></span><span class="dev"><span class="dev"><span class="dev">Learns new words very rapidly and is able to use them in communicating, </span></span></span><span class="dev">Introduces a storyline or narrative into their play.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="dev">Today we made Vale<span style="font-size: small;">ntine's Jam Heart Tarts. I was feeling lazy so bought some ready rolled pastry for the children to make them with but I'm sure they would be even nicer if you made that from scratch too and the children would love mixing <span style="font-size: small;">the<span style="font-size: small;"> dough. The<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>children loved cutting the<span style="font-size: small;"> heart shapes out and then putting them in the baking tin. They <span style="font-size: small;">counted how many hearts there were when the tins were full and then spooned the jam out and cut out the hearts for the top. We had some pastry left over so the children played with it (just as I remember playing with left over pastry dough as a child and <span style="font-size: small;">loving it)</span>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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What are you up to for Valentines day?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-34935716612547406472013-02-04T09:57:00.000-08:002013-02-12T10:57:41.557-08:00Chinese Year of the Water SnakeTo celebrate the Chinese Year of the Water Snake we have been making snake pictures today. I started off by drawing a snake outline on card and then cut it out. Then I used it as a template to make more snakes. I gave each child a snake and the paint trays filled with poster paint and glitter paint and let them loose with paint brushes and sponges. Then we let the pictures dry whilst the child that has a nap went to bed. After a few hours we got the collage material tin (containing buttons, feathers, sequins, stickers and tissue paper) out and PVA glue so everyone could decorate the snakes. The children enjoyed talking about shapes, colours, textures etc and the sensory experience of gluing the different pieces on their snakes. The snake pictures turned out brilliant and everyone had a lot of fun making them.<br />
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This links in with the EYFS in the following ways :<br />
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Mathematics - Shapes, Space & Measures - by opening up discussion about shapes, size and similarities.<br />
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Expressive Arts & Design - Exploring & Using Media & Materials - allowing experimentation with colours and mixing & a range of different media.<br />
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Communication & Language - promoting conversation and widening vocabulary.<br />
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Personal, Social & Emotional Development - building self confidence by allowing independent choice.<br />
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Understanding of the World - talking about animals and a different culture. <br />
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I saw these great <a href="http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/tangram_puzzles.htm" target="_blank">printable tangram puzzles</a> on actvity village this morning.<br />
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I printed the tangram template in colour and then laminated before printing a selection of the puzzles on grayscale (to preserve printer ink!) and laminated them. I also printed the black and white template. Before giving them to Ethan me and my husband had a go. Some of the puzzles are very tricky but there is great satisfaction in completing them. I see this resource as something which Ethan and all the other children can play with for a long time. To begin with I asked Ethan to identify the shapes and he was able to learn a new one in parallelogram. Then I showed him how they all made a square when fitted together and they could also by made into other things. Ethan was able to get some of the shapes in the right place on the puzzles but the main point of the activity today was to introduce the concept and allow him to explore the shapes and make connections with minimal intervention. When Ethan had finished having a go at each puzzle he correctly placed all the shapes back on the black and white template in the right places. <br />
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This links in with the EYFS in the following ways :<br />
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Communication & Language - promoting conversation and widening vocabulary (colours, shapes and talking through thought processes).<br />
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Mathematics - Shapes, Space & Measures - by opening up discussion about shapes, size and similarities & using shapes appropriately for tasks. Numbers - Counting shapes.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-10691841444166948792013-02-02T01:47:00.001-08:002013-02-02T06:35:48.455-08:00Cooking up a storm!All the children I look after love baking. Pouring in ingredients, mixing and stirring, kneading dough and rolling out and using cookie cutters all make for a great experience. Getting children involved with the cooking process from a young age really gets them excited about food and gives them huge satisfaction. When food is presented as a collaborative experience children seem more interested in trying new things.<br />
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Making bread is a magical thing to do and always makes me wonder why we settle for that tasteless, cardboard rubbish they sell us in supermarkets. Whenever we make bread the children and adults all seem to polish off the loaf by the end of the day. Here is my favourite bread recipe that is so easy to make and never fails. <br />
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<a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10121/bread-in-four-easy-steps">http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10121/bread-in-four-easy-steps</a><br />
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Combining cookery and messy play. One tip: never leave two toddlers unattended in a room with a bag of flour. As I found out to my cost on one occasion, the temptation is too great for them not to pour the whole bag out all over the room! <br />
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Happy cub at tasting time :)<br />
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The children also love making pizza. I usually make the base with the recipe below and have bowls of fruit and vegetables (like pineapple, mushrooms, sweetcorn, peppers, spinach, etc) and grated cheese plus a squeezy tube of tomato puree that the children love squirting onto the base and then smoothing out with a spoon.<br />
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<a href="http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/2122/quick-and-easy-pizza-dough.aspx">http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/2122/quick-and-easy-pizza-dough.aspx</a><br />
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Cakes and biscuits are always a big favourite to make too. Since Ethan was about two and a half he has been asking to help make dinner as well. He likes pouring pasta in the pan for me, cutting up vegetables with a cutlery knife (with my help) and stirring. He always eats more dinner if he has had a hand in making it. We picked up a cheap apple shaped corer and slicer from Wilkinsons which all the toddlers love using to cut their snacks up with. <br />
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What are your favourite recipes to make with your little ones? Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-86951904613483332872013-01-30T11:27:00.003-08:002013-01-31T09:26:07.914-08:00Ways To PlayThere are many different ways we can enable children to play which I have picked up over the past few years. Here are a few of my favourite:<br />
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<u>Messy Play</u><br />
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This is a fantastic way for children to explore and experiment using all their senses that can be started from a very young age. Most of the time the stuff we do messy play with is edible so it doesn't matter if children eat a bit as can be very tempting for them especially when they are under a year old or we are playing with cereal which always seems to get munched! We have used pasta, custard, tinned tomatoes, jelly, porridge oats, cereal, semolina, rice, noodles, cereal, couscous, water, ice, snow & shaving foam. The sky really is the limit in this area.<br />
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I use the cat litter trays they sell cheaply in discount stores or supermarkets or the Ikea Trofast trays to put the material in and sometimes add implements to handle the substance which can help some children who don't immediately want to feel different textures on their hands. Vehicles, animals and people can also be added to encourage imaginative play and objects to fill and empty to develop maths skills.<br />
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This kind of play aids physical development (practicing fine motor skills and hand to eye coordination). Children can also explore a variety of textures, smells, listen to different noises, observe what happens when they drop or squeeze or roll different things and taste of course! Children learn turn taking, widen their language by talking about what they are doing and thinking, build their confidence, develop concentration and messy play provides an outlet for emotions. It is also fantastic fun!<br />
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Children should be allowed to explore at their own pace with adult intervention kept to a minimum. Some children may feel inhibited if they feel Mummy or Daddy don't want them to get dirty or some may be more sensitive to sensory experiences and take longer to enjoy messy play or enjoy it more when they can handle thing with forks or spoons. As adults to ensure this experience is as positive as possible we should remember that any mess can be tidied up, clothes can be washed and so can children. Live in the moment and be child like :)<br />
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<u>Imaginative Play</u><br />
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This is when children enact scenarios they witness others in their environment doing or pretend to be something that interests them (in the above picture Ethan was being a butterfly apparently). This can start as holding a toy up and pretending it is a mobile phone and they are talking to someone on it, making dinner, drinking a cup of tea, driving a car, sweeping the floor etc. We can encourage this type of play with props or toys such as cardboard boxes, clothes, hats, scarves, shoes and bags picked up from Charity shops or that we no longer use (or specific child dress up clothes), kitchen utensils, play food, bowls and children will also pick things up and use them as something we as adults would never imagine. Also we can create spaces which encourage play like a sheet over some chairs that may become a tent. Life events may make children more aware of something such as present giving at Christmas which can start off new games such as wrapping and unwrapping presents (putting all their toys in a bag and then giving it to you to unwrap and thank them for). <br />
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Children also do this sort of play on a smaller scale with small world play. We have a farm scene and buildings made from wood that we picked up at the school fete for £3 and painted in simple colours. Sometimes all the vehicles take over the farm, sometimes there are lots of animals and people and Bob the Builder's ladder comes out, sometimes pipe cleaners are thrown all over the farm as snow or shells make it a beach and the buildings are all filled up with them.<br />
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Imaginative play can benefit children as it helps them make sense of things, they can develop social skills (sharing and working through problems) and language skills (story telling, listening, talking and body language), they can use it to unwind and enjoy quiet time and develop their imagination. Also children can explore their emotions and recount experiences. <br />
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<u>Heuristic Play</u><br />
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This is where we give children access to objects from the real world made from different materials in order for them explore using all their senses. Plastic and electronic toys (that feel, look and taste very similar and may only have one function) can fail to stimulate children and may frustrate or bore them easily. An example of this can be found in the baby that tosses their birthday presents aside and plays with the boxes and wrapping paper! For babies we can make treasure baskets.<br />
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Items you could have in a treasure basket include:<br />
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egg boxes, toilet roll tubes, wrapping paper,<br />
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wooden kitchen utensils, curtain rings, bracelets,<br />
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natural objects such as an orange, coconut shells, shells, pine cones, loofah, sheepskin, pebbles,<br />
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ribbon, silk scarves, lace, cotton handkerchief, <br />
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metal objects such as spoons, whisks, cookie cutters, tea strainers, egg cups, <br />
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cosmetic brushes, body brushes, nail brushes, scrubbing brushes and CDs.<br />
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Treasure baskets should be kept where a baby can reach them and empty and fill as they wish. Objects should be added to the basket and taken out regularly to maintain interest. Baby should be free to explore each object as they wish and decided what they want to play with whilst adult supervises but does not interfere. Objects no smaller than a five pence piece should be placed in treasure baskets as there is a choking hazard. Always supervise babies with treasure baskets and check items for damage, throwing them out if necessary.<br />
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Children under one learn about the world though sensory motor development where they pick objects up and explore the texture, taste and other physical characteristics through placing them in their mouth. A treasure basket provides an interesting and rich experience for the baby which helps their brain grow by making connections and stimulating them.<br />
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For children over a year heuristic play is done in a slightly different way. Toddlers like to know what an objects is and if it has a function. They will experiment with objects by rubbing them, bashing them on things, squeezing, throwing and shaking them. They may ask "what is this?" and "what does that do?" and use them in imaginative role play games. Toddlers will gain a lot from playing with the same kinds of items in treasure baskets but because they are not so drawn to mouth everything objects can be added such as:<br />
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corks, pipe cleaners, cotton wool, buttons, lids, cardboard tubes of different length, hair rollers, cotton reels, pebbles, feathers, tins and other types of containers.<br />
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For toddlers heuristic play we can place groups of resources in separate containers such as plastic food storage containers (a good excuse to buy a takeaway!), baskets or other containers. These can be labelled with pictures of what they contain inside so children can easily find what they are looking for and assist and learn sorting and categorization at tidy up time. They may be categorized by what they are, shape or similarities (such as rolling items). Children should be free to play with the resources however they like in the knowledge that at tidy up time resources will be returned to where they came from. <br />
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Again this activity is completely child led and adult interference is kept to a minimum. There is no right or wrong way for a child to play with the resources unless you feel they are doing something dangerous with an item. Children can develop their physical skills, imagination, language skills, understanding of the world, social skills, maths skills and confidence with this type of play. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-34769216731643831472013-01-30T01:00:00.001-08:002013-01-31T00:27:40.817-08:00BehaviourI finished the last part of a behaviour management course last night and we talked about how we promote positive behaviour and what attributes were essential in a childminder. One of the key parts is being a good role model as the adult in your setting, we can't really expect behaviour from the children we aren't displaying ourselves. Also taking each child as an individual and planning activities that will stimulate and move each child forwards is really important. It can be a challenge with a variety of ages but younger children may just need more supervision to do activities the older children are doing or can be catered for my simply making items accessible that interest them (for example a treasure basket full of items made from different materials on the floor may hold a nine month old's attention whilst two three year olds play with a small world scene). Also how we view behaviour does need to be reflected on sometimes...is it really "naughty" behaviour or a developmental phase (such as biting which we redirect with sensory activities or a crunchy snack), schema (such as throwing which can be directed into something positive) or simply a child being a child and living in the moment? Do we always need to rush in and intervene in a hard way or can we take a step back sometimes and allow the behaviour or provide an activity that allows this to be used in a more acceptable way? Are we expecting too much for the developmental stage (not chronological age) of a particular child or are we expecting our societies norms to be ingrained in a child for whom English is not a first language? In some cultures children are not expected to make eye contact with adults and please and thank yous may not be so important. We can battle every little thing but must decide what is truly important: how safe, nourished and loved the children in our care feel or how we look to other adults when we are out and about. I am a firm believer that outdoor activities and socialization are also really important for children. Even as an adult I can get cabin fever from being cooped up all day and often children's moods can change quite dramatically when given the space to run around and feel free. If I was looking for a childminder for my son I would want someone who loves their job and feels passionate about it. I would also want someone who is calm and even tempered, is able to form a close bond with my child and has a similar outlook on parenting to myself. I would want someone who took delight in sharing new experiences with them and ensured they became part of the community by socializing with a wide variety of people from all walks of life. Most of all I would want them to treasure and enjoy their time with my child.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-7073369762729966792013-01-28T10:52:00.002-08:002013-01-31T00:42:07.964-08:00Treasure HuntingI am always on the look out for interesting objects to give to the children for them to play with. I was buying some hay for my guinea pigs Gizmo and Kit today when I saw these fabulous balls. They are made of rattan, seagrass and water hyacinth and intended for guinea pigs and rabbits to play with. They are very tactile objects and I will be letting the children play with them (under my supervision) tomorrow. I think these balls will be more suitable for my nearly three year olds to play with as the under one I look after is teething so I would rather he play with the wooden utensils and metal objects that have less chance of breaking apart in his mouth.<br />
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Elinor Goldschmied and Sonia Jackson coined the term heuristic play
to describe providing children with the opportunity to find out about
objects and what can be done with them. The term heuristic is
derived from the Greek word ‘eurisko’ which means ‘serves to discover or
gain an understanding of.’ Objects made from natural products have varied and interesting textures & aromas which encourage children to explore with all their senses. Heuristic play is completely child led and open ended - there is no conclusion or finished product that is expected and children are free to explore and play in whatever way their imagination leads them.<br />
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Since introducing the balls they have been a big hit. The two year old I look after can flit from toy to toy like a butterfly when we go to groups with a wealth of plastic fantastic but the water hyacinth ball held her attention for two hours. She held it for a while and then examined it closer seeing if she could unpick it (she couldn't). Then she engaged me in a game of catch with it and enjoyed running to get it and throwing it back to me. Interestingly she put the rough seagrass ball down straight away but the smooth water hyacinth must have felt more pleasant to hold for her. Ethan Bear loved playing with them all. He started a big game of catch and really upped the energy of the play. When my tired pregnant body was ready to sit down Ethan was happy to throw the seagrass ball against the ball and watch it roll back. So some really interesting reactions to very simple objects appearing in the room this week.<br />
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Ethan Bear throwing the rough seagrass ball. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412909953727279329.post-52535786345126792032013-01-28T07:24:00.000-08:002013-01-28T10:53:41.942-08:00 “To the uneducated an A is just three sticks.” Ever since having my son Ethan Bear three years ago I have been passionate about learning. My parenting style has always been very instinctive, based on love and listening to my son's needs. From a young age Ethan has loved messy play (and baby led weaning him at six months led to at least three of these messy play sessions a day!) and exploring the outside world. I did not have a huge amount of money to buy loads of toys for Ethan which I think has actually benefited him in a lot of ways. Ethan has always been included in what we are doing and, I believe, has benefited hugely from having a vast range of experiences (including climbing a mountain in the Schwarzwald aged twenty months, although he got a bit tired on the way down and we had to sing The Grand Old Duke of York to lift his spirits!).<br />
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I started childminding when Ethan was a year old and my instinctive approach now extends to the children I care for. The children love playing outside in all weathers, getting stuck into messy and arty play, creating their own worlds using the model farm as a base for them, using every day objects in imaginative play, singing and dancing, listening to a good story and socializing when I take them to play groups. I feel my job as a mother and childminder is to facilitate the children in having lots of enriching experiences. By being given these chances and our time children can grow in their understanding and feel emboldened to explore further. Often the simplest ideas offer the greatest opportunities for learning and I am constantly amazed by children's imagination and pure way of seeing the world. One of the many rewards of parenting and childminding is a chance to be like a child again and see how amazing the world is. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14018049960167942930noreply@blogger.com0