Category: Parent Resources

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The Reggio Emilia Approach And Why It Benefits Children

The Reggio Emilia Approach is considered an ‘alternative’ educational approach to early childhood learning, but it delivers very mainstream outcomes.

Resilience, responsibility, self confidence, teamwork, problem-solving skills as well as creative and scientific thinking are just some of the benefits of this approach which, from its early beginnings in post-war Italy has grown to become a recognised global leader in innovative and highly effective childhood teaching.

The single biggest point of difference of a Reggio Emilia school is that the child has rights when it comes to their learning.  They are recognised as active participants in constructing their own knowledge and they have substantial control over the direction that their learning takes.

Unlike traditional approaches where the school day is determined by a fixed educational theory, there are no pressures of formal learning like reading and writing at Reggio Emilia centres.  The curriculum is adaptive and is driven by the child, with the emphasis on exploration, creative expression and active learning in a nurturing and relaxed environment.

Reggio Emilia shouldn’t be seen as an educational method but rather as a learning process that evolves constantly.

Educators and parents aren’t seen as being ‘in charge’ and having all the answers, but are rather seen as partners, collaborators, advocates for their children and co-learners, facilitating and supporting the children in the positive learning process.  Adults help the children and children help the adults.

It’s an engaging and thoughtful philosophy which places high value on respect, community involvement and responsibility.  It promotes active learning and encourages the child’s social and emotional growth though hands-on activities and experiences that are meaningful to them.

At first glance, this approach may seem very unstructured and difficult to grasp, and some people may even wonder whether all this creativity and freedom would manifest in classroom chaos.  But the results speak for themselves.

The approach benefits children because it respects them.  It takes them seriously.  It sees them as strong, capable and resilient, rich with wonder, knowledge and potential.  It breeds greater self-awareness and self-confidence.  Children learn about collaboration, teamwork and community.   They’re encouraged to be researchers and scientific thinkers, questioning the world around them.

The Reggio Emilia environment inspires children.  It’s fun, stimulating, exciting, nurturing and safe and it’s always carefully curated to encourage creative thinking and expression.

The benefits to children are many and varied, but perhaps the most valuable advantage of this globally powerful early learning approach is that it does what all educational models strive for but don’t always achieve – it ignites a love of learning.

Reprinted from https://earlylearningandkinder.com.au/reggio-emilia-approach-benefits-children/

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Discipline That Teaches

By Dorothy Halverson, Early Childhood Principal

Our children learn to love our values as we find and use discipline that is firm but kind, consistent but flexible, principled but understanding. Our methods really do teach our values. We want our children to love doing what is right, so we don’t build up resistance by ordering them around. We speak to them respectfully and make requests with an attitude of expectancy. “Johnny, I need your help. Will you please set the table?” “Susie, your room will be so tidy when you get your toys picked up.”

Sometimes it helps to give some acceptable choices: “Would you like to take a bath or shower?” “Would you like to hop or skip to bed?” If neither of these is acceptable to the child, we can ask, “Would you like to walk or be carried?” If he doesn’t go, we can say, “Oh, I see you decided to be carried” and do it with a fun trot. The child feels that we’re not going to waver in making a right request, but that we do love him.

We don’t ask questions when there is no choice, such as, “Do you want to come to dinner?” or “I’m going to the store; do you want to get in the car?” “It’s time to …” is a better way to phrase these requests.

We all like to plan ahead and know what we’re doing next. Children can gain a better sense of time and show more cooperation if they are told what’s coming, such as “In a little while we’re going to the store.” Or we can set a timer and say, “When you hear the timer ring, it will be time for you to come in for lunch.”

Suppose the timer rings and nothing happens. We can say, “Oh, you didn’t hear the timer ring? Let’s practice listening for it. I’ll set it for one minute, and when you hear it, you’re going to come immediately.” When the child comes, we can say, “My, how quickly you came when you heard the timer that time!”

Coming when called can be practiced similarly: “You go into the living room, and when you hear your name, see how fast you can come.” Then we can try the bedroom or outdoors, showing great delight when the child comes. A refresher practice session may be needed again from time to time, but this should always be done without anger or a sense of punishment: “Oh, you forgot to listen for your name. Let’s practice and see how fast you can come.”

Similarly, older children who take too long to dress in the morning might need to practice dressing after school to see if they can do it more quickly. It helps to know what to expect of children at different times. A new baby isn’t just crying for attention. He is trying to communicate with us, so we respond and try to understand what his needs may be.

A nine-month-old is taking apart and emptying things without putting them back because learning to take things apart comes before learning to put them together. If he has lots of practice taking things apart and watching us put them together, he’ll soon be putting them together.

 A baby is not being naughty when he drops and throws things. He’s learning the effect of his hands on various objects. He can be taught, however, if we say, “Balls are for throwing. We don’t throw trucks.” At the same time, he should be given a ball (a soft Nerf ball is good for inside).

Little children handle objects because they’re intensely curious, and that’s how they learn about things. It’s best to put breakables out of reach and not have too many “no-no’s” around before the child is two. When he’s older, he can understand the difference between breakable and unbreakable, yours and mine. But if he’s told not to touch too many things, he may be learning, “Don’t be curious. Don’t learn.”

 On the other hand, he must learn not to touch plugs and electric cords. We need to say, “No!” firmly and remove him quickly. Consistency in requiring right actions teaches obedience.

It is good to redirect actions to acceptable alternatives. Put some safe items in a low kitchen drawer. Remove the child if he’s opening a different drawer with a “No,” and then say, “This is your drawer.”

Though we must understand children and not be unreasonable in our expectations, we must also expect enough from them. Children should not be allowed to be disrespectful to others or impolite, to jump on the couch or scratch furniture. If we hold them firmly to right actions when they are young, we can gradually lengthen the rope of authority as they gain responsibility, and they will learn that responsibility brings freedom.

What if a child is expressing jealously, aggression, or willfulness? If we think, “It’s natural for him to be jealous of his brother,” we’re giving credibility to a commonly held, but erroneous, belief and thereby making it harder for him. We might then talk to him and treat him as though he is jealous, aggressive, or self-willed, and he may accept that false concept about himself. It’s important to deny these negative traits as spurious suggestions having no place in our child’s individuality, look at manifestations of them as mistakes to be corrected, and steadfastly hold to a true concept of our child as an expression of Love.

Again, we can hold our child to right actions. If pages of a book are being torn, we need to immediately remove it and say, “Oh, we don’t like our book to have torn pages. We’ll have to put it away.” He learns that when he doesn’t treat a book well, he doesn’t have it again for a while.

We can say, “Oh, sister doesn’t like it when you take her toys away” and then put a hand on his and help him give the toy back. Tell him, “You may play with a toy that sister’s not playing with. We don’t take toys from others.”

Discipline should teach what we want it to teach. Some methods, unfortunately, just teach a child to think, “She doesn’t understand me. I’ll do it when she’s not around.” If there seems to be a running battle over something, it is helpful to think through these points:

  1. What does the child need to learn? State it in positive terms: “Crayons are for drawing on paper, not on walls. We want to keep our walls clean.”
  2. What metaphysical truths can I know about the situation? This step will frequently lead beautifully to improved behavior, and sometimes the problem is met without needing further steps. You might affirm, “My child is an expression of divine Mind and is, in reality, receptive and obedient to his Father-Mother God.”
  3. What actions might I take to help my child learn the needed lesson? FOr example, you could put the crayons away for a while, have him help clean up the marks, or give him paper and supervise while he’s drawing.)
  4. Choose the action which seems best to you. Take it and then evaluate.

Parenting is a constant learning process, and as we strive to use the methods that teach the desired lessons to our children, we find ourselves enjoying them more fully.

From Principia’s Founder

“Discipline is instruction through training, or training which instructs. To be true discipline, the instruction must be an emanation from Principle: its basis and demand must be impersonal; its purpose must be ‘right for right’s sake’.”

“The result of discipline will depend almost entirely on the mental attitude of the parent or teacher administering that discipline. If his objective is to bring healing to the false sense, and his standpoint is loving interest in the child’s progress Godward, the teacher has caught the true spirit of teaching.”

“True discipline rarely creates a breach—it binds both parties closer together in the bonds of love.”

—Education at The Principia, pp. 25, 19, 18

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Which Food Should I Give My Baby First?

For most babies it does not matter what foods are introduced first, though by tradition, single-grain cereals are usually introduced first. However, there is no evidence that supports introducing solid foods in any particular order has an advantage for your baby. It is usually recommended starting vegetables before fruits, since babies tend to have a preference for sweets.  However, the order in which foods are introduced does not change this.

If your baby has been mostly breastfeeding, he may benefit from baby food made with meat. Baby cereals are available premixed in individual containers or dry, to which you can add breast milk, formula, or water. Whichever type of cereal you use, make sure that it is made for babies and iron-fortified. 

Once your baby learns to eat one food, gradually give him other foods. Introduce your baby to one new food at a time, and wait at least 2 to 3 days before starting another. Generally, meats and vegetables contain more nutrients per serving than fruits or cereals. 

Within a few months of starting solid foods, your baby’s daily diet should include a variety of foods each day that may include the following: 
• Breast milk and/or formula 
• Meats 
• Cereal 
• Vegetables 
• Fruits 
• Eggs 
• Fish 

NOTE: If you make your own baby food, home-prepared spinach, beets, green beans, squash, and carrots are not good choices during early infancy. Commercially prepared vegetables are safer because the manufacturers test for nitrates. Peas, corn, and sweet potatoes are better choices for home-prepared baby foods.

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Developing a Love of Books

How do children get started on a lifetime love of reading and books? It is easy to imagine some possible beginnings:

  • Before bed, a small, warm person cuddles in Dad’s lap while he reads Goodnight Moon.
  • After nursing her new infant, a mom takes out A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson and reads or sings the rhymes while the child watches her face.
  • A fast-moving toddler takes a break to “speed read” Pat the Bunny with her grandpa, turning the pages faster than grandpa can keep up.
  • A big sister sits the baby on her lap and points to pictures one-by-one in a well-chewed plastic “bathtub” book, naming each as she turns the pages: “ball, duck, light, cow.”

What do all these scenes have in common? They each contain a young child and a caring relative. And for years to come, that is the combination that nurtures the unfolding love of books.

Why read to children?
When Gina found out she was expecting a baby, she went to the bookstore. She had seen books at her friends’ homes and had always anticipated the joy of having her own child. She loved art and was anxious to find books she and her baby could share together. The books she found made her heart sing, they were so beautiful. And when she found an artist she enjoyed, she bought more of his or her work, enjoying the variety of expression. When the baby was due, she packed her favorite choices in her bag for the hospital. After the birth, Gina read to little Annie when she was less than a week new. And their shared love of books and art has continued.

There are many reasons to read to children, but the main reason is how much they love it. Even before teachers have a chance to work with children, parents and other loved ones teach an appreciation for books through shared reading aloud time with children:

  • When you hold [your children] and give them this attention, they know you love them.
  • Reading to children will encourage them to become readers
  • Children’s books today are so good that they are fun even for adults.
  • Illustrations in children’s books often rank with the best, giving children a lifelong feeling for good art.
  • Books are one way of passing on your moral values to children. Readers know how to put themselves in another’s shoes;

What do I read?
Choosing books to read is an individual decision. When Erin was little, her mother, Shelly, discovered a children’s book-of-the-month club. Gradually her library grew with a variety of books that delighted Erin and her mom. As Erin began talking, she memorized her favorite books and could “read” to her mom as well as having books read to her. She sat in her own chair and enjoyed the pictures by herself. Often throughout the day, they took time to read books together. When a child is too young to have a reading preference, a parent can choose any reading material to share with the baby. Later the child takes the lead as new interests and curiosity develop. Recommendations from friends and attractive selections found in book stores, libraries, and catalogs are all good sources for books. Often, interest will be diverse from an early age. In one family, the first child had a sustained interest in people and faces, but the next child was absolutely fascinated by machines and how things work. The third child was enthralled by a variety of humorous situations and loved finding items hidden in the picture.

Books containing language with rhyme, rhythm, and colorful illustrations are often favorites. It is helpful to gear the reading time to the interest of the child. During the time when a child is focused on language and less interested in toys, often between 12 and 17 months, reading can take on the added significance of learning and acquiring communication skills.

Why do I read to little ones?
Reading is a wonderful shared experience and can provide a delightful activity for parents of babies and young children. The trick is not to feel funny about reading aloud before the baby seems to understand what’s going on. Then, when the child gets older, the trick is how to slip in some new books in addition to the one you’ve already read 20 times in the same day.

Think back to your own favorite reading times when you were a child. What do you remember? Were there relaxed afternoons in a soft chair or quiet times with mom or dad on a hot summer day? What made you choose a certain book as your favorite? Did you read it again and again until it languished, well-worn, on your bookshelf? Then ask, what memories would I like my child to have?

Sometimes babies will have favorite books even before they can walk, but this is more common after they are walking. They will repeatedly choose the same book to hold, look at, or bring to their care giver. When toddlers get hooked on books, they frequently bring them to their parents throughout the day, and if the parent is sitting on the floor, they will back into the waiting lap. A toddler may not stay to hear a whole book, but will toddle off, and then come back later for more.

Favorite topics of books at first are 1) familiar objects. Babies like relating the pictured object to the real object. 2) animals. Children frequently learn to make the animal sound before being able say the animal’s name. 3) books showing babies’ and children’s faces.

When children can say a number of words, they often have favorite subjects such as cars and trucks, airplanes, or babies. Books on these subjects will be of interest. Then, around two, simple stories will delight the child. Parents will be asked to read the same book over and over. Eventually, another book will catch the interest.

Books are a wonderful connection between parents and children. Bringing books into your children’s lives will bless them, and you as well. Sharing books with a child can be a special time of closeness, and reading will follow naturally for children who have befriended books from infancy. Shared interest and love can continue on into later years and provide a lifetime of enrichment.

 

 

 

 

 

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Proper Demands and Choices

By Mildred E. Cawlfield

The trickiest part of parenting is deciding when to set and enforce rules with children and when to give opportunities for independence and initiative. Parents have more experience and broader perspectives than a child, so they should set reasonable limits for children’s behavior and follow through consistently to enforce them. Failure to do this can result in an overindulged child who isn’t pleasant to live with. On the other hand, if there are too many rules, a child lacks the opportunity to become responsible and to think for himself. 

Sometimes at Acorn seminars parents share ideas of rules they feel are important for young children and also what choices they give children in various areas. Probably the area of greatest divergence among parents is limit- or rule-setting, because we all have slightly different expectations of children based on our own experience and understanding of children’s capabilities. The best rules are ones that are in keeping with the child’s present capabilities and can be enforced consistently. 

For instance, to insist that a one-year-old be toilet trained, or that a two-year-old sit quietly with “good manners” through a formal hour-long meal, will lead to a stressful situation. Whereas a parent can reasonably expect and teach a toddler to sit down while he eats and not to climb on tables or throw food or hard objects. The parent sees that the child obeys (if necessary moving him physically, lovingly but firmly) while stating the rule. (“We sit down to eat.” “Tables are not for climbing.” “Balls are for throwing.”) Remember that praise of good behavior is the most effective learning procedure. 

In the latter part of the second year, the one-year-old learns that he has some ideas of his own that differ from his parents’. He takes delight in communicating these ideas and trying them out. It’s important for him to learn then and throughout childhood that some of these ideas are fine and others are not. The most important job of the parent is to help him see which ideas help him fit well into the family — or society — and which ones need to be eliminated or modified. 

To help with this process, it’s good to think through your expectations and also what choices you can give the child in various situations. Remember that your decision must seem right to you, and will vary from home to home. It’s important not to let a child manipulate or dominate you. If a child wants a choice that’s not offered, the parent simply says, “That’s not a choice.” These expectations and choices will change as the child grows older. 

Bedtime 
Common expectations of parents: 
• The parent decides when and where bedtime is to be, taking into consideration the child’s readiness and need for sleep. 
• The child is to be dressed appropriately for bed and have necessary preparations made – teeth brushed, drinks taken and toilet needs met. 
• Parents establish a bedtime routine they can live with. 

Possible choices for children: 
• Which stuffed animal to take to bed. 
• Which pajamas to wear. 
• What story to listen to. 
• How to go to bed (walk, tiptoe, hop, piggyback ride, etc.). 

Mealtime 
Expectations: 
• We sit down when we eat. When we leave the table, it means we’re finished. 
• We wash our hands before and after eating. 
• We eat nicely so others will want to be with us. (The definition of “nicely” varies with the age of the child.) 
• We eat at regular periods. (a regular snack time may be included.) 
• We don’t eat sweets between meals. 
• The child takes responsibility for eating and feeding himself after age two, having gradually gained the needed skills during the previous year. 
• We try to take a taste of every food offered. Some food should be available at every meal that you know your child will eat. (Note: the receptivity to foods should be strongly encouraged, but can’t be forced. Forced eating merely reinforces a child’s conviction of his tastes.) 
• Small portions will be served and seconds offered. 
• We clear our plates off the table. 

Choices: 
• Some food choices — which breakfast cereal, which way to fix eggs, which kind of sandwich at lunchtime, etc. 
• Which way to help the cook before dinner (deciding between choices given). 
• If choices are available, which spoon, cup, plate, or napkin to use. 
• Which food to eat first (trying the least preferred food, when hungry, aids receptivity.) • Whether to have a second helping or not. 

Dressing 
Expectations: 
• We wear clothes appropriate to the occasion and the temperature. (Parents, because of their experience, determine this, but must be in tune with the child’s temperature needs. Sometimes the impersonal authority of the thermometer helps the child understand the ruling.) 
• The general rule may be supported by more specific ones such as: A certain kind of clothes and shoes are worn to church; another kind are for play, etc. 
• The parents may determine when the child should be dressed (i.e. before breakfast, etc.) • Clothes are to be hung up or put in the laundry — not on the floor. 
• If favorite clothes are in the laundry, the child must wait until the next regular laundry time to have them again. (Doing extra daily laundry to satisfy dressing whims doesn’t give a child the proper perspective of his rights in relation to others’.) 

Choices: 
• Which of two or three appropriate outfits to wear. 
• Which hook to hang clothes on. • What accessories to wear with clothes. 
• Whether or not to have special play dress-up times using specified clothing. 

In Social Situations 
Expectations: 
• We use gentle hands and feet with our friends. 
• We use words, not unkind actions, to communicate our feelings and desires. 
• If we’ve made someone unhappy, we have the responsibility for helping him be happy again. 
• If we want something, we ask nicely for it or ask for a turn with it. • If someone wants something we have, we explain what we’re doing with it, and when we’re finished, we give him a turn. 

Choices: 
• What friends to play with (in some cases). 
• What toys (that we don’t want to share) to put away before friends come to our house. 
• What toys to take to our friend’s house to share. 
• What toys to play with that someone else isn’t using. 

You may wish to add to or subtract from this list when starting your own. The child will learn and follow the rules if those adults caring for him agree and enforce them consistently. Though there will always be some variation, this is an important goal to strive for. Be assured that your child can understand some inconsistencies of rules as they vary from one place to another. Children are remarkably perceptive in determining what the limits are in each setting. They will take their cue from you! 

“It takes courage to train our children in the things which most thoroughly make for happiness. Obedience, unselfishness, consideration, self-sacrifice, thoroughness, accuracy, and honesty are not acquired without real striving. And yet they are essential to successful living.” (E.A.P. p. 27)

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The Power of Playdough—Additional Ideas for Playing with Playdough

Playdough

See recipe for homemade playdough.

  • Roll the playdough into balls, snakes, and snails
  • Poke and press things into playdough (uncooked spaghetti, feathers, straws, toothpicks, buttons, beads, googly eyes, pipe cleaners)
  • Make prints in playdough using leaves, shells, lace, and textured rolling pins
  • Practice cutting skills by using scissors to cut playdough
  • Make playdough monsters
  • Practice making letters, numbers, and shapes by rolling the playdough into snakes and then laying the snakes on top of letters, numbers, or shapes drawn on paper

Here’s a wonderful article explaining why playing with playdough is so important for developing skills in young children.

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Safeguarding the Innocence and Purity of Our Children

Children are often exposed to a variety of things that we, as parents, would prefer they did not see or experience. But these occasions can be changed from difficult experiences into growth opportunities if we take the time to explain the larger picture to our children. The child can then use this information to assimilate other experiences, even if the parent is not present to interpret for him. 

Home can provide a pure atmosphere for children. By practicing the Golden Rule between parent and child and between brothers and sisters, children learn how people should treat each other. When parents let children know by their words and actions that they love them and sincerely desire to give them the best they’re able to provide, the children recognize that their parents care about them deeply. Then when the parent needs to take a firm stand, to say “no” to some want or to refuse to yield on an issue, the underlying integrity of the parent-child relationship eventually allows the child to understand the parent’s decision. 

Throughout history, religious training has taught young people to develop clear perceptions about right and wrong. Families with deep roots in the Bible help children discover a basis for unselfish action. Children who learn to pray daily at home can feel comfortable speaking to God in their private thoughts at any time and in any situation. School can provide skills that will benefit the child in many ways, but the child’s wholeness is recognized and cherished mainly by the family. 

Parents often resolve to safeguard their children from early exposure to violence. Be alert to the subtle ways error tries to enter in. All too often, children’s videos, cartoons, and electronic games contain amusing violence which begins to pave the way for desensitization to more overtly violent programing aimed mainly at older children. It’s important to watch shows and videos with your children and to be very familiar with the electronic games and apps they are using on all devices. 

While visiting friends, children may be offered the opportunity to view TV programs and videos that a parent would not allow them to see at home. Parents can anticipate the problem and do some training. Often it’s instructive for the child to think through how he will tell a friend he cannot watch a certain movie or video. Should he call his parent? Should he talk with the friend’s parents? If a parent finds out that a child viewed something inappropriate, it’s not too late for the child to become aware of the parent’s wishes. 

From TV and neighborhood friends also comes the barrage of aggressive toys. Some families are divided about having guns at home, and often compromises can be reached. For example, squirt guns and Nerf Blast-A-Ball might be permitted at home, but toy guns that are made to look like weapons that kill may not be permitted. 

Vicarious killing and violent images are found in video games. Children playing the games will frequently be heard to say, “I’m dead.” Boys appear to be targeted for this type of entertainment more than girls, with fast cars, jet planes, martial arts, and conquest as principal themes. “As parents and teachers, we must so train the thought of our youth that they may readily detect for themselves the right from the wrong, the real from the unreal, and we must inspire them with a love for that which lifts thought above the sordid, material view of life.” (Education at The Principia by Mary Kimball Morgan, p. 13) It is our parental duty and responsibility to continually monitor the video games our children play, guide them in right game choices, and limit the amount of time they spend on their devices. Set ground rules with your children and hold your children accountable. You might use a timer to limit the game time and expect for all homework to be completed before recreational use of the computer or i-Pad is allowed. As a family, you might choose to favor outdoor activities, reading, board games, and construction toys. 

According to statistics, more than 98 percent of American homes have televisions. The current generation raising children was brought up in homes with televisions, and many have not looked at the medium critically. Seeing commercial TV from a child’s innocent viewpoint can change adult perceptions about its being “harmless.” Two-year-olds will often ignore TV until the (louder) commercial comes on and captures their attention. But in homes with large-screen televisions or where the television is used as a babysitter, even younger children may be drawn into the TV habit. 

It can be helpful to form a TV philosophy. Having the TV off except for intended viewing is often a first step to controlling its use. Some parents set standards for what their children are allowed to watch and video record programs that they consider acceptable for viewing. When the children are older, a time limit is set for 1/2-1 hour per day after homework is finished. 

Decisions about the place of TV in the home begin with mom and dad sitting down together to think through the problems that might result from TV watching. Older children in the family should be included. Each family member’s thoughts should be candidly shared and compromises reached. Programs or news broadcasts that a young child is not allowed to watch should be recorded for later viewing. The lock-out feature can be helpful for families with cable or satellite TV. You might plan a “Movie Night” for special shows that the whole family enjoys together. Helping children develop a critical view to what is worth watching can enable them to be more selective in later years. 

When children venture beyond their own yards to play, parents still have a hand in supervising and monitoring their activities. Even when the child is older, it is helpful for parents to ask: Do I know the families my child enjoys visiting? Have I met the parents? Am I comfortable with their standards? Am I aware of the types of play our children share and the type of language they use? Have difficulties during playtime been solved equitably so that older children are fair with younger ones? 

Home is the place where children form their ideas about who they are. From modeling their parents and learning from them by their example and guidance, children grow in their ability to make decisions about how they view the world, what they think is funny, how they relate to others, and what they value in life. A strong foundation of trust and love allows the child to keep communication open with the parents. 

Through each encounter with challenging situations, children can be taught to cherish their own innocence and purity. When parents work with children from the time they are small, cultivating the natural love for what is good and pure, their efforts are rewarded. Spontaneous joy, expectation of good, receptivity to all that is lovely, characterizes the child of God. A firm spiritual foundation, provides our children with the strength to stand up for what they know is right and to feel comfortable with the values they have been taught.

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Bubble Chemistry

Materials
Liquid dish soap
Plastic spoons
Disposable cups
Measuring cups
Small pitcher of water
Rigatoni
Pipe cleaners

Directions
Invite your child to pour liquid dish soap into a spoon, and then pour it into a disposable cup.  Then measure out 1/4 cup of water and invite your child to pour it into the cup. Stir the mixture together.  Help your child form a wand by making a shape a the end of a pipe cleaner and giving it a few twists. Take the bubble solution  and pipe cleaner wands outside to test our bubble solution. You may also try blowing through dry rigatoni, just to experiment. Which one works better?  

Here’s a wonderful article written by Blakely Bundy and Diane E. Levin, published in NAEYC/Teaching Young Children:

Preschool Play Plans:  Bubbling Over with Fun!

 

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Water Play: A Valuable Learning Experience for Children

Water Play

By Dorothy Halverson, Director of Principia Acorn Programs

These friends are enjoying pouring water from one cup to another, using water to spin the waterwheel, making bubbles with the beaters, and just feeling the water run through their fingers. While they are having fun exploring, they are also learning about cause and effect, about warm and cool, about floating and sinking. They love learning new words, feeling the calming effect water play brings, and thinking about the wetness of the water and the bubbliness of the bubbles. 

Young children are naturally drawn to water and they are curious about it. It’s a universally appealing, natural play substance with unlimited possibilities. 

So what does a child learn from playing with water, besides getting wet? 

Your Child, the Great Explorer 

One of the big lessons young children are learning is how the world works. They are actively exploring the environment around them using all of their senses. Young children are very tactile and they want to know how the world really works, how it tastes and smells and feels, and how bouncy it is if you jump really hard on it. They enjoy all kinds of sensory activities—and water play is one of these. 

When your child is exploring, take your cues from him. He will show you what he’s interested in. It might be as simple as watching the bubbles flow off his fingers under the running water in the sink. It’s really about the child and what he or she wants to do. 

Children like to play in the sink while they wash their hands and look at themselves in the mirror. Try filling a large plastic container with water and placing it on a low table or outside in the grass. Add natural materials to the water for your child to explore—like pine cones and leaves. Talk about what happens to the leaves when they get wet. It’s a very simple, natural process of following a child’s interest. 

Water and Words 

Water play is also about words. Any experience you have with your child can be about words, and water is certainly an interesting topic for a little person. Have conversations about water with your little one and discover language together. Talk about the water pouring and splashing and drizzling. Extend his language with descriptions. 

Even if your child isn’t talking much, he is taking in everything you say, and his language skills are developing. You help that process along when you talk to him or read to him. Stories that describe the properties of water can add to your child’s growing knowledge of water. Have a look at Big Sarah’s Little Boots by Paulette Bourgeois (Published by Kids Can Press), The Mud Puddle by Robert Munsch (Annick Press), or D.W. All Wet, by Marc Brown (Little, Brown). 

Get in the Game 

Water play is another opportunity to show your child that you like playing with him and that you value him and the activities he enjoys. So don’t sit by with a towel (or a raincoat). Play with him, squish through the soggy mud. Show him that you’re interested in his experience with water, that you want to be there splashing with him, and that you enjoy being part of his play! 

Involve your child in water play around the house, too. He’ll love to be included in the things you do. Invite your child to add water to your powdered drink mix, stir, and drink it up. It’s exciting to make something real and then serve a drink to the rest of the family. Your child can “wash” the plastic drinking cups at the kitchen sink, or watch the clothes slowly submerge as the washer fills. 

The Great Wet Outdoors 

Sure, summer is a great time for sprinklers and bubbles, but water play outdoors can be a year-round activity. Spring is perfect. It comes with puddles and mud. Add boots, raincoats, and fleece jackets and follow your child out the door. He’ll know what to do next. 

In the winter, bring some snow inside and watch what happens. Notice the dripping icicles on a warm winter day. There are lots of creative possibilities—the drippy snow, the fluffy snow. Children can take handfuls of icicles to break–the sound they make is amazing. Best of all is stomping through puddles that have frozen with a thin layer of ice—what power!

In the Swim 

Another way to enjoy the water together is to get right into it—into the pool, that is. What can you expect at a “Baby and Me” swimming lesson? Fun! A typical Baby and Me class will include skills, songs, games, and lots of ways to stimulate the child. 

Swimming lessons make the most of modeling. For instance, the parent blows bubbles; the child sees that it’s fun to blow bubbles; and, eventually, he’s doing it, too. Learning skills are incorporated into the songs and games in a very subtle and fun way. 

Keep your expectations of swimming lessons realistic. A toddler may learn to splash and blow bubbles, and he’ll feel more comfortable in the water, but he isn’t going to be “water safe” for a long time yet. The bottom line for safe water fun is to stay with your child and supervise closely. If your child is not within arms’ reach, you’re too far away—even in a lesson setting. 

Calming Waters 

The interesting thing about water is how it can create uproarious, screaming, splashing fun, but it can also calm the fussiest baby. Water is a soothing substance. If your little one has had a rough day, and nothing you do seems to help, running a bath and sitting down next to your child while he plays in the tub will often change his mood. 

There’s nothing like a soothing bath after a full day . . , add some bubbles, a few plastic boats and ducks, and some cups and basters to the bath. Your child will love exploring in the water. 

On the Safety Side 

  • Small children need close, constant adult supervision when they’re playing around water, whether it’s in the bathtub, backyard wading pool, or dishpan. Be vigilant. 
  • Empty buckets and dishpans when your child is finished playing. Make cleanup part of the exploration. Your child can help you pour the water down the drain, watch it disappear, and then wonder together where the water ends up. 
  • Take extra care that the floor, sidewalk, or lawn doesn’t get wet and slippery when you’ve been playing for a while. Keep a couple of big towels handy. If you’re outside, move the game around so surfaces don’t get slippery or soggy. 

Fun Water Play Ideas for Young Children 

  • Ice cubes are fun! They’re cold and slippery, and they disappear right before your eyes. 
  • Gather up some dolls’ clothes or dolls’ dishes, add a squirt of very mild soap to a little pan of water, and your child can do laundry the old-fashioned way.
  • Add food coloring to a container filled water. 
  • Discover all the water toys available in the kitchen: big and small plastic spoons and scoops, funnels, colanders, sieves, turkey basters, sponges, slotted spoons. Assign some old plastic containers to permanent play duty and poke a few holes in the bottom—one hole makes a little stream that lasts a long time; a bunch of holes makes an impressive shower. 
  • Fill a large margarine tub or jelly mold with colored water and freeze. These can become bricks in your snow fort or be allowed to melt slowly in the bathtub or swimming pool. Place a plastic toy in the water before you freeze it and your child will delight in discovering it. 
  • Put some water in a plastic spray bottle. A well-cleaned out window cleaner bottle works well. Water the plants or the lawn, or spray the side of the house.
  • Provide a bucket of water and a clean paint brush and invite your child to “paint” the side of the house or the sidewalk. A roller brush is even more interesting. 
  • Have a tea party with a tiny tea pot, tea cups, and snacks. Invite some bears and other members of the family. Eat, drink, sit on little chairs, and be merry. 
  • Fill a clear plastic jar with water and show your child how big his hand looks through the magnifying bottle. 
  • Set out a container of water and some toys to experiment with—a plastic doll that floats, a little car that doesn’t, a wooden block, a sponge, a bar of Ivory soap, some ice cubes that float . . . but ,wait a minute, where are they? Have a conversation about what happened to the ice cubes. Talk about which objects float in the water and which objects sink. 

Remember: Any time your child is near water of any amount, close supervision is imperative. Have fun and enjoy this special time with your child.

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Loving and Appreciating Nature

Loving and Appreciating Nature

By Dorothy Halverson, Director of Acorn Programs

Children and nature go together – or at least, they should. For children, the sense of freedom experienced during the unstructured play that occurs in nature creates a source of independence and inner strength. Being outside feels good. Children are free to explore, move about, and make noise, all delightful forms of self-expression that are often restricted indoors. Children are creatures of nature. They flourish in its presence simply because the trees, the sky, the mountain streams, and the ocean waves beckon them. Even the most energetic children will slow down to dig a hole in sand, watch a ladybug crawl, or spend focused time playing with a stick in a mud puddle. The plethora of activities nature offers are not laden with rules and for a moment, or for days, we get to be in awe of the natural wonders that hold so many mysteries beyond our comprehension. 

The natural world is a giant, open-ended learning laboratory. Children are innate scientists and love to experience the sights, scents, sounds, and textures of the outdoors. Nature provides countless opportunities for discovery, creativity, and problem-solving, and it instills a sense of beauty and calmness. Children learn that by waiting patiently and quietly, the door opens for nature to show its secrets. It exposes us to things that are alive and growing, which promotes curiosity and exploration. With an adult as a guide, children can learn about being gentle and respecting living things. 

It’s fun for children and adults to share imagination together. Spend time following your children and looking at nature through their eyes. As we put away our preconceived notions as to what we’ll see or learn, our sense of wonder will grow. There is always something new to be taken in everywhere, whether we’ve been there hundreds of times before or it’s the very first time. We will never see “sameness.” Children bring our attention closer to the ground, and as a result, often lead us to rediscover the wonders of the earth around us. 

Building and digging in the dirt, watching worms wiggle through the soil, gazing up at clouds, jumping in puddles, listening to birds sing, smelling fresh-cut grass, collecting seeds, or building things with twigs and mud provide endless opportunities for discovery. Interacting with the natural world allows children to learn by doing, and experiment with ideas. All senses become engaged when children interact with nature. In the natural world, children think, question, make suppositions, and thereby develop inquisitive minds. They can play alone or connect with one another, learn to share, and problem solve. 

In the natural world, children will often collaborate to make up games and rules because there are not prescribed sets of instructions. When exploring outside, school-age children may not be in close proximity to adults, which gives them the opportunity to make up their own rules and solve their own problems, without inhibition. 

The youngest children also benefit in many ways from being outdoors, and they still need our supervision. Your child’s open-ended play, whether digging in the garden, running as fast as she can, or collecting wildflowers on a long walk, will be enhanced if you join in. Providing a reasonable balance of risk and safety is our job as parents. Providing some level of challenge allows children to learn the next skill. 

Children all over the world play outside – a unity of shared experiences. Our children are future stewards of the earth. In order to raise adults who are passionate about protecting the environment and preserving our planet, they must first develop a deep love for it. The only way to enable children to grow comfortable in nature is to open the door and allow them to explore the wonder and awe of the natural world.