A Peek Inside Our Playroom: Trees & Loose Parts

Something about the dead of winter makes me itch to get outside and play! And it is only fitting that it is typically in the dead of winter that Tu B'Shevat, the Jewish "new year of the trees" is celebrated, honoring the new season for fruit trees in Israel. Here in the mid-Atlantic US, our fruit trees are still pretty dormant. It will be a couple of months yet before we see buds and blossoms and the return of their leaves. But trees of all kinds are something to be celebrated (and played about) in any season! And one of my very favorite ways to play is with loose parts.


Over the past few weeks, I've gradually stocked and shifted materials on our shelves that have something to do with trees--whether it's that they are made from wood, come from a tree, are about trees or some of the wildlife that live in them...

Our Nature Table is set up for some Tree-riffic Small World Play...

Whether it's building and designing with loose parts on our rug, sculpting with salt dough, small world play or constructing, deconstructing and reconstructing foam trees with loose parts, there's something for everyone here--even little C!

I began by stocking our play shelves with various wooden loose parts and blocks, tree blocks, cinnamon sticks, wooden peg people, seasonal accents and decorations having to do with trees and even a collection of wooden teething toys in various shapes.

Sometimes the kids will play with a set up of loose parts for weeks and other times, I can tell when it starts to get a bit stale... In this case, rather than do a huge overhaul, I add something in, maybe swap a few things. Who says trees can't also be a celebration of color? So I added in some burlap ribbon, and later our wooden Grimms rainbow stacker and peg people set, some felt squares and rainbow scarves...

And just like that, it's as if it were brand spankin' new!

A small world setup by S

How far can you go...

Meanwhile, at the atelier...

The boys worked on sculptures with salt dough and a variety of loose parts including feathers, sticks, pussy willow branches, peg clothespins, cinnamon sticks, wooden craft sticks, golf tees, and other small wooden loose parts. I set out some clay/dough tools as well. This could certainly also be done with clay or playdough. I chose salt dough for it's ability to air dry in case the boys would create something they wanted to preserve.





When the salt dough was past its prime, I swapped in some craft foam "trees," and golf tees, feathers, sticks and pussy willow branches, artificial flowers, leaves, snowflakes, apples and even some random cabinet knobs I once purchased for a project that didn't work out...

I was amazed at how into this the boys got. The sculptures emerged, shifted, morphed, changed and even came with stories...

A creation by Y

A creation by S

Another one of Y's masterpieces...

S's "Robotic Tree. He has arms, a face and holes that caterpillars munched in him..."

"...he even has feet!"

Trees are such a versatile and wonderful play theme no matter the season or the reason!

Want to do more?

• Read here for more about trees
• Read here for more about Tu b'Shevat, to be celebrated this year on Monday, February 10, 2020 (beginning sundown the night before)

Well, I've got to make like a tree and leave! We'll be back soon and until then...

Happy Playing!

Little Hands & Fragile Things

Long before they learn the word "fragile," most children are repeatedly exposed to the phrase "don't touch." Indeed, we set up our homes and classrooms to protect little hands from being able to reach things that are potentially breakable. Instead, we fill their spaces with toys--some made to resemble the items that we safeguard upon a higher shelf, many made of durable materials like plastic, metal and wood. A couple of winters ago, I took an online conference in early childhood and one of the presenters showed the use of real artifacts--fragile ones, even--right in her classroom dramatic play center. I was rather surprised and quite intrigued. And yet, I was still hesitant. Inspired, I headed out one Friday afternoon to a local thrift shop and found a charming tiny china tea set. I brought it home for a few dollars and that Shabbos, S (then 3) and I had a pretend tea party at our dining room table. We used real water and he practiced pouring and transferring and overall handling these tiny and fragile little treasures. He had such a feeling of reverence for these tiny dishes and such a feeling of pride in being allowed, in fact, encouraged to touch them. So many of his own meals were served on plastic plates and bowls with matching plastic utensils and even plastic cutlery. But I have to admit, my heart skipped a beat each and every time he picked up the tea pot and proceeded to pour, clumsily trying to coordinate his tiny hands to hold the tiny lid in place while pouring tiny amounts of water into (and over the top of) a tiny tea cup. And I stored our tiny tea set in a lovely wooden box, out of sight, out of mind...

...until yesterday! I love weekends here, and particularly Shabbos, as an opportunity to slow down and introduce new (or more accurately, returning) toys and materials to our playroom rotation. It gives us the time to play together and explore without being rushed. And after one cool day here, I was feeling rather Fall-ish, so I decided to revamp our nature table for the season up ahead. And in preparation for the International Fairy Tea Party, a worldwide event celebrating child's play and wonder coming up next Thursday through the weekend, I decided to incorporate our tea set into the display. Our nature shelf is a space that captures the beauty and magic of each season. It shifts as items are found, collected, displayed, played with and moved around. It is a hands-on space with objects both nature and man-made. Some of these items are big. Some are small. Some are living, others are not. Some are delicate and others quite sturdy. While it is a space that initially I set up, it is encouraged that S and Y (and someday, C) play in the space. In fact, I love when I walk into the room and notice a little change to our setup--it feels like passing love notes to one another. They can take things off the shelf, they can add things to it. In a sense, they've had the experience of touching fragile materials on the shelf before, so the addition of porcelain dishes really wasn't so novel.

Tea parties are served on "real" dishes and the boys decorate
cookies with icing in "real" glasses...

Fast forward to when the boys came downstairs from their afternoon rest, they were enthralled! I do confess that my heart still skipped a beat when each one picked up the tea pot or creamer for the first time. But I consciously made myself take a breath, and a step back. I slowed my thoughts down and slowed my words. I took each of the boys through the process of handling the little dishes with two hands and making sure they were far from the edge and level on a flat surface. Is it possible that they will break? Yes, and some might even say likely. Is it a huge deal if they do? No. It will be one in many of life's lessons to come (and behind us) of fragile things being...fragile.

I believe there is great value in exposing children to real and fragile materials. My disclaimer in promoting this is that I first and foremost value children's safety. When objects in a child's reach can be in any way dangerous, it is vital that safety come first. Whether it's tiny marbles that could potentially be a choking hazard or plants that are not edible or objects that can shatter and be sharp, if an adult cannot be present to support or if you know the children in your space are prone to mouthing objects or are not yet ready for independently handling fragile materials, I would encourage leaving them only in an adult's reach and bringing them out when they can be used together, with support.

These seed pods are very brittle. There are many
skills involved in putting
the marbles into the holes (an activity
invented by Y) and overall handling the
seed pod without it crushing it.

The benefits I do see in children having opportunities to get hands on with real objects and materials are manifold. It honors their ability to be gentle and caring toward these meaningful things. It welcomes them into our "adult" world--a place they long for but often feel separate from. It teaches a sense of reverence for things that are special and important to us and in that sense, they learn to handle things that are special and important to them in just the same way. I will likely never have a play or learning space that is void of any plastic or pretend toys. I know these objects are also important and integral to my children's play. I also know that children who are only exposed to these materials are perhaps given a false sense of security. Both have a place, both have a value.

If you're feeling ready to take on the challenge of incorporating little hands and fragile things in your own home or classroom, here are a few ideas to consider:

• Two Finger Touch: This is a great one for those who may not be ready or equipped to have fragile objects left at child's reach. During a time when you can be present, bring out a special object to show your child(ren). Demonstrate the care you take when handling it, talk about it slowly and quietly. Give over the idea of how very special it is and use real language like "fragile" or "delicate." And then, one at a time, invite each child to come and touch the object using their pointer and middle finger together. As you feel more secure in this skill, you may offer an opportunity to hold it or perhaps use it functionally (if it is an instrument, for example, the children may have a turn at playing it). In this sense, you can teach the skills of handling fragile objects in increments: how to touch, how to hold, how to carry/transfer and how to return these objects.
• Use real dishes at the dinner table: I don't always do this, but many times when we are all sitting together for family dinner or on Shabbos or at our weekly tea parties, I do give the boys real dishes and cutlery. It is a skill to learn to keep your glass away from the edge of the table and a skill to pour tea or lemonade from a porcelain tea pot while simultaneously holding down the lid. Again, if you have a plate tosser in your home, I don't recommend teaching this skill from afar, but rather bringing out the real stuff only when you can also be at the table to give gentle reminders.

  

  Bird's nest Museum Box

• Hands-on Museums: I frequently come to my nature based playgroup meet-ups with a bin or two of my Traveling Hands-on Museum. These are shallow plastic bins that I stock with items found and collected from nature. Many are quite delicate, like this abandoned bird's nest. I love offering opportunities for children to touch things that are often kept out of their reach. It gives them such a sense of pride and wonder. And when I cannot be there to support and supervise, the lid can be replaced and the box put aside.
• Skill Building: Along with and sometimes even before opportunities to touch fragile objects, building the skills necessary to do so is important. Giving children plenty of opportunities to practice fine motor strength, balance, hand-eye coordination and executive functioning skills like organization, navigating their body in their environment, etc., are all integral to being able to have a tea party with real dishes. Even being able to carry a plate full of food or a cup filled with water from the kitchen to the table is a skill that must be learned. Know that through their daily opportunities for indoor and outdoor play and learning, these skills are being developed and as they get stronger, children will be more successful in being able to manage delicate objects.

  

  S is particularly cautious and curious as he
  explores some materials in our Traveling Hands-on Nature Museum.
  (Objects pictured below)

  
  
  
• When the inevitable occurs: Let's be realistic. Stuff is going to break. Whether it's a dinner glass or a toy or a picture frame or even something very special and irreplaceable, we all have experienced it. Particularly if something is quite special and irreplaceable, having it break can be upsetting. I do think it's important to keep emotions in check, but I also think it's OK for children to see that we are sad when something is broken (whether they had a part in it or not). On the other end of that spectrum is our tendency to jump in and say "it's OK!" or "we can get a new one!" I still remember many moons ago when S was a baby and he and a friend were outside their babysitter's home playing drums with some plastic spoons and overturned metal bowls. Another boy in our neighborhood who was a bit older came over and played along. He, however, had a bit more strength than his fellow musicians. My neighbor encouraged more gentle play but before long one of the spoons broke. "It's OK," he said to the owner of the drum set immediately, "You can buy a new one." It's a phrase I'd heard his parents use repeatedly when things got broken in his house and once, even when he broke something in mine. And yes, it is essentially OK. Things do get broken and most things can be replaced. Nonetheless, I greatly admired my neighbor's response: "It can be replaced, but actually, I don't feel OK about it yet. I need you to be more gentle with my things in the future." The boy seemed quite surprised, cocked his head to one side, and said "I'm sorry." It was as though he'd never been aware of the fact that even though things break and it's OK and they can be replaced, it can also be sad and disappointing. 
• And the Aftermath... If and when something is broken by a child, I do encourage you to include him or her in the clean up. If it is something that belonged to someone else, it can feel embarrassing and uncomfortable for both parties. I think it is important to find out a way to make things right, whether it is through replacing the object and/or an apology. If a child feels too embarrassed to do this, you can model it for him/her. If it is the child's own toy or object, I also encourage balancing when you rush to replace something versus opportunities to earn its replacement or wait for a special occasion. Children do not arrive into this world inherently knowing that things cost money and money takes time and work to earn. S will frequently have wishes for particular toys now or ask to replace something that gets broken right away. He's not intentionally being greedy, but he does not yet understand capitalism! We now have incorporated family jobs and earning allowance for both of the boys.
• Treasure hunting in thrift stores is a great way to build a small and cost effective collection of objects to use for teaching care with fragile materials. For even less money, as in no money at all, you can collect items from nature that are particularly delicate, like fallen leaves, seed pods, flowers, etc.  When children are invited to participate in this, whether it's finding and collecting a bouquet of wildflowers or getting to pick out a beautiful tea cup at a garage sale, they will have a sense of ownership to these objects and handle them with greater care.

I'm not so sure how long our tea set will last out on the Nature Shelf, but so far, so good. And perhaps I will take a bit of my own advice and offer more opportunities for working on handling delicate things. We'll be back soon and until then...

Happy Playing!

A Peek Inside Our Playroom: Late Summer Nature Table

Ah, August. For some, it's the end of the summer. Others are already headed back to school. Here, we are savoring these last drops of the sweet slower pace, but with an eye toward the events to come--beginning kindergarten for S, part-time preschool for Y, some undivided attention for C, and some new adventures and undertakings in my nature based playgroup.

Teachers are busy setting up classrooms. Homeschool teachers are busy setting up learning spaces. And if you're still at home with your crew, you're likely setting up, cleaning up, and repeating daily, multiple times! I had noticed our Nature Table, although holding a collection of several summertime treasures, was still set up from late spring! And here we are, late into the summer, busily investigating the remains of our mammoth sunflowers, reaping this season's fruitful harvest and splashing in the muddy creek in the area where our local chapter of Free Forest School meets up. Yes, we are in full summer swing here!

Part of me is so ready for the season to come. I love Autumn. And part of me is not yet ready to let go of Summer--or all of us being here at home together (even though it is also quite challenging at times).And that part of me likes to plan and set stuff up!  So I've been planning my playgroup's Fall events and today, I decided to spruce up our Nature Table. But let's veer off course just for a minute and touch upon the hows and whys of a Nature Table in your home or classroom...

The Third Teacher: There is a concept in Reggio Emilia based education that talks about the classroom or a child's surrounding environment being the "third teacher" in the room. As early childhood educators set up their spaces right now, many classrooms or learning spaces are set up with a calendar, a space for science, a space for math, a space for literacy... Many teachers will spend time in each of their days talking, singing or chanting about the days of the week, the seasons of the year, the weather outside. And for many this is a struggle. A struggle of maintaining the interest (not to mention the classroom management) of a group of young people not designed for sitting still for long periods of time. Many will wonder why some children "get" it with those pesky concepts of before and after, today, tomorrow and yesterday or why little Billy says it's snowing every single day he is the Class Meteorologist. There is current support and evidence to show that these rituals, while common in classrooms, are not as effective and beneficial to learning as we had previously thought. For most children, the best way to learn about time is to experience it and connect to events in their life. For most children, the best way to learn about the weather is to go outside and be in it. And for most children, the best way to learn to sit still is to move around. Math, science and literacy are all around us, and while having a space and a place for everything is valuable (and necessary) it is also possible for children to develop these skills in all spaces and places quite naturally. A Nature Table, commonly found in most Waldorf inspired classrooms and homes, is a space that can hold it all (albeit on a scale of how much space you actually have). You can experience the season, your geographical location or places you have traveled, local flora and fauna (science), measurement, counting and other mathematical concepts, literacy, vocabulary and more. It is also a space to inspire play and wonder.
Inspiring Play and Wonder in your Nature Table is an act of balance. As with many areas and spaces that adults set up for children, there is the propensity to claim ownership of it, whether intentionally or inadvertently. Oftentimes I set up the Nature Table when the children are asleep. Even once it is set up, I will every so often go over to it in the evening, and arrange something with our loose parts, peg people or fairies. It is a little way in which I communicate a silent message of play and wonder to my kids. And often, when I return a few nights later, I will notice that someone has responded to my playful message and made a change of his own. These little love letters to one another are expressed purely through small world play and it is a whimsical and magical way to connect. That said, I also am aware that my "setting up" this space can also give the impression that it is my space rather than our space. Initially when I first started keeping our top toy shelf as a Nature Table, S didn't even realize he could play with it (and Y couldn't reach it yet). Bit by bit, I've learned to let go of the need to solely control playroom design here. It's not easy because I like a certain aspect of tidiness. But I also have a sincere appreciation for the aesthetics of childhood wonder and play residue. I actually find a child's sense of intention in design to be truly beautiful and artistic.
To encourage engagement with our Nature Table as well as play and movement of materials, I invite the children to choose what we put out, to assist with initial design and set up, to bring things from outside indoors, or from inside to our table. It can be items found from nature or items that are man-made. It can be items that are fragile and require gentle touch. It can be items intended for carrying off the shelf to use (like our mortar and pestle, currently filled with parts of a sunflower). It can be baskets, tins, trays or bowls for filling, holding, observing. Small world play props do not have to be on scale--a bumblebee puppet can be giant compared to a tiny garden gnome. A friendly green caterpillar can be just as big as a Mother Earth pegdoll. Some sunflowers can be artificial; some can be real!


Reflecting the Season is somewhat about what is happening outdoors and in nature where we live, but it is also about what we find interesting and inspiring at the moment.
Last month, the boys were intrigued by sharks. We added a magnifying box with two collected shark teeth to our Nature Table, even though we do not live so near the ocean. And we also added some shells we did find at the ocean while visiting Virginia Beach. And yesterday, while the Sprout Scouts were on first Forest School hike, S found a yellow leaf on the ground. He wanted to know which type of tree it came from. We pulled out our copy of Into the Field Guide: A Walk in the Woods to look up types of leaves and trees. He wanted to know even more about this leaf along with another one we found and an acorn, and so we grabbed another field guide all about trees off our bookshelf at home and set it out at our Nature Table along with our collection of discovered treasures.

Reflecting the People in your room or home is perhaps the most important aspect of a Nature Table. There's no right or wrong. To some, it is important that everything be natural or to some it might be important that small world props be true to scale or made from only natural materials or that this space contain only generic loose parts and not toys with a single function or purpose. To me, it is most meaningful that the space be one for sharing. And with props and materials contributed by all of us from a variety of sources, we can easily accomplish that. It is not a sedentary spot--just like us, it is constantly in motion. Y wanted to bring a wooden prism looking glass and a wooden window block with a sunflower inside. S wanted the field guide about trees to be there and our thrifted tin with pictures of each season is filled with his favorite collection of flocked bears. I added quite a lot of sunflowers! And at the very end, I nestled a couple of books about sunflowers off to the side to inspire some literacy and shared reading. Our Nature Table is very full. Most of the time, I'm a less is more kinda gal. But I'm also OK when more is more. And shifts and tweaks can happen (and will happen) as play and time go on.
Elements of texture, color and curiosity are fun to play with as you design a space for a Nature Table. This time, I added some silk scarves to the bottom. They give a burst of color and a softer feel than just the wood plank of the shelf. A round mirror creates a flat surface that reflects the props on top of it. It will encourage a different way of viewing objects the children use on top of it. Wood, wicker and the earth tones of sticks, stones, seed pods, cones, leaves and acorns all found outdoors set against the more vibrant hues of some of our toys and props creates a pleasing balance. I know we are "ready" with a Nature Table when we all feel drawn to go see what's different. What has moved? What story is being told? What little love letter is being conveyed?
Movement is a key element in our Nature Table. Although it definitely has an element of stillness to it and even a lure to slow down, it's OK--even encouraged--to take things from it elsewhere for play, to bring things to it as they are discovered and collected. It is a picture in motion of life here as we experience it through each day. It is a celebration of each season, of each person and of our most valuable teacher, the world around us.

Happy Playing!

An Updated Peek at Our Playgarden: Setting Up Spaces of Nature-Based Wonder Outdoors (and Inside)

Happy Spring! Whether it feels that way outside or not, it's official according to the calendar: Spring has SPRUNG! And with it, some new spaces of nature-based wonder in our playgarden (and indoors as well).

Current statistics show that the average child in the US spends only 4-7 minutes outdoors engaged in free play on a daily basis. In stark contrast to that figure, our children are spending on average 7.5 hours in front of electronic devices and media. Experts recommend that children should play outside for at least 3 hours daily. You can read more about this topic on the blog 1000 Hours Outside and in this huffpost article. I'm not even close to that target with my own kids, especially during the school year. We do, however, aim to get outside at least once a day. S gets to play outdoors in school once or twice on most days and Y often has a time outdoors in the morning with me at home.

Gone are the days of my own youth when we were tossed lovingly and trustingly into the fenced in backyard to "go out and play" while my mother watched from the kitchen window and tended to indoor tasks or even joined us outside to tend to her garden. But if a generation of children are growing up indoors, what is to be said for the future of outdoor play, childhood experience and development, not to mention hobbies like gardening or even values of conservationism and environmentalism? I think we can all look back and remember joyful outdoor experiences of our own youth. But beyond the happy memories, unstructured outdoor play promotes a variety of other benefits for health and development, including (but not limited to):

• problem solving skills
• healthy risk assessment skills
• creativity
• compassion for the natural world and toward other living beings
• critical thinking and inquiry-based learning
• a healthy body, metabolism and immune system
• good mental health
• pro-social skills
• natural learning in literacy, science, math, natural history, engineering and more...
• executive functioning skills

If these reasons were not enough to drive me out the front door and into our yard, I will confess that my motivation is also quite personal. I enjoy being outside and when I thoughtfully set up my small space out there, I can also enjoy a little break and some time to engage in my own creative endeavors and hobbies (like gardening).  

The mud kitchen is one of the most utilized spaces in our playgarden. Concocting water, dirt, mulch, rocks, bits of leaves from the ground and even "beautiful" weeds from the grass has become a full time occupation for both S and Y. I've gleaned inspiration from a plethora of setups, from simple to extravagant, but really all you need is a container, something to mix with (can even be a stick), some dirt and a water source! Beyond that, we like secondhand, recycled or dollar store purchases of cookware. Even our little toy barbecue was snagged from the local thrift store for under $5!

We often put a lot of thought as parents and educators into our indoor spaces, but more often than not, the outdoor spaces in our homes and schools are not quite as tended to. They become a place of escape rather than destination. We may have playground or play equipment out there, we may even have gardens, but do we have areas intentionally set up for discovery and learning as well? And are our outdoor spaces set up to be accessible to the children using them in the same way that our indoor spaces are? 

The "I Wonder..." hook is a new fixture in our playgarden. It is the perfect place to hang a basket or bag containing an activity to do outside, a question to ponder, a great book, a unique toy or tool, some art or writing supplies or something mysterious to investigate or try outdoors... It draws the children over each time we go outside to see what's hanging! You can change out your materials as frequently or infrequently as you wish. Sometimes the boys will spend a lot of time engaged with something from the I Wonder station and other times, they will quickly depart to previously planned mud kitchen or gardening tasks. The idea is to draw attention, peak curiosity and make the yard a destination.

It can be intimidating to approach the possibilities of setting up your outdoor space. It is even more intimidating in some ways when that space is shared, public or quite small. I am here to quell your anxiety that all things are possible even when your space is shared, public and quite small, as in the case with our own apartment yard! Recently our apartment management had landscapers come to lay new mulch down in the front gardens of each property. This meant that I (and by I, I mean my husband) had to tear down and move all of our play accessories temporarily and then set it back up. I will admit to having been a little irked and maybe even slightly over-irked by the idea at first, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I really rethought our setup as I set it up again and it was an opportunity to redesign and restructure our space in a new way. (Ok, so that's #mombrain code for "I forgot what it looked like before we moved everything to the back"...)

Here's a visual peek at our playgarden now as it continues to evolve...

Creating an Outdoor Weather Station:

We talk and teach about weather inside our homes as we dress for the day and often inside early childhood classrooms as children sit at Circle Time. But for all intensive purposes, weather happens outside. Setting up a space outdoors that encourages weather and seasonal observation can be as simple as installing a rain gauge (you can even make your own), "planting" some pinwheels to observe wind patterns, or creating your own "weather rock" (oh the Pinterest inspiration!). Perhaps you'll expand to include a sundial or outdoor thermometer or even DIY your own rain barrel. We also upcycled this metal A-frame from last summer's climbing garden to accommodate a collection of ribbon kites, some clothes pins and a basket of ribbons for hanging and weaving and observing wind patterns in action.

 A Broom in Every Room & Other Favorite Tools/Accessories:

There are some things I always like to keep outside. A child sized broom reserved for outdoor sweeping has always been a favorite here of both boys. Gardening tools and child sized tools for digging, raking, pushing/transferring, buckets and pales for collecting etc. are also available. I like to limit the amount of plastic tools and materials as their shelf life outdoors is not quite as long as their wooden/metal counterparts, but we have both. These items can be found secondhand and even in the dollar store. Additionally, I like having baskets (all purchased secondhand) for storing smaller tools in while we use shower curtain rings for hanging larger ones in between use.

Outdoor storage and protection from the elements are things to think about when setting up. I've learned (sometimes the hard way) what can withstand a very wet summer and what cannot. Some things we store inside between play sessions and for others, a tightly sealing tin can work wonders (like our sidewalk chalk collection). Some less traditional outdoor toys and tools we like are mortars and pestles, magnifying glasses, prisms, prism lenses, binoculars, scissors for cutting grass and plants, paint brushes/sponges for use with water and don't forget your ever growing collection of natural loose parts found and collected outdoors!

 Gross and Fine Motor Development Outdoors:
The great outdoors is the perfect space for fine and gross motor development to happen naturally. Grinding, drawing, digging, transferring, filling, pouring, planting, pulling, climbing and running around all work those muscles from tiny to large while instilling balance, body and vestibular awareness. Larger equipment and toys like climbers and swings if you have the space and desire for them can be great. If you don't, plenty of large muscle movement can happen just from climbing and exploring a variety of natural (and man-made) surfaces. Large objects like a wheelbarrow or even large logs can encourage pushing and heavy lifting as children navigate coordination and strength. Riding toys like bikes and scooters also apply here.

 Curiosity, Wonder and a Literacy Outdoors
Now that we've explored the very big things outdoors, we crouch down to explore the very small wonders. Taking things down in size and stature to a child's level--and then even lower to a bug's level can truly spark curiosity and encourage deep observation. Perhaps the I Wonder station is stocked with some small toys and loose parts for building an outdoor fairy house. Or maybe a tin pale holding your ever growing collection of sticks, I mean, magic wands, draws over a young wizard or fairy at play. Garden signs in a variety of forms are whimsical, beautiful, artistic, and bring a print rich environment outdoors even for the pre-literate. For children you are young at reading, you can also include pictures. I would not recommend leaving books outside in the elements, but I would recommend bringing books outside with you and expanding on literacy through nature based play and exploration.

A Water Source

This is one that is a bit trickier when, like us, you do not have a hose hookup outdoors. We use a plastic jug with a spigot and the boys are able to fill and access water from there. They use it for everything from watering plants with a watering can to adding a vital ingredient to mud recipes to filling up spray bottles, washing hands, or even just observing the trajectory of a puddle. You can also DIY your own rain barrel to make use and reuse of precipitation. Just make sure that in terms of drinking water, you bring what you need from indoors or a clean source! Be mindful, as well, of stagnant water in locations where mosquitoes are a concern in the warm months of the year. That said, we also keep a shallow pan of water ready and available for birds, bees and butterflies in our pollinators garden!

Outdoor learning spaces, like their indoor counterparts, can be changed up as frequently as desired and needed. We make shifts, swaps and additions to honor the boys' interests, seasonal changes and events. Our playgarden is set up to accommodate play and learning year round and we aim to have adequate outerwear available for everyone so we can be comfortable in a variety of elements and seasons. Sometimes, however, it is necessary and good to be indoors. And we bring a bit of the outside in with our Nature Table, which recently had its own little makeover to officially welcome the Spring season!

It was time for our sleepy little root children to wake up...

...so last night Mother Earth (with the help from another mother here) did a little bit of interior design and renovating and the boys were surprised this morning to see that the root children had indeed blossomed overnight as our Spring Nature Table greeted them first thing in the morning!

Happy Spring and Happy Playing!

A Peek Inside Our Spring Themed Playroom

I know, I know, it's not Spring yet, but I just couldn't wait any longer! We've all got the itch to get outside and dig in the dirt and until then, we've been happily playing, creating and daydreaming about our future garden inside our playroom. Some people get into Spring cleaning; I get into Spring playroom setup--to each their own! So come on in and take a little walk through our Spring themed playroom updates... You might even stay and play for a while!





Small World Play & Literacy:

One of our very favorite books for early Spring is Sibylle von Olfers' The Story of the Root Children. This tale lends itself so beautifully to storytelling and small world play. I often use our top shelf (pictured to the left) as a Nature Shelf, particularly during seasonal shifts. Stocked with the book and a couple of others in that genre, some natural, manufactured and handmade loose parts, the space is ready for small world play and storytelling! The boys enjoy arranging materials on the shelf and also carrying them to the rug or table to play with in a larger space. They can also add in other building materials and accessories as they wish. As the season continues, the shelf will shift along with it...

Old Man Winter is there for now and the Root Children are still fast asleep under Mother Earth's careful watch...

but soon enough, Spring will bring forth new surprises and wonders both found outdoors and handcrafted inside.

Dramatic Play: Flower & Garden Shop

As Purim is also coming up in two weeks, our dramatic play area is still stocked with props and materials for building castles, dressing up, puppetry, acting out fairy tales and cooking up delicious meals at the Three Bears' Cafe. I did add in a Spring element as well with the addition of our Flower & Garden Shop...

We used some printables and inspiration from Pocket of Preschool's Flower Shop and Garden Shop Dramatic Play set. S really loved using the order form to check off which type and/or color of flower the customer (me) wanted to order...and I really loved that I managed to sneak in some pencil practice!

S is busy planting the daffodils I ordered in our DIY No-Sew Planting Set as Y uses our make-shift garden hose to water the growing flowers.

Y is having a go at the pencil taking flower orders...

Our shelves are also stocked with color sorted (and labeled) cups of flowers for planting, picking, arranging, selling and purchasing as well as a collection of gardening tools, gloves, watering cans, pots and vases and even a basket of actual seeds with a couple of magnifying glasses to encourage closer observation...

S had the idea to use the seeds in dramatic play for planting. He is sprinkling sunflower seeds on his plot!

They need lots of water to grow!

Sensory Table: Planting Station

Filled with assorted dried beans and stocked with pots, gardening tools and artificial flowers, our Planting Station Sensory Bin is the perfect Spring themed extension of our flower and garden shop dramatic play. Both boys have had a lot of fun scooping, raking, filling and planting in this area.

Art & Writing Center:
I must admit that while I am full of ideas for our Art & Writing Center, it is the area that most often gets neglected and, well, a little bit stale. We do a lot of art and pre-writing activities and the boys do go through phases where they are particularly interested in some of the materials, but I don't generally change it up as often as some of the other areas and everyone is always very excited when I do!

A bit out of the box, here is our collection of Fairy Garden Loose Parts for use in art and design. The boys can use the artificial flowers, furniture, stones, mosaic tiles and small fairy play accessories on their own, with the mirror trays, with playdough or even in their growing Fairy Gardens (which I will post on at a later date).

One of the best ways to freshen up a stale art and writing scene, I've found, is to change up the paper! As odd as that sounds, writing, drawing and painting on a medium that is of a different size, shape, color and/or texture really encourages artists and writers of all ages and interest levels. Here, we are stocked with some seed catalogs for cutting/collage, graph paper for garden plans and design and fingerpainting paper (glossy in finish) cut in half with rounded edges. Off to the side, I've stocked our Stick Bound Nature Journals (another DIY home project I'll post on in the future).

Coloring books are a great way to relax, create art and practice fine motor and pre-writing skills. Very often, they are stored away on a bookshelf here and sometimes, even when they are out and available, they are used once or twice with crayons and then re-shelved and abandoned. With the addition of watercolors, brushes and plastic cups (recycled from some small flower plants), a new element of wonder and creativity is added. The boys can use the watercolors with the Spring and nature themed coloring books or choose some watercolor paper instead (also in the drawer).
They are able to take a cup to the bathroom or kitchen to fill with water as needed, empty it when they are done and help wash and replace items to the drawer.

Our writing drawer is stocked with Spring themed writing paper from Pocket of Preschool's Spring Math & Literacy Centers set, assorted sizes and colors of cardstock, blank cards and envelopes, a notepad, butterfly and caterpillar shaped papers and a collection of Spring and gardening themed stickers. I've found both boys flock to do writing and drawing the most when there are many options for supplies and mediums to use!

We love Kwik Sticks here (top drawer) and oil pastels--both of which work beautifully in conjunction with watercolor paints for gorgeous resist art. The middle drawer is stocked with some floral and Spring themed rubber stamps and washable black ink. The boys can stamp away and add color in the form of colored pencils, pastels, watercolor or whatever strikes their fancy. I especially love my recycled sushi tray collection. It's a great way to transport items from our shelves to the table to work and also great for collecting and transferring other small objects around the house for use in play. These are also useful for painting projects, playdough and "portion control" in small loose parts or scraps used for collage. That is an item that is always accessible in our art and writing center and they get plenty of use!

As we eagerly await the weather outside to catch up, we've been really enjoying Spring themed play inside with materials both natural and man-made. The boys' wheat grass Fairy Gardens are growing quickly and we've added in a couple of small flowering plants purchased quite inexpensively from Trader Joe's. (There will be more on this, as well, in a future post.) There is much to look forward to as we plan, plant and ease into the season. As Purim comes and passes, we will be phasing out some of the play things and materials related to that theme and making space for additional Spring related activities and themes related to other upcoming events. Until then, there is much to be excited for both outdoors and in!

We'll be back soon...

Think Spring & Happy Playing!