Summer Fun Mini Themes: Robots

So, what do robots, Star Wars, magnet science and squirrels have in common? Not a whole lot, but summers here at the Sprout Scouts Playcamp have always been about following the kids' whims and wonders. Particularly as S and Y get older, they have many transient interests and questions about the world around them. Playing about those together is a great way to learn! It's also a great way to honor the playful spirit of summertime--even, and especially this year with the pandemic going on.

This was our first "official" week of Sprout Scouts Playcamp 2020. We kicked off with some new camp shirts (tie dye this year--which proved to be a wise choice after one messy day in the mud, eating pizza and decorating cookies, painting and more...). S has been asking to do a robot theme for a while, so that seemed like a great way to begin. At the last minute, he also mentioned he'd like to play about Star Wars, so why the heck not? I decided to enroll the kids in Jedi Training Camp this week, too! But that's a post for another day...

With these Summer Fun Mini Theme posts, I hope to share some fun activity ideas you can incorporate into your own themed play and learning. You can dedicate an afternoon to a theme, a whole day, a week or even longer. When it comes to play, I let the kids take the lead. If they lose interest, we move on. If they are engrossed, we keep at it. If they want to practice Jedi Training Lightsaber Yoga while wearing an Ironman costume, have at it!

But back to bots... Here's a peek at how we explored early concepts of robotics here this week through play, literacy, art, science and building:

Setup & Materials:
When it comes to mini theme setups, just like anything else here, use what you have! This pandemic has really enforced that for me. While we have (maybe too much) access to Amazon, we've been able to get really creative with using (and re-using) what we have on hand right here at home. I stocked our play shelves before the week began and included a wooden robot toy we have and a game and also some magnets. I decided that magnet science was one of many great science elements that are part and parcel to robotics. Some other supplies we used include:

• magnets/magnet kit
  
• metal loose parts like paper clips, metal craft bits and pieces, washers, nuts, metal picture hanging hooks, magnetic counters...
• recycled cups, containers, boxes, tubes, etc. from our recycling bin
• craft materials like tape, pipe cleaners, stickers, paper/colored paper, glue, zip ties (those are a craft material here), markers/crayons/colored pencils, paint/paint sticks, felt, google eyes
• old, broken toys
• safety goggles
• screw drivers (small ones are great for small hands)
• metal cookie sheets
• 8x10 magnetic sheets with adhesive back (optional)
• playdough, model magic clay

Books:

There are a lot of great books for children about robots--both fiction and non-fiction. If you don't have any or cannot currently access a library, look up some children's books about robots or short videos on YouTube or similar sites. Another fun idea is to read any of your favorite books together but in a robot voice! We read:

• Hello Robots by Joan Holub, illustrated by Chris Dickason
• Boy + Bot by Ame Dykman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
• Robots, Robots Everywhere by Sue Fleiss, illustrated by Bob Staake

Magical Magnet Science Tricks:

Magnet science is so fascinating! It is really fun for kids to explore magnetism and it's a topic that could produce a stand-alone unit of play and learning. It is important to carefully supervise children with magnets and to keep small parts out of reach (and mouths) of very small ones. C was very interested in what her brothers were playing with this week so I made sure to join her on the floor to support with play and to keep the less suitable materials out of her reach when I couldn't. She also got to play with magnetiles and other toys and materials more independently. There are a lot of great magnet science experiments you can do at home with what you have. We have a magnet kit that had a lot of tools and magnets combined and these can be found fairly inexpensively on Amazon or Walmart. We chose a couple of "tricks" from our kit. One used a magnet wand and a smaller magnet. I asked the boys if they could take the magnet for a walk across our kids' table. They were so intrigued and amused by seeing how a magnet is strong enough to work through a tabletop! You can try the wand in both directions to demonstrate how magnets attract and repel depending on the direction of the poles. We also had a magnet car that could drive across the table or floor when the magnet wand was placed with the repelling pole toward it. We tested out driving it away and bringing it back (by flipping the wand to the attracting pole). If you do not have a magnet car, you can make one by using masking tape to affix a strong bar magnet to the car. But magnet science doesn't even need to be demonstrated in tricks or with kits. You can simply go on a magnetic scavenger hunt around your home to see what is magnetic and what is not. Your refrigerator door is a great place to test this out. A metal cookie sheet will work as well (we have a bunch from the dollar store).

Building a Robot: Transient Art with Loose Parts:

We extended the theme of magnetism and robots by using magnetic boards and small metal loose parts to design. I have seen magnetic boards for sale online, but we just made our own using a couple of dollar store cookie sheets and a magnet sheet with adhesive backing. It's a portable way to explore magnetism and made a lovely work surface as well. I envisioned the boys designing robots and they did for a bit before exploring design in more abstract ways and even just testing out what "sticks" and what does not. Even C was very curious about this activity and I sat with her for some time to explore the bits and pieces (and make sure she didn't eat them).

These same little loose parts were great for creating clay robots with Model Magic clay and for a fun playdough invitation. For those, I added in some pipe cleaners and google eyes as well. Using the same materials for multiple activities saves on time, money and space. It also allows the children to explore them in a variety of ways and venues.

Toy Deconstruction: Yes, you read that right! I first saw this done at a special event at our local library last summer and thought it was brilliant. Once in a while, I introduce it again--and it's worth repeating. We gather a collection of old toys that are broken and on their way to being tossed out, but before they go--I toss in some screw drivers and maybe a couple of pairs of safety goggles because everything is more fun in goggles. This activity does require supervision and support (although S is quite proficient with a screw driver now!). Make sure to remove any batteries or other unsafe parts from toys before tossing them into the mix. S and Y worked on deconstructing toys for 2 days! They would have gone longer with it, but I decided it was time for them to make their final departure to the dump. For those who are concerned that this will teach children to take apart things they should not take apart, my experience has been the opposite. I've found most kids go through a play schema of exploring deconstruction (or what we see as destruction) at some point. Rather than disallowing it and having it happen anyway, I allow it in a directed manner. The boys knew they could use the tools to take apart the toys in the sensory bin. They even help to pick out the ones that are ready to deconstruct. They also know they cannot do this with other toys and household items without asking one of us first. One of my fondest childhood memories is of a large cardboard box housing an old VCR just for deconstructing!

Robot Collage Process Art:

Here's another great "use-what-you-have" art activity. I set out some colored labels, paper and markers. I did not make an "example" or give much direction other than a prompt to "make a robot collage." Y used a sheet of colored cardstock and labels to make his collage. S used a sheet of colored cardstock to draw and then cut out a robot that he added details to with more drawing and some labels. He gave his robot a mask to keep him safe, a sign of the times (and how he is processing that). His collage became a fun paper doll to play with!

Recycled Robot Art: This is an activity I have done in large groups including my classrooms and outdoor playgroup. It's also perfect for home! I saved a few boxes from recent deliveries and brought out our recycling bin full of treasures. In group settings, I would bring additional supplies and materials along and set them out, but in smaller settings and even in my classrooms, I would leave it at that and let the kids choose what to use and how to use it. The boys wanted to make one BIG robot with the larger boxes. They needed a little bit of help with assembly (and some duct tape) but they really did this all on their own. Even C got in on the fun with some tape and stickers she helped to add on her own. S named the robot Ruby and she has become an honorary member of the family! The boys have continued to add on to her and are working today with a couple of smaller boxes to build her a baby. One of my favorite things about process art is the narrative end of it and how children use it as a venue for storytelling. A whole evolving tale has emerged about Ruby and her life. She was unable to talk because she needed new wires. S and Y worked tirelessly sticking pipe cleaners through a crack in her belly box because, as S put it, "they are real wires but they are soft on the outside so she will be comfortable." I have a feeling that when it is time to deconstruct and officially recycle Ruby, I will find an enormous collection of pipe cleaners to add back into our craft stash! Ruby has been invited to join us at the dining room table for dinner. She attended a Zoom playdate yesterday with S and his friend from down the street. She even sneaked up on me in the kitchen this morning when we were making snack (and Y had a little bit to do with that one). Yes, she is made from cardboard, tape and lots of pipecleaners, but Ruby is living her best life...

Build a Robot Felt Board Game:

We incorporated this theme into our weekly "storytime," and this simple DIY game was a real winner for all 3 kids. I used felt to cut up a whole bunch of shapes and robot parts. I used a large die and color coding dot labels but you can use colored paper to make cards, make your own die out of cardstock and color code that or just cut out smaller scraps of the felt you already used as color signs. When it is your turn, you roll the die/pick a color and choose a part. You can decide to build one large robot as a group or to each build individual robots. You can use your felt on a felt board, on a large sheet of felt, right on the ground or a tabletop. If you don't have felt, you can cut your shapes from paper. If you don't want to do all the cutting prep work and you do want to add in an element of drawing/pre-writing practice, play this game with colored markers or crayons and have everyone draw a part of a robot when you call out/roll a color. You can have the artists choose what they draw or also call out a specific part (i.e.: red arm, yellow head, green hand...) and see how many colorful, creative robots emerge!

Well, that's a wrap for this mini theme. There's definitely more you can do with robots and you'll find some posts about them here. Next time I'll tell you all about our intergalactic adventures in Jedi Training Camp, but until then...

Happy Playing!

Get Outside ANYWAY: It's Pouring, It's Raining and We're Not Complaining!

In the three years I have run my outdoor playgroup, I have preached the importance of getting outside ANYWAY. There's no bad weather, the old Scandinavian proverb boasts--there's only inappropriate clothing. And for my own little brood, we are pretty all-weather players. We go out in warm, in cold, in sun, in rain, in wind, dark, you name it, we've played in it (barring dangerously inclement conditions). Puddle jumping is not an activity reserved for "special occasions;" a puddle is already call for a special occasion! Children, like their clothing, can be washed and dried. But when it comes to my outdoor events, I've always cancelled, postponed or relocated indoors for rainy weather because--gasp--what if nobody comes?!

S named this our "Rain Forest"

But yesterday was Tu B'Shevat, the Jewish celebration of the "new year" of the trees. And it was raining. Not even just a little. A lot. No one says, celebrate the trees only if it's sunny! In fact, in the dead of winter here, very rarely is it going to be a "beautiful day in the neighborhood" on Tu B'Shevat. And do you want to know what was happening in Jerusalem yesterday on Tu B'Shevat? SNOW! I had some great activities planned for my playgroup and it would have been very easy to just postpone or cancel--but yesterday I decided to walk my talk. Yesterday I decided the show must go on! And instead of changing the date, I changed the activity and decided that if nobody else came, at least I could stop being afraid of nobody else coming. Spoiler alert: people still came! And we had the whole park to ourselves...well, us and the trees and a lone squirrel.

I have written a slew of articles here on rainy day activities to do indoors, but today I am starting the first in what I hope will be a slew of articles on playing outdoors in the rain. Rain play is so incredibly fun. Instantly, your space is filled with two of children's very favorite loose parts: mud and water! As adults, we can have a lot of rainy day baggage. My best advice on rain play is to travel light, so let's unpack some of those bags today and get you on your way outside ANYWAY.

Fiction: Playing in the rain will make you sick.
Fact: Playing outdoors in the rain or cold will not, in fact make a person sick. Adequate clothing and protection is necessary for comfort. Keeping an eye on younger children who may not be able to communicate if they are cold or uncomfortable as well is important. But children and clothing dry. Healthy habits indoors and outside are the best way to stay healthy. With some planning and preparation, everyone (even you) can be comfortable and have fun--even while you're wet!

New favorite location to read Tap The Magic Tree by Christie Matheson--so great to see older siblings reading to the younger ones and this book is fabulous for that!

Fiction: The children will not like playing in the rain.
Fact: It might be time that I gently hold up a mirror. A mirror to you and a mirror to me. Children often respond to what the adult reflects. What are your feelings about the rain? Now I want you to think of a time you liked the rain. If you are like me and many others, that time was in your youth! If you were berated for jumping in a puddle or getting muddy, your feelings likely changed. If you were around other people who complained about getting wet or rainy days, your feelings likely changed. If you continuously heard and associated rain with "bad weather" or "not a good day to go outside," your feelings likely changed. What if you reflected a different attitude toward rain play? I will honestly say that for me this involved some "faking it till making it" on my part, because like so many others, I have some rainy day baggage. It is true that some children will have hesitance and/or discomfort in rain play for a variety of reasons--physical, sensory, intuited from others, etc.--and with planning, patience, sensitivity and creativity, these can be overcome! (So can yours.)

testing the trajectory of a stick dropped in a puddle

definitely a fan of rain play

Fiction: The parents of the children in my care will not want them to play outside in the rain.
Fact: Some parents may have hesitance and concerns about this. It is important to know your why and to be ready to defend it! For sure, you want to adhere to best practices and also be respectful of the families you work with if you are in a care-giving or teaching role. Engaging parents in preparing for all-weather outdoor play so that the children are set up with everything they need and explaining how your program will work in regard to outdoor play goes a long way in supporting the effort to get outside ANYWAY.

Here are some tips for that planning and preparation, whether it is for your own family or other children in your care:

• Have a dry change of clothes ready in your car, home or classroom. In a classroom, I'd suggest 2 or more. Include yourself here!
• Have dry towels and blankets available in your car, home or classroom.
• Waterproof rain gear can really aid in everyone's comfort. I'd suggest some or all of the following: rain boots/shoes, waterproof pants or suits, raincoats, ponchos, rain hats and/or umbrellas. If you are running a program or working in a school/daycare, it can be helpful to have parents bring/send these in ahead of time to remain on site. In my mobile program, I come with some child sized and adult sized "disposable" rain ponchos just in case. Plastic bags go a long way in a pinch--honestly, some recycled grocery bags over your shoes and a trash bag with a hole cut for a head to go through really will keep someone dry! It's not a fashion contest, folks.
• Areas of "shelter" can be helpful in the rain. Your shelter can be permanent (like a covered deck) or temporary (like a pop up tent or tunnel) or even mobile (like umbrellas or a rain fort!). Trees are great shelter from the elements, so think like an animal, bird or bug, and seek your shelter there!
• Travel light and travel waterproof. If you are mobile like I am or even just headed out to the yard or playground with stuff in tow, for once, plastic is your friend. I use a collapsible wagon to haul my load. For my activities and materials, 2 gallon ziplock bags are great. The activities done outdoors in the rain are also going to be different than usual, as they, too, will need to be waterproof. Paper activities and resources can be laminated. Books or other weather sensitive materials that will be used under covered areas can be stored and carried in plastic bins or bags that seal.

Fiction: There's nothing to do outside in the rain!
Fact: There's a LOT you can do outside in the rain. In fact, if it's your first time exploring rain play, I encourage you not to plan too much. Get to know your environment. Let the children get to know it. This is a whole new world of play and wonder!

For our event yesterday, I wanted to keep the theme tree related. Trees are such amazing sources of shelter in the rain that I decided building and using shelters would be a great take-along. I brought a pop-up tunnel and play tent. I also brought a few dollar store plastic shower curtains, bungee cords and clothes pins. We built a makeshift rain fort using these materials and some very helpful trees. The children helped as well. Older ones liked the designing aspect and connecting materials with bungee cords and clothespins. Younger ones enjoyed handing off supplies as needed. And everyone enjoyed playing, hiding and reading inside!

Y is determined to find everything in our scavenger hunt game...

We also had a fun Parts of a Tree Scavenger Hunt Game I made and brought. To make the game fun and accessible for all ages (pre-readers included) i used photos of leaves, bark, seeds/cones/pods/nuts, twigs and branches, animals and birds who live in/near trees, fruits/berries that grow on trees and roots. I laminated the photos and punched a hole in the corner of each one to store it on a metal ring. The kids ranging in age from 2-tween all had a great time searching for and finding just about everything! We didn't see any fruits or berries at our park and it took a while before S discovered our lone squirrel running for shelter under a tree.

I honestly did not know how my own kids would do in the rain. The boys are almost always game to jump in a puddle, but intentionally going outside and staying outside in the rain is somewhat novel and especially so in the cooler months of the year (although yesterday was quite mild here). I was sure to keep my own attitude and outlook positive. I took it slow and took my time. There was no need to rush and no need to push. And you know what? The only whining was when it was time to leave! (Well, except a few extra whines from Y about sharing the tunnel, wanting help to climb up a bouncy toy on the playground and umbrella frustrations...) And C? She was a pig in mud! Literally at some points!

I'll have more rain play activities for you soon. In the meantime, here's a great resource from The Empowered Educator on encouraging outdoor rain play.  I travel light in the rain, but I definitely still made room for a copy of the free e-book and my laminated poster! Got rain? Get outside ANYWAY! And as always...

An amazing view of roots. Can you spot a stick in Y's favorite letter?

Happy Playing!

Sukkot: "Building" on the Theme with Loose Parts

Just when you're feeling about holiday-ed out, the Jewish month of Tishrei throws in a few more, beginning with Sukkot and culminating in the grande finale of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. The whole month is like the hokey pokey! You're in Shabbos and Yom Tov [holiday] and back out to weekday and school/work mode, then back in and back out. So walking in and out of the house to get to our sukkah seems only fitting. Y described it best, perhaps, when he said "Mommy, this week is outside." He also tried to convince me this morning that I should not brush his hair because "it is Shabbos and yomtov." Touche, little man, touche!






And with the boys both busy at school creating decorations and learning about the holidays, and C still too little to do much more than pose adorably with our handmade felt lulav and esrog set, I wanted our home activities to be a little more child-led and open-ended. I also wanted something that would, eh em, maybe keep the kids a little busier while I get some cooking done... Loose parts play to the rescue! And the best part about building on the theme of, well, building, is that you can use just about anything you have on hand. Man-made objects, nature-made objects, fabric, toys, seasonal decorative craft supplies, even recyclables. You can also decide how much or how little to set out. I tend to err on the side of less is more--it is usually easier to add something in than to reign it all in when you've added too much. It also tends to work better for the children using the materials when there is not so much out because they can really hone in on what is there, how they'd like to use it and how they can creatively expand if and when they choose to.

When selecting what to use in my loose parts play-times, I tend to choose based on my own curiosity. My favorite things are those for which I cannot think of a purpose; I know the children will. This time I did have in mind the idea of building a sukkah, but I also incorporated the current season of Autumn and left the activity entirely open ended. The children could build a sukkah or anything at all. I also wanted to incorporate objects in different sizes and different textures. I started out by setting out some dollhouse tables and chairs, little dolls, some felt and Fall themed fabric swatches, small wood blocks and a wooden salad bowl filled with Fall shaped acrylic gems, tree cookies, cinnamon sticks, artificial leaves and decorative mini Indian corns and apples. Later in the week, I added in a basket of real mini gourds and pumpkins.

These have been used for stacking/building, feeding dolls and stuffed animals, playing floor hockey and creating a pumpkin patch on our living room carpet...

Fabric swatches have been made into backdrops, carpeting and even the roof or schach of a sukkah... 

Felt rectangles in coordinating colors make great backdrops or sometimes help designate a space for a structure to be built...

The dolls, chairs and tables allowed the boys to have guests come eat in a sukkah. S invited some Carebears and My Little Ponies and mini fairies and gnomes from our Nature Table to join in as well.

Smaller loose parts have been used here for everything from schach on top of the sukkah to delicacies served to guests inside of the sukkah. Y asked if he could bring some things in from our Nature Table as well and I was eager to see how he incorporated some collected natural loose parts and even our china tea set into the scene.

Our wood blocks are all second hand and collected from old Jenga sets. They are a perfect size for a smaller play space and easy to store in a basket between play sessions.

I introduced the materials simply by showing the boys that they were there. I said that I had thought about building a sukkah with them but they could be used for anything at all. S got right to work building a sukkah, but then moved on to making a road across the length of our carpet for skateboarding Carebears! He also asked to use a ruler to measure his road. Loose parts play lends itself quite nicely to STEM skills development.

Meanwhile in our art center, I added in some graph paper, some printed sukkah blueprints, and some printed blueprint/sketch templates. In our Writing Center drawers I also stocked some Fall themed paper, stickers and sight word strips (S is very interested in writing words these days). The boys kept quite busy making decorations and pictures for Sukkot as we got ready for the holiday to begin last week. Open ended activities like this help busy adults foster busy children. Don't get me wrong, we've spent a bit of time watching videos here as well! But I feel good that in between it all, the boys are having fun playing, building and creating and all the while delving into the important themes of this holiday season.

Whether you're looking for a quick way to squeeze in some entertainment and learning as we wrap up the Jewish holidays or a great Autumn themed invitation to play, here are few tips I'd recommend as you choose and set up your materials:

• Use what you already have. Don't go shopping (unless you really want to). Objects can be found in nature, around the house, in old/broken toys and games, your recycling bin, your craft supplies,etc.
• Portion control is hard for children (and many adults). You do not need a LOT of each material, especially if you don't have a LOT of children using them at one time. When I set out materials, I keep in mind how much clean up will be involved if they [re: when they] get all dumped out. 
• The use of baskets, bowls or trays helps keep everything organized. That said, I try to be a little loose about organization of loose parts. If you are really set on things being individually sorted, first off--don't look in my wooden salad bowl! And secondly, you might want to minimize the number of different materials you do introduce at one time.

Want to do more?

• Bring loose parts play into your art and writing areas by encouraging children to draw up blueprints of their ideas or record drawings and/or photos of their finished structures.
• Add an art component and use small loose parts to have children make their own mini holiday themed props. These can then be brought back in to the loose parts building space and used in small world play. Last year the boys loved using loose parts to create their own lulavs and esrogim. S even made me an esrog bracelet--which reminds me that I'd better go find that and wear it before the holiday ends!

• If you're feeling quite ambitious and weather/time permits, bring your baskets of loose parts outside to your actual sukkah and have a blast working and creating in the fresh air! This type of activity is a great one for spaces and groups that include members of varying ages.
• On a larger scale, introduce and offer larger sized materials and loose parts for building a play sukkah that can actually be used by children. Cardboard boxes, old blankets/sheets and fabric, recycled tissue boxes and large cardboard tubes, toys like fort magic or cardboard brick blocks, clothes pins (for connecting) can all be used. Outdoors, large sticks and logs and branches can be incorporated.
• Use edible loose parts for building a sukkah that is good enough to eat! You can go the sweets and treats route and use graham crackers, frosting, pretzel sticks and cereals or candies. You can also go the more nutritious route and use fruits and veggies, perhaps some peanut butter and/or humus for sticking things together.
• For a fizzy fun Sukkot themed science experiment, try your hands at some Exploding Esrogim (our holiday themed version of this fizzy lemon volcano experiment). It was a huge hit at a community event I ran with kids of all ages (and maybe also some grownups). You'll just need some lemons (those are your esrogim), baking soda, some additional lemon juice and optional red food coloring. This one can get a bit messy, so it's a great candidate for outdoor play.

• Check out some of our other favorite Sukkot related and Autumn related activities as well!

We are about to hokey pokey back in to Shabbos and holiday mode here, but we'll be back to routine and reality soon! Until then...

Chag Sameach, Happy Fall, and Happy Playing!

Nature Play: Bringing the INDOORS out...

I love to be outdoors. I run a nature-based playgroup because I think being outdoors is wonderful for children and for adults and for the community at large. But the fact of the matter is that not everyone loves to be outdoors. And not all children are intrinsically drawn to nature-based play. Several years ago I had one such child in my class. He loved Lego. He could spend the entire day building and acting out detailed play monologues with Lego people. But when it came to going outside, he just wasn't that into it. It was hard to set aside his indoor play and hard to engage in outdoor play. I did not feel, as a teacher, that it was my job to make him feel differently; some people don't love to be outdoors. But I did wonder if perhaps he just hadn't found his sweet spot there quite yet.

Nature is abundant in play materials and ideas, but for more and more children, it is uncharted territory. Gone for many children are the days of being tossed in the yard to play until dusk. Gone for many neighborhoods are the landscapes of our childhood. And outdoor play experiences in and of themselves have changed from a child-led, open ended experience to more organized and directed activities like sports. For some, the outdoors is what you walk through to get from inside one building to the inside of another. And my own personal mantra is to Think Outside; No Box Needed. But that does not mean that outdoor play and experience must be "one size fits all."

For my little Lego loving friend, life changed the day we first carried a plastic bin of Legos outside with us. At first, it was a stationary activity in which he sat and built and played. Some others joined in as well. But soon, Lego cars and trains took trips around the playground and Lego men were hiding inside plants and behind large leaves and eating found chestnuts or sipping soup from acorn caps. A bit of the indoors being brought outside allowed for the outdoors to infiltrate in.
Even at home, we had a collection of Mega Blocks that S and Y had stopped playing with inside. Hauling some out in a large plastic crate to our backyard gave them new life and purpose.

And although I had already planned and scheduled my remaining summer season playgroup events, I decided to sneak in a Pop-up and Play event today at one of our local sprinkler playgrounds.
 Lego, Duplo and Megablocks are such amazing and versatile tools for play. Our guests ranged in age from a few months old through adulthood. We hauled buckets of Megablocks to the sprinkler area. We set a table with bins of Legos, clipboards with invitations to draw blueprints and sketches. I used some of the materials from Pocket of Preschool's Summer, Beach, Camping & America STEM I Can Build set and even just plain graph paper, markers, colored pencils and crayons. One family arrived with Lego books! On the ground I set out a picnic blanket with a bucket of our Duplos. And then I stood back and watched in wonder as I so often do at these events. (I also chase after my kids, feed them copious snacks, play a bit myself and schmooze a lot.) The incredible thing to see is how children of all ages played and worked together, side by side. And how the building toys were used in novel ways (you can fill up Megablocks and pour them out and utility buckets always make great helmets). And since most of our building toys were purchased secondhand (which I highly recommend with expensive and quality toys like Lego and Duplo and Megablock), they didn't come with particular pieces or instructions. It was incredible to watch imaginations at work. And the level of concentration and focus even very young children utilized in exploring.

Going back to my little Lego loving friend for a bit... I would not have been upset if he never loved playing outside as much as he loved to be indoors with a bin full of Legos. But I also didn't want him to internalize that going outside meant leaving his love behind and potentially miss a chance to engage a child in the wonder of nature. I don't know whatever happened with him after he left my class and whether he ended up traipsing through the forest or heading back inside to build our future skyscrapers and bridges. But I do know that Lego was a tool for connecting him to his experience in our playground and nature space. And similarly, it was a tool today to connect children and adults of all ages. And when it comes to nurturing the powerful role of play in childhood and throughout life, I think it is very important to access all of the tools we can--both inside and outside of the box.

Happy Playing!

Mad Science Monday: Toy Deconstruction Lab

I don't know if I have spent nearly enough blog space singing the praises of our local county library system, but in case I have not, it is amazing. Summers at home with kids are made possible, survivable and affordable by our county libraries. Between story times, family events, a summer reading incentive program and, well, books, we've got summers covered here!

Last week, we attended an evening Toy Deconstruction event at one of our library branches. The boys (my husband included) were in HEAVEN. A room with tables strewn with rejected toys, hairdryers, and other battery operated or electronic devices otherwise on their way to a junkyard along with access to a variety of tools made for an evening of fun and learning for kids of all ages. (Lots of kids at heart, there, too!)

I can remember as a little girl that my own mother, ever ahead of her time, was always the DIY type when it came to repairs. When, on occasion, some of those repairs were not successful--again, ever ahead of her time--my mother would let my sister and I have at the remains. I have a very vivid memory of a cardboard box that housed the remains of a VCR and some screw drivers we were allowed to use to see the insides.

Now made popular by catchphrases like "STEM," "loose parts" and "tinkering," the act of encouraging and allowing children to explore a variety of real materials and real tools is common practice. But often we focus on the act of building and creating something. The equally valuable act of deconstructing and taking things apart is often overlooked. Furthermore, there is a great deal of anxiety when it comes to allowing children to use "adult" tools and handle "adult" materials.


I definitely do condone safe practices when working with young children on building and/or deconstructing activities, particularly when this includes the use of tools, potentially sharp objects and small loose parts. Know your audience, know your space and know everyone's limits. And even after considering everything you "know," be mindful and prepared for addressing safety concerns as they crop up. I would not recommend a large group of children in this type of activity without an equally large group of supporting adults. In a home setting, you also want to make sure you are available to support and supervise.

 S and Y had so much fun exploring the innards of several toys at the library that I mentally stored the idea for helping some of our own "ready-to-move-on" toys toward the next leg of their journey.

I have a Mommy Confession: I hate noisy toys. I know, that is a strong word. It is a strong feeling. I know my kids love them. I know most kids do. It's always the first thing they flock toward when at someone else's house or in a public play area. I am very grateful that they have friends and grandparents who graciously support their love of noisy toys. But I personally cannot stand them! So when an influx of new noisy toys makes its way into these quarters, it's time for an equal output in the opposite direction if you know what I mean...




This morning, the boys were greeted at their Morning Work Table by a tool box of screw drivers in assorted sizes and other potentially useful tools and a couple of pairs of safety goggles just in case we would resort to hammers at some point. A couple of toys that were falling apart or missing parts were also set out for our own little pop-up Toy Deconstruction Lab. My junior scientists had the important task of exploring these old toys and tools (with my support) to see what made them tick and sing and light up and blast sirens...oh my gosh.

S is living proof that a toy doesn't have to be in one piece or even fully functional to still be fun!

Excuse the crazy hair and the lack of glasses... Mommy is very busy
helping us explore the insides of these toys safely and that means she also
hasn't had enough coffee yet to finish getting me dressed and ready for the day...

We had so much fun with this activity. We will happily allow our study subjects to remain on the premises for further observation over the course of the next few days. And I'm willing to bet when they do make their final departure that S and Y will probably ask me where they are...gulp. I did explain that these toys are broken and on their way to being tossed, but that we would 'recycle' them first by taking them apart to see what made them "work." S, who may potentially have a future in law, was already discussing with my husband the multitude of ways the toys is still fun and still works and isn't yet broken. Oh...dear...

So yeah, there are some potential snafus with opening up your own Toy Deconstruction Lab. Safe practices with tools and toys and children are a must. I do recommend adequate adult support and supervision and the use of safety goggles if you are using hammers. Be sure to safely dispose of old batteries. I also highly recommend discussing with your young scientists that toy deconstruction is only to happen in the Lab setting--not at their whim with any toy or electronic around the house. I mused with the librarian last week that she would be flooded with emails from parents distraught that after returning home, their children deconstructed the laptop, Alexa and the Kitchen Aid mixer. Lastly, I'll make my hippie-dippie plug that if a toy can be donated and still used, it is preferable to help it find a new home in that way rather than sending it (even in bits and pieces) to the city dump. We did specifically choose toys that were too broken to be donated to the thrift shop. And in that case, I do see the act of "deconstructing" these things to be a meaningful way to extend their shelf life.

The boys really enjoyed exploring the insides of old toys both at our library and at home. Y loves to use a screw driver and has become quite proficient at it. In related new, I had to whisk him away from the emergency exit door that he was attempting to remove from its hinges at the library! S is creative in his building and his deconstructing and even in re-constructing. He got very busy finding creative ways to attach parts of different toys to one another. So before you haul those trash bags off to the curb, consider setting a few aside with a collection of small tools (you can find great little screw drivers, just perfect for little hands at Dollar Tree or Walmart or even "real" tools specifically made 
for children to use at Lowe's and Home Depot). The Toy Deconstruction Lab is a sure hit with children of all ages (even those who are young still only at heart).

Happy Playing!