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!

Build-a-Car Auto Shop Dramatic Play

It's probably nobody's favorite place in "real life," but to my two boys, an auto shop holds all the wonder their young imaginations can hold. Tools, building, washing, painting, constructing, deconstructing, repairing... This dramatic play setup has it all and was super easy and quick to set up using things we had at home, recycled materials and loose parts and a few add ins from the dollar store.

I also made use of this Auto Shop Dramatic Play set by Pocket of Preschool, my go-to supplier of great dramatic play resources and ideas. I particularly like the elements of literacy she adds in through signage, labels, writing and drawing opportunities and ways young players of all ages and stages can contribute to creating their play environment. You can certainly add in your own labels and find free printables or create your own online. I made a bundle purchase when there was a flash sale on Teachers Pay Teachers last year on an entire dramatic play set and it's been a huge time saver for me. I also find that in these summer weeks, we need to change out our play themes and materials a bit more frequently to keep everyone interested and engaged.

Scooter boards are a great and easy to store gross motor toy and
are perfect for scooting under vehicles in need of repairs or driving
around town in a cardboard box car...

Our pizzas had seemingly gone a bit stale over this past Shabbos and I asked the boys if they were ready to change over our play theme. They both were quite excited by the prospect. I asked first if they had ideas and S wanted to bring back a few old favorites. I love that he enjoyed some of our past themes so much that he wants to do them again (and we will!) but I also had another idea up my sleeve that I'd been storing (both literally and figuratively) since the winter. We have a lot of interest in tools, building and repairing things here. In fact, for S's recent 5th birthday, I found myself nowhere other than the lumber department of Lowe's shopping for his birthday present--wood, a new personalized tool bag and some tools to go with it plus a stack of books (sold separately).

I had in mind to set up an auto-mechanic's shop for the boys over the winter and we never got to it. And after a recent trip to Build-a-Bear Workshop, I thought, how cool would it be if we combined that idea with our very own Build-a-Car workshop? We have no shortage of recycled materials and loose parts here... [it's not hoarding if I have a use for it someday....]


 So with a little bit of organization and set up, we combined the best of two beautiful worlds: dramatic play and building with loose parts and opened up shop--our Build-a-Car Auto Shop, to be precise!

These mechanics are honest [to a fault]. They work hard, efficiently and might make lemonade out our lemons. They can turn an old jalopy into a work of art. As long as you think masking tape and neon straws are aesthetically pleasing. So give us a call on our calculator phones, we'll book you an appointing in the appointment book. One of our hardworking mechanics will take your customer information and they will get you on your way and going in no time at all!

You can also bring your vehicle into the shop for a wash and detail. In other potentially related news, if you set up a giant bucket of things for washing and painting a car, give no instructions or introduction, go upstairs to feed the baby and leave two little boys to their own devices, you will probably come down to find they added water to the scene and the hardwood floor is now very clean... Lesson learned, rookie Mom, lesson learned.

But if that didn't totally scare you off, here's a list of props and ideas for creating your own Build-a-Car Auto Shop Dramatic Play theme at home or in the classroom...


Possible Props & Materials:

Miscellaneous

• cash register
• play money
• receipt book
• toy phones, walkie talkies or calculator "phones"
• writing materials
• key chains, old keys
• construction helmets
• mechanic uniforms (old t-shirts, aprons or lab coats)
• work gloves
• goggles
• tools, toy and real
• clip boards for customer orders and appointment books (either printed or created by you)
• scooter boards 
• traffic cones
• funnels
• plastic tubing 
• nuts and bolts
• tool boxes
• magazines (or transportation themed books for early readers) and chairs for a waiting room
• old computer or keyboard
• toy cars

Loose Parts for Building and Repairs

• cardboard boxes in a variety of sizes
• cardboard scraps
• recycled plastic containers
• cardboard tubes
• paper plates
• bungee cords
• zip ties
• pipe cleaners
• plastic straws
• recycled bottle caps and pouch caps
• velcro strips
• empty tissue boxes
• Art & Craft Materials (paint, markers, crayons, masking tape/tape, scissors, hole punchers, metal brads for attaching wheels)
• stickers, tissue paper, paper scraps, wrapping paper, cellophane, tin foil

S engineered a submarine! 

I guess our auto shop can service a variety of transportation modes!

Car Wash & Detail Props

• fluids, soap, oil (I used plastic travel bottles with colored water and oil, sealed shut with duct tape)
• empty spray bottle
• paint rollers
• paint brushes
• utility bucket
• empty paint cans
• paint chips
• squeegees
• sponges
• microfiber cloths and/or mitts
• water*
• shaving cream* 

*After the boys' little indoor "experiment," I did promise them an outdoor opportunity to have a car wash. We will probably wash our actual cars this week and also do a smaller scale shaving cream and water car wash for some toy cars.

You can pick and choose materials from the lists above that you have on hand, add in your own ideas and build/create many of your own props. Better yet, have the kids build and create their own props! Even before I released the cardboard box collection, the boys were already busy building cars out of chairs and empty laundry baskets.  You can add in building toys to the scene as well. Gears, tinker toys, and blocks of all kinds would be great to supplement. Recycled materials work just as well and somehow really spark the kids' imagination.

Here are some Play Extension Ideas to take it further:

• Collaborate together to build a larger scale car using a big cardboard box and other loose parts. This process can include drawing/writing out plans and measurements (for a literacy and math component), actual construction of the car (STEM/building activities), painting and decorating the car (art) and using it in play afterward (dramatic play)

• Gather or check out some favorite transportation themed books from your local library and use them in an auto shop themed story stretcher

• Take it outdoors! Use sidewalk chalk to create your own roads and city or neighborhood (writing/pre-writing). Use cones and other visual aids to create an obstacle course and have kids ride bikes or scooter boards (gross motor skills and safety). 
• While you're outside, get some soapy water and shaving cream and have your own car wash for toy cars, riding toys or your actual car!
• Take a theme related field trip to the car wash.
• Make a gas station using a recycled laundry detergent container and plastic tubing and fill 'er up!
• Older kids might enjoy the challenge of building and testing model cars. There are a variety of kits for this in craft supply and hobby stores that target a variety of ages and abilities.
• Paint with toy cars! Dip some toy cars in your favorite colors of washable paint and drive them across the paper for some great prints and designs. When you're done, it's a great time to open up the toy car wash and get them cleaned up and ready for play.
• Playdough with toy cars--those tires can make some great tracks in playdough, slime or kinetic sand.

Check out some of our other transportation themed activities for more ideas and, as always...

Happy Playing!

Get Outside And Play with Loose Parts: The Pesach Edition!

Pesach is ever so near and it is a holiday laden with opportunities for play and learning for children. S has been busy crafting, learning, storytelling, reading, building, tasting and singing at school. Y has been working on his own Hagadah with me at home. Their free play at home has been infused with Pesach themes and one afternoon last week, I decided to roll with that in an "out-of-the-box" and outdoors way--playing about Pesach with loose parts.

There are plenty of loose parts purists out there--folks who use only the strictest adherence to loose parts play theory in their classrooms and homes. These spaces can be amazing for children and adults of all ages. I am more eclectic here. I like to add it in, like a nutritional supplement, as opposed to rigidly adhering (like a restrictive diet). One challenge I often have with loose parts play indoors is the restriction of space. We make it work and have done some amazing play and exploration with a variety of different loose parts. Heading outside allows us a bit more space (particularly in our backyard space, even though, like our front yard it is semi-public and shared with neighbors) and a novel backdrop. One in which the environment itself can serve as a loose part (or multiple loose parts).
In setting up our provocation, I wanted to include the Pesach story and elements for retelling it. I also wanted to incorporate items large and small, natural and man-made, living and nonliving, some even musical! There was a basket with a baby Moshe and a picture book with the Pesach story. There was a basket full of play silks and scarves. Perhaps the boys would dress up or add them to the scene. Silks laid across the ground to resemble the river were lined with rocks (and a basket of those were set along the side as well) and plants. There was a tray of frogs and glass gems (gotta throw in your favorite plague), and a small dish of glass gems and mosaic tiles and interesting stones as well. Another metal tray held our fearless leader, Moshe Rabeinu, and a selection of wooden peg dolls representing the Jewish people behind him on their journey out of Mitzrayim. The end of the Nile was marked with a basket of tambourines played by Miriam and the Jewish women and along the sides were some baskets of cardboard tubes and assorted window blocks. Beyond that were the items already out in our backyard space.
I gave very little introduction other than to say there were toys and materials for playing about the story of Pesach. The boys could use what they wished as they felt they wanted to. They could act out the story, play about it, build about it or come up with their own ideas.

Many times, when something is new, it is met with a bit of trepidation. Some children will flock toward the familiar. Some will dip their pinky toe in and then slowly enter. Others jump in, full body and immerse. Still others will go to another space or activity altogether and enter only when ready. This is why I always remind myself and others of the most important "loose part," TIME. Children need time to engage, immerse and remain in creative play. We tend to pour a lot of energy and time ourselves into provocations or activity setups and then we can feel frustrated or concerned when they are not met with a response we expected. One thing I have almost always found to be true is that given the space of time and silence, children do engage and explore--each in their own way and at their own pace.

Y went immediately to the baby Moshe in the basket. He loves babies right now and this felt familiar and soothing.

S gave everything the once over and walked away to the sensory bin, still filled with desert sand dough from our Digging in the Desert STEM challenge. A repeated activity has the component of familiarity that is comforting to him and served as a base for later emerging into the play scene across the yard... Sand, dough and sensory materials are a wonderful loose part to use in play! He also enjoys using other loose parts and tools in the sensory table, taking them out into other play areas and adding in others from other play areas as well. 

Both boys slowly moved into their play experience and I really invited myself to sit back and observe. At one point, I asked S and Y if they would like me to read the story in the book while they played. S's response was incredible! "Mommy, I'm worried that if you are reading it will stop us from playing!" I love that he advocated for ownership in his play space and experience. I completely respected his response and continued to watch as they played, responding to questions or remarks as I was invited to.

Play begets play and sometimes there are requests for additional components to support the process, like when S asked if I could build the tee-pee for them again. We stopped into the house to grab our old sheet and I re-planted the garden stakes and fastened on the sheet for the boys. He busily took to building a bonfire again using silks and stones and then needed to go to the front yard to pick a couple of sticks from our play garden. That, of course, meant he'd need some playdough from our STEAM drawer cart inside to make them marshmallows for roasting. Perhaps the part about roasting marshmallows over a bonfire during the original exodus from Egypt didn't make the story line in our liturgy, but it did in play!

 Large riding toys, push toys and other outdoor materials make for great loose parts as well. Here, S lay himself in our big red wagon and declared that he was "baby Moshe in his basket."

It took the boys a while to fully engage in our provocation and they were completely immersed for quite a while as well. Long enough for Tatty to get home and make the grown-ups some dinner which we happily ate up outside watching the boys in wonder and play.


Once two, somewhat reluctant but very tired boys were hauled up for a bath and bedtime, I decided to set up a smaller scale Pesach provocation on our kids' table. This would greet them in the morning and kept them busy throughout the weekend that followed. While they start at the table, the pieces rarely remain there. Some are incorporated into block buildings. Some find their way to other areas or other uses and part of encouraging the boys to engage in this type of play is allowing for that (and working on skills to return objects appropriately when we are done). One of the best components of encouraging loose parts play before a big holiday is the fact that it is so independently led and run by the children. We can get a lot done while they are engaged in their play. There's still a lot to do to prepare for the holiday but for now, everyone is keeping pleasantly busy (most of the time) and, as always, happily playing!

Mad Science Monday, Pesach Edition: Digging in the Desert STEM Challenge

 The days preceding Pesach are a time of cleaning out cupboards, kitchens, refrigerators and freezers in many Jewish homes around the world. My boys have eaten more cereal and french fries in the past week than they have over the course of the entire year! They are quite pleased with this. I have such a pet peeve for food waste and it is painful to just "throw things out" that we won't use. I did, admittedly, throw out the boys' snow balls that I rediscovered in the back of the freezer from January! And while many are hesitant toward using food products in play for a variety of personal, cultural and/or allergy reasons, I think there are times when a shot at life in a sensory table is better than a shot across the room into the trash barrel. So the good news? We used up the flour and the bottle of baby oil that had been in our medicine cabinet since Y was born so I could get the sticky goo off my skin from the bandage over my c-Section wound! And, we made our own sand dough. 
I would admonish that this is a messy activity more suited for outdoor use (which is what we did) or indoor use when you are not trying to clean your homes of chametz before Pesach. The recipe for sand dough is incredibly simple:

Ingredients:
8 cups all purpose flour
1 cup baby oil

I will say that I did not measure my ingredients at all even given the ratio of the original recipe. I honestly just dumped 2 opened bags of flour into our sensory table bin and subsequently emptied the remaining contents of the bottle of baby oil we had. On its own, the dough was a bit crumbly and powdery but when squeezed between the hands or molded into ice cube trays, cups and even mega blocks, it held together to make shapes and bricks that the boys could use to build.

It is perfect for sand castles, igloos and even pyramids. Why, oh why, do we still teach our children that the Jewish people enslaved in Egypt were forced to build the pyramids?! Oh gosh, I don't know. Historical timelines show this to be impossible and the liturgy itself states that the Jewish people were building warehouses for Pharoah, not pyramids. Nonetheless, pyramid building brings forth a fascinating geometrical and engineering challenge for little ones and so we continue...

S and Y were so excited to get outside and dig in our desert! They have grown accustomed to a new routine of waking up from afternoon rest time, eating a quick dinner and bolting out the front or back door. They both ran right over to the sensory table and began to dig, fill, shape and mold the dough. I set up the bin quite simply at first, with just a couple of shovels, ice cube trays, some mega blocks and a little fisher price construction worker. We have added some less played with toys from indoors into our backyard setup so that they can take on new life and function while I try to function at keeping our garden alive this season. The boys LOVE using mega blocks, construction trucks, dinosaurs and little people outside now! And they had just as much fun using them in our sand dough table as well.

I overheard S singing a popular Pesach children's song as he played:
Dig, dig, dig, dig your shovel deep
Dig, dig, dig, there's no time for sleep
For it's work, work, work,
Every day and every night
For it's work, work, work
When it's dark and when it's light.

He added that he was very "happy to be working." And then he took to calling me Pharoah instead of Mommy. I'm taking this as an overall compliment, I think...

This was such a fun activity that since the weather was predicted to remain dry, I decided to cover our sensory bin with a trash bag overnight and leave it for the boys to play with again.

Getting outside is such a natural way to incorporate science into your play and learning routine. STEM challenges, sensory play and nature exploration in and of itself all promote skills in engineering, observation, experimentation and critical thinking. The boys? Well, they mostly think they're playing and they are having a great time! So whether you are looking to empty those last bags of flour (and I'm banking that you could probably also use another type of oil) or whether you will save this one in the vault for after Pesach and build a backyard beach and sand castle, homemade sand dough is an easy and cost effective way to build, learn and play before Pesach and all year round!

Happy Working Playing!

Get Outside And...Build a Fort!

I think just about everyone I know has a childhood memory of some sort of secret outdoor hideout or fort. Whether it was an actual playhouse, tree house, cardboard box, hollowed out willow tree, climbing tree, cardboard box, tent or tee-pee, there was something particularly magical and special about having a special space to play in, read in or hide out in outdoors. And in an effort to make sure my own kids are no exception to the rule that everyone I know has a childhood memory of some sort of secret outdoor hideout or fort, I decided to help facilitate their first exposure to this longtime beloved activity.

The outdoors is HUGE. A small space, a special space, a secret even a sacred space is a childhood must! In these spaces, little ones can be big. Magic can happen. Play can expand to new heights even as you are crouched down low to fit beneath a low hanging rooftop. What is it about little children seeking little spaces? I believe that they are drawn to the wonder of feeling big in them. And seeing young children at play in settings like this is such a good reminder that while fresh air and open space are so important for exercise, large spaces are not a necessity all of the time. Plenty of incredible things can happen (and developmental goals can be met) in spaces that are quite tiny.

There are some amazing structures on the market these days. We've seen beautiful playgrounds with quaint little tree houses, hobbit houses, child sized cottages and even pergolas or gazebos. But to build our own backyard fort, one we would keep a temporary structure given our space and setting, all I needed was three plastic plant stakes from the hardware store, some rubber bands, an old sheet and some clothespins. While the boys were napping in the afternoon, I set up shop in the back. I finagled the supplies into a tee-pee and decided to add in our basket of playsilks, some extra clothespins, a small basket of our favorite Spring themed books, some sticks and some rocks and stones.

S and Y both saw the tee-pee from their bedroom window when they woke up from their naps and were eager to get and play! We had a quick bite to eat and headed out back! And then, I was quite surprised that S looked at the tee-pee, but then played with the mega blocks and trucks. Y walked around the back and lifted one side of the sheet, playing peek-a-boo underneath and then took to playing inside of our parked red wagon. What was going on here? Then I realized neither of them had ever seen a tee-pee and they didn't know they could go inside!

Once I showed them they could go inside and sit or build or play or imagine, a whole scene emerged. They needed to build a bonfire to roast marshmallows. What could they use as marshmallows? S had an idea! We could use playdough! He went inside and brought out our leftover bag of peppermint playdough. He rolled himself a marshmallow and stuck it upon one end of a pussy willow branch rubbed clean of its fuzzy little blossoms. Y was very jealous. S rolled him an even bigger peppermint playdough marshmallow and stuck it on the end of an even bigger stick (all the while having me heavily guard the one he'd made for himself from his very eager little brother).

Then it was time to build the fire, but it wasn't quite hot enough yet to cook the marshmallows, S explained. They needed some help. Help from dinosaurs and little Fisher Price people and construction trucks to haul over some stones. They needed to add more scarves to the fire to "make it hotter." And then it was finally time to roast their marshmallows!

And just as they got to roasting, I heard the loud whir of lawn mowers. Oh dear, they were coming to mow our lawn! Never have you seen a crew of backyardloving marshmallow roasting tee-pee dwelling nature babies clean up so quickly and cooperatively and hurry inside! We dismantled and gathered things back to their spots and into baskets as fast as we could and went inside. It was a bummer, for sure, but easy enough to rebuild and revisit another day. Who knows what adventures will happen in the Brothers' Top Secret Hideout the next time? And, the lawnmowers were a blessing in disguise as well. Besides for trimming our grass forest back into a sizable lawn, they preempted a massive storm of thunder, a few inches of torrential rains and even hail. We had certainly been spared a soggy surprise!

So grab what you have on hand, maybe some old sheets and lawn furniture, maybe a few plant stakes or some upcycled trellises. Maybe a large cardboard box or a few medium sized ones. Get outside and build your own fort. You don't need an enormous amount of materials and space to build enormously magical childhood memories. We can't wait to build our next outdoor fort, but until then....

Happy Playing!

Pesach STEM Challenge: Building a Basket for Baby Moshe

Truth be told, there is a lot to do indoors as the holiday of Pesach draws near. And it is also true that getting those tasks accomplished with kids in the home can be quite challenging! I see getting outside with these boy as a productivity investment plan. They get the fresh air, exercise and healthy dose of vitamin N[ature] in (so do I) and we can all get a lot more done afterward.
Even more important than all of the daunting tasks that we take on each year to prepare for the holiday is the meaning and significance of this occasion to our kids. This is the time of year we want our children to ask "why" over and over and over again. This holiday is not just about our ancestors and it is not just about us; it is about our children and the future of the Jewish people as a whole. So learning about it at school and at home and engaging in meaningful play activities about Pesach are integral parts of the preparation process--just as much as the cleaning, shopping, and eating of copious amounts of carbohydrates before it begins.

I love a nice STEM challenge. I also love emptying my recycling bin. We did a similar activity to this one last year inside the house and this year I thought it would be extra fun to get outside and build! The boys were greeted at our I Wonder Station with a basket containing two water safe baby dolls and a sign reading "What can you build to carry Baby Moshe across the river?" Below the hook and basket, I set a bin of recycled materials, some craft supplies, masking tape, even tin foil. They sensory table was filled with water, the boys could use the materials in the basket and whatever else was already outside. Their challenge was to build something that could get their baby to float (or even sink) while staying dry. All kinds of brainstorming and creativity ensued...

this container closed over top and provided all around protection until..the water seeped in through the drainage holes in the bottom of it! Oh no!

This container was solid at the bottom, no holes. But...the baby was a little bit too heavy and it toppled over!

Nothing a little sunbathing won't dry off...

Parts were connected, assembled, dismantled and reassembled. Soon, even things in the yard that weren't broken needed fixing! One eager carpenter and his apprentice got busy at work repairing a wheelbarrow handle...

You don't need a lot of fancy toys and materials to carry out a fun and meaningful activity. Even though we did a similar one last year, the boys have grown a whole year older--and wiser--in their understanding of buoyancy. Even Y could now recognize items sinking and floating in the "river." (He tested quite a few!)

And the great outdoors is a wonderful place for building together, whether you're working on the best basket for baby Moshe, building pyramids with plastic mega blocks or woodworking.




So take a little break from wrapping the whole house in tinfoil, maybe bring the roll outside with you along with the contents of your recycling bin and happy playing for Pesach and all year round!

Tu B'Shevat Loose Parts in Play

Ok, so you have all of your tree and Tu B'Shevat themed loose parts out and ready, but now what? Today I will take you through a few fun and simple ways our loose parts have come into play here this week! Some were entirely child-led while others were invitations or provocations I set up for the boys. Feel free to use these ideas in your own home or classroom and I always love seeing the way others are using loose parts in play and learning as well.

Both of the boys have taken a liking to our STEAM Cart drawers
and S especially loves the scrap wood drawer for building houses. He has created several intricate designs and adds in various peg dolls when he's done building. We've so far not created any permanent structures with the scrap wood and one of the ways I offered to support S in preserving his houses was to take photos of buildings he particularly likes and create a building journal together. I love the template provided in Pocket of Preschool's All About Building bundle but you can also make your own journal or blueprints book using graph paper, a photo album, a notebook or stapling together scrap paper. This is a great way to give value to your young builders' process, to incorporate writing and literacy, and to encourage planning, critical thinking and problem solving! It has also helped S to feel more secure in building his structures in shared play spaces (where Y can also get to them) and not to whisk away his materials to a solo location. Y is working on not knocking over structures without asking and S is working on sharing our many resources in common play areas.

Y has really enjoyed designing and tinkering with our tree loose parts collection. He loves getting a mirror tray to design on or even just transferring small parts in and out of the wooden bowls. He knows now how to carry a bowl with two hands to the table and also how to return them to the shelf when he's done. S even likes to use the snowflakes and flowers to add to the "tree" in the back of the shelf! While both of the boys have come up with great ways to use our loose parts on their own, I also set up a few simple table time activities for them over the week.

 Incorporating playdough or clay with loose parts can add a sensory component and all kinds of unique new design opportunities. What gravity may have previously prevented is now possible with a temporary medium to connect loose parts in novel ways. To set up a simple playdough invitation, you can use a sectioned tray along with some of your loose parts and some favorite clay or playdough tools. We used our current batch of homemade playdough, but you can use store bought or use clay or kinetic sand or whatever type of dough you like best. This activity is just right to stand on its own or you can incorporate a themed playdough mat for added inspiration. I love the free printable tree playdough mat from Picklebums.
It made a great backdrop for our playdough invitation and was just as much fun to use with loose parts and no dough! Y especially enjoyed it this way and returned to the table repeatedly throughout the morning to play.

The dead of winter may not be a time that many of us outside of the framework of Tu B'Shevat think about trees, but it is a time that many tree related products are on super sale at craft stores. That's where I found a couple of unfinished wooden tree decorations on major discount (not to mention the tree shaped cookie cutters you saw in our playdough invitation for 10 cents a piece). We have used one wooden tree for a collaborate process art project that I will post on shortly and the other, intended for hanging small pictures on looked like the perfect tree shaped weaving loom! I already have visions of it in our play garden holding bits of strings, ribbons and materials for bird nests in the Spring, but for now, it is a great indoor activity for weaving ribbons and working those tiny little fine motor muscles pinching miniature clothes pins.

 My favorite thing, perhaps, about using loose parts with my boys is that so often I am inspired by their play. It is a lot less of me setting up activities from my own ideas or ideas I see elsewhere and a lot more of me supporting activities that they create from their own ideas. Join us next time for a great family collaborative process art project for Tu b'Shevat and until then...

Happy Playing!