Music-making with Young Children (and Grown-ups, too!)

Last year on the day of S's 4th birthday, I took him to the dollar store to pick out anything he wanted. What could possibly go wrong for $1? I'll tell you what can go wrong for a dollar...

Yup, that's his "flute," and it was "just like" the one a favorite teacher of his played. Oh. Dear.

So fast forward to a couple of [very loud] days later, and S had taken his favorite flute to bed with him. Well, I'm not sure exactly how it happened, but I kind of sort of accidentally [I think] stepped on it while it was on the floor next to his bed and, um, it broke...

Clearly nothing a little tape couldn't fix...

The Mommy-guilt set in and we headed back to the dollar store for flute #2...

...and eventually upgraded to a "real" recorder after that. Although this one lives upon a high bookshelf for proper protection from my accident prone feet in between jam sessions.

It's true, my boys love music. Their parents are also recovering musicians. My husband played guitar for years and was even in a heavy metal band at one point (no, I can't actually imagine this, either). I was between the ages Y and S are now when I started to play songs I heard by ear on toy pianos, xylophones and anything else I could get my fingers on. This culminated in 15 years of classical piano training, over a hundred original compositions and some years of saxophone lessons and band geekery in there as well. 

The benefits of musical exposure and training in young children is proven and documented in respected long-term studies again and again. However, even beyond that, making music for young children is a very natural creative process. And this can continue well into adulthood! Both of my boys have gone through what I refer to as the Everything-is-a-Drum Phase.

...even an actual drum...

....or simply a set of metal spoons and pans outside!

S's drumming phase was closely followed by his Everything is a Flute Phase, and Y requests to play the guitar (a ukulele) every day when he wakes up in the morning and again after his naps. Every so often S will ask to have a music party at night, which means we get out the whole basket of instruments (even the ones strategically hidden on the top shelf or in the back of the kids' closet) and jam!

Every Jam Band needs a conductor...

I wouldn't say it's quite Carnegie Hall worthy...yet, but these hootenannies are such great fun for us all! And I'm not sure if either of the boys will pursue music through formal study, but I do know that allowing for exposure to instruments in our home and encouraging their natural interest and creativity, we are planting some pretty important seeds regardless of what fruits they come to bear.

So when other parents ask me what are the most important toys and playthings for babies and young children, I always include musical instruments on that list. My husband's musical pursuits likely stemmed in part from his very musically talented mother. My own parents were not particularly musical themselves. The one thing both of us had in common was exposure to musical instruments and encouragement. And not just toy instruments, but real ones as well. My home (and my husband's) had real instruments we could touch. We both grew up near music studios or schools that allowed and encouraged children to touch and use real instruments--even very old or delicate ones. And so I stock our own collection of instruments with a collection of musical toys (maracas, bells, tambourines, xylophones, etc.), homemade ones (shakers and percussion instruments) and "real" ones, too. 

I have found beautiful drums and percussion instruments (as well as toy sets) at secondhand shops and thrift stores. These are great places to look (along with garage sales) for instruments that are still in their prime but looking for a set of hands or lips to help them make their melodies. Building your band need not break the bank and never forget the inherent value in a set of pots and pans and a wooden spoon. If (like me) you are averse to very loud sounds, you can be selective about when instruments come out for play. And you can also take this pro-tip from a 4 year old boy I know and love: if it's too loud, just play louder yourself! Yes, I encourage you (the grown-ups) to join in the jam sessions, too. It's a great way to lift everyone's spirits on a dreary winter's eve or just to have some casual and creative family fun. 

The outdoors is a great space to take your musical play times (though this can get trickier when you live in close quarters with neighbors). If your space permits, a consider building a sound wall. (There are many great ideas for construction on Pinterest). You'll need a collection of pots, pans and recyclables either thrifted or rescued from the recycling bin/trash/donation heap and some carefully selected sticks or wooden spoons for mallets. If you don't have the space for a permanent wall, a basket stocked with these types of materials is perfect (and they can double for use in your Mud Kitchen).

In general, when building up an instrument collection, don't forget to inquire with friends, family and neighbors. Somebody, somewhere, has an instrument (or two or ten) collecting dust in the attic and awaiting a new loving home!

And to extend the fun, I highly recommend family field trips to music shops (especially kid friendly ones where children are encouraged and allowed to test out or see how instruments work) and attending musical performances in your community when possible. 

Wishing you all a home filled with melodious magic and, as always...

Happy Playing!

Pumpkin Patch Playtime!

It's November 1st, and allow me to be the first to wish you a Happy Buy Your Purim Costumes and Dress-up Clothes at 50% Off Day! We don't happen to celebrate Halloween, but Autumn just isn't Autumn without pumpkins here. We [I] even [toiled and slaved and cursed and cried] in the garden to grown our own mini pumpkin and gourd. Yes. Only one. Of each. Costing me roughly a total of $54 when all was said and done, but worth every penny. I think. We also purchased some mini pumpkins and gourds, painted white pumpkins with acrylic paints, picked our own pumpkins at S's school field trip and needed an indoor way to have some playful and active fun yesterday while handing out [and eating] candy.
Introducing Pumpkin Patch Playtime! Whether you're looking to give those pumpkins one last hurrah today or trying to burn off some of the post-Halloween calories and energy, these simple activities are sure to please and simple to set up and execute at home or in the classroom.


Our Pumpkin Patch hosted a small selection of gross motor and dramatic play activities. You could include them all, add your own, or choose your favorites. You could do this outside if your weather permits, but it works just as well indoors given enough space.

The boys were invited as they came downstairs from their nap to take a hayride to the Pumpkin Patch. I used a small riding toy, but you can also use a cardboard box, bike/tricycle, scooter, skates or your own two feet! I used masking tape to make a path toward the pumpkin patch that would later double as our corn maze. If you have carpeting and are worried about tape, carpet safe tape options are available. I've never had a problem with masking tape as along as you remove it the same day. You can implement labels and sentence strips if you want to support a print rich environment.

Once they arrived at the Pumpkin Patch, the boys were greeted by the sight of artificial leaves strewn about the rug (you can also cut your own from paper or use the real thing outside). A couple of child sized rakes and a recycled brown paper bag were at the ready for raking leaves. If you have reservations about using rakes indoors, you could probably substitute in child sized brooms or children could use their hands or even tongs or tweezers to pick up leaves. If you have a larger group, this would be a really fun activity to do with a parachute and to use the leaves on the parachute to toss into the air before having the children rake and collect them.

The Pumpkin Patch itself was set up using artificial floral/foliage garlands I bought from the Dollar Tree earlier this year to use in our play sukkah as vines and our collection of pumpkins and gourds starring as themselves. You could use artificial/toy pumpkins, or even make your own by painting and stuffing brown paper lunch bags (as I did for our basketball game). At the Pumpkin Patch, the boys could "pick" pumpkins and gourds, fill up their shopping cart and bring them to The Pumpkin Patch Store (their kitchen set and cash register) to pay. You can get as detailed as you want here and make price tags, signs, etc. You can also keep it simple (as we did) and just go with the flow. S had the idea to use the pumpkins in the kitchen and make pumpkin cakes, pies and something he called "pumpkin juice" that I'm willing to try at least once to find out if I like it! He also wanted to use some brown paper shopping bags for carrying pumpkins and gourds, which became its own lesson in measurement, weight and structural integrity...

Both of the boys loved Pumpkin Basketball. S was quite inspired to try a real pumpkin in the game, but since we were inside, I put a damper on that one. Instead, I prepped some simple brown paper lunch bag pumpkin basketballs. I colored the bags with orange and green marker, stuffed them with tissue paper and taped them shut before smooshing them into a round shape. Alternatively, you could use actual balls and permanent markers to make them look like pumpkins. Everyone (yes, me, too) took turns having three tosses to try and make a basket.

These activities are meant to get everyone up and moving and active. When excitement and festivity are in the air (even and especially the day after), movement is a necessity. If you're needing a less active and quieter option or station, these DIY peg board geo-pumpkins are the way to go. They still encourage active engagement of muscles, strength and energy, but they are a bit more stationary in nature. This has been a favorite activity for S the last few years now, and this year Y got in on the fun as well. They hammered golf tees into a couple of our mini pumpkins last week for Table Time one morning. Yesterday, I set out the trays of rubber-bands and our pumpkin geo-boards. Y was able to loosely drape larger rubber bands over the pegs and S was able to make intricate shapes and designs.

We will likely give these gourds and pumpkins one last hurrah here as we explore the inside and maybe even do a little baking per S's request. But honestly, I'm pumpkin-spiced out and ready for what's next...Chanukah!

If you're gearing up for Chanukah as well and looking for a playful and educational way to bring some early math and literacy skills into your home or classroom, check out my Chanukah Counting Soup game on TeachersPayTeachers. It's a fabulous way to bring fun, festivity and a little bit of learning into your home or classroom this season.

And until then...happy playing!

Playtime for YOU: Nurturing and Rediscovering Our Own Creative Side

Moms, Dads, Grandparents, Educators and Caretakers of all kinds--this playtime post is for US--the grown ups. I write here a lot about the importance of play in children and more recently, I've remembered how important it is for adults as well. We might call it self care or hobbies or "me time," and there are a number of ways we might choose to spend it. And while we often recognize the need for our children to have free time in which to play and explore and express themselves creatively, we do not always recognize (or honor) that need in ourselves. For me, it comes out as feeling completely spent by the end of a day, desiring something more, something challenging (well, differently challenging than getting through a day with a 10 month old and a 3.5 year old!). There are many ways in which we can care for ourselves:

• Physical/bodily self care might include nutrition, fitness, enjoying a manicure or a massage...
• Spiritual self care might include observance of holidays/traditions in the home, religious or spiritual practice, meditation or whatever practices are meaningful to you
• Social self can involve engaging with friends, family and community--everyone's needs in this area are different and depend largely on where one falls on the spectrum of being introverted or extroverted
• Mental/emotional self care encompasses the paths we utilize to navigate difficult emotions, resolve conflicts and work on personal growth
• Intellectual self care can be expressed in how we continue to pursue education in areas of personal and/or professional interest. For some that may be taking a class or joining a club, for others it may be meaningful to engage in volunteer work or connected specifically to your career

For the sake of this post and in regard to the basic theme of this blog, I am focusing today on creative self care. I have heard so many of my friends claim that they are "not creative," and I could not disagree more! I think there are a lot of ways to express creativity, although many of us associate it in particular with artistic work. That being said, anyone who has seen very young children explore art materials can see that there is no struggle in early childhood to express creativity! Children are process oriented, rather than focused on a product. And then, somewhere along the line, a message about art and creative work is internalized: art should look a certain way. I would not personally describe myself as being artistic, though I do feel I am a creative person. I find it meaningful to engage in activities that create something. I especially like activities that use my hands--where I can touch materials and manipulate them into something else. I believe that being creative is like being fit--you need to exercise the muscles involved. I would further argue that exercising those muscles is just as important! And while it is easy to go through days and weeks of "not having time" to nurture that side of ourselves as we are busy with family, work, household tasks and other obligations, there is a price that we pay ourselves and inherently, a tax that is put upon those whom are in our care. Perhaps you feel guilty or selfish pursing personal hobbies and creative activities during "family time," but I have recently re-framed my thinking about that. Not only is it important to integrate self-care into your daily routine for YOU, it is equally important for our children to see and intuit that this is important. Children who see their parents being creative and experiencing joy in that process will likely grow to value their own creativity and self-care down the line.

When it comes to creative expression, there are a lot of activities that are enjoyable for different folks. You may already know what you enjoy. Perhaps you want to try something new or perhaps you have no idea at all where to start. Websites like Pinterest are a great place to search a wealth of artistic, culinary and other creative activities. Library shelves are also stocked with books full of great ideas. Many libraries and parks and rec centers also offer free or low-cost classes to adults to try out a new hobby or craft. Art supply stores and craft stores often offer classes for adults as well as aisles stocked with materials, books and even free pamphlets for project ideas. Taking up an old hobby or even starting a new one does not need to break your bank either. You can utilize materials you already have, purchase secondhand or perhaps borrow from a friend or family member. 

Here's a peek at some of the creative work I have found meaningful lately. I'd love to hear about your favorite ways to play--feel free to comment below! (I may or may not be looking for more hobbies...)

Whenever I think of my grandmothers, I always remember their hands being full of yarn, knitting or crochet needles, tapestry and embroidery work or other portable projects. They often worked in front of me and sometimes even showed me a thing or two about their craft! They also created beautiful gifts and priceless heirlooms for their loved ones. My own parents were also very creative, though often their creative hobbies were reserved for later hours after we were asleep. My mother was quite crafty and I remember waking up to the results of her late night labor. I did not know until adulthood how long it took her to fabric paint canvas bags or sew us a pillow case. My father took up hobbies like guitar lessons, tennis classes and Tai Chi in adulthood and gave over the important lesson that you do not need to be incredibly talented in an activity to enjoy it. (Dad, I hope you'll forgive me for saying that!)  Additionally, my parents both supported me (without pushing) in my own creative endeavors as I was growing up, whether the activities were ones they personally enjoyed or not--I think this was a huge factor in why I am a creative adult.

Knitting & Yarn Crafting: I took up knitting as a tween and revisited the craft with fervor in my college years. I always imagined once I was married and had children, I would knit all kinds of things for my children and husband. Well, it never happened. Until recently. I let go of long, complicated and detailed projects for the time being in favor of simpler, smaller projects that can easily be picked up and put down as needed. These are the One-Skein Wonder Years and since I like to see the fruits of this meaningful labor rather quickly (or at least in this decade) I tend to gravitate toward little projects like loom knitting pumpkin hats for my boys this fall or some little hats for their baby dolls or even an abundance of washcloths and dishcloths. I can easily leave a ball of yarn and needles with a small work in progress in a few rooms of the house so that wherever we might be, I can grab it and go for a few minutes when the timing is right. Whereas I used to have bin loads of yarns and needles and UFPs (Un-Finished Projects) in college, I now favor and savor a handful of carefully selected yarns and a few sets of quality wooden/bamboo needles. 

I used to wait to knit only at night or nap times. Recently S asked me to make a hat for his baby doll and the next morning when he woke up, there it was! He was ecstatic! Then his other baby doll wanted a hat. The next morning, when he awoke to the second hat, he asked if he could cut it with scissors. My gut instinct was to be appalled and offended. I'd spent a couple of hours working that yarn into a doll hat and he wanted to cut it?! Then I realized that was his way of wanting to work the craft of knitting as well, although he'd never seen it done! I leave a "knitting basket" out for him to explore that contains bits of yarn and string too small for other projects and allow him to explore and experience the textures of the different yarn with scissors, glue and paper and whatever else draws his inspiration. Yesterday, he saw me knitting for the first time and saw how each little knot with the yarn caused that string to slowly, slowly, slowly turn into a piece of functional fabric: a washcloth! He was amazed. He wanted to knit, too, and this knitting basket was the perfect way (for now) for him to experience the craft. Y, too, can enjoy exploring the colors and textures of a ball of yarn or a homemade Pom-Pom. In this way, you can include your children in your own hobbies, even if you are working simultaneously on different levels of a craft. 

Paper-crafting is another hobby revisited for me. I used to scrapbook and make greeting cards in abundance when I was in college. I don't feel as drawn to those particular crafts at this point in my life but I do love recycling my children's artwork into simple greeting card sets for a meaningful holiday gift or making bookmarks with S to use in one of my other favorite hobbies, reading!

The nice thing about paper crafts is the pretty instant results and the ability to work with materials you already have at home. The two dimensional aspect of it is also a big space saver--your hobby won't need to take up a whole room!

I had been inspired by needle-felting for over a decade but always thought it would be "too hard" to learn the craft. S has a teacher in school who is quite a talented needle-felter and gifted me a little starter kit for my birthday. It proved to be one of those gifts that just keeps on giving! I instantly fell in love with the craft and invested in a few more tools and some additional roving. As it turns out, there is something hugely rewarding about repeatedly poking and prodding wool with a needle and watching it turn into something! It is a remarkable forgiving art form and the results are so much fun to use in play and display.

Speaking of play things, I've really enjoyed painting peg dolls for use in our play areas, indoors and out. I love the feel of natural materials in play and the creativity more open-ended play materials inspires in children.

S has enjoyed woodworking creatively with his Tatty, using simple kits and sometimes even scrap wood, nails and a hammer. I so appreciate that building together is an activity my husband has taken on to do with S. So much of our children's exposure to creative work comes from female adults--most commonly teachers, mothers, grandmothers. Fathers and grandfathers also have hobbies and are creative and particularly for my sons, I feel it is so important for them to see male role models being creative and enjoying such hobbies. My husband is one of those folks who would describe himself as "not creative," though I strongly disagree. Nonetheless, this does not stop him from joining in to create a huge family picture with markers and crayons and easel paper on the floor or painting pottery with the kids at a paint your own pottery shop. I love that about him! 

My husband is also more likely than I am to ask for us to spend an evening creating art together! I had this in mind when I purchased some discounted sketch books a while ago for each member of the family. Journaling was a huge area of creative expression for me as a child, teen and young adult. Journaling can take on many forms at different ages and stages. It can include drawing, writing, collage, photos, poetry and more. The only boundaries are the book that is used to contain it! I favor a blank paged sketch book particularly for pre-writers so that drawings and later, early expressions of written word can be accommodated. I'm excited to try out art nights here using our journals for a variety of means of expression. Perhaps you might try out the concept of still life by setting out something from nature or indoors that is visually appealing. With young children, we mostly focus on what colors or shapes they see or how an object makes them feel. A couple things to keep in mind with journals and sketch books:

• Using real, quality materials from the journal itself to the art or writing materials you choose can add a feeling of importance and value. I admit that I have "my own" markers and crayons and ones that are always accessible to S (and eventually Y). Nonetheless, there are times I "share" my own art materials with S and I favor quality art materials in general over quantity. Better to have a small set of chalk pastels that really work than an abundance that do not work as well and cause frustration. I find of a lot of art materials inexpensively at places like Five and Below or even thrift stores. It's also helpful to reserve those 50% off coupons at craft supply stores for things like this. The use of a journal or sketch book also indicates a level of value to children that plain paper may not. A book is "permanent" and shows a huge level of respect to children's creative work. Even children who are less drawn to drawing (pun intended) might love to do so in the space of a leather bound sketch book.
• Personal space extends to a journal. In this particular style of journaling, I encourage respecting those pages as an extension of each person's personal space. I do not draw or write in a child's personal journal and likewise, my own journal is entirely my own. We do shared work in other mediums. While we might engage in a set-up that invites a certain idea of expression, I don't specifically tell anyone what to write or draw about. Our journals are always accessible to grab and use on a whim or we can set a specific time to all use them. As children get older, they may wish to journal as a way to express and contain private ideas and I really encourage parents and caretakers to respect that privacy.

And the biggest rule of thumb for creative expression as self care--both your own and your children's--is that if and when it is not enjoyable, don't do it! If you don't love a hobby, set it aside. If the timing is just wrong, set it aside. This is a safe space to try something and totally fail at it. It's also a safe space to try new things and learn a new skill. I'm actually quite eager to begin exploring the art of embroidery with S and we are both beginners! He is at an age where he can use a blunt needle and some burlap in a smaller embroidery hoop to explore the texture, color and experience of this needle art. I will be right there learning with him! That beginner's mindset is one that is so important to cultivate in our children and continue to nurture in ourselves.

Wishing you all meaningful, creative playing!

Playtime Post: Taking (and Making) Rainbows Beyond the Book

I think we all have a little case of the winter doldrums here. Our snow has melted and temperatures are back to a subtropical 65 degrees, but until this week, we were pretty cooped up indoors. Between winter break and snow days, re-acclimating to preschool and "normal" routine has taken some time and extra TLC. When S asked to do a story stretcher about rainbows (after re-reading a favorite book of his and his brother's, What Makes a Rainbow? by Betty Schwartz), I was game! And speaking of games--I felt like we all needed a little more playtime and movement in our day. So today's story stretcher will take us beyond the book of three of our favorite rainbow/colors themed children's books with an open play/gross motor twist! 

Our three target books are:

• What Makes a Rainbow? A Magic Ribbon Book by Betty Schwartz. In this cute ribbon/pop-up book, a little rabbit asks his mother what makes a rainbow after a rainstorm ends. His mother encourages him to ask his colorful friends, and as each one responds, a ribbon of color is added to the rainbow. There is a beautiful pop-up ending that brings a smile to both my boys each and every time!
• Alphaprints Colors by Jo Ryan, Sarah Powell and Pip Tinsley was a wonderful Chanukah gift to Y from my sister this year. We love the colorful illustrations and Y especially likes touching the unique textured pages. I particularly adore the illustrations that are made from fingerprints!
• My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss is one of my favorite ways to teach about the plethora of emotions we experience and move through in the course of a week or even a day (or sometimes even an hour). 

On some occasions, I formally introduce a book and sit and read with the boys. On other occasions, I like to strategically place them around our play area near a relevant activity. If S asks to read one, I certainly do. If the boys want to look at the books, they may and if they just want to play with the toys in that area or do an activity that is set up, that's fine, too!

In our rug area, I've set up a play space to entice both boys in the theme of My Many Colored Days.



In one area, I've set up our Grimm's Rainbow and some rainbow colored wooden peg dolls I painted. I want to invite the boys to play imaginatively and S in particular enjoys dramatic play with peg dolls. I am so excited to see how both boys, at their own level, will explore the variety of uses for a Grimm's Rainbow and these little peg dolls! When using peg dolls with very little ones, do make sure they are large enough not to pose a choking hazard and that you carefully supervise.

Across the span of the room, I tied a large piece of yarn between two chairs (better seen from the top photo) and affixed a rainbow of colored scarves to the garland using wooden clothes pins. Each of my boys are at very different stages of gross motor development. S and I can play a game of Rainbow Scarf Limbo and practice getting under the garland in different ways. Y has enjoyed sitting beneath the garland and grasping a pulling scarves from the clothespins! (That's the bonus of waking up from his nap while I was still setting up...)

Around the space, I've also set out a basket of colorful squeeze blocks, stacking rings, sensory balls, bean bags and giant pom poms to inspire a rainbow of ways to play using large and small muscles. Y had a blast not napping playing with the balls and stacking rings and exploring each of the discovery baskets around him. This layout really encouraged him to get moving at his own level, from seated to tummy to his back, pivoting and rotating to reach things that caught his interest. In related news, he's now napping again, so I also set up a few centers that will appeal more to S when he wakes up from his nap! (This sounds like a game of Whack a Mole...)

 For our art and fine motor component, I set out a What Makes a Rainbow? Station with Model Magic Clay to which I added blue glitter and a collection of rainbow colored pipe cleaners. For the sake of a photo, I demonstrated my own way of building a rainbow, however for S I have merely set out the materials and a blob of clay to encourage him to build a rainbow in his own way. Model Magic has the texture and viscosity of real clay and can air dry into a permanent work of art. Clay is a great fine motor tool for preschool aged children and up and truly works those tiny little hand muscles. When S is done with his rainbow sculpture, we will allow it to dry and be able to put it on display!






Our Alphaprints Colors station is aimed to inspire some fingerprint creations of our own! When S was about Y's age, we worked together to create an entire set of alphabet pictures using his fingerprints. Now that he is older, he can more independently create fingerprint art using this giant washable ink pad and a variety of artists' pencils. Y will need a bit of help from me and I think we will all have fun!




Finally, for a sensory component, I set up our sensory table with rainbow colored waterbeads and a variety of fine motor tools for scooping, transferring, squeezing and pinching. I added a bit of lavender and peppermint oil to the waterbeads as I love including the sense of smell in our sensory play experiences. I do not recommend using waterbeads with young toddlers and infants, however they are great fun for preschool aged children and if you do wish to explore this medium in a taste-safe way, you can make your own using basil seeds.

If your day is in need of a splash of color or a bit of movement, these activities are all great in conjunction or as stand alone stations. Here's to an afternoon of colorful fun and, as always, happy playing!

A Playtime Post: Pumpkin, Pumpkin!

You know those obnoxious people who start going crazy over all things pumpkin in the middle of July? I'm one of 'em! I love Autumn and I love pumpkins, and I don't care if it's not even Labor Day, I'm gonna start pumpkin spicing everything.
By September, we took an afternoon outing to my favorite local produce shop to pick some decorative pumpkins and gourds for our table...

By the beginning of October, although temperatures were still in the upper 80s here, I had concocted my own loom knitting pattern to whip up a couple of pumpkin hats for my own little bumpkins:

Maybe I'll just crank the AC up and let them wear these inside...

And yesterday, we accompanied S's preschool on their Fall field trip to a local farm to pick pumpkins!

I learned a lot on our field trip...

• Did you know the flowers on pumpkin vines that actually bare fruit are purple, not orange?
• Managing 20 preschoolers belonging to other people on a field trip was way easier than managing my own preschooler on a field trip--he literally turned into a pumpkin in the middle of a pumpkin field requiring me to football carry him back to the hay ride...
• If your preschooler refuses to put on a pumpkin hat you spent three days knitting to pose for a photo, you can bribe him with pretzels and then he will undoubtedly refuse the reward until you agree to take half a dozen more photos...
• Pumpkins come in all shapes as they evolve from seed to plant to flower to fruit...our adult vision may gloss over some of those incredible early stages of life as we eye the prize of a bright orange giant of a fruit, but you can be sure your little ones will notice and appreciate even the tiniest, most incredible signs of growth and life!

S was enamored with these teeny tiny little baby pumpkins. He really wanted to pick one but chose to leave them on the vine so they could grow into great, big pumpkins all in due time! I admired his fascination with everything from the purple flowers to the still-green pumpkins to the giant orange prize-winners and everything in between. We came home lugging one big orange pumpkin, one medium sized green and orange specimen, and a little green guy, along with two tuckered out boys ready for a good, long afternoon nap!

As tired out as we all were after the big morning, I was in the mood for some more pumpkin themed fun. While the boys slept, I cooked up a batch of my favorite stove-top playdough adding red and yellow food coloring to give it a lovely shade of orange and a generous dose of pumpkin spice for scent. After naptime, both boys dug right in to the playdough fun! Along with our playdough, I set out a laminated playdough mat of a pumpkin patch scene that I printed off for free from this great website. I demonstrated to S how to roll little balls into pumpkins, which he loved doing. He also took it a step further and began "smashing" pumpkins, which led to baking pumpkin cakes and pumpkin cookies until he noticed the bag of dried pumpkin seeds that his Safta sent last year from a pumpkin that grew in her garden. He asked if he could open the bag and use the seeds in the playdough, and while I hesitated at first, I decided to let him have at it. After all, how many years do I plan to save dried pumpkin seeds?? And with half a dozen pumpkins gracing our dining room table right now, there's plenty more where that came from!

S had so much fun using his fine motor skills to pour the seeds into a little dish, to pinch and pick up seeds as they spilled or fell on the floor, and pinching and poking the seeds into his playdough to "plant pumpkins." This is the joy of child led play and exploration! I, the adult, rolled little balls for pumpkins in a pumpkin patch, but S, a child, had a pumpkin patch, a full service bakery and a raised bed garden for planting pumpkin seeds! Y enjoyed teething on the pumpkin shaped cookie cutter...

S also loved using some laminated cards depicting the life-cycle of a pumpkin that I printed off for free over at montessoriforeveryone.com. There are a great variety of free printables here as well as some fabulous articles and resources for families and teachers who are inspired by the Montessori method. S used the cards both to retell the life-cycle sequence and to talk about things we had seen on our trip that morning. Then he asked to read a book from our shelf, Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington as he continued to play with the playdough.

That was all the pumpkin themed fun we could squeeze into one day! There are so many great activities you can do with pumpkins, and if you're looking for some more, you can revisit some of our favorites from last year. S really wants to bake a real pumpkin cake with a cooking pumpkin he bought with his Tatty and I have a few other ideas up my sleeve for the weeks to come. Until then...

Happy Playing!

Days of Creation Play Stations: Day 1 Dark & Light

S is early in the stages of understanding how to
play the game of Dominoes, but this family
heirloom set of Bereishis dominoes is a great
starting point! He loves making a "train" of
matching pictures and "reading the directions."

The first parsha read in the Torah each year is, arguably, one of the most important. Parshas Bereishis chronicles the events of Creation, day by day, as well as the stoPry of Adam and Chava. And although this is one of the most significant parshios of the year, it occurs in our annual rotation right on the heels of a huge holiday season. As a teacher in Jewish classrooms, I grappled with whether to teach this parsha "in time" and rush through the opportunities for learning and play so we can make it to the next several and equally significant parshios, or whether to extend the lesson beyond its week in the limelight. There are benefits to both ways. It is nice when children can learn the Torah portion of the week as it comes up. Particularly in homes where children go to synagogue on Shabbos or discuss the parsha at the Shabbos table, even preschool aged children like to feel a part of the action! There are benefits as well to having the time to explore in depth these early parshios, particularly through the lens of hands on exploration and play based learning. The best part of either route you choose is that the cycle repeats itself again and again. In other words--there's always next year, G-d willing!

Revisiting some of our favorite learning materials from last year is a fun way to play and learn together!

This year, S is learning about the first two parshios in school, Parshas Bereishis (the story of Creation), and Parshas Noach (the story of Noah and the ark). We explored these parshios in depth at home last year, as well. You can check out our Bereishis activities and Noach activities from last year if you wish. This year, we are enjoying a more relaxed flow of play-based activities in the afternoons. S has already had a morning of more structured learning and projects, which he loves and a more child-led approach in the afternoons really works for us right now. In addition, Y is able on his own level to join in our play adventures. I decided to extend our time exploring the theme of Parshas Bereishis into seven afternoon play stations to visit each day of Creation through sensory exploration, family field trips, themed snacks, process art and dramatic play.



Here's a peek at our first day of Creation Play Stations: Day 1, Dark & Light

While the boys were napping, I gathered a white pillowcase to attach to our puppet theater, a selection of flashlights/small lights and LED decorative lights, and transformed our play area into an exploration of darkness, light and shadows...

Some lights strung over our play tunnel added a whole new element of wonder to this already beloved gross motor activity!

Y got a kick (or enjoyed kicking) some lights strung above his activity mat. Adult supervision is definitely required when allowing very little ones to play with items that contain batteries and cords!

What's more fun than crawling through a tunnel? Crawling through a tunnel that lights up in a dark room and chasing after a light up ball!

S was both fascinated and bewildered by the shadow puppet station. He kept looking behind the curtain of the puppet theater where the action usually takes place, but was confused as to why the shadows weren't there! We observed together how the shadows are formed in front of the light by the objects placed in front of the white curtain. He brought in a variety of other objects to try besides the animals I had set out. We tried our hands (literally) at some shadow puppets as well. Much of the fun was just in playing with flashlights on their own!

Y LOVED the light up ball! I have found these on and off at our local Dollar Tree and they are always popular!

Adding in some of our translucent magnetiles to the mix gave way to some especially colorful shadows and fantastic buildings. This was a great way to introduce some STEM and building activities into the mix.

S has had little interest at home in doing "art projects." He does amazing art activities at school and at home I try to introduce more opportunities for process art (which he also does in school). Both brothers are participating in our Days of Creation Process Art Book. Day 1 was an invitation to explore white chalk and crayons on black paper. 

S was not interested in this station at all until Y and I sat down. He Loves showing Y how to do things!

We had a surprise themed dessert of "Dark & Light" pudding (chocolate and vanilla pudding). This is a great early cooking activity that toddlers and preschoolers can help with in the kitchen and although I made it in advance because we were short on time, S was so happy that he thanked me repeatedly without being prompted and told me it's his "favorite!" Alternatively you could make/buy black and white cookies, have hot cocoa with marshmallows or even chocolate sandwich cookies with white cream filling...very healthy, I know! Maybe pumpernickel and white bread??

We are having so much fun exploring the days of Creation through play that I am already excited for our second day! We will certainly be back soon and until then, happy playing!