Photo Friday: Stopping to Smell the...Weeds

We just returned from a trip to New York City to visit family and friends and the area of Brooklyn where my husband and I got married almost four years ago. This was our first family vacation with both boys and the first time we made such a long drive with kids. In the city that never sleeps with so many places to see and people to meet up with, it took my hot, tired, and terrified-of-pigeons three year old to remind me that there is always time to stop and smell the weeds! 

We had an amazing, albeit whirlwind trip. S ate ice cream in an ice cream shop every day (something he does not get to do where we live since there are no kosher restaurants, let alone easy access to kosher ice cream). We took the boys to the Jewish Children's Museum in Crown Heights. We visited my grandmother in Queens and my own mother came in to visit as well, filling that house with memories and four generations all at once! We spent time with great friends, took in the sights, scenery, a bit of shopping and plenty of tasty food. These are all things I love about the city. And yet, the pace and noise of the city is over the top for me. I drive a stroller like a true New Yorker, but I drive a car like I'm from Virginia (don't worry, my husband drove--I just offered free, unsolicited advice from the passenger seat while simultaneously slamming on an invisible brake and white-knuckling the door handle). 

When you rarely travel, it can often feel like there is so much to do in so little time. And the gift of traveling with little kids is that you are forced to slow down--even if the world is passing by as fast as a New York minute. Kids know nothing about time except how to make the most of it. And that's the most important skill to have. So we had as much fun actively pursuing vacation adventures as we did sitting in traffic and looking at all the construction trucks, subway trains and junk yards. An eight hour drive turns into a 12 hour ordeal with all of us in the car. I even inadvertently taught S some new vocabulary in Staten Island...  S was never quite sure what and where "The York" (as he calls it) was. And while not all of our vacation moments were postcard worthy, I'd like to think they will fill the boys with memories that are!

Hour 2 of the drive...

Hour 10 of the drive...

travel light and keep your cool

he needs a vacation from his vacation

you gotta spin it to win it

Smile, you're in Pennsylvania...

Photo Friday: Mountains & Molehills

Sometimes a single photo captures it all! And in that merit, I present Photo Fridays--reflections from a photograph that captures our week here...

In my professional life, I have a passion for striking the balance between how high and low a bar is set in order that my students are able to experience repeated increments of success and competency.  I have a strong belief that every child is able to master a task given the proper tools. I also have a strong belief that not every child needs the same tool to complete the same task. That being said, I would never expect a person to change a tire with a wooden spoon. Given a plethora of appropriate tools, opportunities, support and encouragement, I have seen children flourish in my classrooms who were previously categorized and labeled, G-d forbid, as "difficult," "lost causes," or "behaviorally challenged." 

We all have comfort zones. They can be as difficult to remain in as they are to leave. As educators, we tackle the challenge of determining just how far outside of a comfort zone to take a student. Our timing, tools and demeanor must all line up impeccably. Our successes are our students' successes; our students' setbacks are our own as well. This is a delicate dance that is exquisitely orchestrated to appear as graceful as it possibly can. Life is a collection of mountains and molehills; growing up is a process of navigating those and determining which are which. Sometimes, when you are quite small, everything feels like a mountain. But from the top, the world is vast and tiny below us. From the top, we gain a different perspective altogether. And so, it often becomes about finding our way to the top of that molehill in order to see that we have truly ascended a mountain! 

Parenthood is also a journey of assisting our little ones to ascend those mountains. The trickier part is that our vision in the process is often compromised by bias and attachment. It is harder to separate our mountains from our children's molehills and not to make the former of the latter. We live near an amazing playground that is set up in conjunction with an agency that caters to children and adults with disabilities. The playground is truly the essence of the inclusion model in action, with equipment accessible and appealing to all ages, abilities and interests. There are accessible swings, slides, climbing structures, musical instruments, sensory walls, water tables, an accessible tree house and even a vegetable garden. 

Throughout the year it is perfectly normal to share the playground with children and adults who have special needs as well as the public at large. During the summer months, they host a series of free special events for kids and this week they had an instrument petting zoo hosted by our local symphony. S loves instruments and music and he loves the park itself. I packed our bags the night before and got everyone in the car bright and early so we could be among the first to get there. As it was, I arrived to find only one spot left in the lot and the car on the right of it too far over the line to fit in. Not to worry, I just parked in a school lot across the street, loaded the boys into our double stroller and darted across the road to the playground where S began to play. About 20 minutes later, the musicians arrived with their violins, a cello, a flute and clarinet for the children to touch and try. I gathered the troops to wait on line for S to have a turn, when I realized he looked nervous. He loves instruments! He loves the park! He does not love big crowds... And it was really crowded. As our turn approached, I encouraged, I prodded and nudged, I even pushed and resorted to a little bit of mommy guilt: "You love instruments and we drove all the way here just to see them!" No use. S wanted to get out of the line. He wanted to go back in the stroller. He wanted to go home. Now, my driving time was going to outweigh our time actually spent in the park! I accepted this fate as we neared the front gate, but asked S if he was absolutely sure he wanted to go home or if he wanted to stay and just play in the park. He decided to stay, and within minutes, was busy climbing and playing and dancing around the playground as usual, leaving, albeit, a wide berth around the busy area where the event was taking place!

I stood with Y in the stroller thinking to myself. Why was it so important to me that S push through his discomfort and try the instruments? Was this his challenge or mine? I also do not love crowds. I push through that to take the kids to these types of things, but it's still not my favorite. And there are plenty of discomforts I don't push through for the kids--like driving in highways or throwing big parties... Was I worried he would regret the decision or just stuck on the fact that by not driving on highways, the trip took about half an hour each way? Perhaps I was stuck on not having a picture perfect image to share of S trying out a cello or a violin. Perhaps I was stuck on memories of molehills that were too mountainous for me to overcome and I wanted to protect S (or myself) from feelings of failure. And then I heard it. From the top of that little mulch mountain.

"I did it! Look at me! I'm at the top!" It was S, shouting at himself with pride because for the first time, this little boy who had a difficult time sitting and crawling and walking had now climbed up the back of the hill, the most challenging surface to ascend, all by himself. He didn't need me to see it or praise it, but I sure as heck responded with "Wow, look at you! You're at the top! You must feel so proud!" I felt proud, too--but this accomplishment was his and his alone. He didn't need my pride. 

He spent the rest of our morning at the park going back and forth between all of his favorite areas, but again and again returning to the scene of this newfound success. I took him home tired, soaking wet, and covered in mud; our trip was therefore a success as well. After a change of clothes and some lunch, it was time to go up for a nap. S asked to pick a toy to bring upstairs (this is a new favorite activity of his--bringing toys up and down) and he chose his little firetruck. As he and his firetruck walked up the stairs, he told a story about how his firetruck was "at the park and he touched the instruments..."

"You're thinking about the instruments today, huh?" I said.

"Yeah. I didn't want to touch the instruments." he responded.

"It's OK that you didn't want to touch the instruments this time. There will be other times and you don't have to touch the instruments. It's not a requirement. You did climb up, up, up to the top of that mountain all by yourself! Was that fun?"

"That was fun! I had a good time!" he said, and I tucked that little mountain climber into his bed, next to a toy firetruck that seems way too hard and plastic to sleep with...but my job as his mommy is to pick our battles and sometimes that means not making my own mountains out of his molehills.

Beyond the Book: Jamberry by Bruce Degen

One of my favorite books growing up was Bruce Degen's Jamberry. This rhyming, somewhat nonsensical story captures a tale of a boy, a bear and a billion berries with a plot that is as whimsical as the illustrations that accompany it. Because I loved this book so much, it is one of the first books we bought when S was a baby in board book form. And the only thing more fun than just reading it is listening to a musical version that I grew up hearing on audio cassette.
Thanks to YouTube, a whole new generation can enjoy the catchy tune of the brass-berry band as they read along!

Now that summer has berry season in full swing, I knew this would be the perfect week to bring out a story stretcher with this great book. We began by taking a field trip to our local produce shop to pick out some fresh berries. If you live near a pick-your-own location, picking berries can be a great family activity to accompany this book! We had just as much fun looking at all the produce in season at the produce shop. We had visited the same store in the fall, so it was nice for S to see how the selection of locally grown produce is different in the summer. 

With a busy week here, this story stretcher is perfect for a rainy afternoon like the one we had yesterday. I began by introducing the book in the morning before we went out for a play-date. After his nap, S was greeted by a berry taste testing station:

I created and printed a simple chart to track which berries we each tried and which were our favorites.

We taste-tested blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. I soaked and washed the berries in advance, but little ones would love the opportunity to help with this step! As it was lunchtime, I also included a fourth bowl of strawberry yogurt, per S's request. S is a huge berry-lover, however, if your little one is trying berries for the first time, you may want to provide just the berries first and than offer yogurt or whipped cream for dipping.

S decided blueberries are his favorite! He had fun eating through all three bowls (with my help!) and liked to eat one type of berry at a time. Some blueberries even made it into his yogurt, but most of them went right into his mouth!

As we tasted and tested our berries, S asked to hear our target book again. This was also a good time to introduce some supplemental reading. Here's a brief list of books we enjoyed along with Jamberry this week:

• Blueberries For Sal by Robert McCloskey is another great classic about a little girl who goes blueberry picking with her mother, a little bear who goes blueberry picking with his mother and a little mix-up that happens in the process!
• Bread And Jam For Frances by Russell Hoban was another childhood favorite of mine. It is about a badger named Frances who struggles with picky eating (something I definitely could relate to as a child). She eats bread and jam for every meal of every day but is hesitant to try new foods. After all, she knows what she likes and likes what she knows... Nearly every growing eater can relate to this struggle and as parents, it is a pleasant and comforting reminder to pick our battles with picky eaters.
• Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: Daniel Tries a New Food by Becky Friedman appeals to this generation of Daniel Tiger lovers (and also to the previous generous of Mister Rogers fans!) as Daniel Tiger, his friend Miss Elaina and even his dad all try new foods for the first time. 

S loved the opportunity for independence when I invited him to make his own strawberry jam toast. We put the bread into the toaster oven together and then used a cookie cutter to shape it like a heart. I provided him with a small dish of strawberry jam and a plastic knife for spreading. He loved spreading jam onto the toast. Ironically, just like Frances who loves bread and jam and knows what she loves, S also knows what he loves... He asked for a cheese toast as well and was not interested in even trying the jam toast. Such is life! I don't push him to try new foods, but rather offer ample opportunities. I have found taste tests to be a great tool for encouraging this in a positive light. S definitely flocks toward books he can relate to and as such, even requested to read the Daniel Tiger book about trying new foods when I presented this activity. Many times if a food is presented and offered repeatedly, he will eventually try it and eat it. Jam is not something I'm too worried about him eating if he isn't interested; berries in their fresh form are a lot healthier --

Jj is for Jamberry!

Story Stretchers provide us with a great opportunity to review our letters as well. I brought out some berry-hued paint, some sponge brushes to dab and a printout of an uppercase letter J to paint. S liked mixing and layering the colors outside the J and then along the inside. Even the act of filling in a bubble letter in this way introduces early writing skills as children familiarize themselves with the shape and structure of each letter.

One of my favorite parts of Jamberry is when the boy and the bear dance along to the brass-berry band. S and Y both love music and instruments, so we took out our instrument collection, cranked up some John Philip Sousa and formed our own living room band!

S was thrilled with the chance to play his drums and then took to marching around the living room!

Y was a bit wary of this at first...

...but if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

Once Mommy had enough of the marching band, it was time for a quieter activity, like this simple DIY berry sorting activity. I recycled our berry containers and printed/laminated several images of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. I labeled each container with a picture taped to the inside and put the remaining collection of laminated pictures in a basket. S loved sorting them and also turned it into a great dramatic play game, including the toy cash register he got for his birthday from his Nana and Poppa, his shopping cart and his brother! Sorting activities are a great way to develop early mathematical concepts--but S would never notice how much he was learning, he was very busy at play!

We had a berry good time jamming to this week's story stretcher pick, Jamberry by Bruce Degen. It's a great book for some summer fun, tasting and, of course, playing!

Fostering Independence Through Play on Independence Day!

Ah, the slower pace of summer... Spontaneous evening tricycle rides or trips to the pool. Family BBQs in the front yard. Impromptu field trips to the local produce shop. Long mornings at the park or playground... These are truly the things that summer is made of. I confess to forgetting all about our garden and now the only thing growing is the one thing we didn't plant this year--last year's tomatoes that came back! But it's summer. No worries here. Plenty of tomatoes to come, but no worries here! Today is July 4th and I had nothing specific planned; that's my new favorite kind of day! I do have some Story Stretcher activities planned for later this week, but today seemed like a great day to soak up some of the sunny, spontaneous, slower pace of summertime. My greatest intention with our home play activities has always been to foster age appropriate independence in my children. What better way to celebrate Independence Day than with some great independent play? 

While independent play sometimes refers to children playing on their own, I also use it to refer to play and activities that are child-directed. We grown-ups can join in on the child's terms; we allow them to take the steering wheel for a bit and are there, foremost to engage in play together. We still ensure safety, we may offer ideas or suggestions if a child requests help. We can do this through dramatic play, through process art and even through sensory play, like we did with this red, white and blue sensory bin:

S helped gather a collection of red, white and blue materials to add to our bin. This bin is a great one for folks looking for non-food fillers. You can do something similar with any color theme. We chose ours to celebrate July 4th. We scoured our scrap paper bin for tissue paper, construction paper, card stock, white coffee filters, craft foam--anything we could find in red, white and blue. You could include anything that you have on hand in these colors--even bubble wrap/packing materials, cotton balls/pom poms, ribbon, yarn, decorative grass, paper shreds, beads... We chose materials S could cut and tear.

 I really allowed him to take the reigns. I began by cutting tissue paper into the bin and when S seemed interested, I offered him the suggestion to get his own scissors and join me. I didn't direct him on how to cut or worry about size/shape. Scissor practice is great for fine motor development. Even the act of searching our scrap collection helps in color identification. But the most important part of this activity was the aspect of play, not the associated learning! S took to his kitchen set in search of things he wanted to add as tools and props. He gravitated toward items we've used in sensory bins in the past and some of his favorite kitchen toys. He loves making pretend smoothies in this plastic pitcher, so he got busy right away filling it with red, white and blue paper for a special July 4th smoothie! I didn't stop him when he brought it to his kitchen set, either. I did let him know that when we were done playing, we would have to bring the paper back to the bin, but that it was OK to use it in his kitchen set. Was I initially tempted to disallow it and remind him that what's in the bin stays in the bin as I usually do? Yes, but I resisted the urge to see where this would take his play and I am so glad I did. 

He felt our bin needed more filler, so we gathered some more materials from our scrap collection. He loved cutting and tearing paper and asked me to join him in cutting and tearing paper as well. He brought over a pot and an ice cream scoop from his kitchen and began making "red stone soup!" I did not worry about huge chunks of paper in the bin or odd shapes. I pointed out observations--like how the long strips of paper reminded me of stripes on the flag. S then asked for some stars and I helped cut some of those from our paper scraps as well.
I could have prepared this activity in advance and pre-cut the filler. I could have set out theme related materials and tools, like the flag I set in the side of our bin. I could totally see some star shaped cookie cutters and maybe some tongs and bowls/containers to fill...but this was S's vision and it was nice to allow him to take the wheel for once!

Not this wheel!

I am sure he will be eager to return to this activity after his naptime. I've replaced the bin into its stand that lives in our kitchen right now. He will surely enjoy playing while his Tatty and I prepare our July 4th BBQ dinner. He might help me squeeze some lemons for lemonade or wash the berries we bought this morning at our local produce shop (in preparation for an upcoming story stretcher...) Perhaps we will use some of this filler for a process art collage or perhaps we will play out front and his Tatty will show off the firecrackers he bought [gulp]. Today is Independence Day and as an American, I do have a great deal to celebrate. Most of all today and every day, I celebrate the privilege I have to join in my sons' world as they grow, learn, and play!

Beyond the Book: The Little Engine That Could

 At the end of my first year teaching after S was born, one of my students who had a particular affinity for baby S included an end of the year gift for him in an end of the year gift for me--an abridged edition of Watty Piper's classic tale, The Little Engine That Could in board book form. The student's mother admonished me that this would someday become S's favorite book--the one he would ask to hear again and again and again...and guess what--she was right! For many months, S has pulled this off the family book shelf at bedtime to read together. Usually my husband does the bedtime routine; he has fun inserting his own little witty additions to the story. S has this book memorized. I sometimes lack that Little Engine "I think I can" mentality when it comes to rereading the same book over and over...but repetition is the essence of learning. That predictability and consistence fosters feelings of confidence and mastery. Beyond that, this story contains two elements that S really does connect with: trains and overcoming obstacles. I felt this story theme would be a fabulous one for the week before his 3rd birthday.

Our play at home story stretchers camp has been an evolving experience. Summer has come with its own rhythm and so many great activities and events around town. We have an amazing library system and parks and rec system here. We have taken advantage of the great weather and opportunities to get out and about. In addition, with his birthday an influx of new toys has made its way into our home via very loving relatives. One of the greatest benefits of being a play at home mom is the flexibility to adapt to shifting schedules and needs. S has needed more time for free, self-directed play and been less drawn to structured activities in the house. Moving some of our structured play outside or connecting out-of-the-house activities to things we're doing at home has been a great way to proceed. Some weeks we will do story stretcher activities each day. Other weeks, we may only do a few on one or two days. Story stretchers are a great way to incorporate learning and play through early literacy whether you wish to spend ten minutes, a few hours or even a whole week. This is one reason I love this approach so much! I try to follow S's lead with this. I may have a collection of activities set to choose from and if we get to them all, great. If not, great! Here's a peek at some of the themed activities S really enjoyed from last week:

S's Safta and Saba sent this great sensory table for his birthday. He's loved using it in the kitchen with water and water toys. We used it with kinetic sand and toy trains/props for a great, interactive story drama about The Little Engine That Could. Story dramas are new to S, so he was a little confused at first about what we were doing. I began by pulling up a chair and reading the book while using the trains, props and sand to act out the story. We worked together to build the big mountain out of kinetic sand. As we got further into the story, we felt more confident to continue without the book. After telling the story once through, S continued to play-act and even found additional props to add as he expanded the story line (like tools to repair the train engine)! Using drama and playacting is a great way to expand on children's literature, whether you use props, puppets, costumes or toys. It also helps to foster dramatic play skills in children. These are so useful in play as well as in coping with childhood anxieties and navigating conflict resolution.

As we move through our story stretchers this summer, I am including some review of core concepts we worked on in our home preschooling during the year. Some weeks we review a letter or number and this week I thought it would be fun to review shapes. Getting outside is a vital part of our days and we've had some fantastic, albeit, hot weather. I initially thought we would do some shape tracing with paint indoors, but the front yard was calling S's name, so I grabbed our trains, some sidewalk chalk, and we made shape tracks on the sidewalk. S loved tracing them with his trains and then drawing his own lines and doodles for the trains to chug along.

For some more shape exploration indoors, I set out this invitation to create a shape train. I provided a variety of colors and sizes of construction paper shapes for building trains, a glue stick and full sheets of construction paper for backgrounds. S loved setting up and creating his own choo choo train! He became a little frustrated with the glue stick as he couldn't see where the glue was on the darker background he chose. He asked me repeatedly to do the gluing for him. I was nursing Y at the time and also am balancing his desire to have me do art with him versus my desire not to do it for him. In lieu of gluing for S, I offered him liquid school glue and a paint brush instead of the glue stick. He immediately felt more confident and created a great piece of art to display on our art wall!

S loves the part where I hang up his finished work! He feels proud to see his creations on display and it also encourages conversations about what we've done when his Tatty gets home from work. I also printed out this great Little Engine writing prompt for S to complete and color. I thought it was a great way to incorporate the theme of his 3rd birthday as he is getting older and bigger and more competent at tasks that were once quite difficult. He chose to write about swimming in the pool, likely because we had just made our first pool visit of the season where he did, indeed, feel more confident about swimming!

We also incorporated learning aleph-beis [Hebrew] letters into our week by continuing and finally completing our aleph-beis choo choo train! It seems only fitting that this family project we began when S was just a baby (for him) was completed the week of his upshernish (by him)!

S loved this edible train! He asked for a bowl of cucumbers and clementine slices on the side and even after he ate this train, he took to building and eating his own version!

On the day of his upshernish, S requested to go to Chuck E. Cheese, where, sure enough, he took right to the train ride, now in his big boy haircut and yarmulke! Happy Birthday, S, it's so great to be three! There are so many things you can do now!

Happy Birthday, S!

We are busy at play and celebration here as the birthday train leaves the station. S is three today by the Jewish calendar (his birth date is Monday by the secular calendar). We had a lot of fun playing along with The Little Engine That Could this past week and will post on it next week, along with a great jam session with some berry good books...

Until then, you can read about S's birthday here. We wish you many things to celebrate and, as always, happy playing!

Beyond the Book: "Boy + Bot"

We have read so many great robot themed books this week--some of them multiple times--and BOY + BOT by Ame Dyckman, with illustrations by Dan Yaccarino was by and far a favorite of ours. In fact, one branch of our local library even had a craft workshop to build robots using recycled materials along with a reading of this book today! I could not have planned better if I had actually tried! (I hope the librarians weren't searching for all of the other copies of their robot themed books as they prepared for today's event...)
BOY +  BOT tells the story of a boy and a robot who are both fascinated by how the other half lives! Both parties learn a lot and develop a wonderful friendship in this adorable tale. Children's literature about robots truly captures the wonder and creativity that fills a child's mind! As an adult, I'm still fascinated (and dumbfounded) by new technology; for young children, all technology is new! The world is filled with things that are mysterious and incredible. S has recently become interested in how traffic lights work while we drive from place to place. He has learned that many run on timers and many others on sensors. And he still finds wonder in pretending we can "turn the light green" by making up silly "magic words!" Learning about robots through children's fiction is a great way to gain understanding and vocabulary around how robots work while still maintaining that sense of whimsy and wonder. Creating and crafting about it truly takes that to the next level!

I came across the idea for this great invitation to create a robot using playdough and loose parts on the blog, Fantastic Fun and Learning and immediately fell in love! We do a lot of playdough activities here and I wanted to take this to the next level to create something that S could have permanently, so in lieu of playdough I substituted Crayola Model Magic clay mixed with silver glitter. I was so amazed at how much S enjoyed the experience of working with clay. He got really into it! He loved the texture and enjoyed using tools as much as he enjoyed using his hands with it. He moved through several different versions of his robot along with a fabulous story line as he worked. I'm hoping to add a magnet back to our finished robots once they dry so we can display them on the refrigerator.

Our library's craft event was incredible and a perfect compliment to the activities we've been doing at home. We were like kids in a candy store, only more like a recycled materials store! S and I worked together while Y slept in the carrier and created this amazing recycled robot:

When we do art together, I try to give options but not directions. I want for S to use as many of his own ideas as possible.

Our robot story stretchers have taken us deep into our imaginations through art, building, storytelling and, of course, play. To incorporate some math and science into our week, I set up these fun play stations:

There are so many fascinating parts inside robots! Exploring magnetism is a great way to expand on this theme. We recycled our dry pasta sensory bin from last week's story stretcher for this "Magnet Scavenger Hunt" sensory bin. There are a lot of great play and learning activities to introduce magnets to young children. This one is a great introduction.

We printed and used this great free robot shape puzzle along with our set of shape magnets for a magnetic table time activity that also encourages mathematical skills in geometry! The free printable has a second page with shapes that can be cut and used in lieu of magnets and you can use it with a glue stick to create a collage or laminate it and use it with velcro or magnets for a reusable learning material.

That's a wrap for this week's adventure in robotics! We've had a lot of fun playing, creating, and reading together. Next week we will be back as the birthday train leaves the station. That's right, S is about to turn 3 and we're chugging and choo-chooing along to one of his very favorite books, The Little Engine That Could. We will be engaging in some fun story dramas, reviewing shapes and the aleph-beis (Hebrew alphabet letters), preparing for his BIG DAY and, of course, happily playing!