Quick and Easy Take-alongs to Inspire Outdoor Play in Children (and Adults)

We had an unseasonably warm and sunny day today (yes, this is just days after our last snowstorm shut down the whole town) and we took advantage of the weather and headed to our amazing local botanical gardens. We are fortunate to live in a location where such a venue is open year round. It may not be prime season, but there is still much to appreciate and explore. Like a rock with S's favorite letter, seed pods in abundance, trees for climbing, dirt and sand to play and explore in... Even as much of the living world lies dormant this time of year, our senses were alive with exploration. Exploring the outdoors with a mobile child often involves a lot of movement--fast movement. Chasing, even! But today, as we were running, skipping, zig-zagging like busy buzzy bees and jumping across the Children's Garden, S said something immensely sweet, innocent and profound: "Mommy, let's stop and look for a minute." And we did. We stopped. We looked. I waited and he gleefully shouted, "Ok, let's go!"

Last week I had a conversation with S's preschool director, a close friend of ours and also my own former supervisor. We were discussing getting children outdoors. As a teacher I was notorious for being the one to "take them out no matter what." Rainy days called for duck waddles across the parking lot. Snowy ones meant we bundled up and painted the playground with every color imaginable to three primary shades of food coloring mixed in water. And sunny, beautiful days? You'd better believe we were outside at least once in the course of our short time together, maybe even twice.

But here's my confession: Throughout my career as a teacher, outdoor time was often more of a time during which children played and I caught up on busy work or managed to sneak a snack while intermittently perusing the playground to visit with the children, support any issues of conflict or safety, and then recede to my adult-stance on the sidelines. And I know I missed a lot. A great deal of exploration, imagination and discovery. Opportunities to support risk-assessment, problem solving, critical thinking and social skill development. And even more--opportunities to join that world of wonder and play--something adults need, too! Sometimes there are aspects of our "stepping back" that are important to children, particularly in an outdoor setting. The child who discovers a cicada by watching a YouTube video has a different experience than the one who is directed by an adult outside saying "do you hear that buzzing sound? It's a cicada!" And the child who discovers a cicada shell shining in the sunlight on a sidewalk has a different experience altogether. All three experiences have value, but there is something altogether priceless about self-discovery.

And with my own children? My second confession is that we hardly get outside these days. I don't mean that we don't leave the house--we do! We go to the library, the store, the mall, museums...sometimes even playgrounds. But hardly ever do we go outside and just play. Some of this is due to time or extremely low temperatures. But a lot is due to laziness. I think of one of my favorite classic Oliver and Amanda Pig stories by Jean Van Leeuwen in which there is a snowstorm and Mother Pig spends an exorbitant amount of time and energy getting her two little pigs dressed and prepared for playing in the snow. At last, she sits those two marshmallow puffed bundles on the couch to go and get herself ready only to return and find them both undressed again. She bursts into tears before getting everyone dressed again and finally going outside. Oh, how I can relate to this story. And somehow, the investment of time and energy of getting a dozen children belonging to other adults ready to go out only to repeat it in reverse after coming back in does not feel nearly as ominous and handling my own little guys.

Well after hearing S's wise statement today and rethinking that brief conversation with his school principal last week, I revisited and reevaluated my own tendency to hole up indoors this time of year. I also thought about those years of "teaching from the sidelines" on the playground. While some children are inherently creative and exploratory outdoors, others need a little nudge to tap into the natural sense of wonder that nature can inspire. And with these simple outdoor take-alongs, you can easily support play with your own family outside or even a group of students. You do not need to spend a lot. You can use what you have on hand. You may just want to step away from the park bench and revisit your own childhood sense of wonder and exploration...

Here are a few of my favorite quick and easy take-alongs to inspire outdoor play in children:

Things for collecting and transporting materials: Recycled containers, small tin, plastic or hard glass jars (like from baby food), baskets and buckets in all sizes are great for collecting found objects and transporting them from place to place. I am in the process of revamping our play garden and will discuss in a future post how I utilize materials like this in our yard. For the sake of travel, a simple basket with a handle and/or a few smaller options can be great. You can recycle containers from food and produce, find baskets inexpensively at secondhand stores or purchase tins and jars very inexpensively at dollar stores or discount stores. S in particular enjoys collecting things in clear jars for Y to be able to safely observe and shake. You may even wish to bring along a bug container for collection of live critters (or a Bell jar with an open top will do). Secondhand pots, pans and dishes can also be great for collecting and transporting--not to mention the element of sound when they are gleefully banged together by an eager baby or toddler! 

Things for the purpose of observation: I love to bring along magnifying glasses or binoculars for observing and exploring parts of nature both far away and close up. Prisms and looking glasses can also add an interesting visual element. If you have a budding photographer, consider bringing along a camera. Even if you do not happen to have any of the above, recycled cardboard tubes make for great binoculars or telescopes.

Speaking of pictures... Recording outdoor adventures can come in many forms for children ranging developmentally as they grow from pre-writers to independent writers and artists. I rarely leave home without a little notepad and some colored pencils. Check out this post about using leaves and textures in nature along with paper and unwrapped broken crayons for nature rubbings. If you need more direction, you can try a color scavenger hunt or another nature-inspired scavenger hunt. You can see what happens if you all decide to stop and draw what you see. Sidewalk chalk is another great take-along and can be used on a variety of outdoor surfaces besides just the sidewalk.

Remember these DIY color cards? We still love toting these along with us, sometimes even adding in some clothes pins for collecting/attaching objects found in particular shades of a color.

Tools & supplies like tweezers, scissors, and masking tape can come in surprisingly handy! You never know when you might need to grasp the tiniest little objects with those tweezers. Scissor lovers reach a whole new level of enjoyment (and fine motor development) outside clipping grass, weeds, bushes and anything else you'll let them. Masking tape can be wrapped around a wrist, sticky side out, for collection of beautiful little fall leaves or spring wildflowers and instantly you have a lovely bracelet fit for a queen (or king). A small tin of leftover clay is great for taking along and making impromptu nature prints or sculptures...

Things I Keep in My Car: So I may or may not have been known to accidentally forget our diaper bag at home on occasion, but I almost always have a basket with a handle in my car and a towel or blanket. A basket is always handy for carrying along things we bring along or treasures we find along the way. A towel/blanket is handy for drying off wet play surfaces as well as for providing a place to sit upon for very little ones or older children who do not prefer to sit directly on grass.

Small world play and dramatic play outdoors? You bet! I made these little wooden peg dolls to add to our outdoor travel packs (and indoor play) and they had a great time on our botanical gardens visit today. S was absolutely enthralled with them, creating and telling stories in every area we explored.

How do I carry all this stuff? With just my own crew, I don't always bring everything along. I might pick one or two take-alongs. Today I only brought the peg dolls (that S dotingly named tree kinder). With a class or large group, I might bring a basket with a selection of take-alongs. My favorite way to store these is in pencil pouches. They can easily be stocked inside an old binder and there you have it, easy transport and easy access.

It goes without saying that the outdoor world needs no add-ons. And yet, adding in some interesting indoor tools, supplies and objects can really inspire and enhance outdoor play for children--and adults alike. Now to get my own little ones back outside before the sun goes down. We have to take these sunny Sundays as they come! 

Happy Playing!

The Wondrous World of Child's Play

Chodesh Tov! Today is Rosh Chodesh Shevat, a Jewish month most commonly known for the minor holiday of Tu B'Shevat, the birthday of the trees! Just as we enter this month that welcomes Israel's first crops of Spring, we are in the midst of a Winter storm that closed schools for the day. Sometimes I think that popular adage about childhood's hours being long and years being short is entirely captured in the 24 hour course of one snow day! All of the excitement and potential when the early morning announcement arrives slowly gives way to the reality that there are still two hours before naptime and you're just about out of non-screen ways to fill them in your parental bag of tricks. And then, I remember the very best trick in my bag--a gift I give to my children and to myself each and every day that I can: the gift of play. No project, no craft, no agenda, no limits or goals or motives. Simple, unadulterated play. Play in which for just a little while, I leave my phone on the other side of the room if I can manage it. Play in which I simply sit on the rug, right alongside the boys, and enter their world. S in particular is very engaged now in dramatic play and story telling. This is the way in which he works through all the curiosities and anxieties of his world. Y is utterly thrilled to watch his brother and laugh, and when he can, to play along with him at his own level.

Today when the novelty of craft projects, stickers, playdough and a cooking activity had worn off, S went to the toy shelf and grabbed a set of baskets I'd filled with "tree blocks" (wooden circles and shapes cut from tree trunks that I snagged from a craft supply store that's going out of business) and some additional loose parts. What a perfect tree themed activity to welcome the month of Shevat!

 I set out a collection of tree/forest themed loose parts on our toy shelf over the weekend. I also added a basket of toy woodland creatures, a pair of white mittens and some  of our favorite winter themed Jan Brett books. S and Y love hearing the story of The Mitten and The Three Snow Bears and while I do plan a lot of structured story stretcher activities here, this was something I put out more just to see where it took us through natural play.
Yesterday, these baskets caught S's eye and he brought them to the rug to begin to play. He built a "tree forest" with "petals" (wood circles) and then added some animals to the scene.


As we played, he asked me to read The Mitten, and got very busy as we read filling the white mittens with all of our woodland creatures! Y had a blast playing alongside S and watching his story unfold. I spend some time sitting and observing. This is when S tests out new vocabulary words (sometimes accurately and other times not so much...) He might offer me a loose part or an idea to expand upon. Other times I might interject with my own idea. If he is resistant toward my input, I step back--this is his play and while there are many opportunities to work with and teach about social graces in shared play, sometimes it is important for children to have their own space in which to fully control the play scenario.
In fact, I think play is in and of itself a crucial space for children. It is the space in which they can be cast in the role of being in charge while still being nurtured. They can confront the biggest bear in the woods or grow a forest from seed in a matter of minutes. Size and time are irrelevant in this world. There is no waiting until you are bigger or waiting until something is ready or finished. Everything can happen in a moment and in that moment, nothing needs to happen at all.

Sitting with children in play feels like an invitation to have a private audience with royalty. It is truly a gift to be let in to their imagination and sense of wonder.  Sometimes I might expand on their play ideas if a child seems "stuck" or repeats a particular scenario over and over--and on the other hand, many times, I value the need for repetition in play. A child might repeat a play scenario that is enjoyable and familiar or he might repeat a play scenario as a means to work through a challenge or fear. Using loose parts and natural materials is a great way to open up a world of imaginative play. There are so many options when it comes to selecting toys and playthings, and many of them are incredible (while some I don't prefer). However, in this world of fast paced technology, not as many toys are open ended and encourage abstract thought. I am a strong believer in using what you have and not breaking the bank in the process. Less is almost always more and most children actually favor household items and non-toys. Loose parts play, or open ended play with small trinkets and materials is a great way to use what you have on hand--and trust me, even if you don't know what to do with loose parts, your children will!

To be quite honest, I have no clue what other people use these wood circles and shapes for! But in my living room, they became the Hebrew letter, dalet

...a telephone, a forest, a flying saucer, a table, an oven...

River rocks and glass gems became a playground with icy pathways leading from place to place... Trees were planted, Shabbat boxes were lost in the woods, and as our family peg dolls entered the scene, so did many of our other family scenarios... Suddenly we were back at the pumpkin patch we visited this past Autumn with S's preschool and we were picking pumpkins to cook and make muffins with!

I was so excited and impressed by S's ability to use what is in front of him abstractly and imaginatively! (Do other grown ups get as excited by play as I do???) And after a recent attempt to organize all of my craft supplies, I also knew I had some acrylic gems in Autumn shapes and colors stashed away upstairs that would be a perfect addition. Who says Winter and Autumn can't coincide in the Wondrous World of Child's Play?

And while we spend a lot of time trying to channel that childhood tendency to move from one idea to another like the mouse in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, play is a space in which it is perfectly acceptable to jump from idea to idea at lightening speed--or even to dwell on one idea for quite a while. Our play scene wrapped up when we discovered that some of the acrylic gems were beads and S wanted to make a necklace! We got some string, beaded an Autumn toned work of preschool art and before we knew it, it was nap-time!



Unless you happen to be this guy... Nope, no naps for him today. Luckily my husband is also home today so I can blog and caffeinate and gear up for an afternoon of snow day survival and happy 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!

Beyond the Book: red sled by Lita Judge

There are some great children's books about winter out there and in many places across the country, the perfect weather conditions to go with it! We are very happy to see the return of above-subzero temperatures here and although most of our little snowfall has melted outside, S was eager to have another story stretcher this week about snow. I have a lot of favorite children's literature about winter, and we will likely have more than one winter themed story stretcher this season. Lita Judge's red sled seemed like a perfect selection for this afternoon.

This book is a fabulous read for young children (and older ones as well) as it contains very little text, amazing illustrations and a lot of great sound effects. (I dare you to teach your little ones the word onomatopoeia!) It is about a bear who takes a little boys' sled out for a joy ride, along with some of his forest friends, each and every night. Curious about the tracks and clues he observes in the morning, the little boy decides to stay awake and peek through the window to see what happens to his red sled each night. I love how this story naturally lends itself to further story telling for young readers and early writers alike. It also encourages careful observation of the natural world around us. And indeed, the winter months are a curious and wondrous time. Just yesterday, we observed a beautiful heron gracefully walking across the iced over creek on our way to the library. Today, the ice has nearly melted, the sun is out and there is barely anything left to sled on--perfect indoor conditions for a snowy story stretcher, nonetheless...




I like for our story stretchers to contain activities that both boys can do on their own level as well as a few that are more suited to S's level.
S and Y can both try their hands at this red sled craft. I created a basic template of a sled with a black and white clip art I found online. The boys can try a variety of red crayons, markers, slick stix, glue, tissue paper and even red tape (a favorite art supply of S's). At the end, I have a photo of each boy playing in the snow to glue on!


S and Y can also both enjoy some story drama and dramatic play in our baby safe Red Sled Snow Sensory Bin. I used potato flakes for snow and a collection of toy animals pictured in the book. I also painted a couple of wooden sleds red and tied on some red yarn ropes so the animals can go for the ride of a lifetime! Even with baby-safe sensory materials, I recommend supporting and supervising very little ones with sensory play. There are cute ways to make a wooden sled as well out of craft sticks and wood glue if you don't happen to have a wooden sled on hand and your little ones would probably love to help with it!

S is very young still when it comes to independently reading. He has a grasp of several letter sounds and letter recognition as well as rhyme awareness and I thought he might have fun with a little rhyming/word ending game based off the title of our target book, red sled.

In my DIY "red sled rhyme time game" I created a template with a picture of a red sled and the text ____ed. I affixed the page to a metal cookie sheet (from the dollar store) and created a set of "little books" with a word ending in -ed that rhymes with "sled" on the "front cover" and a corresponding picture inside. Using a set of magnetic letters, we will build a collection of rhyming words including "red," "sled," "bed," "wed," "shed," "led," and "fed." Children gain phonemic awareness at different ages and I definitely do not advocate for pushing preschool aged children further than they are ready for. If, however, a child is interested in activities like this or finds them to be enjoyable, I include it in a multi-sensory approach for introducing literacy and a lifelong love of learning.

S will surely be a fan of this letter Ss craft, being that it is both the first letter of his name and a snowman! It's a simple add-on activity should we have the time with this story stretcher or later in the week. He may also enjoy using the snowman shaped book in the photo at the top to dictate/draw his own winter story. He has been very into telling stories lately and while he is not writing letters or words at this stage, he is beginning to make the connection that stories have a lot to do with the marks he sees in his favorite books. Writers at this stage can greatly benefit from opportunities at their own level to become publishes authors, and what better way to inspire and support them than to provide them with a book!

This is such a great, albeit, simple read for a wintry afternoon. Whether you're knee deep in snow or enjoying a little thaw, happy reading and, as always, happy playing!

Got Snow?

Needle felting--how I play the day
away when the kids are asleep!

I remember the excitement I used to feel as a little girl when in the wee hours of the morning, before the sun came up, I could hear the sound of snowplows traveling back and forth our suburban street. Surely there would be a snow day in the morning! What was it we were supposed to do with our pajamas to get a snow day again, wear them backwards or inside out? S cried this morning when we told him preschool was closed. So yeah, that happened! Nonetheless, once his initial disappointment surpassed (and my heart is so truly happy that school is a place he loves so much!) he settled into the excitement of the snow day with everyone at home. Here in Virginia, a few inches of fluffy white snow is enough to shut the world down. Nonetheless, I am southern enough now to no longer own a snow shovel (I used a dustpan on my front stoop) and to not really like these below freezing temperatures enough to brave the great outdoors. Plus we have all been fighting some runny noses around here so bringing the snow inside seemed like a great compromise this morning. Whether you're shut in or laughing at everyone who is, whether you approach a snow day with anticipation or trepidation, we've got you covered here at Play-a-Day for some fun snow day play!

Inspired by some recent posts from northern connections enjoying snowy sensory sensory play indoors, I scooped up a generous portion of our front stoop snow collection into our sensory bin and added in a couple of ice cream scoops, some plastic dishes, an empty plastic ice cream cone and some jars of colored water (red, blue and yellow food coloring added to a bit of water) plus pipettes for this Snow Cone Sensory Bin. I encouraged both boys not to actually eat the snow cones. Only one of them listened...

Y got his fill of "snow cones" and moved on to some play time in the living room while S got busy preparing snow cones, snow castles and, with the addition of a baby carrot nose, two pretzel sticks for arms and a couple of raisin eyes, even a tiny little indoor snowman! I love using pipettes for fine motor and transfer practice and S absolutely adores them as well. He played for over an hour in our Snow Cone Sensory Bin before he got hungry for some raisins and pretzels for snack (coincidence?)...

Variety is the spice of life and with just the right amount of snow, the possibilities are as limitless as patterns in a snowflake. Here are some more indoor and outdoor snow play ideas...

Both boys adore a great fingerplay and action rhyme. S has been a fan of "Five Little Snowmen" since he was just a baby and now Y is following suit...

He particularly likes hearing this while eating
pureed carrots...another coincidence? 

Meanwhile, S really has enjoyed making paper snowflakes this year. There are many great ways to make paper snowflakes and one of my favorite ways to introduce the activity in a pretty fool-proof method for early learners is with white paper coffee filters. This year I set an activity basket with all the materials for creating colorful paper snowflakes and visual directions I created and printed. S did the activity with me the first couple of times, but has returned to the basket repeatedly to do it on his own. He feels so proud to be able to fold the paper in half and in half again and in half again... It combines two of his very greatest loves: cutting with scissors and spraying with spray bottles!

We used white coffee filters, washable markers in a variety of cool tones, scissors,  a dark washcloth for placing under the work and spray bottle of water and a wooden tray for collecting small scraps before they are thrown away.

 I used photos to create visual directions for S so even after being walked through the activity with support the first time, he would have a reminder to do it independently in the future. We begin by coloring the coffee filter. I always inform my young artists that the appearance of their artwork will change after cutting and spraying so they do not become attached to a carefully planned illustration only to have it altered at the end! Next we fold the filter in half and in half again and again...and begin to cut out little shapes along the folds and center... S experimented a few times before getting the hang of this. I welcome "mistakes" as they are how we learn best and S did not become frustrated with this either. When we are done cutting, we set the folded coffee filter on top of a dark colored washcloth (so color will not stain) and spray a few times with water until it is completely saturated. I fold the washcloth over once to press out any excess water before carefully unfolding and revealing the resulting snowflake. Once dry, they can be hung in a window, strung from the ceiling or displayed wherever you like!

Some of our other snow day favorites are visiting our U-Pick-a-Project Basket, a collection of craft kits or simple projects for days or times that beg for something fun and exciting on a whim. S has been really into woodworking kits with his Tatty. Today they built a tzedakah box that we hung in our kitchen at his level. He was so excited to put in one penny, one nickel, one dime and one quarter after doing almost all of the hammering himself! You can find great arts and crafts kits on discount at craft supply stores after certain seasons, at Dollar Tree Stores or Walmart, or even create your own when you have leftovers from home or school projects. Some of our other favorites are making bookmarks, using coloring, paint or sticker books, and let's not forget playdough!

Snow days are great days for warming up in the kitchen. Whether you prepare something to eat or to play with, cooks of all ages love to join in! Perhaps you might make some Arctic Slime to play with or try your hands at another science experiment... S gets a kick out of popping popcorn on the stove-top and enjoying the resulting snack. And even Mommies who love to play need a little play break now and then...this is when I put some freshly popped popcorn into a movie style popcorn bag and set up a video for a bit!

A snow day at home is a welcome interruption to our usual routine here today, but I think we are all hopeful that school will open again in the morning! Until then, check out some more inspiration for snowy day fun at home and, as always, happy playing!

Beyond the Book: "Gregory, the Terrible Eater" by Mitchell Sharmat

It's been a while since we did a story stretcher here, and with temperatures outside cold enough to ice your coffee--literally (see photo to the left), an afternoon indoors is definitely in order. S has been learning about health and nutrition in school this week. He is very happy to be back in preschool! He loves being there and gains a great deal from the experience. He is, nonetheless, often reluctant (as many children are) to share about his day after I pick him up. I am creative with how and when I ask questions. Open-ended questions right upon pick-up, like "how was your day?" or "what did you do today?" are often met with silence. For one thing, he is very ready for a nap at that point and this transition is a challenging one. For another, the question really puts him on the spot and one thing he can control at three years old is what, when, and how he answers. Many days I will simply ask "would you like to tell me about school now or later?" He often says "later," and sometimes he says "now!" I ask more specific questions on some days, like "what made you laugh?" or "who did you play with on the playground?" And on all days, the  best glimpse I get into S's school experience is through his play. He will play about, sing about and talk about his school day throughout his time at home--you simply have to catch him in the act!

Another area that is a hot bed for three year old control is eating. I am here to tell you thirty years after being S's age that I am a fully recovered Terrible Eater. Before I was a parent, I vowed I would not be a short order cook the way my own mother was, often preparing three different dinners and barely sitting down to one herself. Y has been a total chow-hound these days, yet to meet a food he does not love. S began in much the same way, but around the age of two began to show preferences about foods. When his nutrition was less than optimal, we supplemented with homemade smoothies, which he still loves. He eats a variety of healthy foods (and enjoys a variety of less healthy ones), but he is definitely particular still and often reluctant to try new things. He will down a green smoothie, but won't eat a hotdog. He wants the same thing for breakfast and lunch each day. He wants a variety of options for dinner and none of them include what's on our family menu. My husband and I quickly decided not to allow mealtimes to be battlegrounds in our home. The energy level by dinner time is dwindling and it is also a family time after a long day of school, work, and other activities. It feels more important to have peaceful time as a family where there is something for everyone to eat than for everyone to eat the same something.

Gregory, the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat, illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariana Dewey is a wonderful, classic children's tale of a goat who adamantly refuses to eat the foods his parents want him to eat. What child or parent can't relate to this? The only difference here is that Gregory favors fruits and vegetables while his parents would prefer he eat the shoelaces and cardboard being served at the family table.

This afternoon, we will enjoy laughing our way through this favorite book along with some fun extension activities. It likely won't change our dinnertime much here, but you never know...

 Eat a Rainbow of Fruits & Veggies Sorting Game

In this DIY sorting activity, I printed and laminated a collection of photos of fruits and vegetables in a rainbow of colors. I also printed off color coded words to label each of six brown paper lunch bags. Alternatively, you can use and label paper plates, use colored gift bags or canvas bags or even color code a six-sectioned party tray. S will have the task to sort the colorful fruits and vegetables into their correct bag. This is a great opportunity to talk about fruits and veggies your family likes or does not like as well as to introduce vocabulary around fruits and veggies you may not have tried yet. You can talk about how important it is to eat a variety of different foods in different colors.

Want to do more? If you have a toy shopping cart or basket or even a recycled/reusable shopping bag, send your little ones on a scavenger hunt through the toy kitchen (or even your real kitchen) to find more foods in each of the colors.

Take a Family Field Trip to the grocery or produce store and let your children choose a new fruit or vegetable to try. If it is something you've never had before, it can be fun to choose a recipe together to prepare it. S is often reluctant to try new foods at first, but if he chooses it, it's a game changer. Additionally, involving him in the preparation process also inspires a brave pallet. When he is particularly averse to trying something, I might offer him to touch it with his tongue. I do not force children (my own or students) to try foods and I also believe there is value in being honest with them about trying new foods. I do use language like "you may like it and you may not like it but you won't know if you like it unless you try it." I also tell them honestly about foods I don't care for as much or examples of times I used to not like something but liked it after trying it several times (like sushi!). Many enthusiasts on the topic steer clear of adults discussing foods they do not like in front of children, but I feel it is helpful to be honest and also to point out that different people like different things at different times and that's OK! It also opens up important conversations about how to politely decline or discuss foods that are not one's favorite.

Dramatic play is a big part of our afternoon fun here. S has been particularly into small world play and this miniature goat, chair and table and our collection of miniature toy food will undoubtedly inspire a great story drama! Y can join in the fun as well with this larger play set with a plush goat and toy food and dishes.

Color, Paste and Taste the Rainbow!

I found a great free printable on Teachers Pay Teachers to use as a template for this activity. I did a bit of prep work to save on time by color coding, but depending on your little ones' level of ability or your availability to assist, you can definitely leave this to them. You can provide printed pictures of fruits, veggies or other foods, stickers or magazine pictures to glue on and crayons for additional coloring.

Want to do even more? My favorite recipes to make each year when parashas Noach comes are rainbow fruit salad and rainbow vegetable salad.  S may prefer the taste of the rainbow in his favorite candy, jelly beans, but he also loves fruit and many vegetables as well. Presenting foods in novel ways is a great way to encourage your own terrible eaters or even just particular/opinionated ones!

There are so many studies to support the benefits of involving children in family nutrition. From farm to store to kitchen to table, participation gives them a connection to the important process of feeding and nourishing their bodies. S really loves to help in the kitchen. Y loves to be in there with me as well (especially if eating is involved or loudly banging pots and pans). For those times when I need to plow through a stack of dishes or prepare dinner with fewer cooks in the kitchen, the sensory table (also in the kitchen) is a great lure. In this simple sensory bin, just add soapy water and let your little hands scrub some fruits and veggies in a rainbow of colors! S has also enjoyed scrubbing actual fruits and veggies in the past (which is particularly helpful when I am making vegetable soup or a salad!) but soapy water and some interesting sponges or scrub brushes are always fun for little hands, no matter what is in the bin along with it.

We're off to an afternoon of good reading and food for thought. Happy Playing!

Mad Science Monday: Arctic Slime!

Did you really think we'd make it over a year into this blog and never have a slime post? Neither did I! If you grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, you probably remember begging your parents to dole out a few bucks for a container of Nickelodeon Gak so you could squish it, stretch it, smash it, and of course, make a lovely fart sound squeezing it back into that tiny container. And if your mother was a preschool teacher, probably she reluctantly gave in at some point, but also bought a box of Borax, some school glue, got out the handy ol' box of food coloring and showed you how to make your own. My preschool students over the last decade are completely unfamiliar with phrases like "you've been slimed!" or "Gak" as a name-brand, but, by golly, these kids will still know slime. In fact, making slime became such a fad over the last couple of years that school glue started going on sale in economy sized containers in big box stores and craft supply stores alike. End caps stocked bottles of sparkly school glue so you didn't need to add any glitter of your own. The Great Borax Controversy emerged after reports of alleged chemical burns occurred as a result of children concocting mass quantities of slime under no adult supervision. But never fear, great marketing has you covered and "safe alternatives" like contact lens solution and baking soda were placed on those store end caps in lieu of evil Borax (which all contain, surprise, surprise, none other than the infamous slime-inducing ingredient, boric acic)...

Folks, I'm here to say that in a lifetime of making slime, I've never had a chemical burn. That said, as a child I was assisted and supervised by an adult and as an adult, I assist and supervise my children. Common sense comes into play so that play can occur safely. If you are uncomfortable using Borax, you can make slime with alternative ingredients and a simple internet search will pull up a variety of recipes. I am sticking to the original for now and we definitely wash our hands when play time ends! Slime is a unique and incredible sensory experience. A non-newtonian fluid, it takes on the properties of a liquid when left to its own devices, but under pressure assumes the status of a solid becoming dough like, stretchy and bouncy. And yes, if you squeeze it in just the right manner, air bubbles that form in the mixture pop producing an ever-so-lovely farting sound!

Somehow, I never made slime with S before (I know!) and Winter Break was the perfect opportunity. With near-Arctic temperatures outside, Arctic Slime play indoors was the perfect way to stay warm and cozy. Here's the standard recipe I follow to make slime at home with some optional add-ins to make a winter-themed version:

Arctic Slime

Ingredients & Materials:

• mixing bowls, spoon, teaspoon & measuring cups (I have a dollar store set of these tools set aside for science recipes and play)
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) white school glue (Elmer's brand or any brand is fine)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon Borax powder plus 1 cup water
• light blue food coloring and silver glitter* (optional add-ins--you can add the color of your choice, use paint if you prefer, sequins, other colors of glitter--the options are limitless!)
• optional play tools and accessories including cookie cutters in winter shapes, a plastic knife (this is S's favorite), Arctic animal figurines, glass gem "ice bricks," and anything else you can think of and have on hand!

Directions:

Gather your materials and little helpers! Begin by combining half a cup of glue and water in your mixing bowl and mix to incorporate both ingredients. We worked over our sensory table as it is the perfect height for S, the place where play would take place and also a perfect way to catch and contain inevitable splatters! This is a great time to add in your color and glitter if you choose.

Next, using a smaller mixing bowl or cup (we used a disposable cup) combine 1 teaspoon of Borax with 1 cup of water, mixing until dissolved. Slowly combine mixtures into your larger mixing bowl, noticing that slime immediately begins to form! Keep mixing with your spoon, but you'll want to dig your hands in before long to really knead in the ingredients. It may seem like it's not quite taking on that full slime-like texture at first. Don't worry! Just keep kneading and the pressure applied by your hands will eventually cause slime to form. This dough is quite forgiving! If you do happen to have excess water even after all this, you can simply pour it off. 

S is somewhat sensory sensitive with messy play and was hesitant at first. I am also somewhat sensory sensitive with messy play and I know how important it is for both of us to join in the fun! While many children do love to immediately dig in to new textures and experiences, some are hesitant. If you are also hesitant or unwilling to get your hands a bit dirty, expect those little ones to follow suit. On the other hand, if you are willing to get right in there with them, one finger at a time and then your whole hand and then both hands, so, too, will your little ones follow suit! Sure enough, within minutes, S was wrist deep in Arctic Slime dough. 

I introduced it at first with no tools or add-ins. Next, I offered a few cookie cutters in snowflake and circle shapes. S asked for a plastic knife as well. We observed the imprint a cookie cutter left in the slime when flat and how it spread and disappeared. He observed how he could "cut" a slime cookie and use a plastic knife to poke it out.

I love using "real science language" with little ones. I told S about "non-newtonian fluids" and we enjoyed "catching" the slime as it slowly stretched and dripped down from my hand...

We added in some plastic Arctic animal friends and S chose a little person as well, playing with how they made footprints, covering them with "blankets" of slime and all the while enjoying the sight of our handprints in the flattened piles of slime in the bin...

This really captured S's attention for a while! Y was fast asleep in the living room and this was just what we needed to keep us (more quietly) playing in the kitchen. When it was clean up time, S wanted to help! I stored the slime in a ziplock bag and popped it in the fridge. This keeps it fresh longer and also makes it nice and chilly when we are ready for some more Arctic play! We moved the sensory bin close to the sink and I filled it with warm soapy water for S to help wash the toys and cookie cutters. 

My little disclaimer here is that it was a little tricky to get the slime out of those snowflake shaped nooks and crannies on our cookie cutters. I was glad to have S's help! Nonetheless, we had a great time. He even asked to play with it again that evening and his Tatty joined in the fun, too.

Well, there you have it. You've been slimed! Happy Mad Science Monday and as always, happy playing!