Birds of a Feather Flock Together!

We are on Spring Break here and have even had some Spring weather to go with it. In between enjoying the Pesach holiday, we have also been enjoying some extra time together as a family. I love that S is now in the age and stage of being able to direct our home play and learning activities based on his current interests and curiosities. Lately he has really wondered a lot about eggs and animals that hatch from eggs. This began with a book we checked out of the library (and later bought used) called Guess What Is Growing Inside This Egg by Mia Posada. This beautifully illustrated book contains several little riddles with some clues about what type of animal is growing inside an egg. As the egg's tiny resident is hatched and revealed, additional information about the creature inside is given to curious readers. Well, this led S to want to play and learn more about eggs and birds in particular. 

We began by creating this Build A Bird's Nest Sensory Bin! S helped cut yarn we re-purposed for a third (and final) time from his "knitting" basket that contained scraps of yarn from my own projects. As we cut and collected the colorful yarn in our sensory bin, we talked about the types of materials real birds use to build their nests and what textures and colors they might like. We may at some point make a little collection outside in our play garden for the birds to use nearby. We added in some artificial nests we had from a craft supply store, some eggs I had purchased on discount as well as some fake worms for hungry birds to eat (these we found in the fishing section of Walmart!). Of course we needed some resident birds! I added in some birds we had purchased a while ago at our local Dollar Tree and later on some plastic toy birds as well as some craft feathers. Additional plastic cups and containers made for the perfect nest foundations and some tweezers and tongs offered a fine motor component for play.

Both my little birdies loved this sensory bin and S wanted a nest that he could go in. That led to today's activity of building a nest for the boys to play in using a laundry basket, plenty of soft blankets and play silks and colorful ribbons woven around the edges by my fine motor activity lover, S! They played in their nest, sat on their "eggs," took care of baby chicks and even listened to nap time stories in there!

Some of our favorite bird and egg themed reads include:

This is the fabulous book that sparked our current play theme...

We are huge Jan Brett fans. In this great classic, Hedgie helps Henny trick the chronically hungry Tomten who is eating her eggs each morning. The end includes a couple of surprises--one very prickly one and several very fluffy ones!

This is a great non-fiction read about eggs and the creatures that hatch from them! It is quite wordy, but you can pick and choose parts to read more about with your little ones (or read the whole thing for particularly curious listeners who may also be potty training this week...)

I love the series of nature-themed picture books by this author and illustrator pair. This one in particular is so lovely to read and view as each page unfolds with gorgeous illustrations and text about eggs and the creatures inside of them.

We extended our theme into a field trip to our local botanical gardens. I brought binoculars and two curious bird watchers. Can you spot the male cardinal in this tree?

Birds and eggs are a wonderful theme to ruffle your feathers off with as Spring finally emerges! You can check out some of our previous bird-themed activities here. Bird watching and journaling/drawing about birds can be a great way to supplement your outdoor adventures and park visits. I especially love this free printable workbook about birds available from Cornell. Once Pesach is over and we reintegrate the use of flour here, I look forward to making some homemade playdough for this great Bird Nest Play Dough Invitation from Fantastic Fun and Learning. S also wants to make some more bird seed treats for our feathered friends outside.

Hope you enjoyed this great egg-xample of egg-spanding on children's play interests. My little chicks' sense of wonder truly inspires my own continued learning and egg-sploration. Egg-stra time at home has taught me just how frequently a 3 year old can ask "why" in one hour, let alone one day. Following their lead allows us to indulge those curiosities and to build on the many conversational, social, scientific and critical thinking skills that are developed through asking and answering. Wishing everyone a happy spring and happy playing!

Outdoor Play With Loose Parts

We will be back soon with some great Spring themed sensory and dramatic play fun and even some science and literacy thrown in, but until then, check out my latest article on Outdoor Play With Loose Parts over at Fantastic Fun & Learning. You might also check out some of the other great Spring themed activities while you're there!

Happy Playing!

Pesach, Pesach! Play All About It: Frog Prints & Some Little Tips to Keep You Hopping into the Holiday

We're in the final countdown to Pesach here! I'd love to tell you that our house is spic and span and ready to go, but people live in it. And some of those people are children. And one of them decided all on his own to ditch the diapers and give the potty a go this past Shabbos (woohoo!!!) so Pesach prep is a work in process. And speaking of process, here's a great Pesach themed process art activity that is just the right way to have a hopping good time (maybe before you finish cleaning for the holiday).



I think it can be so easy this time of year to make it so hard. As we prepare for a holiday that commemorates our redemption from slavery, we become enslaved to the very tasks that are necessary (and some that are not) to prepare for this holy experience. And in that, sometimes, we lose sight of the joy and the beauty that is our freedom--an exodus that not only our ancestors experienced, but that we experience again and again. This holiday is such a special one for our children. They are invited to our Seder tables and encouraged to ask questions. They are held up not only as leaders of our families on these nights, but as leaders of the Jewish nation. It can be hard to shift our task-driven focus to include the very little hands that will lead us, with G-d's help, to Jerusalem!

And so I find myself taking a breath and regaining that ever important mindset to approach this holiday b'simcha--with joy--and to include my tiny helpers in that preparation as well. Sometimes that means we all need a break to splash in some ooey gooey green paint!

Remember the incredible shades and hues of green paint S concocted in this process art activity? Everything goes to good use here, and I set out a variety of green paints for both boys to use in a tray with a paintbrush (should they choose to use it), some plastic frogs and a few other items for inspiration and creation. Each brother had a piece of light blue card stock and we used aleph bet stickers to spell out "tzfardeah," the plague of frogs in Hebrew. At that point, I let S have at it and gave Y a little help to navigate his painty frog to the paper (and not his mouth). S favored making his frogs hop along the paper and Y liked to drag them across and then use his own "flippers" instead of the frogs'! Both boys had a great time with this activity and it was a hands flippers-on way to jump right into the Pesach story.



With so much to be done and so little time, these final days approaching the holiday can be a little tricky. Every family has their own style and routine that works for them this time of year and here are a few little tips that work for us:

Utilize Your Helpers: S in particular is quite excited and eager to help Mommy and Tatty with anything and everything that needs to be done. These are opportunities to naturally involve kids in household tasks rather than trying to come up with ways to "entertain them" while you try to plow through on your own. Both boys got into cleaning our upstairs to get it ready for Pesach! Rags, squirt bottles, our "toy" cleaning supplies and real ones all got put to use as we worked together.
S was especially excited to hang up a door hanger he made at school and a few we made last year at home that designated the spaces we had cleaned as ready for Pesach!

This was from last year--check out that tiny
newborn Y in the background!

Make It a Shared Task AND a Learning Opportunity: With two little guys on the move here, shared playing areas and toys become a breeding ground for hidden chametz. Some toys do get put away and rotated out until after the holiday. It can be helpful to include children in choosing toys to rotate in and in our house we often raid the stash of yet to be opened Chanukah or birthday gifts in the closet... Nothing like something new to spark the excitement of the upcoming holiday.
Both boys love playing in the the kitchen set, though, and this is a great way to bring some learning into the mix as you prepare. We sort out the toy "chametz" and set up a soapy water sensory bin for a Toy Wash station to prepare any toys that will stay in the area for playing over Pesach.






Bring Them to the Table: Once the holiday finally starts, there is a brief sigh of relief until it's time for the Seder. This time of year, Sederim start late and it can be hard on the children (and the adults) to manage energy levels well past bedtime. In our house, it has worked best in these scenarios to include the children as much as possible at the actual seder and then to have a special "kinderlach seder" (kids' seder) on the second day that is geared toward the shorter set of folks in our house. We go at our own pace, make it playful and fun and really invite those thought provoking questions and observations. On most other nights, we don't allow books and toys at the table, but on this night, you might just see some 10 Makos Finger Puppets, sensory bottles, haggadahs made at home and at school and a variety of child-crafted Pesach props.

I printed off a couple of sets of these adorable finger puppets. One I printed onto card stock and prepared as directed and the other I laminated and applied velcro dots so they could be used with a pair of gloves. Many families enjoy using a version of Bingo or a printable game board to keep track of the parts of the seder as they occur. This year I hope to also set out a small world scene of the Jewish people walking through the Nile in the middle of our table to spark some creative play and discussion during our kids' seder. If you're looking for some more inspiration, check out my previous Pesach posts from years past...

My final tip (to myself) is to breathe and slow down. If a task is urgent, I tend to it--maybe even pop in a fun video for the kids (I still love Bubbie's Boarding House!). If a task is not urgent, it can wait. (Maybe I need a break to watch Bubbie's Boarding House, too!)  I wish all who are celebrating a Chag Kasher v'Sameach and through Pesach and all year round....

Happy Playing!

Pesach, Pesach! Play All About It: Build a Basket for Baby Moshe Science Experiment

Every year, we read the story of Pesach, beginning with the cruel decree by Pharaoh that all Jewish babies be killed and the difficult decision made by baby Moshe's mother to send him via The Nile River to (hopeful) safety. We know that Moshe did indeed arrive to shore safely and was found and rescued by Pharaoh's own daughter. He would be raised in the Egyptian palace and eventually grow to lead the Jewish people out of slavery and into freedom.

I have to be honest here--I get nervous when my boys are in the bathtub, forget about the Nile River! I wonder if Moshe's mother applied some scientific experimentation and critical thinking when she prepared the vessel she would use to float her baby down the Nile? As we play at home about Pesach, I decided to invite the boys to test out the best way to build a basket for "Baby Moshe" in this simple (and low cost) science experiment:

Build a Basket for Baby Moshe Science Experiment

You will need:

• toy baby dolls (I like the little ones from Dollar Tree for this experiment since it's affordable to provide one for each scientist and the prospect of them getting wet isn't too worrisome at $1 a pop)
• a selection of buckets, bins, trays and baskets in a variety of materials--invite your scientists to help you gather these and talk about what might make a good flotation device and why
• water! either in a sensory bin/water table or even the bathtub--you can even take this experiment outdoors if your weather allows for it
• you might also want to add in some towels, baby/doll blankets, toy bottles and baby doll accessories and talk about things that would help make the baby more comfortable and safer as he travels down the Nile

We started out by gathering our babies, baskets, buckets, bins, bowls, trays and accessories. I set out a vinyl shower curtain on the rug so the boys could work on the floor and had some towels handy as well. We have done sink and float experiments here before, like in this Noah's Ark themed experiment and even explored the mechanics of boats. I always say that great play and learning activities are worth repeating, and this experience reminded me why!

S has done a lot of versions of sink and float science over the years. Y had his first run with it this time (aside from natural exploration of buoyancy in the tub and in water play). Even though S has done this before, his understanding of buoyancy has evolved. He now understands that holes in a basket let water inside and that water inside makes the baby wet and the basket sink! He was quick to problem solve this before selecting a bucket with no holes at all to safely float his Baby Moshe down the Nile! Y had plenty of fun exploring the mechanics of the wicker basket he chose, water, baby and all!

When we were done with the experiment, we wrapped up our slightly soggy babies to dry and added some soap bubbles, a plastic baby doll, some plastic frogs, washrags and brushes into the sensory bin for some baby bath fun. Both boys had a great time splashing around (and simultaneously helping to wash our rug and their clothing). 

Water play is an activity that never gets old here, and as the saying goes, it's only water! We will be back again with a great Pesach themed process art provocation that will incorporate our green paints from this play activity and some amphibious friends...

Until then, Hoppy--I mean,Happy Playing!

Extra, Extra, Read All About It...

Over the past few years, I've gleaned a great deal of inspiration for my classrooms and play at home activities at Fantastic Fun and Learning. This website was created by a classroom kindergarten teacher turned stay at home mom to support educators and parents alike in playfully support early learning experiences. You can learn more about that here. Boy was I tickled (and somewhat star struck) to be asked to join the team of contributing editors! I'm so excited to announce my first article in a series all about loose parts play, "Everything You Need to Know About Loose Parts Play for Kids." This is a great "starter course" in setting up your environment at home or in the classroom to incorporate the use of loose parts. While you're there, check out some of the other great play and learning activities. We'll be back soon with a great Pesach themed science experiment. Until then...

Happy Playing!

Pesach, Pesach! Play All About It: Frogs Are Jumping Everywhere Sensory Bin

Frogs here, frogs there, frogs are jumping everywhere! You know you're getting ready for Pesach when parents and teachers kvell over their children playing about plagues and slavery. Many of the topics of this holiday may be a bit dark and intense. Children learn and work through dark and intense emotions through play and in the spirit of keeping things age appropriate and play-based, we love to play about the plague of frogs each year!

This year I set up our sensory bin as a frog pond! It's in our kitchen, which allows the boys to be nearby while we get some of the other things in there ready. Because I included some smaller parts, Y will need some support to play or a version with only larger objects to play more independently. I love to include a piece of art or photography in our sensory play area for inspiration. In our bin itself, I mixed natural objects like rocks, driftwood, tree circles and tree blocks along with man-made materials like plastic toy frogs, artificial flowers and leaves, glass gems and a plastic "grass" mat that was actually intended to be a bottle drying rack but never used for that purpose in this house! I added water, some drops of blue and yellow food coloring and debated whether to pick up S early from school to play or play in it myself! Most of the the materials were purchased at the Dollar Tree or a craft supply store and you can really add as much or little as you'd like to make your own Frog Pond sensory bin. I'm hopping--I mean, hoping, that this will be a big hit as we get ready for Pesach here. You might just see these frogs again next time in a process art activity....

Until then, Hoppy Playing!

Pesach, Pesach! Play All About It: Matzah Bakery

Pesach is coming! This is one of the busiest times of year for grown ups, whether it's at home or in the classroom. At home, the adults are busy cleaning, organizing, making lists, shopping and preparing for the holiday. At school, teachers are drowning in a Nile River of projects that are often heavy on adult-hands even as they are created by the children. There is so much to do to get ready for Pesach that it is easy to forget one of the greatest purposes of this holiday: the children! This is a holiday that commands us to invite our children to the table well past their bedtime and encourages that three letter word we often tire of hearing by 4PM: "Why?" 

Last year at this time, I was pretty busy adding a brother to our family, so much of our home activities were set up to be simple, play based and child led. You can revisit those here! Even as a play at home Mommy who loves to plan and organize, I truly was able to embrace the simplicity of S experiencing the holiday through open ended exploration more than the typical structured approach I adopted throughout our homeschool experience. And this year, I am embracing that again! He is busy at school with projects, games, songs, learning and play. I am immensely grateful to his teachers and aware of the amount of work they are putting in this time of year, too! I'm pretty sure that employees at Dollar Trees around the nation wonder what we are all doing with cart loads of plastic disposable wine cups, serving plates, toy frogs, baby dolls and Easter baskets this time of year...

Whether you're looking for something to round out your home experience as Pesach draws near or something to enrich your classroom theme, these next few posts are for you! We'll start off with a playful way to use up the last bit of flour in your cupboard...

We've been exploring fairy tales here and this week we checked out a few versions of "The Little Red Hen" from our library. We also read a Pesach version of this book, The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah  by Leslie Kimmelman. We invited some toy animals to join us in the story telling and then proceeded to test our hands at baking our own matzah!

Since matzah used during Pesach must follow very strict guidelines and use only kosher for Pesach ingredients, we used this activity as an opportunity to experiment with the process and ate the goods before Pesach. I made sure to explain that to S in particular who would likely have expected this to be the matzah served at our seder!

Ingredients and Tools:
2 parts flour to one part water--we used about 2 cups of spelt flour and about a cup of water
a mixing bowl
a mixing spoon
measuring cups
forks
a rolling pin
a baking sheet

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour your flour into a mixing bowl and make a hole in the center (your little bakers can do this!). Now, start a timer for 18 minutes--this is to show your little bakers how the process of baking matzah must be complete in 18 minutes. We love our visual timer for this and I also explained that it's only to show how quickly this happens in a real matzah bakery so that no one would feel nervous about it. Slowly pour the water into the depression (little ones can help with this, too) and mix until a dough is formed. Split your dough into balls for each baker (we did two) and roll it flat. Poke holes in the dough with a fork. Next you're ready to place it on an ungreased cookie sheet (we lined ours with foil) and bake for about 3-4 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges. (Ours took a little longer as it was thicker--thinner matzahs will cook faster).

Mixing...

Rolling....

Playing...

Poking....

Not quite poking...

In an ironic twist, my pickier eater loved the matzah and my equal opportunity chow hound did not! It was really neat to see and experience the process hands-on in real life.

"Yummy! I love this matzah!"

"No no no no no!"

We'll be back next week with a fun Pesach themed sensory bin... Until then, happy playing!