A Peek Inside Our Playroom: Welcome to Fairy Tale Land!

There has been a great deal of building excitement over Purim this year with the beginning of the new Jewish month of Adar. The challenge this year is that it is a leap year in the Jewish calendar and there are two months of Adar--this is Adar I. Purim falls in Adar II. Conversations with S have been flooded with the topic of costumes, the Purim story and characters, and, of course, the treats we eat and share on the holiday. Even Y has been toddling around claiming to be Haman with a very believable scowl on his face! So do I try to quell the excitement and shift the focus for the next several weeks? At first, I did. I didn't want it to be "too hard to wait." But then (even I was getting excited by now) I wondered, why is it so terrible to be excited while you wait? Excitement is a wonderful and joyful emotion. And the month(s) of Adar are a time we are called upon to increase joy. So, I told the boys a few days ago that we would do a playroom shift and transform our Fire Station into a Fairy Tale Land!

The boys used watercolor paints in a crayon resist
to decorate our play-theme signs.

The Purim story itself is quite a dramatic one--most suitable for acting, story telling and small world play. It lends itself quite well to a fairy tale theme. I've touched upon the topic of fairy tales with young children before and I do think they hold an inherent value educationally as well as socially and emotionally for children. I do not feel concerned that children won't recognize the difference between fact and fiction. I don't worry about some of the darker content in fairy tales either--literature and play are safe spaces to navigate deep emotions and childhood fears. I do think that fairy tales are rich in language and opportunities to problem solve, think critically and resolve conflict. Through playing and story telling about common fairy tales and fairy tale themes, children gain an empowering role in overcoming childhood challenges as well as a rich vocabulary, deep imagination, creativity, social skills and critical thinking skills to boot.

While I have prepared materials for many of our dramatic play themes, this one I created from scratch. I spread the work over the course of many days in advance and even I was getting too excited to wait until Purim was closer to transform our play space. I am holding off on setting out all of our Purim props and accessories, but I knew I wanted our Fairy Tale Land play-theme to include some key components:

• costumes (both specific character costumes as well as open ended props and playsilks)
• puppets and our puppet theater
• a Three Bears' Cafe in our kitchen/housekeeping area (the boys had been playing about restaurants a lot lately)
• small world play opportunities
• castle building opportunities with a variety of blocks and loose parts
• literature!
• theme related sensory play
• theme related STEAM challenges
• art
• creative writing/recording, story telling and play acting

I will definitely be posting as we delve deeper into this theme, exploring individual fairy tales in a variety of ways as well as incorporating creative STEAM activities, sensory bins and art/creative writing opportunities. Until then, here's a peek in side our playroom...

A collection of hand puppets and finger puppets are ready to go along with our puppet theater. The boys can put on their own impromptu shows (we even have show tickets!) or act out specific stories and fairy tales. 

Castles and building castles are a big component of this theme. We brought out a wooden playcastle I bought last year at a craft supply store and some toy "Purim story characters" (medieval dolls from Safari Ltd.) and also generic dollhouse dolls and furniture. I also included larger building materials in this area (a combination of recycled tubes and magnetiles) to encourage building on to the castle and kingdom. The boys can bring in other toys and building materials from our other shelves and STEAM cart as they wish. 

Costume central! We have baskets of scarves/playsilks, hats, costumes and costume props.

The Three Bear's Cafe can extend into our living room kids table to accommodate restaurant patrons (human or puppet!) 

Our menu, with a bit of my sense of humor and a photo bomb by a particular Ninja Turtle...

Our play shelves and STEAM cart are stocked and ready. The boys really like to have space beyond the kitchen set for setting up cooking/baking activities, restaurants and stores. I devoted two shelves to that purpose. The top shelf has some additional building materials and loose parts, peg dolls and props for small world play. 

I kept some of the drawers in our STEAM cart the same--particularly ones that were getting a lot of traffic from the boys (like our woodworking drawer and scrap wood). I swapped in bear counters in three sizes (perfect for Goldilocks!), some photos of real castles to inspire building ideas and writing/recording ideas, some awesome castle blocks I scored at a thrift store last year (pictured above) as well as Legos and colored wooden blocks.

Our current sensory table is a Porridge Sensory Bin to go along with our Three Bears' Cafe...very simple setup with dried oats and some cooking utensils and wooden dishes.

The boys got busy at play!

Dinner entertainment has been amazing around here...

Parenting hack: Hang mirrors outside of your bathrooms! Your kids will spend all day looking at themselves and you can finally reclaim the right to peeing alone with the door closed!

Happy Playing!

Ice, Ice, Baby!

Since S is learning about winter and animals in winter this in school, we had a resurgence of wintry play activities at home this week. And what is winter without a bit of ice? I'm not a fan of walking on it and even less so of driving on it, but indoors or outside, I love using ice for play, sensory exploration, art and science!

Ice has been a popular play material here in many seasons over the years. It is safe for play and exploration with all age groups and as such, we often repeat activities from year to year. I highly recommend this approach--you can always learn more and experience new things through repeated exposure and exploration. We kicked off the week with one of my favorite Table Time activities, watercolor painting on ice! I've done this one repeatedly with students and with both boys over the years and it is ALWAYS fun!

You'll need to freeze some blocks of ice in advance (I recommend plastic containers for this) and then simply add in a pallet of watercolor paints and a brush.

Look at this arctic blast from the past!

You can expand the experience with the addition of water or coarse/kosher salt. It is always incredible to observe colors mixing and moving through layers of ice and how they shift and evolve as it melts. S has never lost his fascination with creating black and brown! I, however, was amazed to see how the paint melted through the ice block this year and when I went to tend to cleaning it up, it was back to clear with a painty puddle left behind in the tray!

Y really got into the experience this year and favored using his pointer finger in the paint instead of a brush. He was so amazed at seeing water develop as the ice melted. "Water! Water!" he gleefully repeated again and again in amazement.


Well, if ever there were a time to prove that great minds think alike, this week would be a stellar example. Early in the week, a friend sent a link to this fun ice skating penguins activity from Messy Little Monster. By that evening, my freezer was stocked with tiny penguins trapped in blue ice cubes and I'm not sure whether the fact that my husband said nothing about this should make me feel self-assured or slightly alarmed.

Either way, the boys loved their ice skating penguins at our Table Time activity the next morning. Y is still completely amazed at how ice melts into water. I am so eager and excited to see his young, scientific mind emerge and develop! To set up your own ice skating penguins, you can fill an ice cube tray about 2/3 of the way with water (add food coloring if you wish) and add a small plastic penguin or other small animals/people to each section. You'll want to top off your tray with more water in sections that are still a bit shallow and leave your little critters upright and sticking out. My friend also suggested the idea to use paint in the ice cube tray as opposed to water and turn it into an art activity! I'd love to try this out in the future and cover the tabletop with foil as our skating rink/canvas.

Well, remember how I mentioned great minds think alike? The very same day we took our penguins ice skating in the morning, S got to excavate some more trapped penguins from within a giant brick of ice at school! His teachers set up this fabulous and creative excavation station using a large brick of ice and penguins, a hammer and some golf tees.

I'm not sure if that's some coarse/kosher salt I see in the background and perhaps in the small cup alongside of S--but experimenting with how different substances and settings affect ice is a great way to sprinkle on some science to your ice play!

In previous years of teaching, I've engaged my students in setting up their own ice experiment and exploration. I froze some animal counters in ice cube trays overnight and in the morning, they decided upon what we would use in and around the classroom to explore melting rates of ice into water with the addition of:

• coarse/kosher salt
• sugar
• sunlight from a window
• water

Ice is such a simple (and cheap) and unique material to explore and create with. Winter is a natural season to inspire ice play but don't forget the wonderful opportunities in warmer seasons to cool off on a hot day! We'll be freezing up some more icy fun here in the weeks to come so stay tuned and, as always...

Happy Playing!

The Forgotten Fourth Season

Reclaiming the Right to Be Outdoors [and Loving It] in the Winter

If you are a teacher and live in a location with all four seasons, you likely teach about each of them. In the Spring, you likely plant seeds and collect dandelions and observe buds, blossoms and the return of the birds and bees with your students. In the Summer, you probably splash outside in water play, perhaps plant a garden and grow interesting vegetables and flowers for the students to observe and harvest. In the Autumn, you probably play with pumpkins and gourds, maybe you pick apples. You collect colorful leaves and observe them falling off of trees. And in the Winter? You read favorite books about hibernation and animal behavior and whimsical snowmen. You close up shop when it's too snowy or icy, you keep the kids indoors when it is too cold (often even mandated by state regulations). 

I have lived and and taught in five states. I am currently residing in Virginia, the most southern location I've ever lived in, but even here we have four seasons. And even here, it is a struggle sometimes to get out and about in the Winter. Whereas last year around this time, I was realizing my own folly and revamping our playgarden and my own internal dialogue to get back outside and back to nature, this year I am itching to be out there, embracing the time I am and reclaiming my right to be outdoors (and loving it) in Winter! 

The Pathology of Winter : So how did Winter become a forgotten fourth season anyway? Obviously, there are some naturally occurring elements that do create genuine barriers to getting outdoors as long and frequently as we might in other seasons. It's cold. It is sometimes snowy or icy. It gets dark very early. And there seems to even be a pathology around winter at this point. I want to clarify immediately that I am not discounting the validity of seasonal affective disorder or the impact it has on mental health. Indeed, I'd even say that as a teen in particular I really struggled with more depressive moods in the winter months. And there is also an industry around it. Prescription and over the counter treatments, natural and home remedies, products and practices to help combat the winter blues. 

And none of those involve getting back outside and breathing in the fresh air. Which, in my personal battle, was the very essence of what I was so greatly missing during those dark, cold, snowy months. I wanted to be outside. In fact, when I think back to it, as a child I still was. I was sledding down hills wherever I could find them. I was skating across the iced over driveway. I was discovering animal tracks in the snow. I was finding melted spots of slush and snow and mixing up some mud soup in my own backyard. But at some point, somewhere along the lines of growing taller (or at least older in my case) I intuited that this was child's play and retreated to an indoor existence for the better portion of 4 months each year. No wonder I was depressed. 

Think back and remember a time you were outside in the Winter as a child. What do you recall? Maybe it's a sledding memory or making snow angels or building a fort. Maybe it's the feeling of warmth when you came inside and shed those wet mittens and ice filled boots and were handing a cup of hot cocoa and marshmallows. Maybe it's wearing your pajamas backwards to bed the night before a predicted storm and dancing in joy at 4am when the flashing lights and beeping of the plows going by told you that your little PJ trick had worked--even before it was officially called an hour later. And now, I invite you to join me. To put your jammies on backwards tonight if you want to, because even if it doesn't snow, we're going to get back outside and we're going to play and we're going to love it!

It's not dead, it's dormant. I think that the first step in overcoming barriers to being outdoors in this season is to acknowledge that Winter has its merit. There is an absence of growth and warmth and even sunshine, but it's not dead--it's dormant. There's a difference. And the signs of life are abundant. It was actually my own little guys who really reminded me of that these past few weeks. S, on a nature walk around a local pond, observed the ground from a crouched position as he imagined himself as an animal scavenging for winter. He popped up from this position only long enough to gleefully shout in wonder about the curiosity of the missing seeds from opened seedpods and empty acorn shells. "Mommy, I think a squirrel was here!" Life. In Winter. It's abundant. You don't have to see the air to know it's there--you see the wind rustle leaves on the trees and you feel it blow against your cheeks. And you don't have to see Nutkins Grey Squirrel to know he was nibbling on seedpods and acorns. You can feel that he was there.

Later in the week, I took Y to a nearby park and playground. He wanted to walk through the Pollinators Garden. The empty, barren Pollinators Garden. What could he possibly want to do there in the Winter when nothing is growing? He wanted to hop across stepping stones and roar at passing dogs (sorry about that!) and he wanted to touch the flowers. The dried up, bristly and prickly flowers. The same ones that are bright and blooming and beautiful in the summer, swarming with happy bees and butterflies--even the occasional hummingbird, are now the ones that draw in the attention of my little Y and his curious hands. He loved the texture of the dried up flower heads. He loved being the same height as the long, brown stems. And what's more? He didn't have to share. This time of year, there's no competition for getting the attention of a flower in the Pollinator's Garden.

I often wonder how anyone who has toiled over an
intentionally planted garden cannot
 also be completely amazed by a weed! 

Overcoming Barriers to Being Outdoors in Winter

If you're up for a challenge, I'd like to invite you to join me in my daily quest (and struggle) to overcome barriers to being outdoors in Winter. I want you to set an intention today--a realistic one. I don't recommend your first goal be to get outside every day no matter what and love it. But perhaps, you'll plan for one day--to get outside, to set your watch, even, for a short amount of time. And with a few tips and tricks of the trade--you might even like it...

Here's a list of common barriers to being outdoors this time of year and a subsequent suggestion or two on overcoming them:

The Barriers:

• The children won't like it.
• The children will be cold and uncomfortable.
• I won't like it; I will be cold and uncomfortable.
• I'll start with a little myth-buster. Most children do like to be outside in Winter. And with adequate preparation, all children (and adults) can enjoy being outside and be comfortable. A lot of that involves adequate outerwear. Having enough clothing to keep warm (but not too much so as to overheat) is important. I suggest dressing in layers. I also suggest having a backpack, tote or basket ready to go with you with extra layers and mittens/hats, etc. for those occasions when items get wet or you need to add warmth. I also suggest having a space to set shed items when you get too warm! Having a towel handy can help dry off wet surfaces (this is something I tow along year round). And meeting everyone's comfort needs both before you head out (toileting, food/water, adequate rest, etc.) and in tow for while you are out (packing along snacks and maybe even some cocoa, tissues or handkerchiefs for runny noses, etc.) can go a long way in making your outdoor time more enjoyable for everyone. 
• I also want to stress the importance of including yourself in this process of preparation! You also need to be comfortable and warm and have adequate clothing. And perhaps a travel mug of coffee or cocoa to enhance your own enjoyment. Preparing in advance and having things packed and ready to go in a way that is easy for you to access and carry can help eliminate stress and struggle in getting out the door.

If Marie Kondo feels that 30 books
is an adequate collection for a home, she may
be equally unimpressed with
the size of our stick collection...but
each and every one sparks joy.

• There's nothing to do outside in Winter.
• This struggle is commonly felt in locations like mine where it may be very cold out but not snowy. Snow provides a natural play medium. Even ice chunks become playground currency when rainwater freezes over in buckets and pales left behind. But what about those in between days? Well, first off--you don't need subzero temps outside to play with ice. Most locations are equipped with an indoor space perfect for gathering goods--your freezer! So fill and freeze some containers of interesting shapes and sizes and take it out with you. Sure, what's in our outdoor spaces might be different in this season, but what can you bring to make it more enjoyable? 
• If you happen to have access to water and dirt, you're pretty guaranteed to have a good time--mud kitchens can be fun year round. And the additional excitement of watching how temperature affects their culinary concoctions can enhance children's sense of joy and wonder. 
• On those polar vortex days, I don't recommend staying out for long. But I do recommend testing out what happens when you blow bubbles--especially with added sugar to the solution. You might be amazed! Or bringing out hot water and pouring it on the ground. What do you observe? On a snowy day, can you catch a snowflake on black construction paper? Can you use a white crayon or colored pencil and draw your own?
• Bring some treats for the birds. Hanging a feeder, bird seed treats or keeping a bird bath filled with fresh water daily (although they now manufacture heated bird baths if you're feeling super fancy and have the funds for one). You'll be able to observe some feathered visitors to your outdoor space. Take along some binoculars (homemade ones from toilet paper tubes work just as well for little ones) and go birdwatching. Carry along a bird guide and a nature journal along with some colored pencils and you can capture and record your findings. This activity can also be done indoors as you warm up with some cocoa and watch from the kitchen window.
• Bring what brings you joy! The point is not what you bring with you to your outdoor space and time, but rather that it is something you enjoy. Perhaps it's a sketch book and some drawing materials. Perhaps it's watercolor paints and brushes to paint the snow. Maybe a small tin of clay is the perfect take-along for capturing prints of pine cones and seed pods or creating a winter sculpture with nature's loose parts. 
• Set up your space to be one that welcomes you and your little ones this winter. If you are a teacher, this might involve having a space to do a Circle Time outdoors (rescued and recycled tree stumps make amazing little seats). If you are a play at home mom or dad, it might mean getting creative about what you can set up and leave in your garden to be available and accessible year round. It might also be worth thinking about what types of plants to add to your garden in the future so that there are things left to observe in growth during the winter months (although a dormant pollinators garden has benefits both for the winged and un-winged visitors). And just like we rotate our indoor setups, so, too do we need to rotate our outdoor ones. Jugs of bubbles and waterplay toys might be stored away this season. But while our squash and peas aren't climbing up a folding metal A-frame, it's the perfect prop for a makeshift tee-pee and weaving bits of yarn and string!
• Getting everyone in outerwear and out the door is like herding cats.
• Alright, guys, this one is no myth. It's true. Dressing everyone to get outside takes FOREVER. So my suggestion here is to breathe deep and move through it. It's a slower pace, for sure, but if you can see it as part of the process rather than a means to get there, it can help at least improve your mood about it. It can also be helpful to only partially dress indoors and take along the rest. Lastly, if you are a teacher or a parent planning outdoor time into your daily routine, it might be better this time of year to plan your daily routine into your outdoor time. Instead of having a story on the rug and an activity before you go out, use that time to dress everyone (pop on some music, make it fun) and take your story and activity outside! Bam! Two birds, one stone.

• It's too cold/icy/snowy/dark.
• This is another one of those go with it and not against it situations. You might not spend as long outdoors in the Winter months as you do the rest of the year, but see it as quality and not quantity. Perhaps view your time outside more as outdoor snacks than outdoor meals. A short but meaningful burst of time outside can make all the difference in everyone's mood and energy level. Even if that means all you did was park as far away from Trader Joe's as possible and jump in every single puddle on your way to the front doors. (waterproof boots might be a good item to wear for this one)
• It's not safe to go outside in Winter.
• Winter weather makes people sick.
• Mythbusting time! There are climatic factors that we must take into consideration in being outside with little ones this time of year. Ice and snow and cold temperatures require adequate clothing and gear. Safety is important! It might take more time to get across an icy path safely with young children and that's an important thing to factor in. Children also are less likely to be aware of being very cold and wet when they are very engaged in play. Keep and eye on everyone to make sure no one is getting too cold or too warm for that matter. BUT, it does not make people sick to be outdoors. On the contrary, many of the bugs and germs we pick up in winter are more likely to be spread on surfaces and in the air inside. Fresh air is healthy. Be prepared, be reasonable, come in when it's time and warm up/thaw out. But don't be a bear and hibernate this winter! Get out, get active and have fun!

There are surely more ideas you have on enjoyable outdoor activities this winter and I'd love to hear them. I'd also love to dive into some more problem solving with barriers and challenges you might be facing when it comes to getting out there. Feel free to comment below or connect with me personally! I'm off to set up some tabletop easels outside for my boys this afternoon so we can watercolor paint the way that winter makes us feel. I'll be back soon and until then...

Happy Playing!

Beyond the Book (and Off to the Park) with Denise Fleming's "Time to Sleep"

We were not spared by last week's polar vortex and temperatures here dropped below freezing for several days in a row. It was the perfect time to be learning about winter and animals' behavior during that time--we all felt like hibernating here! S has been delving into these topics in school and I planned that this week we would delve back into some of our Winter Story Stretchers at home.

So, of course temperatures have risen from a frigid low of 17 degrees last Tuesday to a high this past Tuesday of 71! It was the perfect afternoon to go to a favorite park nearby where they recently remodeled the playground equipment. (I actually took Y on Monday to test drive the new slides while S was at school but we didn't tell him...shhhh!) I knew the park would be packed and crowded and that there was only about an hour left of daylight once we would get there. I also knew that very likely the boys would be more interested in the playground equipment than sitting down to a book together, but nonetheless, I packed my bag with Time to Sleep, a beautifully illustrated book about animals preparing for winter hibernation by Denise Fleming, a basket of animal characters and a couple more empty baskets we saved from a family trip to a U-Pick berry farm over the summer.

I'm big on literacy at home and in the classroom. However, I'm bigger on love of literacy than any other area of its development in young children. Reading together doesn't need to be a sedentary, indoor activity in my home (or in my classrooms). Taking books outdoors is a great way to extend the life and setting of a good story! It's also often challenging to get outdoors with our children in the winter months, and while we definitely stayed mostly inside during last week's polar vortex, it feels very important to soak up every bit of sun when we can be outside together. We can teach about winter and animals in winter through direct instruction indoors, but when we take the lesson outside, children can experience and explore the season in action and through all senses and learning styles.

We started our park visit at a picnic table, enjoying a little dinner and S actually asked to read our book. Y was feeling a bit more eager to try a swing, so you know what? I stopped reading in the middle of the book! And that's OK! I have actual memories of playing school as a child and reading a book aloud to my imaginary students when I would realize the book was too challenging for my current reading level or that I was bored of reading it and I would struggle as I put it down with the internal question of whether it was ever OK for a teacher to not finish a book. Furthermore, was it ever OK for a person to put a book down and not read it from cover to cover? I am here today as a fully literate and recovered reluctant reader who has a passion for early literacy to tell you--YES, it is OK to put a book down. Even when you are teaching. Even when you are a parent. Even for yourself. Whether or not you pick it up again later, the next day or never again. It is OK to put a book down.

S found seed pods, acorns (many of them emptied
by something or someone snacking before winter,
even dried corn kernels on the ground, and of course,
many interesting sticks--his current currency of choice.

At first, S wanted to use some items from nature and spaces near the playground to build dens for our animal toys and puppets to hibernate in. Then he saw the new climbing structure and our animals were restored to their cozy basket and hung from the hook on the handle of our double stroller to watch as the boys played, climbed, ran and slid for the final moments of daylight. Then, I did a sneaky parenting type of thing as it was time to go where I trick the kids into doing something slightly educational and lots of fun. I offered, as it was time to go, to go the "short way right to the car" or the "long way, around the pond to walk and gather nuts and seed pods and other treasures in our gathering baskets and pretend the we are going to hibernate!" (See what I did there? Guess which option they picked? Which would you pick?)

Nature walks like this are so valuable in so many ways. We work on skills like observation--where might an animal look for food to gather for winter? How might an animal move about to find things? We talk about the idea of gathering things from nature--leaving what is still alive and growing in a way that we found it, taking only small amounts of treasure for ourselves and leaving the rest of nature in nature (and not taking anything from areas that are under preservation restrictions or private property). We also work on basic safety skills like staying together, being aware of our surroundings and proximity to water or dogs and pedestrians or surface changes.
As a parent of young children, I find it is easiest to keep my boys buckled in our double stroller as we stroll around the pond. I know where they are, no one is running up ahead, there's no danger of falling into a body of still very cold pond water! Those fears grow in size with Y, who has a very different attitude about walking independently in public places than S did at that age. I remember practicing staying together in this park with S and he was so eager to listen when I would say or sing the directions to stop and wait. Y....not so much! He is a young man with a mission. The mission is always evolving. He is also a young man with a visual delay and low vision. Although he has glasses to support this, using his eyes as a resource is not his first mode of navigating the world around him. And he's busy. And fast. At least once a day, I am muttering the words "remind me to thank his physical therapist" through clenched teeth as he ascends to new heights and darts off to new distances... It takes so much energy and focus for me to refrain from constantly uttering the words "be careful!" I want him to observe and navigate his space with confidence. I also want him to be safe. I try to verbalize this in ways that encourage him to observe his surroundings while also maintaining a healthy level of cautious confidence.
For some little ones learning to navigate large outdoor or public spaces more independently, having something to hold and focus on like a gathering basket can be very helpful. Y preferred to abandon the basket and bask in the sunset. We both had a great opportunity to work together on staying together at the park last night and rather than avoiding these scenarios, I will intentionally be pursuing them continually with him (and perhaps toting along a soothing travel mug of tea for myself...)

Y was quite fond of the snail in the book, insistent
upon wearing the finger puppet for most of the
evening. S and I were so amazed to learn that
snails seal up their shells for winter hibernation!

Learning about winter and animals in winter can be such an exciting way to actively embrace a season that is often thought of as barren and dormant. There are definitely barriers this time of year, whether you live in a climate prone to winter weather and especially if you live in one not prone to winter weather. Nonetheless, getting outside and reading--and playing--together is a great way to fight off those seasonal blues and soak up the learning and vitamin D while you're at it. My original plan with this book was to gather the toy animals indoors and pitch our play tent and allow the boys to build dens, nests and sleeping spots for each one and maybe for themselves. I'm so glad that some unexpected sunny days led us outdoors instead, story and story basket in tow. We've left our target book out in our living room library shelf and the story basket set in front. Story drama through the use of small toys, puppets or play acting is a great way for children to expand on what they have learned through reenacting story sequences or adding on their own elements.





If you'd like to expand upon this particular story stretcher, a teacher friend of mine did a beautiful STEM setup using toy animals from the book and a collection of natural and nature-based loose parts for her students to build dens for the animals to hibernate. It's also a great book to use alongside this simple clay sensory bin and play about animals in winter. We've mixed in forest and arctic animals, but you can choose one or the other, or specifically the animals in the book. The clay becomes a perfect medium for observing animal tracks as well as for constructing dens, caves, nests or even igloos.

I hope this leaves you with a bit of whimsy and inspiration. Whether you're indoors and avoiding an arctic chill or outside soaking up unseasonable summer temperatures in the middle of winter, it's the perfect season for reading together and, as always, happily playing!

Clay Play!

Often when we think about using clay with children, especially young children, we conjure up images of colorful modeling compounds, playdough, maybe even other types of homemade or store bought doughs and sensory materials. Indeed, we have dug our hands into a number of types of doughs and clays here, but there is something truly special and unique about using real clay with children.

Real clay comes from the earth. It is cold to the touch. It is heavy and viscous and requires very strong fine motor skills and strength to manipulate. It can be dry and crumbly and with the addition of water, revived to silky and smooth and malleable. It is most often found in shades of grey, off-white or brown/terra cotta--not the bright and bold primary colors we usually think of when using clay with young children. It is messy. It is glorious. It is truly unique! And while we most often associate real clay with larger hands and "finished products," its use with smaller hands is all about the experience and exploration.

I am forever looking for ways to creatively use our sensory table at home. The boys both love to spend time here individually as well as together. And many of our play activities here could be repeated again and again. I especially liked the results of our side by side set up last week using smaller bins within the table for kinetic sand and kinetic rock. I decided to leave this particular structure and introduce two side by side invitations to explore with clay. One benefit to the smaller bins here is the ability to close up shop and keep the clay from drying out. Another is the ability to transport to a table or even outside now that last week's frigid temperatures have given way to sunny days of 60 and 70 degree weather. The results of this setup were nothing short of phenomenal to watch and even join in on!

When using clay with young children, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Little hands use little bits. Real clay can be pricey. The small bin or a small tray setup allow for a designated work-space and can also help navigate how much clay to use. Remember, the small blob in the middle may look meager to you, but less is more with little hands. Clay is a harder material to manipulate than typical playdoughs designed for young children. They will likely need to break off even smaller pieces to manipulate and mold. Alternatively, you can prep small clay balls or slabs in advance--however, I encourage you to also include your able bodied and eager little ones in the process of discovering how to divide up a larger blob into smaller ones. 
• Offer less at first; add more later. When it comes to clay, I first introduce it alone. No tools, no add-ins. The exploration stage is so incredible with our youngest sculptors that nothing else is needed. Then, I might add in some simple tools, perhaps a small jar of water (water + clay = AMAZING). Perhaps next you will add in some loose parts, natural materials, small toys... 
• Address the mess: If the messiness of this activity is overwhelming, you may wish to use clay in a sensory table or over a drop cloth on your own table/floor. You might even feel most comfortable taking it outdoors to work with. If you or your children are uncomfortable with your hands being covered in clay, having clean up options like wet rags or a basin of water or proximity to a sink can help.
• Process over product: I encourage you and your young sculptors to follow your whim--if creating something to be permanent feels right, air drying and displaying the results can be lovely. Many times, however, our clay play is more about the process and experience of exploring with it. Then, when you are done, seal it in a bag or air tight container and store for future use.
• Think outside of the box and allow children to explore clay not just with their hands but with their feet! Take a blob outside on a warm sunny day, take off your socks and shoes, and discover the unique feeling of cool, wet clay squishing through your toes!
• Follow their lead and join in! I invite you to sit back and observe child's play with clay. It is truly an extraordinary experience to see--and also an extraordinary one to join in on. Get your own hands dirty and dig right in. 

If you are new to using clay with children or just looking for some more inspiration, I love the article Clay: Don't Forget the Explore Stage at Fairy Dust Teaching and for those using clay in a large group or classroom setting, read Never Stress During Clay Again on the art of education University

There are many ways to explore with clay. You can keep it very open ended and child-led in this way or you can work with more directed projects, such as introducing pinch pots, experimenting with prints and stamping in clay using loose parts and so much more... Start off simple and see where it goes. It's also something worth bringing out on repeated occasions, even after a bit of a hiatus. And if the idea of having an open clay exploration station in your home or classroom is overwhelming or impractical, have it stored away for times and spaces that do work for you. Stay tuned for future posts on clay play and until then...

Focus in on the cute little dudes engaged in clay play and not the enormous pile of stuff
on the dining room table in the background....

Happy Playing!

Playsilks: The Prop that Packs a Playroom Punch

Since beginning this blog a few years ago and sharing my love of playful parenting and teaching, I am often asked questions from fellow parents and teachers about playroom setup. Some of the most frequently asked questions I get are ones about what toys and props to invest in and include. We are living in an era of option overload and the toy aisles in stores are just one example. Stocking a classroom and playroom that is ready for learning and exploring can be consuming--both financially and mentally! How do you save your sanity and your savings account? And furthermore, if you are trying to live a lifestyle of frugality and less consumerism/materialism, how do you maintain a healthy balance? And lastly, in a world full of fancy electronic toys that promise to meet developmental needs throughout childhood, how do you choose what to stock your shelves with?

I don't have a simple solution. Nor am I a perfect example of the practice I preach of living with less. We started off very meagerly here and we have come to acquire a lot of toys! Sometimes at night, I think Melissa and Doug should come over and help clean up their mess (or at least contribute rent money). We have doting grandparents, loving aunts and uncles, generous friends and we are also parents who love to play and want our children to have the very best and sometimes are swayed by thinking that comes from the cute little play set in Walmart or a flash sale on a long wanted product off Amazon. Additionally, while I have some types of play and play props I really love and favor, I am not rigid. I do think there is a significant value in creative play with open ended materials. But I do not think that play with pretend food or dolls with faces or a fireman costume is valueless. We are a both/and kind of home. There's a plastic ice cream set AND pom poms in the kitchen area. There are natural wood circles and plastic blocks in the STEAM drawers. My kids play just as much with cardboard boxes as they do with the toys that come in them.

But what if I had to choose? What if I had to pick one or even a few play props that really pack a punch? And what if they also needed to be something that wouldn't break the bank? Drumroll please....

I'd like to welcome my good friend, the playsilk to the center stage! Including playsilks in a variety of sizes, colors and even patterns to your play area can be a great way to meet a variety of play needs across a wide span of ages (from infancy up). And I'd even open that up to include not just the traditional playsilk, but portions of fabrics of all kind. Playsilks are a popular item particularly in nature based, Waldorf and Reggio inspired environments. There are some well known and loved resources for purchasing such items online and they are not cheap! There are also ample tutorials accessible online to dye your own silks at home. I am here to say with confidence that I have now made the investment in "real" playsilks and included a variety of scarves, scraps, blankets and textiles rescued from thrift shops or even my own closet. They all receive equal love and attention from my children (even if I really really love the exquisite texture and craftsmanship on the set of 3 hand-dyed commercial playsilks).

But either route you take (and even if you also take both), what is so great about the playsilk anyway? Why is this such an asset to your play space? Well, playsilks are a prop that packs a playroom punch. They can be used in a variety of ways for a variety of purposes across a variety of developmental stages. Take a peek at some of the ways they have come into play in our home:

From infancy and through the early months, silks and fabrics add an element of texture, light, color, height and wonder as little hands grasp, grab, pull, pinch and explore...

They are the perfect backdrop to a nature table that celebrates a seasonal shift...

...a soft and sunny space for small world play...

...and on a larger scale, the perfect backdrop to an indoor sunflower house...

...outside they build the perfect bonfire...

...inside they're used to build a "pizza oven fire..."

...that brave firefighters must put out before they are then transformed into a delicious and enormous pizza for everyone to safely enjoy!

...they are a cozy bed for a boy and his baby...

...and skillfully sewn with a magic wand into...

...the perfect impromptu fairy garden costume...

Yes, playsilks play a plethora of important roles in a playroom--some rehearsed, others improvised in the moment. Where there's a need, there's a playsilk, indeed. They are versatile loose parts. They expand sensory skills in the infant years. They build fine motor skills as children begin to grasp and then to connect and tie and untie and disconnect... They expand creativity and abstract storytelling skills as they are manipulated into costumes and stories, settings and props. And if you don't really know what to do with a long piece of silk other than to tie it like a cape, don't worry! Your children will show you!

So while I sometimes have a bit of guilt over the sheer quantity of toys and supplies I've acquired over the years of being a play at home mom, I don't feel guilt over the well stocked basket of silks and fabrics. And I don't shrug off that lone scarf in the corner of the thrift store that just really speaks to me from the 50 cent bin or the moment I pull an old tichel back out of the donation pile to set up on our nature shelf. They may eventually end up back in the bag of items towed in my car trunk for over three months before they make it to Goodwill, but for now they may be a backdrop to a puppet show or even a puppet. Or a pizza. Or an apron. Or a kite or the flames shooting out of the bottom of a rocket ship headed to Outer Space to visit S's imaginary friend Jerome while he is on a family vacation to Mars.

Happy Playing!