Writing Party - add the sprinkles

 Learning to write should not be a chore.  It shouldn't be all worksheets and tracing.  Let it be a party!  With this writing activity, making letters and writing is a sensory activity and fine motor exercise (& yummy too).  I found sprinkles at my local dollar store and have had this wood try for a while. I found it in the craft section at Walmart, but any flat tray will work.

 Simply pour in the sprinkles and let the kiddos make the letters in the sprinkles.  It's that easy.  Learning should be fun and - in this case - very colorful!

 You can use salt, seasonal sprinkles, flour, so many possibilities.

Have a fun and playful day!
Mel

Sensory for Infants and Toddlers

 Sensory for Infants and toddler is easy peasy with items you have around the house.  I found these little containers at the Dollar store - 12 for $1.00!  I gathered up some items around the house and in the pantry that will make different noises when shaken.

I simply filled the containers and hot glued shut for safety purposes.  Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers will make all kinds of music with these sensory shakers.

Have a fun and playful day!
Mel

Reindeer Games - Math Concepts

Hard to believe that Christmas is just days away.  It's time for presents and visits from Santa and making cookies (lots and lots of cookies!)  It's also the perfect time for teaching math concepts to your little ones.

I set up a simple math game here.  This concept is number value.  Kiddos will understand that the written number '5' means five objects.  I only did 1-5 with this layout.  Start out simple and work your way up to 12 objects.

 You can use a whole host of items to teach this concept.  These small wooden reindeer, I found at Michael's Craft Store in the holiday clearance section.  I think there was a package of 20 for $2.99, but they are 70% off this week.

First, lay out the numbers (or simply write them clearly on a piece of paper) in order - 1, 2, 3,4,5.  Then ask the child to show you how many reindeer for each number.  If they place four reindeer under the number '2', don't say No, that's not right.  Say something like, Let's count those together.  While counting put your finger on each reindeer.  It helps to reinforce the number value.

You can use any objects that you have around the house - jingle bells, cotton balls, candy canes, etc. The play possibilities are endless!

Have a fun & playful day!
Mel

The Power of the Peg Doll

 I am happy to share that my peg dolls have been purchased and shipped all around the world along with my play mats, mountains, boats, & more.  As an early childhood educator and parent, I know that children's imaginations are sparked by the simplest things - a cardboard box, a stick, a peg doll. These simple wood turning dolls are handcrafted by a fellow Ohio artisan and hand painted by me.  They are sealed with a natural, non toxic sealer safe for children.

 Peg dolls can be anything and everything. One simple doll painted with a green body can be a zookeeper, a fairy, a mommy, a garbage man, and so much more.

 No bells. No whistles. No batteries. No small pieces to break off.  These peg dolls are unisex and hold a whole universe of imagination within them.

 Children have BIG ideas for these little peg dolls.  Adults do, too.  I have heard that they are being used for imaginative play, home decor, in classrooms, and even in play therapy!  I love the fact that not only are my peg dolls part of your children's childhood, but also that they can be part of the healing process for children. That's the power of the peg doll.  My heart is full.

This is the magic of childhood.

Have a fun and playful day!
Mel

Math Games Mondays - Desert

Math Games Mondays returns with a simple and fun game.

I found this cactus clipart on etsy.com  Simply buy, download, and print out one sheet for each child playing.  You could also use stickers on a piece of cardstock in a grid fashion.

The "game pieces" are Safari Ltd Desert Toob toys. (This is not a paid endorsement, but I do LOVE their toys!)  You will also need one dice or spinner per child.

The child rolls the dice and counts the number of dots. Then, he covers up that many cactus. For example, if  rolls a 4, then he would put 1-2-3-4 toys on the game board. 4 cacti would have 4 toys on them (one on each). The, they roll again and again until the whole game board (all the cacti!) are covered.

This game teaches counting and one to one correspondence.

Have a fun and playful day!
Mel

Math Games Mondays - Desert by melanieshanks featuring Omniware serveware

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Bird Sensory Table

 On Wednesday, we added birdseed, Easter grass, yarn, eggs, a mini birdhouse, and Safari Ltd. Backyard Birds Toob to our water table.  The girls had a ball with it.  I posted a few pics on Wednesday, but I wanted to share more.

Playdough Pasta and Straws - Toddler Sensory & Small Muscle Exercise

What I love most about playdough is the toddler educational benefits.  Playdough is probably the number one way to play to strengthen those small muscles in little fingers.  While they are molding and smooshing and manipulating the playdough, those little toddler finger muscles are getting a workout.  And strong finger muscles are needed to hold a pencil properly and control it and write.  Who knew playdough was so amazing, right?

You can set up the scenario at the table for your kiddo.  I started with a glob of playdough and poked 3 thin straws into the glob.  Roo immediately knew what to do, but if your toddler needs help, you can model what they are supposed to do.  Fit the pasta onto the straw and let it slide down.  Repeat again and again.  Toddlers learn through repetition.  You may go bored with it, but a while a toddler is exploring, they are learning.

This activity held Roo (who is 21 months) for about 30 minutes.  That's a looong time in toddler time!  Let your kiddo experiment and play until their attention span wears thin.  It could be 2 minutes.  It could be 22 minutes. 

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Makin Monsters

 Wanna make some crazy monsters or creatures or maybe aliens?

 Super easy. Super fun. Give your kiddo a glob of playdough, some straws, pasta, googly eyes, and other materials you have on hand.

 Let them poke poke poke away, adding whatever they like. I had fun making one, too. Playdough is therapeutic, I think.

What will you make today?

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Straw Necklace Update

Our straw necklaces turned Put super cute with this orange polka dotted ribbon that we had left over from another project. Miracle of miracles, we had just enough ribbon for BOTH necklaces! Simple and easy easy project.

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Playscape Play Mats - How Do You Play?

"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning.  Play is really the work of childhood." Mr. Rogers

How often had you said to your children or had it said to you when you were a child, "I am busy. Just go play."?  As a preschool teacher, I am trained to know that play is learning.

For example, in the block area, when a child is building with blocks, he or she is learning shapes and balance and scale and spatial thinking and cause & effect and symmetry.  Or if a child is creating with playdough, they are working those small finger muscles that will one day hold a pencil.  Those little muscle need to be strong enough to hold up and control a pencil when writing.  So play is much more than meets the eye.

When I created my playscapes or play mats on etsy, I had all that knowledge of 20+ years in the early childhood field swirling round in my brain.  I needed a project, but I wanted it to have a purpose.  We often in the early childhood field about play with a purpose.

It's easy (trust me, I know!) to put a child in front of a screen to watch that favorite show, but where's the imagination?  Where's the creativity?  I remember playing with my little toys for hours, making up stories, going on imaginary adventures, getting lost in play.

I am glad that I grew up in a time before internet and video games and ipads.  We were allowed to watch very little tv, so we were on our own to entertain ourselves.  I set up entire scenes for the characters in my imaginary adventure to explore, sometimes get stuck in quicksand, and find treasure.

So how do you play with playscapes?  Trust me, if you put one out with a couple toy animals, the kids would know what to do.  They could work in the garden.  They could find bugs.  They could go for a swim in the lake or stream.  They could hide in the hollow log or find treasure in the cave.

Their little imaginations will take over.  A Playscape is a landscape for the imaginations.  "Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein

I think that we need to have less screen time and more imagination time.  Some children will immediately start playing.  Some children may need to have play modeled for them.  Don't worry about looking silly with kids - they love silly.

When I post photos to Etsy of my work, I am limited to 5 pictures.  I try to take 2 pictures of just the playscape then 3 staged for play.

Easter is coming, so I staged a Easter scene with flowers and chicks and eggs.  That's another thing I love to do. I like to secretly stage scenes for play scenes. So when that child wakes up from nap for example, they walk right into a scene that just beckons them to come play.

Or I rearrange their toys when they are napping or doing something else.  They see it, a lightbulb goes off, and their brain thinks, "something is different. let's find out what it is."

So how do you play?  What do you do to engage your children in play?  Play has a purpose.  Play is learning.  Play is important.

Have a fun and playful day!
Mel

Planting a Toddler Garden 2

A couple weeks ago, I did a different version of this toddler garden but with fake flowers (and broccoli, too!).  Roo,age 20 months, LOVED it.  It's a great activity to strengthen those little finger muscles.  (You want strong finger muscles, so you can hold a pencil and control it when writing.)  I decided to do this activity again for a few reasons:
1. She loved making the garden
2. It's Spring
3. I found a Flowers Toob at Joann

This fun, colorful Toob from Safari Ltd has 8 flowers (2 Toobs are shown here).  Their stems easily pushed into the Model Magic dough from Crayola.  Doesn't it loo like a garden in full bloom?

Roo was busy "planting" her garden then "unplanting" over and over.  I think her Babyzilla side took over and she enjoyed destroying the garden as much as planting it!:)  Such a toddler.  Then, Big Sister walked into the room.

"I want to plant a garden, too.  I love working in the garden with Daddy." G, age 4.  So G planted the garden and Roo picked all the flowers.  Then, G had to replant.  It was a cycle - again and again with lots of giggles in between.

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

A box from Safari Ltd

Okay, you all know that I looove Safari Ltd toys.  I talk about them alllll the time, have used them in my teaching for year, and am always finding new things to do with them.  So when the good folks at Safari Ltd. asked me to review an item for them, I first did a happy dance in my head then said, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

I didn't have to wait long.  I arrived home last week to a boxful of happy!  Not one item but 5!  I know, right?  They sent me 3 Toobs - Dinosaurs, Exotic Birds, and Rainforest plus 2 Incredible Creatures - the Eagle and Penguin with chick.

I will be photographing these items and posting my review this week.  I am honored and so happy to do this for Safari Ltd.  They make quality Toys that Teach (that's their motto).  I am also compiling a list with photos of fun things that you can do with their toys.

If you have a young child in your life, you cannot cannot cannot go wrong with Safari Ltd toys as a gift, stocking stuffer, Easter basket filler, special treat, etc.

Have a fun and playful day!
Mel

Understanding Your Toddler Survival Guide

The Toddler Years are tough.
I am not going to lie.
I went through it.  I survived it.  You can, too.

A toddler is a cross between a cute, cuddly baby and an angry teenager.  Toddlers know exactly what they want and when they want it (most of the time, it's RIGHT. NOW.), but sometimes, they don't have the communications skills to tell us - which is frustrating for all of us.

I am going to make this very simple.

You need:
1. Patience.
2. Time
3. Routines
4. Prayer - lots of prayer :)
5. Sleep - you & your toddler

Patience.  You have to be patient with your toddler.  Remember, it's a phase.  They'll grow out of it.  (Then come the teenage years but that's another story).  Offer up solutions and vocabulary-building skills.  If your toddler is whining for a snack.  Say, "snack?"  Ding.  Something goes off in her eyes.  Yes, Mom finally understands me.  Then say, "You say 'snack'."  Repeat it a few more times.  Even if they don't attempt to say it, still reward them.  Praise goes a long way.

Time.  We all need me time, right?  Well, toddlers do, too.  They need time to explore and just play on their own.  Always keep them in ear/eyesight.  But sometimes, just sit back and let them be.  They also need time to figure things out on their own.  For example, you know she can't zip her coat at two, but she wants to try.  Give her time to try.  If you are frustrated and crazy trying to get out the door, your toddler is going to sense that and most likely will result in a meltdown.

Routines.  I used to say this to the parents of my preschoolers all.the.time.  Keep a routine.  Children find comfort in knowing what is happening next.  Unnecessary anxiety can be eliminated by keeping a routine - not Army strict but structured.  Children find security in routine.  Some kids crave it.  Even if it's not your personality to keep a routine, try it for a couple weeks and see if your toddler's demeanor changes.

Prayer.  Everyone needs it - especially parents and caregivers of toddlers!  Also, talk to other parents about what's working for them and what's not.

Sleep.  It seems the most likely scenario for a major meltdown is when your toddler is tired.  You know nap is at 2.  Don't try to sneak in a trip to Target or the grocery store at 1:00.  You are just asking for trouble.  My father in-law always used to say, "plan your work and work your plan."  Know in the morning what you need to get done and work it out accordingly, but do not push off those naps.  It goes back to keeping those routines and allowing the toddler time to settle in and relax.

Remember, toddlerhood can be fun and they learn so much so quickly.  Enjoy it (if you can!). It's a grand adventure. Take lots of pictures, too.  You'll get through it.  Some days, you won't think so, but you will.

Have a fun and playful day.
Mel