Several Christmas trees lived phase 1 of their human interaction existence as decoration for the holdiays in the homes of our preschool families. Phase 2 for the trees left them dispersed as a "forest" in our school play yard. Now they've moved on to phase 3...play yard tee pees!
As I was busy sawing branches off our old Christmas trees, the children were also busy...
I turned around to find that they were working with the pipes.
They told me they were making a big pipe for water to go through.
Isn't this a wonderful example of how much they learn by working together with "loose parts"?!
A key discerning factor for many parents when they first tour our program is our play yard. If you've seen our yard, you know it is not filled with a commercial play structure. Its surface is not covered with grass. 
We have chosen not to deprive our children of the privilege of creativity in play by filling our outdoor space with those things. On any given day, you are likely to find children outdoors here enhancing their play with use of boxes, pvc pipes, shovels, rakes, a random assortment of lumber, plastic jugs, hoses, water, old Christmas trees, rope, old tires, tubs (metal and plastic), rocks, sticks, and whatever else they feel necessary.
All of those items the children use in our yard are known in the field as "loose parts". In other words, play parts in the yard that are loose for the children to utilize in their play at their will.
While we have plans to improve our outdoor space, we vow not to take away the above things from the children. Anything we add will not get in the way of their creativity.
I've often told those parents on tour that while our play yard may not look like much, it is often the heart and soul of our school to the children.
Here is a link to a little piece from Slate Magazine that was emailed to me yesterday. It expands a bit on the play-yard concept we have consciously chosen.
So parents, be sure to provide your children with enough loose parts to play and risk creatively. If you have extra loose parts of any sort that you'd like to donate to our yard, we would be more than happy to receive them!
We have said for years that children MUST use too much.
Sometimes adults can be concerned with waste.
Well, Teacher Tom has done it again...put into words our take on glue...It's All Being Used.
I am getting to know a few like-minded educators who also attended the "Good Stuff For Kids Conference" back in July.
This morning, one of the gals from the conference who also owns/operates a preschool posted a link to a piece entitled Overly Academic Preschool Experiences May Actually Slow Learning.
Read it here!
Note: Just another day of water play in the school yard (with color of course)!
Last week we held our annual end of year celebration and graduation. We had no children graduating this year due to long distance moves and job losses, but we celebrated with a pot-luck and campfire with s'mores anyway!
The "theme" (if you will) of the evening was slowing down for our children. I see so many busy busy parents come in our doors...busy with work...busy with activities...busy with social agenda...busy fulfilling the expectations they have set on themselves due to the pressures of society, neighbors, friends, and family.
We need to consciously slow down in order to protect our children's childhood.
We began the evening with a poem...
Come Out With Me- by A. A. Milne
There's sun on the river and sun on the hill...
You can hear the sea if you stand quite still!
There's eight new puppies at Roundabout Farm-
And I saw an old sailor with only one arm!
But every one says, 'Run along!'
(Run along, run along!)
All of them say, 'Run along!'
If I'm a little darling, why don't they run with me?
There's wind on the river and wind on the hill...
There's a dark dead water-wheel under the mill!
I saw a fly which had just been drowned-
And I know where a rabbit goes into the ground!
But every one says, 'Run along!'
(Run along, run along!)
All of them say, 'Yes, dear,' and never notice me.
Every one says, 'Run along,
There's a little darling!'
If I'm a little darling, why won't they come and see?
And we followed the above poem with a song...
Memories- by Tom Hunter
What do you remember from the time you were a child?
Do you think of moments memory knows well?
Are there little things like trinkets you carry with you now,
That trigger stories memory wants to tell?
Like the people, or the places, the fun or food or games,
Like family trips or chores or how you played,
Is it painful? Is it pleasant? Is it somewhere in between?
Are there things you always wished that you could say?
May the memories wrap their arms around you,
May your childhood take you by the hand,
And may what you remember find healing when it hurts,
So the memories will protect you when they can.
What songs and smells and gatherings come easily to mind?
What have you learned of love from who loved you?
Do the memories need forgiveness to free them from the past,
And find a future you can still make new?
May the memories wrap their arms around you,
May your childhood take you by the hand,
And may what you remember find healing when it hurts,
So the memories will protect you when they can.
And what about the children you find around you now?
Are you making time to sing and talk and play?
So someday they'll have memories of love and being loved,
Protection that'll never go away.
May the memories wrap their arms around you,
May your childhood take you by the hand,
And may what you remember find healing when it hurts,
So the memories will protect you when they can.
Please, please slow down...listen to your children...provide those memories for them!
Note: plunger painting photos are from a school day...not from our celebration!
We are holding an online yard sale to help fund our way to the amazing annual Good Stuff For Kids Conference at the end of the month! Please support us by shopping at our sale, contributing items to the sale, or making a donation to help cover our cost!
You can view photos of our items for sale in an album on Facebook here!
THANKS!!
p.s. If you can make a way to join us at the conference, please do! We highly recommend it to ANYONE who has ANYTHING to do with caring for children in any capacity!
Every parent starts from a point of wanting the best for their child. The problem is, reasoning often stops there. Typically parents don't step back from that starting point and ask themselves, "If I want the best for my child, what truly IS the best thing?"
We just assume that if we want our child to be good at something, we just need to help them do more of that thing. For example, if we want to have a literary genius on our hands, we need to get them started reading early in life...forcing academics. We believe that this will give our child a head-start in literacy.
WRONG!
Reality is...research has shown that this is just simply not how our brains function. Our brains function optimally by learning to problem solve and think creatively ON THEIR OWN...a practice best learned through real-life exploration and experience.
I read a piece this morning that was absolutely EXCELLENT! It's a Brittish article that discusses many areas in which we desire success for our children. It elaborates on how things often backfire in our effort to support our children in path toward success in those areas.
Please, please read
As you may already know, we do not believe in creating models for children. Today, a local colleague shared a great post on why it's important for us to allow children to use their OWN creativity in art. Please read this great piece Why Not Draw For a Child by Janet Lansbury.
In our program, we provide snacks comprised of a fruit of vegetable along with a 100% whole wheat bread that we've baked ourselves (e.g. blueberry muffins, cheese bread, biscuits, applesauce bread). However, we require that parents pack a lunch for their children. The reasons for this are simple:
-we simply can not afford to feed 16 children as well/healthful as what the parents are able to provide
-we do not want our teachers' energy/attention/time to be spent on preparing the food...we want them to be able to focus on the children
Sometimes I receive comments from parents who feel stuck in a rut with packing lunches. So, when I ran across the ideas (thanks to pinterest), I simply had to share!
I think sometimes we are fooled into thinking that play-based education is new, strange, and understood by few.
Teacher Tom has done it again, showing us how the concept of learning through play is something that many have valued throughout the ages in his post The Seriousness of Play!
Our responses to the conversation our children bring can truly provide them the space and direction to be critically thinking humans or limit them to follow responses they've been taught. I'd prefer the former! I'd rather our children gain the confidence in their own ability to handle social interactions than just follow an adult's instruction.
Today I read a post that walks us through how we can support our children conversationally in evaluating their own social experiences. Blogger "Parenting From Scratch" writes a post To Help Kids Process Emotions, Ask, "How Was That?". Please read it.
Thanks Michelle, at Busy Bee Preschool for sharing this today!
This morning I was catching up on some readings I've been saving for a while. I was absolutely THRILLED to read Teacher Tom's blog post that gave clear, specific alternatives of ways we can respond to children rather than the rather instinctive "good job".
This is KEY for our families, as we have explained that we avoid such praise and ask that our parents do as well. Please read his post Seven Things To Say Instead of "Good Job!"
A major topic of concern for many parents is potty training. I try to encourage parents that potty training is something we need to handle with each child and each family individually.
One of the trends that seems to have been growing and I am getting more and more questions about lately is potty training at the infant/toddler age. I am very cautious of this. I agree that children are plenty intelligent. I agree that many children are "capable". My concern is that not every child is READY! :)
I've read a great piece in Huffington Post entitled A Doctor Responds: Don't Potty Train Your Baby. It's a good read...check it out!
"I have this" is another lovely blog post written by Teacher Tom.
I agree with him on his beliefs on what the definition of a teacher is. Our role is truly to facilitate...not direct. Our job is not to show how things are done, but rather to provide experiences that allow children to determine how to do things.
Like Teacher Tom said, when children leave our program they "head off into a world of schools in which teachers are mandated to teach them a certain core curriculum of specific, standardized knowledge and skills organized grade-by-grade, year-by-year, much of which is conveyed by direct instruction." I wish it weren't so...I wish they could all be sent off to experience-based settings. However, I believe that we are sending very strong, capable children into those direct-approach settings because of the foundation we provide them: the foundation of confidence in their own ability to explore and problem solve.
Therefore, I wish even more that ALL children were given such a foundation! What a solid base they could have on which to grow and learn throughout their lives!
A lovely little blog I enjoy following posted this great little piece "Outdoor Play Is Not a Waste of Time."
I just read this article, and must say that I can not agree more. Needless to say, the toys and materials you will find in our school are quite gender neutral and support femenine and masculine play. No pink and princessey here!
If you are parent to a little girl, read the article.
If you KNOW someone who is a little girl, read the article!
If you know someone who WAS a little girl, read the article!
Here is another link to the article, in case you have missed the first link I gave at the top!
I have not yet read Peggy Orenstein's book, but I am going to need to do so! You can find more about Peggy here.
The children in our school explore the properties of water and the properties of "things" in the water frequently.
They've moved quite a bit beyond evaluating whether things will "sink or float".
However, one day, as they were trying to find something to carry their animals and vehicles as a boat, I observed a first in our school. After some discussion and some experimentation with various blocks that float, they decided to try...
...paper!
And it worked...
...briefly...
...but not for long!
So, they crumpled up the paper...
After trying one more time, they moved on! I wonder when I will observe this experiment repeated.
I think these stamp pads are absolutely intended for the use of little feet in stamping!
Sometimes we, as adults, become concerned when our children are not playing with other children. It's just not right. Children need and deserve the time and space to possess and explore things in a space on their own, free of social interaction and interruption.
Sometimes, it's just nice to be able to occupy the entire train track and all of the trains in solitude!
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