Sound Garden on a Fence and Voila! It's Music Discovery

 

What a wonderful use of pots and pans, 

unstrung wind chimes and a fence 

with a long lifeline.

Just hanging on the fence waiting for some attention.

For inspiration, all these boys needed was a couple of sticks 

and to hear the potential sounds that could be made. 

And it was a concert!

This is a terrific way to channel that energy that looks like 

swinging and hitting 

with what otherwise might be weapons. 

When these motions are channeled the kids are swinging and batting 

at musical instruments that make sound. 

Then, recognizing they can change and control the 

sounds by how they 'hit' the item 

their energy is focused 

even further.

Earth Play on Earth Day

Nature provides enough opportunities for learning, measuring, experimentation and discovery.

Opportunities for social interaction, cooperation and compromise.

Taking risks within limits and finding success.

Encouraging one another.

Leading and following.

Engineering at the preschool level.

Discovering and respecting life in its natural spaces. 

After all, it's EARTH day! 

Well, yesterday was.

And looking for more life form, worms, bugs and squishy things.

Hands-on learning (without a teacher telling us a thing) about weight, 

measurements, lengths and leverage awareness.

...and more discovery.

And more success!

Nature Inspired Conversations

Social development and learning to communicate are true skills that pre-kindergarten children will develop in a social environment. 

Independent and directed learning is one way to discover, but sharing, taking turns and finding ones own voice...that happens in an organic conversation is priceless. 

Younger children benefit from parallel or associative play, where learning and operating is done more 'side by side'.

Independent play, while necessary at a younger age is still an amazingly useful skill for children who are entering kindergarten. This child's ability to focus in a social environment will help her succeed in school.

Friday Picnic for Toddlers, Inside or Outside. Life is so Good!

Toddlers can enjoy Friday picnic day. A little sunshine through the open door.

Outside in the dappled light are the walking toddlers, enjoying the sunshiny day....

Sharing their food and smiles, socializing as toddlers do...

While the not-yet-walkers commune together, just inside the opened door...

...they eat their finger foods in anticipation of next week... 

Will that be the picnic day when they will walk outside?

Walking or crawling, a beautiful day with a classroom full of toddlers is a great thing!

Happy Friday. 

Happy Spring!

Just Get Your coat!

What are you waiting for?

Just grab your coat and put it on.

Like me!

Come on! You're missing all the fun.

We're busy, so it's not cold.

It's the best weather for making sand pies.

...or playing in the sand.

Whatcha waitin' for?

Put up your hood and play, if you want

If you're cold, just put on your coat.

Our Natural Playscape; Autumn wanes into dormant Winter

 The fresh air of fall and the light rain that seems to wash off the year come this season. At Caring Connection Children’s Center, the beach with it’s summer history takes a dampened appearance, the yard diggers and movers, toys and trucks hold less energy than they did just weeks ago… 

But as this season wraps itself into the next, there is the small gifts of new life that have opportunity to reemerge. Small shafts of grass creep up near our slide hill as the little feet of children avoid the muddy areas (with teacher help, of course).

The bales of hay have begun to decompose, as nature intended, into a soft ground covering and now even more into the earth. The leaves and twigs fall from the trees and wait in the puddles for the next transformation that they will become. 

The transformation, cleansing and waiting for spring have already commenced. Join us. Take a deep, fresh breath of the air and ------relax a little. Hold your loved ones and wait to see what will happen next. 

Something always does. 

...Just Add Kids...

Welcome, children to the new mud-pie kitchen.

 And see we have a gravel area for digging and scooping, dump trucks and building things.

Let your imagination go wild.

 Take a walk to your own little beach area with driftwood and a palm tree. Search in the sand for sea glass and small shells. 

 The slide hill is a favorite. But you must use it the 'safe way'. 

 The natural archways of willow branches have also made it through their second year. This year we see the first blossoms on the blackberry vines, too.

 Add some water, some gravel, a pinch of sand and stir in some bark...

yeah that should be about right!

 Everyone help us mix it up.

 Those not cooking are moving earth and relocating rocks in the new dump truck area.  

Give me a little water. I have something to make.

What did you see?
 

Here's some more...

Helping out the teachers! 

Cleaning up the ivy!!

 Before we toss the ivy, let's braid it into the willow arches 

and see how long it will stay green.

 The corn pit isn't even halfway filled. We already need more corn. So, deeeeep they go in to play...and play they do! 

Don't lose your shoes!

It's a wonderful thing to see these happy faces playing in our Playscape as we keep trying to change, enlarge and add on new ideas.

 

 And now and then, you just need some quiet time 

to stand alone in nature. 

Ahhhh!