Carpentry Play

The carpentry corner at Playcentre is a very empowering corner for play indeed.

My daughter's creation, "The dolphin diving in the sea"

Full of real tools - saws, hammers, nails, screwdrivers, screws, drills, vice, wood and the complete trust in our little people that they will enjoy the tools in their play.

Our playcentre carpentry corner has had its tools refreshed and the kids know it.  With every tool working as it should the children are relishing each one.

Our role as parent at Playcentre is to provide, observe and extend when and if possible.  With carpentry that can be intimidating for a myriad of adult reasons - safety concerns, limited personal experience even frustration that screws, nails and tools are being tipped out and strewn every where by children!!!

After attending a carpentry play workshop I have had my lenz widened to so many pathways children play through when exploring with this type of play.

My kitchen cupboards and draws are often emptied of cutlery, pots, bowls and tea towels because even with all of the "play" or "toy" equipment provided - you just can't beat the real thing. And why not, it's good enough for Mum and Dad right?  Of course then carpentry tools are viewed by children in the same way.

If you imagine how your baby and toddler play and explore the home kitchen then we can draw comparisons to stages of development in carpentry play :

Experimentation Stage
In the kitchen we might see our children....
                        watching family members,
                                      grabbing for and playing with kitchen utensils
        handling and playing with spoons, bowls and pots
                                                             carting the pot around like a treasure
                          emptying cupboards

                       (sound familiar?)

With carpentry play this stage might look like
               tipping out accessories
                                               chewing on wood
        watching other children
                                                           handling or carrying tools around

Abstract Building Stage
In the kitchen we might notice our children.....
                                                use all the utensils in ways they have seen them used
                         begin to stir in a pot or bowl
                                             put plates or bowls or pots in ovens or fridges
          put their toys in the pots!

With carpentry play this stage might look like
                          hammering nails without help
         controlling saws                                        imitating adults
             using tools for their correct purpose
                                      no plan

Specific Creating Stage
In our kitchen I see this ...
                  child requesting a recipe
                                         understanding that certain types of baking requires certain ingredients

gathers ingredients from cupboards and fridge or garden
                            models Mum and Dad's methods
    insists on variations
                                       
During carpentry play you might see children in this stage...
      Pre planning construction
                               adding accessories
                                          modeling own things
completing and naming their creations
                                                      experimenting

What I love the most about these identified stages is that it begins with experimentation and upon knowing more and understanding more returns to experimentation.  That to me is what is exciting about learning through play and in my opinion what learning is.  How often do you find yourself mastering something, then experimenting once you feel you have reached a certain point?

Ideas for making carpentry more accessible at Playcentre or at home:

Provide the basics if you can - wood (untreated pine off cuts are usually free around the place), nails or screws, hammers, drills, and saws.

Be present during this play - observe, offer language (hit, screw, up, down, together...) provide ideas to enable the child to realise their plan.

Holding a nail can be hard while little hands hammer.  Try starting the nail, put clay or playdough around to hold the nail in position.  This is a much more appealing option than your fingers around the nail while the child takes aim with the hammer.

Wood can be hard.  Bars of soap are a great medium for hammering into - if  the child's goal is to hammer.  Pumice is an accessible medium to saw, drill or hammer into.

Hammering/drilling holes into shells can end in shatters.  Use a masonary bit (has a spade like tip).  Hold the shell round side down and squish into play dough or clay to hold in position.

Tree stumps make excellent hammering tables for toddlers - they are lower, a little more forgiving and provide a large and defined work space.

Once nails are hammered into wood, thread wool around to create a pattern.

With the child's imagination and exploration nurtured by the adult's support through observation, offer of language and scaffolding to make their pathway possible there are no limits - follow their lead.

Carpentry play grows problem solvers, develops fine/gross motor skills, is both scientific and mathematical amongst many other values and most importantly is fun.

Show and Share: Painting Biscuits

This week Miss two and two thirds would like to share how to paint biscuits with a pastry brush.

We hope you enjoy sharing this idea and movie with your little people.

NOT Breastfeeding at Playgroup

There has been a lot of debate in the press lately about breast feeding or not.  Extremists will always get their views into the media, and it is important, in my opinion, that they do.  They give us an opportunity to ask ourselves what we think about the issue.

Breast feeding has been something I can do.  Very little drama and a lot of success.  I am grateful that my children have been able to benefit from the intimacy of breast feeding and the health benefits.  Still, there are many other beautiful mother-child relationships for those who bottle fed, what's more their children are also healthy.

I have always advocated to other mummy friends that you do what ever is best for a happy mum and happy baby.  At the point when the decision is being made, or is made that bottle feeding must begin I hear my self consoling friends with "It's ok" and "We can do our best, then we are allowed to bottle feed if we need too".

While I can breast feed I am not quite able to breast feed for as long as some Mums.  At our Steiner playgroup I am always amazed by mothers breast feeding two, three and four year old children.  All mothers have their reasons for breast feeding - for what ever duration, or bottle feeding and hopefully the reason encompasses happiness.

So I can say this and share this - but now I am living it with my second daughter I am struggling!!  E is six months old.  From four months she has shown strong signs of wanting food.  She has been breast fed on demand - unlike my eldest daughter.  She is now on three meals a day and loves her milk and food.  She is happy.

I am less happy, I am tired too.  Consequently, we are almost one week into one bottle of formula a day. She takes the bottle enthusiastically, unlike her sister!  She devours her milk.  She has three teeth, so its nice that the teat gets a hard time instead of me!  Yet I feel a sense of guilt.

When I pulled out the bottle at our beloved play group I felt like a failure.  I have not seen one bottle fed baby there before.  E did not mind one bit.  Actually, I bet nobody minded.  Just me!!  Our play group community are so accepting, and yet I felt guilt.  So silly!

So why have I started to drop breast feeding?  Let me remind my self.

E is ready for more.  I am exhausted.  Hormone fluctuations are making me a little crazy.  Patience is disappearing.  Oh, and here is a wee sketch of what my vivacious eldest daughter got up to today at play group...

That is her a top an eight foot fence.  No one else at play group had the vision to see how to climb the fence.  Kaea does!  And did so twice today!!  The fence neatly separates play group from kindergarten.  Kaea has watched little people playing through the cracks in the fence.  She has wondered through their green kindergarten pastures, past the fountain, rocky edged sandpit, meandering paths to the lush vege garden to feed the chickens.  She has experienced a small sense of loss realising that her friends who once played with her at play group, are now on the other side of the fence.

At almost two and a half she told me she can go to kindy now.  She has been told that when she is three, and can successfully use the toilet she may go to kindy.  Well she can use the toilet and she is three next birthday so I can see why she must be there NOW.  The kindergarten co-ordinator who rescued her from eight feet up (whilst I tried with baby in arm) a little shocked to learn that she was not three for another five months asked me if I thought she would be ready to attend without Mum.  My response, rather sadly was yes.

I am not digressing from the point of this post. Promise.  Kaea is an exuberant, independent learner, who cannot get enough of the world.  I tire from keeping up with or just behind her from a little distance.  She needs my energy as does E.  So to keep up with them both and keep my self going forward I feel that a combination of breast and bottle from now on is the key.

Hopefully we can regain a happy mum, and maintain happy baby and toddler.

Show and Share: Heart Soaps in a Coat (Felted Soap)

I would like to introduce you to my big girl Kaea.  She is a talker.  Started talking quite early, has a fast growing vocabulary and talks about everything!  Inspired by Meagan at This Whole Family we chose to celebrate Valentines Day by creating felted soaps together.  Such a wonderful hands on and useful craft to complete with our children.

Together we've made her first "Show and Share" tutorial, thinking it would be a great way for her to do what she loves best - talk and share, and may be experience an audience wider than her family.  You will hear her refer to "Tazza and Daddy" as these are who I framed as her audience.  The concept of a blogging community as an audience was a little hard to explain!

Following this "Show and Share" are some supporting notes and comments from her Mumma.

Perhaps, your little people could enjoy this "Show and Share" with you.

Heart Soaps in a Coat (Felted Soap)

The movie could do with polishing, however the focus is showing and sharing in her two year old way.  We would love to hear what your little people think.

Mumma's Supporting Notes

The timing of Meagan's tutorial on Felted Soap could not have been better for me.  We are almost a year into toilet training and my pet peeve at the moment is liquid soap.  The liquid soap dispensers are not kind or encouraging to little people who want to grow in independence.  I am not a fan of soap bars left wet and slippery at the basin either.  Felted soap is a great solution.  Wool is self sanitising, it creates a lovely lather of soap, acts as a cloth to wipe off extra dirt and allows the soap to dry in a contained space.  And it looks beautiful!

I have also read that once the soap has disappeared, you can cut open the felt, insert another bar and close the opening with more felting.


You will need:

• a mould for your chosen soap shape
• gratings of soap - I chose to grate a quarter of a cup from a bar of soap
• a double boiler - I used a heat proof bowl over a pot of boiling water
• a few drops of essential oil - optional, I used sweet orange
• tbsp of coconut oil - optional, I found that it helped to melt the soap
• wool roving, suited for wet felting - I found more than enough in a bag for less than $NZ5 from Spotlight
• an old stocking
• a bowl of warm water

 Add grated or pieces of soap, along with coconut oil if using into a double boiler.  When the soap has softened (timing will depend on the amount of grated soap) add essential oil if you wish.   Softened soap can then be spooned into your moulds.  Take care it can be hot.  Level the soap and leave to harden overnight.

Pop the harden soap out of the mould and cover with the wool roving. 

At this stage we placed the soap in an old stocking.  Using a stocking makes it easier for hands, big or little to matt/felt the wool.  You may go without a stocking, it will require rubbing the wool for a little longer.

Dip the stocking wrapped soap into warm water and begin to rub all over.

It soon begins to lather.  We took turns to rub the soap for almost ten minutes.  For a larger bar of soap you may need to rub for 20 minutes.

Finally, unwrap the stocking to reveal your felted soap - or soap in coat!  Leave the soap to dry completely before using.

Thanks Meagan for sharing your tutorial and I hope you and your little people enjoy Kaea's "Show and Share" x

Summer Tee Pee

I love tee pees!  Last year while cruising the internet I found many gorgeous tee pees, my favourite being those who had the hand made touch.  They reminded me of childhood summers spent under our tent made of bed sheets in the shade and with use of the branches of a nectarine tree.

In time for Christmas I managed to create these tee pee for my daughter and her cousin using this pattern from Spotlight - made from sheeting even!!

One was appliqued while the other featured stars.  I love the idea of tee pees providing a little space for peace and serenity for big brothers or sisters.  That is of course until little brothers or sisters learn to crawl!

KB still loves to share with her wee sister and read to her, so for now her tee pee is a shared space.

'dell has taken to his tee pee so much that it has become his nap time destination!  For this I am so grateful as when he unwrapped this Christmas present from his Aunty it sure paled in comparison to his cousins bike from her Aunty!!

If you've not seen the tee pee pattern from Spotlight and want to practice straight lines and seams like I did, take a look. This is a great project, simple with potential to become a magnificent project.

What do you think?  I would love to read your comments, they will motivate me to keep trying to find a space in my hectic life to post that which my busy hands have created!!  Thinking about a give away too...

Hope to post again soon x

A time to thank our friends..even the imaginary ones!

KB baked her first batch of Christmas cookies.  We chose a Belgium Biscuit recipe - delicious and spicey, drizzled with a lemon icing.

It took all day from mixing the dough to cooling, baking then cooling, then icing.  As a treat she got to stay up a little later than usual with Mum to finish these off.

We chatted about giving thanks to those who care for us and for whom we care about at Christmas time.  This included her friends of course.  And she included "mmm", "yay" and "ha" - her imaginary friends.

A month ago these three appeared or at least became apparent to me.  You see I forgot to dry them after KBs shower one evening (I did not know they were there!!).

I have since learned that they are girls.  They are very small and can fit in KBs hand.  They are gorgeous as told in one of her palm stories (when our family are in places where there are no books handy we use the palms of our hands together to tell a made up story) one morning... "Once upon a time there were some girls mm and yay they were gorgeous and nice..."  Their front door is on the wall beside her bed - which explains the knocking that we hear in the evening.  They recently celebrated a birthday and quite a birthday party happened at our house with many soft toy guests and two different cakes.  KB is teaching them how to use the toilet and they help her too.  They get pushed on the swing.

Many people believe that imaginary friends appear to help a child get through hard times and certainly research seems to support this.  I thought this too.  I did some research and more thinking about when mmm, yay and ha appeared to my "eyes" and what times they appear to play with KB.

They seemed to appear not long after KB tried to initiate a game of tee ball with a four year old at play centre, with whom she had played a couple of weeks before.  The four year old did not respond despite KBs attempts at asking.  So I wonder if KB needs friends for reciprocal play and in her life mm, yay and ha fill this need between real friends.

Perhaps, they have appeared since KBs sister E joined our family.  KB loves her sister but cannot wait for her to play with her...sooo may be mmm, yay and ha fill this gap.

Or may be as this research suggests, imaginary friends are created by children with active imaginations.

What ever the reason - mm, yay and ha are a part of our family, friends to KB and this year will be getting a gift of thanks from her.

How about those names??!

More Finger Painting Magic!

My nephew plunged into using our Playcentre finger paint - made by his Mumma during his little chicken pox episode recently.

He described his painting as "magic".  I so agree with him.

Here is Kaea's latest adventure with finger paint.  Blue and Kowhai this time.  She is beginning to notice what happens when she blends colours.

And clearly the experience was super as the paint was squidged all over her arms and feet!

"Green Mummy!"

Some parents prefer to avoid "messy" play at home, but in our house it is the best play of all.  Kaea's little senses love it and she seems so refreshed and "earthed" afterward.

This time round her little body seemed to want to get amongst the paint.  So I say bring on summer and we will take the paint outside and see what happens...by then E might like to join in as well!

Finger paint recipe here

so true on so many levels...

Source: madamecupcake.tumblr.com via Rochelle on Pinterest

clever!

Poppies Bookstore Voucher Draw

Have you been to your local Poppies Bookshop?
 

I rediscovered ours in Mount Maunganui yesterday.  With the torrential weather we had in the morning I was so please to find shelter in its warm welcoming surroundings saturated in so many high quality books.

I find it difficult to not squeal out loud with excitement when I find great new and loved children's books - and Poppies know just how to stock them.

Even more exciting is being greeted by a passionate retailer.  Our local Poppies store is hosted by Janice, a wonderfully passionate woman whose infectious love for reading won me over!  Of course she offered us excellent retail assistance and showed us through an interactive book - sans pop ups, technological wizardry or add ons, just plain and simple visual imagery, "Press Here" by Herve Tullet. It will have you pressing, shaking, and tapping away. A magical, whimsical book suitable for young and wise with great imaginations.

It is also wonderful to walk into a bookshop who care about children.  There are toys for the little ones, should they tear them selves away from the tantilising books for children on offer.  KB was treated like a real little person in the Mount Maunganui Poppies - and this means heaps to a parent.  Poppies offer story time readings for children, they are great - I have witnessed many children enthralled by the readings.  Now that KB is into books I cannot wait to take her down!!

Poppies at the Mount have recently launched a Facebook page which will include reviews, event announcements, specials and when they will host their children's story times (such fun!).  Join their page to stay up to date and go into the draw for a $25 voucher of reading goodness.  Let them know you found their page through Rochelle at Focussed Lenz.

Other discoveries made and highly recommended reads......

Have you met Lulu?  She came into our hearts around the same time KB started toilet training.  Lulu is a very sassy young lady.  "Lulu's Loo" delighted and motivated KB and continues to do so.  This is an interactive book which captures the essence of toilet training - recognising accidents, triumphs and independence.  The illustrations are a quirky mix of paint and collage.

Lulu is somewhat of a heroin in our house so it was great to discover "Lulu's Lunch".  Another interactive story about Lulu and her picnic.  KB has added this to her Christmas wishlist.

Our two year old would love to recommend these books to other sassy little "Lulu's" out there.  Go track her down!!!

Don't forget to sign up to the Poppies Mount Maunganui Facebook page, mention Rochelle sent you and get your self into the draw for the $25 voucher.

May your weekend find you trapped in a great read!

My Creative Space: A Quilted Headboard

Now that my big girl is in her bed, and we have rearranged her room she really needed a head board.  But my goodness to buy these things are expensive!  It seems even more so if you are looking for character or originality.  I still find my self being hit with a barrage of pink when looking for anything slightly girly. Perhaps I am looking in the wrong places, please redirect me if you think I am.

All of this led me to "Why don't I make it myself".  Armed with mdf, some timber, batting, foam, a few power tools, spray adhesive, buttons and sewing machine we have this... a quilted white head board with randomly sized and placed buttons.  I love spray adhesive - it has come in handy for a few things.

Luckily you cannot see the back of the head board.  The back is purely functional and hardly pretty.  Problem is that when her blinds and curtains are open you can see a corner of the poor finishing through the window.  One day, when my belly is back to normal size I shall felt the back and tidy it all up.

In the meanwhile KB adores her head board.  I could not believe how excited she was to have it up.  It has proven to become a wonderful bedtime quiet game tool too.  KB counts the buttons, we match buttons and she practices her colours.  Who knows what we might do with the buttons next!

Now KB has a  hand crafted head board to match her up cycled Dr Seuss foot stool.

Check out more creative goodness from the Creative Space community here.

Celebrating Matariki - A Te Reo Story Table

"Ko wai to ingoa?"  

"What is your name?"

"Ko Rochelle toku ingoa"

"My name is Rochelle"

My beautiful and linguistic sister - Bella, is a teacher of Te Reo Maori and Kapa Haka at a Rudolph Steiner School.  She is full of courage and passion.  Passion for learning te reo - while our family are of Maori descent we did not speak Maori, yet she is driven to learn and share the reo.  Courage to take her passion for learning into a role where she is not a fluent speaker but a wonderful connector and learner herself.  Courage to step into a different school environment one which at times is in contrast to what she has trained for.

Steiner share stories to learn with and from.  So Bella wrote the story of Matai the Moa, an orphan in search of friendship.  The story is sprinkled with te reo with a focus on asking another's name and giving your name in response.

I loved her story so much that I set about illustrating it with Steiner style crafts, with knitting and felt.

Matai lives alone in a tomo (cave).

He ventures outside (ki waho) into the forest one morning.  Matai comes across a small bird, with a long beak snuffling among the leaves under a ponga tree.
"Ko wai to ingoa" asks Matai,
"Ko Kiwi toku ingoa" replies the bird before retreating into his burrow to sleep.

Matai Moa reaches a glade filled with beautiful music.  He peers into a Kowhai tree to see a bird singing happily.

"Ko wai to ingoa?"
The bird replies "Ko Tui toku ingoa",
"Kia Ora Tui, ko Matai Moa toku ingoa, could you teach me to sing as beautifully as you do?"
Tui says she will, but not until she has finished her morning song.

Matai Moa makes his way onward meeting many more native birds.... and the story continues to a very fulfilling conclusion.  The above is an abridged version of her writing, but hopefully will give you some idea of it.

Story telling without expectation is a powerful learning tool and story tables allow our little ones to revisit and retell the story they have heard when they choose.

I love this story too as it relates to the elements of Matariki including the whenua (land), Papatuanuku's gifts, connections with others and knowing who we are and how we relate to others. Ka pai mahi!

While K and I have enjoyed the story at home, she likes to recreate her own version with the props and characters we will also share it at Playcentre as a point from which our session children and parents can learn some reo.  I am very nervous about leading this!

However, if Bella can be so courageous I am sure I can be too!

Taken to a Magic Place with Finger Paint

Inspired by my last task for course one of my playcentre diploma, and the wonderful book "Magic Places" I got stuck into making K some finger paint.

Oh how glorious this stuff is!  Silky, thick, rich in colour and texture.

Here is my modified recipe (playcentre ingredients in brackets)

Finger Paint

1c        cornflour         (2c)

1/2 c    cold water      (1c)

2c        boiling water  (4c)

2tbsp     liquid soap      (1/4 c lux soap flakes)

Whisk together and when blended divide into  smaller bowls and add as much or as little of tempura paint as you wish.  This should keep well for a few weeks in sealed containers.

One of the self led learning opportunities finger paint can offer our little lovelies is the chance to interact with and observe colour blending along with texture and pattern making.  So appealing to the senses!

I limited the colour choices to red and yellow so that K could enjoy and observe those colours.  I have noticed that when she paints at playcentre the colours are not as important to her as the feeling of the paint on her skin.  So finger paints offer her the best of both worlds, and the small colour pallet helps her to appreciate colour.

It was truly relaxing to watch her immerse herself in her painting, listen to her language which accompanied her experience, and observe how she used palms, forearms and fingers in a variety of ways.

" scooping, circles, smashing, fingers, push, painting, what's dis one? bubbles, squeeze"

Children's Play Resources

Painting
This area was set up using easels and mostly paints of primary colours with brushes and paper.  I have also contributed to this station on other occasions by cutting the paper into the shapes of the session theme for eg egg shapes for Easter, or if the children are choosing to paint body parts then placing tote trays of paints on the grass along with long sheets of paper to step along.

Eve was the first child to find her way to the painting after being busy at with play dough on this particular session.  She was attracted to the colour blue and used large strokes up and down the paper.  Eventually she moved away from the brush and used her hands, dipping them into the pottles.  Eve chose to use just a limited palette.

We discussed her painting.  I asked her questions about the colours she was choosing, how the paint felt, and offered connections - "blue like the sky today", and how the paint colours changed as new colours merged with others.

My daughter is going through a sensory stage with paint ( between 20 and 23 months of age) preferring to use her hands by dipping, and now using a paint brush to paint her hands, fingers or arms to then paint on the paper.  I think she would enjoy body/face painting next as she is starting to notice this on others.  During this sensory stage she appears immersed in the feeling and tends not to talk about it rather observes the cause and effect.   During her painting time at this stage I am a listening and observing participant allowing her to enjoy that which she is focussed on.


The responses to tasks one and two of module 1.1 were completed during and up to May 19, 2011.

Easter Biscuits and Rupert Rabbit

 

I love Afghan biscuits - mostly when others make them.  Our friend Lee makes the most amazing Afghan's with caramel hidden under the icing!  Oh my gosh!  These helped me through the first few days of breastfeeding - so delicious.

She shared this idea with us too - Afghan's topped with mini easter eggs.  I must admit I was reluctant to make these as no Afghan measures up to the Caramel version and I often end up with the mixture which becomes too crumbly to eat.  Fortunately, K adds the magic touch when she bakes (many touches actually!) and they turned out just right.

It is quite challenging for a nearly two year old to decorate this type of baking without the eggs being mysteriously redirected to her mouth rather than the biscuit.  I guess you might expect that from a little girl deprived of many sweet things - she has a boring old Mum!!  K did struggle to eat her bikkie at the end of her hard work - over the sugar I think?

We have had a wee visitor turn up too.  He is a little shy.  Rupert the Rabbit is warming to the camera.  I will tell you more about him when he relaxes a little!