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I have to tell you all how much I miss seeing your children at the art table. I feel so much joy watching children explore color, shape and line. I first discovered this joy while I was a young teenager. I had loads of art materials and my neighbor’s children would come to my house and paint. I remember putting the paintings up on the wall of my room. As a young adult I taught woodworking classes to children. I will never forget the little boy who asked me “have you ever been so happy that you had tears in your eyes?” as he held the coping saw in his tiny hands. Is there any greater reward than that? I have to confess that my love of sharing art comes with a bias. I feel very cringy about some art projects. I dislike telling children that red and blue make purple- I would prefer to give them the colors and experience the pleasure of discovering what happens when the two colors mix. I don’t like when every creation follows a pattern, or when outcomes are presented from the get-go. I will bend and offer an example to guide children, or a product for inspiration but I avoid it whenever possible. My youngest son’s grade 2 teacher gave the class instructions on how to collage a paper flower. My son went ahead and assembled the flower without following the instructions. His teacher crumpled up his flower and asked him to start from the beginning. It bothered him enough that he remembered to tell me. It bothered me more because I bawled my eyes out at the school the next day, saddened for my son and feeling really horrible because I appreciate teachers and didn’t want to complain. It was just paper, it was easy to start the flower again, the teacher wasn’t angry- but when it comes to art I am super protective of a child’s creativity.

So that is why when you come to my art table you will probably find scissors, glue, paper, oil pastels (never crayons) red, blue, yellow (primary colors) and white paint, paintbrushes and never much more. Everything creative can be found inside your child. I hope you feel joy while watching them experience art too!

My all time favorite story as a child was The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone, illustrated by Michael Smollin. I have never been a fan of thrillers, but this book had me on the edge of my seat! You would think that a scary story would be the last thing a child would want read to them before bed, but books like this actually help children practice dealing with fears. Books that touch upon difficult emotions can open up conversations about feelings that a child may be holding inside and give them the confidence to overcome them. Of course you will want to be very sensitive to your child and choose books that don’t cross the line. Choose books that are age appropriate and that cover subjects you are most comfortable with as well.

Here are some popular  SCARY STORIES;

Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

Go Away Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley

There are also many classics like The Three little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, and Little Red Riding Hood to name a few.

PLEASE ENJOY THIS DELIGHTFULLY SCARY STORY, click the link bellow

The Monster at the End of this Book

It has been so lovely to hear from families over the last few weeks. Super nice to receive emails and videos of the children at home too! I have invited you to share any crafty ideas and inspirations for my blog.

One question that has been offered up is about language development in young children.  Specifically, what can caregivers do to foster language? Over my years of practice as an Early Childhood Educator I have noticed that some children begin speaking early, while others take extra time, and then there are those that benefit from some help from a speech therapist. I will be addressing ways that adults can support language development regardless of the unique needs of individual children.

It will probably seem obvious to begin with the need to speak to your child. Yet, some parents are not naturally chatty, and it may take some effort to remember to narrate the everyday moments you share with your child. An example of narration might be “Oh, you are eating bananas at the table with your purple spoon”. It could also be, “Mommy just wants to finish this one cup of tea before tidying the living room (for the 6th time today)”.  Talking to your child as you go about your day is the most natural way for them to acquire language. Face-to-face interactions have the greatest value because they allow children to soak up language while positively affecting their social and emotional development.

Singing to your child is also a fantastic way to engage them and introduce vocabulary.  I can tell you from experience, it can take a lot of repetition before you see the fruits of your effort.  Then again, sometimes children surprise me. At a StrongStart a few years back I sang to what seemed like an unresponsive crowd. Later that day a grandma sent me a video of her toddler singing all the words to the song I had sung. He had actually memorized it, not perfectly but enough to tell me that singing to children who are just quietly listening with no signs of interest, is well worth my time (and embarrassment when I sing off key). Our brains are wired for language and even more apt to remember words set to music because sound patterns are stimulating.  We sing to express our emotions. Music, emotions and memory have a special relationship. Do you recall songs from your childhood? I would love for you to share them at the comment section below.

The last thing I will cover for now is reading with your child. Reading introduces new words, their sounds, print, and all while giving your child undivided attention. As your child begins to remember the sequence of the story, you may be surprised to find them reading with you! As you read, pause occasionally and wait for them to finish the sentence. They may not pronounce the words correctly, and that is okay! You can repeat the word in an encouraging voice. Let your child choose the book, you can talk about the pictures or make up your own story. Don’t be surprised if your child wants to hear the same story over, and over, and over again. I personally love books that rhyme. Books with animal sounds are also a ‘hoot’. I can be so punny!

Chatting, singing and reading to children can quickly become a natural part of your daily routine. They are calming activities that children will look forward to, and everyone appreciates a bit of calm.

I have a favorite bathtub song that I would be happy to share with you and your little ones, just watch our for the possibility of waves (maybe don’t fill the tub to the top!).

I am going to assume that most families have had to scale back on time spent away from home. For your child, this may mean that you have more time to play with them. If you are able to play with your child please know that it is an important part of your child’s development. Play is good for grown-ups too.

I have always been pretty good at setting up the environment for play. My kids always had paints and play-doh available. I would let the kids paint the shower walls. They would love to bake with me because I never followed a recipe and food became an experiment (sometimes a costly one).  They had toys but playing with toys all alone is rarely fun for kids, especially when children are very little.

If I am being honest, my kid’s dad was a much better play partner. I recall trying to settle the kids down after their play sessions. It was bigger, louder and far less structured than the times I spent with the kids. I think he had as much fun as the kids did. This unstructured and frankly unproductive play is golden.  I had to learn to value this kind of play.

This is what I have come to understand about play-

“Emergent play does not typically unfold from activities with a lot of structure and rules, as this tends to confine and take the lead in terms of play. This is not to suggest that we stop these activities but it does mean that we need to stay cognizant that structured play activities are not equal to free play.”

“All play is not created equal; it’s not about the toys, the stimulation, and the entertainment. The type of play that their brains need is where the energy is coming from within the child to construct, build, create, and so on. This type of play is called emergent play and in this state you see curiosity, imagination, and sense of discovery in full action.”

By Deborah MacNamara  (full article attached below)

https://neufeldinstitute.org/its-not-just-childs-play/

So here we are during a global pandemic, seemingly more dependent on the internet than ever before. How the dickens are we supposed to limit screen time? I never lose my phone, okay well almost never. It comes with me to do the laundry, it waits for me near the sink while I wash my face, my phone holds all my secrets and memories. I think it knows me better than the man I’ve been married to for over 20 years! Kidding aside, you and your children have needed  devices to keep informed and connected with the world outside your door. I realize that I am tempting you all to spend time on your screens right now! So lets be kind to ourselves and understand that we are in a very difficult moment in time and we will go back to a new normal sometime soon.

So how about the Preschoolers? There is plenty of information available regarding this topic. I invite you to take a look at the link provided below.  Again, it is important to note that the ideal may be unattainable in the short term.

https://www.cps.ca/documents/position/screen-time-and-young-children

You may see some little insects out and about while you are enjoying time outdoors or in the garden.  While I discourage bringing them inside and keeping an insect for a pet, we can appreciate how entertaining and beneficial they are. Insects aerate soil and break down dead materials, helping plants get more nutrients. Some help to pollinate flowers. Some insects eat other plant destroying insects. Hooray for Bees, Spiders, Lady Bugs, Ground Beetles, some of our garden superheros!

Can you spot them? Don’t get too close and use your eyes (not your hands, some insects do bite).

Thank You Sylvie You-Bourne for these crafty ideas!

Photo Credit: Sylvie You-Bourne

Milk-Jug Bird Feeder

Popcorn Sprouts

Sprouting popcorn is fun and easy.

This is a project that we enjoy at Windsor Family Drop-in. The children love to use their safety scissors to snip the grass and the greens are yummy in a stir-fry or tossed into a salad. I have noticed that children are more willing to eat vegetables that they have helped prepare.

All you need is a shallow container, some relatively fresh (under 3 years) popcorn kernels and some soil.

To speed things up pre-soak the kernels in water for a few days. When you see a nub forming (germinating) at the tip of the kernel, they are ready to to be strained.

Fill a shallow pan with an inch and 1/2 of planting soil. Sprinkle kernels onto and the soil. Place the pan where it will get sunshine, water as needed.

You can expect to harvest the sprouts after 7-14 days.

Video tip toe through the tulips