Page 28 – Playful Learning

DIY Ladybug Dice Game

By Mariah Bruehl, 7th June 2013

Joey from Made by Joey is with us today to share an engaging math game for the whole family…

I love ladybugs, so I created our own version of the British party game – “Beetle“. A game that my mother-in-law played as a child and taught to our family.

Perfect to play in the backyard, at the beach or in a restaurant. It’s an excellent way to start little ones counting or a fun game to add to your curriculum if you are studying bugs! Ages: 4 to 104!

Object of the game:

To complete 6 ladybug drawings before the other players.

**note: younger children may prefer to play until 1 ladybug is complete to shorten the game.

Game pieces:

1 six-sided die

paper

pencil

printer (or you can draw out the sheets yourself)

Prior to playing, you can decorate your playing sheet with stamps and ink or your own ladybug drawings!

How to play:

– Download and print a playing sheet for each player.

– Download and print the ladybug rules sheet.

– The youngest player goes first.

– The first player rolls the die, counts the number on the die and, if they are able to do so, draws the body part that matches the number on the rules sheet.

– You must roll the numbers in order starting with 1 for the body, 2 for the stripe, etc. (for example: if you roll a 5 you cannot draw the legs until your ladybug has a body, stripe, head and antennae)

– If you roll another 1 before completing your previous ladybug then you can start drawing another ladybug and adding the body parts in order as you roll them. You can, therefore, have several ladybugs at different stages of completion.

– Continue to follow the rules sheet diagram to eventually draw all of the body parts on each ladybug.

– Complete all 6 ladybugs to win the game!

Now you can make your own games!

Does your family have another idea for an object that could be made into a new version of this game?

Enjoy using our printables or have fun designing your own object to draw. Any object that can be drawn in 6 steps will work!

Here are some titles of ladybug counting books to add to the fun! Enjoy!

1. Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth

2. Lots of Ladybugs by Michael Dahl

3. Counting Ladybugs 1-2-3 by Brian Enslow

4. Five Little Ladybugs by Karyn Henley

Yoga for Kids June: Springing to Life

By Mariah Bruehl, 5th June 2013

Hasn’t it been lovely to see the trees fully leaf out, colorful flowers in bloom, and little critters busy doing their thing? My family and I really enjoy watching the changes that take place in nature during this time of year and that is precisely what has inspired the Yoga sequence for this month.

I hear the excitement in my children’s voices when they spot a butterfly for the first time in the season…

Listen as they give the latest inchworm count…

And marvel with them at the unique beauty of each flower.

I hope your children will enjoy acting out these favorite spring-time sightings as much as my children do. Perhaps they can come up with their own spring-inspired sequence. What do you and your children appreciate about this time of year? Can they create some of their own poses or movements to represent those things? Perhaps they’ll grab some silk scarves and whirl around like dandelion fuzzies or hop around like a toad. I’d love to hear about it…

Springing to Life Yoga sequence download:
page 1
page 2

SaveSave

Authentic Art Materials for Toddlers Part 3: Paint

By Mariah Bruehl, 4th June 2013

Kate from An Everyday Story is here to share the next post in her series about introducing authentic art materials to toddlers. Today she is exploring paint…

Time to get arty with your toddler again. So far we have played around with clay and charcoal, today I thought we might get our hands messy with paint.

Paint can be a wonderfully sensory experience; the color, the texture, the sensation of running it through your fingers, over your hands and up to your elbows. So often though, I see paint offered to children in plastic lidded pots and always the same four colors; red, blue, green and yellow which inevitably blend together to give that murky greeny-brown. Yuck.

But what if we chose just two colors. Two colors that complimented each other. Two colors that when mixed together, transform into other pleasing shades and colors. And what then if we offered white? A true exploration of color.

So let’s paint. Or should I say, let’s explore colors. Let’s create colors.

Setting up your creative space:

When you are setting up your creative space try to create as big a space as you can. I often cover our entire table in a sheet of butcher’s paper. My daughter likes to move around when she paints. While she often paints in complete silence, she rarely sits still in a chair. A large sheet of paper allows her to explore without me redirecting her back to her seat.

Sometimes we forgo the paper completely and she paints directly onto the table or onto a large laminated sheet of plastic. She mixes paints, spoons out blobs, creates lines with her fingers and erases them again with her palm.

A child-sized table (like an old coffee table) allows your little one to really interact with the paint. They can lean over onto the table, move around the table, use large sweeping movements with their arms across the table; really have freedom of movement of their whole body.

When offering paint you might like to consider:

choosing two colors. Two colors which compliment each other
think beyond the primary colors of blue, red and yellow
think about colors found naturally in nature; bright oranges, subtle tones of green, light blue
include white. White paint creates different hues. Your little one can run their fingers and palms of their hands through the paint and as they do the colors will create new colors; pleasing colors
choose containers which allow your child to see the colors: clear containers or old glass jars draw attention to the paint

If your toddler is anything like my daughter, they will dive straight into the paint. But if your toddler is a little more apprehensive, like a little friend of ours, there are a few things you could do to encourage them to explore:

Start by adding a little paint to the paper and just dotting their fingertips across the paper
With a spoon, scoop a little paint onto their fingers for them to dab onto the paper
Using just one finger at a time, spread the paint across the paper
Using the second color, mix the colors together
Watch the colors change
Show them how to make lines in the paint with their fingers

And since this kind of painting, this exploration of color, gets all kinds of deliciously messy, think about the clean up. Find a place where you are completely comfortable with your toddler exploring paint in whichever way they enjoy, freely, openly, without interruption or redirection. Paint outside, paint in old clothes, have a bucket of water and old towels nearby and ready for washing. Have it all ready to go before you invite your toddler over.

Enjoy and happy painting.

Next month will be the last in our Authentic Art Materials for Toddlers series. I’ll see you all then.

Art on a Whim… Building an Art Library and How to Use It

By Mariah Bruehl, 3rd June 2013

Becky from a Sweet Hot Mess is with us today to share all of her favorite resources for exploring art and artists with children…

My children love to draw and construct, paint and sculpt. Art is by far their favorite pastime. I’m sure it’s your children’s favorite pastime as well. In that vein, many of us keep art supplies on hand, from watercolors to cotton balls, popsicle sticks to crayons – we provide a veritable bounty of hands on goodness for our kids.

To further this passion, I have committed to building a library of art reference books as well. I keep them at hand (and typically near our largest art center) and am ready to drop everything when they seek me out to teach me a new technique or ask me a question regarding art history.

Most recently, my children heard a reference to “expressionism” on one of their shows and sought me out for further enlightenment. I immediately do what I do best – ran to my library of reference materials and dug out a few that would work in a pinch. Here are a few of my favorite art books we have laying around.

Last year, our Librarian asked me to recycle a bunch of encyclopedias and a large collection of Artists throughout history was included in the trunk full of musty old books. I immediately brought them home and they have been a favorite ever since (check with your local library to make sure you’re notified if/when they are rotating materials off the shelf – you might get lucky!). In that my kids had asked me about Expressionism, I grabbed Picasso and Matisse and on a whim I grabbed Manet as well.

I also have collected a few art compendiums, some children’s art books and even have started collecting artist’s autobiographies geared towards younger ages.

If you are limited on space or had to pick – pick a really good compendium of art. Here are a few on my wish list.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

The subject matter to study with your children does not matter – go where their curiosity leads you. My children specifically led me to impressionism and expressionism. The following art project can be done with any period of art and highlight how we can put our art libraries to use.

So to begin our art lesson on a whim – pull out your supplies. In this case, I had just found a 5 pack of bingo dabbers at the dollar store (which are essentially dot sponges filled with watered down paint). We’ve been dying to use these and this proved to be the perfect opportunity.

I highly recommend keeping the art tools to a minimum, so that the focus remains on the reference material and your art lesson doesn’t become an art free-for-all (my children have plenty of these). So, pick one medium such as crayons, watercolors, chalks or paint and set up your art area. What has worked best for us is to keep a roll of paper around as our safety net. I tape this down and then tape down their paper to their temporary art station.

Since my children asked about Expressionism and I deemed it essential to backtrack a bit and introduce them to Impressionism to allow for historical context – I needed to have two sketch papers to each of their stations.

After a quick lecture on the two art periods, I had the kids write down reference words to help remind them which period represented what. As with most of my kid’s learning – I introduce them to a lot of information, don’t dumb it down and yet make sure there are two or three key concepts I want them to walk away with no matter what. I am always surprised with how quickly they learn these concepts and how much extra information they glean along the way.

At this point, we sat on the floor and dug through our books. I had the kids pick an painting that inspired them from both periods in art history.

After setting up our books, readied our tools and I was able to show them how the Bingo dabbers worked.

I will typically work ahead of the kids or even with them on my own art so that they have an additional reference point as to what is expected – plus it’s fun. Make sure your kids are started before you show them a peek of your art, so as to minimize copying.

This is the point where I sit back and let them create. It’s fun to watch them interact with each other, check out each other’s work and talk their way through their creations. The dabbers proved to be a fun new tool, though with a limited palate which frustrated the kids at times – I had to keep reminding them to think outside of the box. Limitations help us innovate.

The kids quickly learned all the various ways to use the dabbers, so as to make their two pieces stand out next to each other.

I’m glad they picked up on the Impressionistic quick strokes (or dabs) of the paint, whereas they leaned towards thick bold lines with their Expressionistic pieces.

This approach worked very well for my two children in that there are both inclined towards art in very different ways. So, while my daughter was very concerned with a deft hand, color and line – my son was able to connect to his piece through his newfound knowledge of these two art periods (ie: her finished product was very important to her while his was not, but the art lesson was)

I call this art on a whim, because I have to be prepared to drop everything and take advantage of this curiosity when it strikes. My children are very independent artists and want very little input, so when they approach me with a question or for help with a new technique – I try to be as available as possible.

Plus I have a theory that curiosity is a finite resource – that if we do not mine it, foster it and take advantage of it…it will fade. Or at the very least, my children will stop coming to me to answer to their curious moments in life.

And if your children need a little nudge, pick an art period or artist and introduce it yourself and see what questions arise.

Twelve Books about Numbers

By Mariah Bruehl, 30th May 2013

Rebecca from Thirteen Red Shoes is with us today to share another a lovely list of recommendations for counting books…

My eldest is able to count confidently, but my littlest, aged 2, is just developing this skill…

Here is a list of our favorite counting books, ranging from timeless classics to newly released books.

1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar | Eric Carle

We have multiple copies of this book! It is perfect for so many different areas of mathematics, be it numbers, time, color, repetition, pattern, science and life cycles. It is a beautiful book and Eric Carle’s clever and signature collage artwork inspires children all over the world.

2. Counting in the Garden | Patrick and Emily Hruby

A delightful counting book in which you can extend in so many different ways. When I read this book, we usually focus on sequential adding of the numbers, as well as cumulative adding. Therefore we count not only 1 onion then two turnips and three thistles as we find the hidden garden items on each page, but we also add them together,so one onion + two turnips = three vegetables. One onion, + two turnips + three thistles = 6 items hiding in the garden.

3. 10 Little Rubber Ducks | Eric Carle

A perfect book for introducing ordinal numbers as you follow the path of ten little rubber ducks as they are washed overboard a container ship during a storm.

4. The Poky Little Puppy | Jean Chandler

This book was mine as a child. When I had my first little boy, my parents gave this to me to read with him. A lovely counting book from 1 – 10.

5. A Child’s First 1 2 3 Numbers | Alison Jay

I am a fan of the beautiful illustration style of Alison Jay. Each page in this counting primer contains a little bit of the page before and a little bit of the page to come hidden in the picture. I adore looking for the little link. Alison also cleverly represents the number in focus again and again on the page. For example, in the three little pigs page, not only do we see three pigs, but they are accompanied by three tea cups and saucers, three apples, three umbrellas, three cushions, three cupcakes and the list goes on. It is a fun gave to play with the littles-seeing who can find another representation of the given number.

6. & 7. The High Street | Alice Melvin and Counting Birds | Alice Melvin

Alice Melvin’s artwork is simply precious and her books are adorable.

My little ones love Counting Birds. This rhyming primer introduces a lot of different birds we were not familiar with, as well as focusing on numerals from 1 – 20.

The High Street is a counting book, but also focuses on memory and list making. The main character, Sally, goes to the High Street to buy an eclectic list of items ranging from a Persian rug to a cockatoo. The pages open up to become a three page spread and it is simply beautiful. You could spend an entire afternoon looking at the beautiful details on each page. My little ones love books with additional little pockets and flaps and pop ups so The High Street is a favorite.

8. One Gorilla A Counting Book | Anthony Browne

This book is magical. The illustrations alone are worth seeking out. This is Anthony Browne at his very best. Our youngest (aged 2) adores this book and enjoys telling us who the primates are on each page. It would be wonderful to use as a provocation into a discussion on primates as the 10 representations are amazing and varied.

9. & 10. That 17th Hat | Trevor Eissler and Marloes de Vries and 4, 963, 571 | Trevor Eissler and Ruth Chung

June books, the publishing house of the above titles, state on their website that they ‘aim to delight and inspire children, while introducing families to Montessori education. They create books that honor children and the important work they naturally undertake in the demanding task of self-development.’

“That 17th Hat” and “4, 962, 571” are both strongly based in numbers and are perfect for children with a more concrete understanding of numbers. “4,962,571” is an excellent starting point for discussion about larger numbers and how to record them.

Both feature end pages which guide parents through the core Montessori principles addressed in the picture books. This video shares both titles being read by the author.

11. 10 Little Circus Mice | Caroline Stills and Judith Rossell

A delightful tale of mice teaching the friends of ten. Friends of ten being 10 + 0, 9 + 1, 8 + 2, 7 + 3, 6 + 4, 5 + 5, 4 + 6, 3 + 7, 2 + 8, 1 + 9, 0 + 10 .

12. Montessori Number Work | June and Bobby George

This book allows the reader to experience numbers in multiple ways. Not only can you count the numbers as quantities, but there are also sandpaper numerals to trace to help reinforce number formation.

Child’s Play: Organizing One Toy at a Time

By Mariah Bruehl, 24th May 2013

Adrienn is with us today to share some simple tips for keeping toys organized and engaging for the little ones in our lives…

” The small child cannot live in disorder. Order is for him a need of life” -Maria Montessori

This is the first in a series of posts about organizing children’s spaces one toy at a time…

Toddlers require seemingly different organizational approaches and systems than teens. But our goals should be nonetheless the same, establishing good habits and incorporating them into our daily routines so that clean up time is fun, fast and effortless.

No one loves more to give you a helping hand with all kind of household chores. You can’t take the broom out without them begging to use it. This is the perfect time to invite them to work alongside you, and to teach them valuable organizational skills and the joys of a neat home. But it becomes a dreadful chore and can quickly escalate into a power struggle if we don’t watch out for some common traps. Traps like too many toys, a lack of designated shelf space, and no daily, weekly, or monthly decluttering habits.

Here I have corralled some easy to follow tips to keep the clutter in the playroom and/or home at bay. My favorite is the last one!

Child's Play...organizing one toy at a time 1. Less is More…

Rotate toys on a regular basis with a back up system of boxes stored in the attic or basement.
Give access to interesting utensils and everyday objects. The kitchen is a gold mine!
Swap instead of shop. Family and friends with same aged children will be more then happy to get some “new” toys.
Use small and medium sized containers, trays and baskets instead of big ones to avoid rummaging around.

2. Start Collections…

Displaying them artfully will be a treat for your eyes and kindle a love for curated objects in your child.
Invest in quality, not quantity.
Discuss with family what your child is into before holidays/birthdays and make it easier for them to buy presents.

Child's Play...Organizing one toy at a time 3. Store toys at a kid-friendly level:

Encourage them to play on their own by presenting their beloved toys in inspiring ways.
Let them clean up after themselves with the help of easy-to-change picture labels (click on photo below to download these handy labels from Jill Dubien!)

Child's Play...organizing one toy at a time

4. Establish dedicated play zones

Set up micro-play zones throughout the whole house instead of just one room. Use baskets or drawstring bags on doorknobs as toddlers will follow you and need supervision.
Create organizing solutions that work for the whole family, depending on how much time you spend in each room.

5. Get grown-up storage systems you can use over and over in different configurations.

Opt for a timeless style and mix canvas, wood and wicker.

6. Establish a family rule that before going to bed every toy should be put away.

Adding this to your routine will do wonders as it becomes a way of winding down and preparing for a good nights sleep.

Try one or more of these tips for a couple of weeks and tell me how it went!

Photo credits and links from the top: one /two / three / four/ five / six /seven / eight

If you are interested in discovering more practical tips for creating inviting spaces for the children in your life, check out our Playful Learning Spaces online class…

10 Books about Nighttime

By Mariah Bruehl, 20th May 2013

Rebecca from Thirteen Red Shoes is with us today to share another one of here inspiring book lists. This time her book recommendations are for the ever-important and oh-so-special, bedtime ritual….

Here is a collection of bedtime picture books recommended for children aged -9 months – 100!

Time for Bed | Mem Fox and Jane Dyer

We have two copies of this beautiful book, both a paperback and a board book. I must admit I adore board books, so I was delighted when they released it in this version. The illustrations by Jane Dyer are remarkable, and children and adults will quickly learn the story by heart.

The Rain Train | Elena De Roo and Brain Lovelock

This is a new book in our home and focuses on the sounds made throughout the night on a train journey. Soothing words and muted nighttime colors make this book delightful. I am a huge fan of books filled with onomatopoeias.

The Quiet Book | Deborah Underwood and Renata Liwska

This is a perfect book for winding down after a busy day. Each page depicts a certain type of quiet. This book really makes you slow down and smile. The illustrations by Renata Liwska are beautiful and the pale color palette is a delightful match to the written text.

When You Were Small | Sara O’Leary and Julia Morstad

An absolute favorite of mine! You may remember that I mentioned it in my books of love post earlier this year.

Goodnight, Me | Andrew Daddo and Emma Quay

From the day Little R was born, we have read this story each night. My husband knows it by heart and we adore it.

Tom and Tilly | Jedda Robaard

Tom and Tilly is an adventurous story about two friends, a bear and a boy. It follows them on a magical adventure in a beautiful little boat, which takes them all the way to bedtime. The book has a lovely little paper boat pattern at the end, which is lovely to create as part of the story telling. See an inside view here.

Good Night Moon | Margaret Wild and Clement Hurd

A timeless classic and a must have. We have both the Spanish and English versions and adore both so very much.

Guess How Much I Love You | Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram

Another classic that needs little introduction. We own multiple copies of this book.

Knight Night | Owen Davey

Knight night is delightful. It is the story of a little boy on his nightly adventure to bed. The illustrations are bold and the sepia tones give it a unique look.

Sleepy Bears | Mem Fox and Kerry Argent

This is a long picture book compared to the others I have mentioned, however, it is just too beautiful to not be included. It is the story of a mother bear and her cubs as they prepare for the arrival of winter. I love the line close to the beginning of the story…

“ but there’s plenty of time for your own special rhyme, if you climb into bed and snuggle in tight,

without any fuss and without any fight”

Bedtime stories are a central part of our nightly routine, which ensures that our little people are growing up with an in-depth love of literature. There are many other books besides these ten selections that we share at bedtime, but these always get a special request.

Some of these books we have had since before our eldest arrived, and others are very new to our home.

In our home, we follow the nightly rhythm of tea, bath or shower, warm milk, and then tucked in tight to bed for a story (or ten)! Sometimes it is so hard to leave a warm little person who is all clean and snuggled into bed.

Collaborative Art: Making a Masterpiece Together

By Mariah Bruehl, 17th May 2013

My favorite thing about art is how it transcends the normal lines that divide us. You don’t have to have incredible technique to create something meaningful. Seasoned experts can learn from the perspective of young beginners. For this reason, I love to see my young daughters create. They can’t tell you why placing that line there, or drawing that flower looks so good, they just do it. I find their uninhibited approach refreshing and I love to come up with new ways to challenge them.

My five year old daughter and I recently decided to make something together. She loves to paint, so we started there. We took a special trip to the art supply and picked out a few things. We started with watercolor paints, but ended up switching to acrylics for a more vibrant look.

I set up a little work station with our supplies at one end of our dining room table. We also set a few guidelines before we got started:

1. We would each add one color to the canvas everyday.

2. We would do our painting while the other one was out of the room, so they would be surprised.

3. We would try not to paint completely over the other persons art work.

We worked on our project for 3-4 days, sticking to the guidelines and each adding a new color each day. At that point we both decided we could each starting adding more than one color each day. After about a week, we both agreed the painting was finished and we added the final colors together.

I love this project for so many reasons! It was a pleasure to sit down everyday and see what my daughter had added to the painting. I was impressed by her focus and ability to stay within the guidelines (she normally finishes a whole painting within minutes). I could also tell that working on a project as my equal made her feel really special. And now I have tangible proof of the beauty that is created when we come together and treat each other with respect.

This project could be easily modified to fit any type of art form. Does your child like to cut and paste? Why not work on a large collage together? Or perhaps a pencil drawing or clay sculpture. The important thing is to work together to create something you both love.

SaveSave

Learning with Circles

By Mariah Bruehl, 15th May 2013

Joey from Made by Joey is with us today to share lots of inviting ways to engage our young mathematicians in meaningful and educational activities…

I just love it when art and learning go hand in hand! We have several of Ed Emberley’s drawing books, so when I saw the books “Picture Pie” and “Picture Pie 2“, I thought-what a great way of introducing all kinds of learning! Being a paper saver, I also love any opportunity to use up the small scraps of papers that we accumulate!

There are so many ways of using the activities in these books depending on your child’s age and abilities…

For early learners:

Adults can help children cut circles and shapes in a variety of sizes and colors. Matching colors and shapes is an excellent way of starting the first step of recognition. Finding other circles (and parts of circles) in your home or drawing pictures of items is another way to help your child recognize circles. Have your child watch you arrange the shapes and ask “What have I made with these shapes?”

*note: with young children always be cautious of choking hazards when collecting things for these activities.

For preschoolers/kinders:

With supervision, preschoolers/kinders can begin to trace/cut their own circles with child safe scissors, draw circles on paper and find items around the house or classroom. (have them collect items in a basket like a scavenger hunt!) Print the words: circle, half, quarter, third, whole, part, and divide on paper for the children to “read”. Use the paper circles and shapes to make patterns (for example: red circle, blue half, green quarter, red circle, blue half, green quarter) Believe it or not, understanding patterns is a very important step to learning math concepts in future grades.

For school aged children:

Children can begin to work more independently with the Picture Pie books by following the directions to make specific patterns. Working with and understanding how to divide the circles into halves, quarters, etc. and then combining those parts can aid in learning division and fractions. Hands on learning for these types of mathematical concepts are excellent as the children can see and manipulate the shapes themselves.

Supplies needed:

Circle punch (in a variety of sizes) *Note: children can cut the circles by hand or you can print the “Picture Pie Parts” from Ed Emberley’s website.

scissors

glue stick (for some of the activities)

Printables to use:

On Ed Emberley’s website there are free printable booklets that are available to download here. Each month offers different seasonal projects that use the Picture Pie method.

To print any of the projects into a handy little booklet:

:: select the project

:: click on the “printer icon”

:: select the “multiple” button

:: select “print on both sides of paper” and “flip on short edge”

:: select the “booklet” button

:: click print

Trim the pages down if you wish and round the corners (always a nice touch for children’s materials), staple down the spine and you are ready to start making art, learning and recycling!

I have also designed a few free printables that can be used for learning with different age groups.

*Note: you may need to download the file from Google Docs in order to see all of the shapes on some of the documents.

Learning with Circles for Early Learners

Learning with Circles for Preschoolers

Learning with Circles for School aged children

Pocket-sized Library Lists {printable}

By Mariah Bruehl, 14th May 2013

Annie from Alphabet Glue is with us to share a handy printable to help enhance the our beloved library visits…

As you and yours prepare for the upcoming lazy days of summer vacation and all that they bring, you may find that you have more time for trips to the local library. This is often the case at our house, and it seems that along with all the reading that happens, there is also a lot of trying to remember what we’d like to toss into the book bag on the next trip to the community library. Books get recommended by friends, or sighted in the window of the bookstore as we walk downtown. We might see or hear about something that seems great, and then in the haze of summer relaxation, forget it right away.

But here’s an easy solution: printable library lists, sized to easily slip into a pocket. Keep a stack handy, and use them to guide your book gathering all summer long. You can even check off the titles on them as you go, making sure that no good book gets forgotten!

To download the library lists, click on the image above. Enjoy!