Unplug… And Reconnect with Nature

It’s hard to believe that this week is designated as “Take a Child Outside Week.” The fact that we even need to have an initiative to motivate parents to go outside with their children and connect with nature is beyond comprehension for me!

During my childhood years, there was no better place to be than outside. In fact, our parents didn’t even offer us any other options; they just wanted to know that we were in the “neighborhood.” This could mean the woods near our house, down the street playing in someone’s backyard or at the school playground around the corner. We were always outside even as our parents stayed inside. Our parents didn’t have to “take us outside.” Our parents didn’t buy nor need to steer us away from the HDTV, video games, computers, phones and other technological gadgets that bombard the environment of children today. It seems a bit ironic that it’s the parent’s responsibility to get their children outside when it is they, the parents, who buy all the newest technology and allow (or even encourage) their children to learn how to use it. In Richard Louv’s book, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder,” he quotes a fourth-grader as saying, “I like to play indoors better ‘cause that’s where all the electrical outlets are.”

I saw an ad in the paper last week that had the following message, “There is no childhood obesity epidemic. (We just need better role models.)” We need parents to recognize that they are their children’s first teachers and that they are their children’s role models. One in three kids are overweight or obese and electronic media and junk food are partly to blame. And who is buying these pricey video games and high fat and sugar foods? It’s usually not the 4- to 8-year-old child. I feel as responsible adults we need not to be spending money on these items for our young children. Turn off the TV (I think there’s a designated week for that too!), and consider playing a video game or watching a movie a “treat” and not something to be consumed 5-6 hours daily!

What if we open the door and give children the time and opportunities to explore and discover nature on their own? Finding worms and dirt and leaves and sticks and rocks and bugs and whatever the outdoor space has to offer, the natural world is rich in sensory experiences for children. Smell the flowers, listen to the birds, feel the wind on your face, roll in the grass, stomp in the puddles or watch the shapes of clouds in the sky. Even in urban environments, children can experience nature. Provide magnifying glasses, tweezers , and small shovels for children to explore a small patch of dirt or grass. Even weeds grow in sidewalk cracks, ants can be found there too. Place a thermometer outside and read the temperature. Watch shadows, use binoculars for bird or squirrel watching. You don’t have to be a naturalist to instill in children an awe of the world and a desire to discover and uncover what is around them. You can nurture children’s interest in nature simply by demonstrating your own excitement and curiosity. Let’s go outside! You are a role model!

Drawing Relay

Keeping kids up and active can be a challenge during the school day, but the following activity, courtesy of TeacherQuickSource, is a great way to incorporate movement into a fun, creative arts activity. This is easy to set up can be done indoors or out, which makes it great for any season!

Drawing Relay

Materials Needed:
A large piece of butcher paper or large individual sheets for each team
Crayons or markers
A large area for a group relay activity

Let’s Get Started:

1. Divide the children into 4-5 teams so that there are only 3-4 people on each team.
2. Attach the butcher paper, or individual sheets for each team, to a wall, fence or other barrier.
3. Tell the children that one person from each team is going to go up to the paper and begin drawing a picture.
4. At the end of 30 seconds, the teacher will blow a whistle. At that time, the child will run back and give the crayon to the next person on his team. That person then runs up and continues drawing.
5. This relay should continue until each child has had two turns.
6. Take down the pictures and have the teams discuss what they drew.

Morning Moving Routines

Get the blood flowin’ and brains growin’ when you begin each day with some physical activity! The start of a new school year is a great time to establish a daily morning routine that gets kids up on their feet and out of their seats. Here are some of my favorite ideas for active starts to the school day:

Super Hero Exercises
With a little imagination and your verbal cues, children will be smiling and moving as they perform each exercise. Count to ten aloud as you do each one with the children.

Superman Stretch: children attempt to keep their balance while up on their tiptoes with arms stretched over their heads. (Imagine: “Superman is flying!”)

Batman Bounce: children jump in place with feet together 10 times as they count aloud to ten. (Imagine: “Batman is jumping into his Batmobile!”)

Robin Run: children run in place as they count to 10 aloud. (Imagine: “Robin is running to catch up with Batman. Wait for me Batman!”)

Spiderman Swivel: children stand with feet are shoulder width apart. Twist from side to side with arms and hands moving across the body. (Imagine: “Spiderman is throwing his web!”)

Wonder Woman Windmills: children stand in with feet shoulder width apart and arms are stretched out to the side. Use the hand of one side of the body to touch the foot on the opposite side. To help children perform this movement say, “Turn, touch toes, and up!” “Up!” means body is in a standing tall position. Repeat instructions several times with children using opposite hands to touch opposite toes. (Imagine: “Wonder Woman is getting her Magic Lasso!”)

The As-If Game
Have the children act out each sentence:
1. Jump in place as if…. you are popcorn popping
2. Walk forward as if… you are walking through glue
3. Jog in place as if… a big, scary bear is chasing you
4. Shake your body as if… you are a wet dog
5. Move your feet on the floor as if… you are ice skating
6. Reach up as if… grabbing balloons out of the air
7. March in place and play the drums as if… you are in a marching band
8. Swim as if… you are being chased by a shark

9. Move your arms as if… you were juggling scarves

Ask the children to create their own “As-If” sentences for the group to act out.

These activities can be great fun for the young children in your classroom or home. Are you an early childhood educator or parent with an idea for an active start of the day activity? I invite you to share your favorite ideas, too!

Tumbling and Wrestling and Roughhousing, Oh My!

Preschoolers Sally and A.J. are ready to engage in some tumble play, also sometimes known as roughhousing or wrestling. The tumbling mat is out and they are in the starting position, on their hands and knees facing each other. Shoes are off and other items are removed — glasses, name tags, belts, jewelry or other impinging articles. We have gone over the rules for this kind of contact play:

1. No hitting
2. No kicking
3. No biting
4. No pinching
5. No choking
6. No hair pulling
7. Respect one’s face, eyes and other sensitive parts of the body

At the signal, ringing of the triangle or bell, the action begins as Sally and A.J. tumble and wrestle each other. When one of the pair is off the mat, the action ceases. It’s now time for another pair of children to take their places on the mat, facing each other on their hands and knees.

“Roughhousing,” as we called it, was always a positive part of my preschool curriculum. On those days when we were pent up inside due to inclement weather or when there was a buzz of high energy in the room, I would take out the tumbling mat, place it in the middle of the circle time rug or carpet, and announce that it was time for roughhousing.

Children who wanted to participate would sit around the edge of the mat and talk with their friends who had joined them about who was going to wrestle with whom (participation was voluntary and children could pick their own partners). An adult was always present. We would go over the rules and demonstrate the difference between a hit or punch, with a closed fist, and a soft push with an open palm or soft shove with a shoulder. There is a world of difference and it is necessary to illustrate it.

Usually, I would ask one of the children or one of my colleagues to demonstrate with me so that I could visually show the group what is acceptable and what is not appropriate behavior.
The children would pick a partner, usually someone who matched their own weight and height, and those two would take their place on each half of the mat. I always had the children start on the ground at the same level.

If you feel an activity like this might be appropriate for the children in your care or classroom, it’s important to note that play that involves tumbling and roughhousing is meant to be active and fun for both participants, not a time to knock each other down or intentionally hurt each other. There are differences between aggression (hostile, injurious or destructive behavior) and roughhousing (rowdy, uproarious play or behavior). When aggressive, children frown and fixate on hurting the other child. In rough and tumble play, children willingly participate while smiling and laughing. At the ring of the bell they begin and at the next ring they end (when one of the children is off the mat). The entire “match” lasts between 30 – 90 seconds. The children return to their places around the edge of the mat, ready to wrestle with another friend. After 15-20 minutes, we would be done and the mat was put away.

Children who learn the difference between play wrestling/tumbling and aggressive fighting also develop important social skills. It can, over time, improve a child’s ability to solve problems that arise in social situations — the give-and-take mimics successful social conversations and interactions. Physically, children are benefiting from the intense physical exertion of rough and tumble play which supports cardiovascular health. Tumbling and wrestling can also help develop gross motor coordination, spatial orientation, directionality, laterality, body image, visual motor control, body awareness and eye hand coordination. After active play such as wrestling/tumbling, children are much more able to sit still and concentrate because they’ve been able to participate in some physical activity.

Many boys and girls enjoy the experience of the big-body play that tumbling/wrestling offers. The preschool period is a critical period for children to develop both physically and emotionally. Tumbling and wrestling for preschoolers can indeed be developmentally appropriate and if you feel it can be appropriate for your youngsters, I encourage you to give it a try!

Want To Have Fun? STOMP ON IT!

I’ve been using a stomp board (also known as a launch board) for over 25 years! It is a must-have, and one of the kids’ all time favorite item for active play! I’ve used it in the classroom as well as at children’s birthday parties and citywide children’s festivals. I use them in obstacle courses inside (on carpet or linoleum) or outside (on cement, grass, etc.) As far as I’m concerned, every classroom could use at least two stomp boards! Discount School Supply carries one called the Joey Jump. In my opinion it really is superior compared to the wood ones I’ve used in the past. The Joey Jump is lightweight, plastic, comes with two bean bags and can be used by both preschoolers and school-age children.

The board is designed for a stomp—forceful step with one foot (not an actual jump)– on the short end, propelling into the air a soft object (i.e. bean bag) was placed on the other end. The child then tries to catch the object that was launched off the board when they stomped. Because of the design and incline of the board, the object does not go shooting off randomly but propels straight up off the board and the child with outstretched arms can try to catch it in his/her hands.

Children must concentrate on getting their hands ready to catch the beanbag and focus on watching the beanbag as it moves through the air. Children should first focus on attempting to catch the beanbag with both hands at the same time, then try with the right and the left hand alone. As children get better at catching, other challenges can be added such as: stomping more firmly on the board so the beanbag goes higher; attempting to catch two beanbags at the same time; and launching and catching other items such as a foam ball, fleece ball, sensory ball and even a small stuffed animal.

I also like using foam dice with the stomp boards. Kids can put the die on the end, stomp and launch the die. Ask the child what number is facing up when he/she catches it. When using dice, we are not only working on the fundamental motor skill of catching but also addressing the core standard of mathematics–number concepts, counting and geometry (the die is a cube). The stomp board promotes physical development with the use of eye-hand coordination, eye-foot coordination, gross/fine motor skills, and it promotes social/emotional development: self-confidence and independence.

Kids love to do the stomp board over and over again as they try to catch the bean bag or sensory ball. It does take them a couple of times to get the hang of it, but once they do—they are self-motivated to experience THE FUN over and over again!

Animal Moves

Adapted from TeacherQuickSource, this activity is a great one for helping young children work on gross motor skills and to get them up and moving. This activity can be done indoors or outside, and is great for any size group. “Animals” can be big, small, real and imaginary. They can go on a parade, have a dance or take a wild romp through “the wilderness.” The creative possibilities with this activity are as large as the animal kingdom itself!

Goal: To introduce or enhance balance and control during locomotor activities.

Materials needed: Pictures, drawings or video of animals

Let’s Get Started:

1. Show the children one of the animal pictures.

2. Discuss the sounds and movements of that animal.

3. Have the children move around the space pretending to be that animal.

4. Repeat the activity with a different animal.

Summer Brings…

Summer Brings…

Picnics and watermelon,
Bike rides and ice cream,
Friends and family,
Camping and s’mores,
Swinging and cool breezes,
Swimming and fishing,
Bugs and butterflies,
Summer fairs and carnivals,
Sunshine and gardens,
Birds and beaches,
Sand and water,
AND PLAYING OUTDOORS!

I do hope you and the kids are going outside as much as you can… If even only on the playground or in the backyard. Field trips and neighborhood walks can be difficult to conduct these days, but that doesn’t mean that you and the children can’t have lots and lots and lots of outdoor play. Did I say LOTS?! Open the door and explore outdoors. Nature abounds even on asphalt playgrounds.

Bikes, trikes and wheel toys promote gross motor development and lots of dramatic play. Just listen to the cyclists as they speed around on the bike path. Using some props, set up a gas station, car wash, or service station. Socialization, language development as well as physical activity are many of the benefits.

Want more ideas for dramatic play that can take place outdoors?

• Have a pretend snack or lunch outside, picnic style. Make a “Picnic Prop Box” that includes a blanket, plastic food and dishes.
• Camping is an all-time favorite activity in the summer. Pretend with a small tent, rest mat, firewood, metal dishes. Don’t forget the fishing pole!
• Make available to your “junior rangers” or “nature detectives” magnifying glasses, binoculars, shovels, nets, observation boxes for found ants, bugs and butterflies. Collect leaves and rocks and provide containers (i.e., empty egg cartons) for them to sort, count and explore their treasures.

Gardening can also be a fun summer activity for kids. No space for a garden? Did you know you can plant seeds and grow vegetables in old tires, in giant pots, window boxes or a raised garden bed? Raised garden beds can help protect young or more fragile plants from active preschooler play. Choose plants and veggies for species diversity, various colors, different heights, textures and fragrances. Have the kids help plant and care for them. Or, you may want to purchase a simple greenhouse. Greenhouses provide a great opportunity for children to grow their own food and work with plants throughout the year.

Can’t get to the beach? Turn on the garden sprinkler or fill up the wading pools. Set up the sand and water table to include items to enhance digging, pouring, constructing, and dramatic play with sand and water. Kids love to explore sand and water with funnels, sifters, pails, molds, shovels, rakes, scoops, spoons, cups and saucers, sand wheels, trucks, plastic animals and even craft sticks. Children may want to add natural objects such as shells, sticks, stones or leaves. Fill your sensory table with only water and children will want to make bubbles, wash dishes or give the baby doll a bath.

Fresh air, open spaces and a little imagination and creativity… That’s all it takes to make time each day to be outdoors with the children, exploring, making discoveries and appreciating nature this summer season.

Ready, Set… RUN!

It’s official: This week marked the beginning of summer! Summertime means more time for outside play, and when children go outside they naturally want to move—and not just move, but run and run! Running is a fundamental motor skill that helps children move from one place to another. Once children learn how to crawl, creep and walk, running naturally follows in the developmental order of learning locomotor skills. And when children discover that they can run, they usually can’t get enough of it.

Running’s benefits include the promotion of gross motor skills, vigorous physical activity, and the development of the components of health-related physical fitness–muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance. Here are some activities that will get you off to a running start in helping children in your classroom or home to master movement:

Run Like the Wind
Set up boundaries using ropes or the Start to Finish Lines 15’-24’ apart. Have children run from one line or boundary to another holding a crepe paper streamer, scarf or Rainbow Dancing Wrist Band. They will automatically return to the start line and ask to do it again and again!

Flying Paper Plates & Newspapers
Set up boundaries using ropes or the Start to Finish lines 15’-24’ apart. Have children place a paper plates or sheet of newsprint (9” x 12”) or newspaper (11” x 12”) on their chest and start running. As they run faster and faster they will discover that the newspaper or plate will stick to their chest… a lesson in science, too! Another option is to put a paper plates on the palm of each hand and start running to see what happens.

Run & Roll
Set up boundaries using ropes or the Start to Finish lines 15’-24’ apart. Place a tumbling mat or playmat a few feet in front of the finish line. When you say, “Get ready, get set, run,” the child at the “start line” runs to the mat and falls, rolls or tumbles to a stop. Without even directing children to the start of the running course, they will be in line just panting and waiting for another turn to “Run and Roll.”

Non-Competitive Red Rover, Red Rover
Set up boundaries using ropes or the Start to Finish lines 15’-24’ apart. Two people at the finish line hold a sheet of newspaper (~ 22” x 24”) with two hands on each corner. When you say, “Get ready, get set, run,” the child at the “start line” (with the palms of his hands touching and pointing forward) runs and bursts through the newspaper!

Tails
Set up boundaries using ropes or cones in the available space. Each child tucks a scarf or Rainbow Dancing Wrist Band ribbon into their waistband behind their back. The scarf or ribbon is now their “tail.” The game starts when the music starts and the children run in the available space. The game is played like tag, but instead of tagging each other, children pull the scarves or ribbons out of others’ waistbands and drop them on the ground. The child whose scarf or ribbon is pulled, picks up his scarf (tail), goes to “the tail repair area” (a designated spot, such as a classroom door, tree, etc.) to replace the scarf in their waistband. Once the scarf is secure in their waistband, the child returns to the game and resumes pulling “tails.” The game ends when the music stops. This group game promotes cooperative play, vigorous physical activity and offers lots of laughter!

Play It Safe!

The National Safety Council has designated June as National Safety Month.

It is the responsibility of adults who care for and teach young children to ensure that outdoor and indoor play areas and equipment are safe and free from danger. The fact that children are attempting new physical challenges makes it impossible to eliminate all risks, but much can be done to the environment itself to reduce the number of injuries. Here are some tips to safer play this summer:

• In the Heat: Games and activities played in the heat should be shortened and more frequent water/hydration breaks should be instituted. On both sunny and cloudy days use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater that protects against UVB and UVA rays.
• Movement: Remove hoods or drawstrings than can get caught on equipment and have all children run in the same direction so they don’t run into each other. Most young children are not yet skilled in dodging objects while running.
• Safe Stops: Teachers should not ask children to run to a wall or fence or any other immovable object. Most young children cannot yet judge distances or stop quickly. Some children may be likely to run full speed into the wall. Place a tumbling mat or playmat several feet in front of any wall or other immovable object. This gives children a great place to fall, roll or tumble as they stop.
• Jumping: Children should not jump from distances that are more than half their height. Teachers may instruct, “You can jump off everything that is lower than 4 feet tall,” as they let the children help find and measure structures and places that are safe and appropriate jumping places. Teach children how to land softly on two feet when jumping by bending their knees. Show children how to break falls by putting their arms in front of their bodies.
• Equipment: The indoor and outdoor play equipment should suit the children’s ages and developmental abilities. Children will not usually climb up a structure or piece of equipment if they think they cannot not get down on their own initiative. If they do, teachers may choose not “rescue” children by lifting them off of the piece of equipment or climbing structure, as rescuing may encourage the behavior. Ask them to go back down the way they came up or direct them to a safe place to descend. Of course, an adult would remain present to coach the child patiently down by helping the child anticipate the surface below.
• Climbing: Did you know that when you lift young children up to a piece of equipment (i.e. monkey bars, etc.) they often do not yet have the cognitive connections to internalize that they are not moving across the monkey bars with their own body and upper arm strength? Many unfortunate “playground accidents” happen when children think they can accomplish a movement task on their own. Limit the number of children using a climbing structure at the same time. For example, learning to wait on the ground before ascending the ladder to a slide gives the child in front of them time to begin sliding or to come back down the ladder. It also eliminates opportunities for horseplay at the top of the slide.
• Playground Regulations: The playground should have safety-tested mats or loose-fill materials (shredded rubber, sand, wood chips, or bark) maintained to a depth of 12 inches. This type of surface absorbs the impact of a jump or fall. The protective surface should be installed at least 6 feet in all directions from the equipment. Swings require 16 feet of clear area in front and behind with 6 feet free on each side. Equipment should be carefully maintained. Open “s” hooks or protruding bolt ends can be hazardous. Make sure children cannot reach any moving parts that might pinch or trap any body part. All indoor climbing structures should be surrounded by a mat at least 2 inches thick and 3 feet wide. Place these structures at least 4 feet away from walls, doors and other solid structures. Teach children how to climb and maneuver on large structures.
• Riding: Children should wear trike helmets when riding wheel toys and trikes. When purchasing a helmet, look for a label or sticker that says the helmet meets the CPSC safety standard.

Watch the children at all times during physical activities. Adults should position themselves near the most populated pieces of equipment. Teach young children the rules of safety and watch children for safe and appropriate behavior. Notice changes in a child’s activity level that might indicate a health issue.

Use your own good judgment in anticipating and preventing anything that might be unsafe for the children. Balance fun and safety in children’s play!

Why Play Musical Chairs When You Can Play Musical Hoops?

Have you ever watched children play Musical Chairs? When the music stops, the kids push and shove to get to a chair. The first child who doesn’t find a seat sits out of the game, all alone. As the game continues, the kids can get more and more aggressive, stopping at nothing to be the winner. In the meantime, the losers may feel left out, bored or upset. This game is an example of a competitive game. Young children feeling left out is one of the reasons I like to recommend cooperative games for early learning, where every child is a winner.

Competitive games can pit children against each other; during active games children may learn that, if you shove, push, hit or trip, you might gain advantage over the other players and win. Competitive games with just one winner means a whole group of losers. Young children generally play games to have fun and be involved; they don’t want to be quickly eliminated, rejected, left out, hurt physically or emotionally. (Who does?!)

Cooperative games include everyone. Every child is allowed to stay involved, there’s no pressure to win, no fear or anxiety about losing. Musical Hoops is a cooperative game for young children that helps promote self-esteem, sharing, kindness and teamwork as well as develops spatial awareness, gross motor skills and listening.

Musical Hoops

Materials Needed:
One hoop per child
Music/CD player and CD

How to play:
1. Scatter hoops in available space either indoors or outdoors.
2. Each child stands beside a hoop.
3. Start the music and instruct the children to walk around the hoops, making sure not to touch them while the music is playing.
4. When the music stops, each child steps into the nearest hoop. Tell them that it’s fine if more than one child ends up in one hoop. In fact, encourage it!
5. Start the music again and remove a hoop or two. When the music stops, the children step into the nearest hoop.
6. The game continues with you starting and stopping the music, gathering up more hoops and the children scrambling to all fit into the remaining hoops.
7. Musical Hoops ends with one or two hoops on the floor and all of the children working together to make sure everyone finds a place inside a hoop (even if it’s just one foot inside the hoop). It’s crowded but lots of fun!

Furthermore:
• Vary the locomotor skill children use to move around the hoop each time you restart the music. Ask the children to jump, gallop, skip, march or walk on tiptoes.
• When the music stops and children stand in the hoops, ask them to count and/or show with their fingers the total number of people in their hoop.