We've don e fluorescent water play with flowers and exploring color theories , now we did it with pumpkins! To set this invitation we provided ladles, whisks, pots, bowls, buckets, a variety of clear containers, and a whole bunch of pumpkins/gourds from Smith Family Farm. Water was mixed with Fluorescent BioColor® and set up in the outdoor Mud Kitchen. The children were invited to create pumpkin soup! Inviting a child to create any type of pretend soup encourages so many levels of learning while they create. When a child is adding, scooping, pouring, transferring and stirring ingredients it fosters creativity and enables children to experiment with science and math concepts. Children begin to understand and investigate with ideas such as more/less, same/different, many/few, empty/full, before/after, greater than/less than. Children also learn physics principles such as the effects of force (increasing the waterflow through increased force); effects of gravity (water runs downhill) etc. The social learnings from creating soup together include collaboration, concentration, turn taking, problem solving, perseverance, self-regulation, and more. Children also gain physical learning through precision in pouring and eye-hand coordination. Sensory play through exploring the colored water and foraged loose parts with their senses is engaging and helps encourage exploration of science, language, color theory, and natural materials.

Pumpkin exploration is so much fun this time of year. Here are three ways to explore! Pumpkin STEM// Provide: Plastic cups, cds, recycled paper tubes, and pumpkins. Let the children stretch their thinking by introducing the engineering and design process building freely! This STEM invitation lets children build and balance materials through open ended exploration with pumpkins! In the early years a child's work is to constantly problem solve through play. This invitation is a perfect opportunity to challenge a building experience to think and create in new ways with out of the norm materials. Since there is no wrong or right way to do this invitation, the possibilities are endless. When a child is left to create and explore, it stretches their problem-solving skills by all the ways they have to figure out how to build with all the materials. Through all these trials, the children are able to analyze the situation more critically and come up with solutions in their own way. Pumpkin Paint Party// Provide: Pumpkins, tempera paint, and paint brushes. Invite children to paint on a whole bunch different white pumpkins as their canvas! The more a child is exposed to different types of art, leads to them seeing the world in different ways, becoming more observant, feeling creative and appreciating the different forms of art. So much rich language naturally happens with discussion of what colors they use and create with and comparing the similarities/differences of the pumpkins. Color recognition is enhanced as they observe and communicate what colors they are using and creating. The child is exploring math & science concepts as they mix colors to create new ones. Their pre-writings skills are being developed as they use their fine motor skills while painting. Pumpkin Washing// Provide: Sensory bin, water, soap, sponges, towels, and pumpkins/gourds. Invite children to explore pumpkins by washing them through this practical life invitation. Not only is this enticing to young children, it is an important activity for young children. There are a series of steps that children will go through for a cleaning practical life activity which is wonderful for developing concentration, organization, and the ability to follow directions. Pumpkin washing is attractive and engaging to the child because they love anything that a) involves water b) something they are noticing in the world around them lately and c) it is totally out of the norm d) it empowers them to feel capable of doing something they see adults do e) and it is sensory filled! Practical life activities help instill care of their environment, are both fun and great for developing order, concentration, coordination, and independence in hygiene and cleanliness.

Since fall has been unfolding all around us the children have been noticing changes in the leaves due to the seasons shifting from summer to fall. We have been talking about why leaves change colors and the science behind it. Leaves change colors during the fall, because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, the leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor. Today we invited the children to explore the different colors of real and fake foraged leaves as provocation first. A provocation is a technique used to stimulate children's thinking, to inspire them artistically, to empower them to take control over their learning, to open their minds, to create an environment for reflection, to challenge children, to observe the world around them, and to encourage creativity. After exploring, observing, and talking about the leaves, the children were invited to create their own fall leaves with colorful play-dough & tools. Play-dough is a staple in early childhood. It is a powerful way to let a child use their imagination, strengthen the small muscles in their fingers, and encourage a child's language + literacy, science, math and sensory skills. It is quite possibly one of the most powerful props for learning. When children explore and engage with nature, and their experience is further extended through creating, they are testing possibilities and working through understanding the world around them. Much like a scientist who experiments and finds solutions, hands-on experiences allow children to make their own assessments, while also teaching them that there are so many layers in the world around them. The child’s brain becomes engaged in the discovery of “how” and “why," when we let them connect with what is directly happening in the world around them. More Fall Invitations here: Fall Foliage Collage or Exploration , , Fall Pie Play-Dough with Loose Parts Fall Fine Motor Finger Gym, Invitation to Finger Paint Fall Leaves, Invitation to Create Fall Soup , Apple Pie Sensory Bin

Who remembers the magic of I-Spy Books in the 90s? You were so determined to find every little object on every page. A while back I saw @scholarschoice create an I-Spy Tuff Tray and my 90s childhood was screaming to make the book come to life with Halloween inspired #tufftray. Reading 'I spy' books or playing the game is great for so many learning skills without children even realizing it. Read the I spy books as an introduction to provide exposure to the concept of the game. Set the invitation by placing a whole bunch of different halloween items or loose parts along with a magnifying glass. Invite the child to explore the materials or even play an i-spy game where you describe the item and have them use their magnifying glass to spot out the item! They build a working memory as they search for the different objects they are having to remember in order to find the item. They enhance visual discrimination by seeing the difference between objects by asking them to develop an eye for details. They also obtain new vocabulary and language when they learn names of objects they may have never seen or experienced. As they touch the items they also enhance their senses. So let the magic of @scholastic I-Spy books come to life in tuff tray play!

There are so many wondrous spooktacular takes on creating potions, brews, and concoctions during this time of year. The magic of Halloween is brewing and if you have the space for a mud kitchen, tuff tray, water table, sensory bin, bath tub, or outdoor play space to invite the children to let their imaginations run wild to create just like witches. We did two ways of creating in the Witches' Kitchen! 1. Bubbly Potions & Concoctions: In the front half of our Tuff Tray there are cauldrons, beakers, cylinders, pitchers, and cups. At the base of some containers is baking soda & dish soap. In some of the containers is vinegar mixed with liquid watercolors. Children were invited to experiment and explore how to make their own bubbly potions. 2. Witches Brew: In our Grow Wild Co. Mud Kitchen has oodles of Halloween loose parts (spiders, skulls, snakes, bats, eye balls, bones, fingers), cups, pots, cauldrons, utensils, colored water, and more. Children were invited to mix, stir, pour to create their own witches brew. Whether you celebrate holidays or not, the magic can ignite so much amazing & engaging play that is exciting to the child's world.

This year’s Bay Area Discovery Museum Goblin Jamboree is a celebration of the spooky and strange, the wonderful and whimsical and the power of joyful learning! We had such a Spooktacular time last year. Join us this year again at Goblin Jamboree, where Bay Area Discovery Museum transforms into a Halloween wonderland – from hay mazes to slime banquets to spider web-weaving and Disglow Parties – celebrate the wonders of science and discover the magic within! Giveaway: Head over to Instagram to enter to win a family visit to Goblin Jamboree ! Follow @tinkerwonderplay and @bayareadiscoverymuseum ! Like this post. Tag 2 friends whose family you want to spend the day making magical memories with in the comments. Bonus Entry: Reshare this post to your story ⁠ Giveaway ends October 7th at 11:59 p.m. PST. Good luck! ⁠

Part of two of our Pre-K legacy gifts is complete at another center! Every year the money we raise from our Art Walk Silent Auction goes to the graduating Pre-K class legacy gift. We also decided to enhance our outdoor dramatic play space with Excellerations® Indoor-Outdoor Moveable Play Kitchen + Excellerations® Outdoor Storage Shelf The Mud Kitchen is everything young chefs need to cook their favorite foods! There's a hutch to store dishes and play food, plenty of counter space with a stove top, oven, and a stainless steel sink with working pump faucet all in one compact unit. Hutch and oven doors have magnetic latches that are easy to open, but stay closed when shut. Since the children are excited for fall we decided to turn this area into a pumpkin pie market! To set it up we provided baking tins, cookware, pumpkin bowls, and baking tools. We placed natural foraged loose parts (pine cones, eucalyptus pods, magnolia stamen, bark), fall scented potpourri, cinnamon sticks, cloves, real and fake pumpkins. The children were invited to create, cook, explore, and play all things pumpkin spice! Enhancing dramatic play areas with seasons, celebrations, holidays, concepts, and interests is a great way to connect and understand what is happening in the world around them as well as provide more exposure to different things. Dramatic play is a crucial part of early childhood. Since the possibilities are truly limitless in pretend play, this space will continue to encourage a child to use their imagination in its truest form by doing what they do best and that is PLAY! In this new space the children will continue to build social and emotional skills, language skills, problem-solving skills, increase creativity, explore different sensory materials, enhance their fine/gross motor skills, and so much more. If there is one thing we truly believe is that children need to imagine, create, and explore all through the power of play!

Part of one of another Pre-K legacy gift is complete at another center! Every year the money we raise from our Art Walk Silent Auction goes to the graduating Pre-K class legacy gift. At this center we decided to enhance our outdoor play space with Excellerations® STEM Water Table . Today we provided different sized galvanized buckets, funnels, measuring cups, utensils and natural foraged loosed parts. The children were invited to pump, pour, splash, mix, and explore their new STEM Water Table. There is so much math & science happening in an open ended way through this area. Through this type of play, children are exposed to are able to understand more & investigate ideas such as more/less, same/different, many/few, empty/full, before/after, greater than/less than. Children also learn physics principles such as the effects of force (increasing the water flow through increased force); effects of gravity (water runs downhill) etc. Plenty of language development is enhanced when the children discuss the ingredients/techniques they were using, imaginations were blossoming as they made new creations of their own, and lots of collaboration when they took turns/problem solved. Whenever water play is incorporated in play fosters creativity & enables children to experiment freely. We are so excited to have this amazing addition to our outdoor play space! Stay tuned for part two of our new enhanced space.

Sensory development refers to our five senses which allows children to explore the world around them through seeing, smelling, touching, hearing, tasting, & smelling. During early childhood, children learn best and process new information through experiences that engage their senses. Since they crave sensory inputs in order to make sense of the world around them, incorporating a variety of ways to use their five senses can enhance a child's brain development & cognitive growth. As a child is exploring and learning about the world around them using their five senses helps the child know more about their body, explore how they are able to control their body parts, while acquiring vocabulary to describe how things look, hear, taste, feel or sound. Today we invited the children to create scented paint while exploring their sense of smell. We set up empty paint cups with white tempera paint, provided an array of spices (cinnamon, garlic, basil, onion, turmeric, cayenne) as well as expired berry & orange jello mix. We passed around each container, asked them to smell each one, and described what they experienced. Next they poured the spices into the white paint & made their own scented paint. Once their mixtures were ready they began to freely paint. The sense of smell is called Olfaction. We smell in two ways: by breathing in through our nostrils & also through the back of our nose from our mouth. Our sense of smell helps us detect hazards, food, pheromones, associations, feelings, & memory. Experiences of exploring the the sense of smell such as this can aid a child to develop stronger social emotional regulation skills, memory association, speech, language and cognitive development.

Piet Mondrian is one of our artists of the month. He was a Dutch painter and his style consisted of geometric shapes and primary colors. He believed every shape can be created from the basic geometric shapes and every color can be created from the primaries - red, yellow and blue. We have been reading books about him, looking at his actual artwork, and creating our own renditions of his art. Today the children were invited to learn about patterns, primary colors that yield other colors when mixed, and learning about quadrilateral figures. We wrapped recycled cardboard boxes with butcher paper, and placed black electric tape to create his quadrilateral figures. Primary color Colorations® Tempera Paint placed in paint cubs with paint brushes from Discount School Supply . The children were invited to paint! Painting invitations such as this opens a child's mind to the many ways of creating art. When children learn about diverse types of art the more well rounded and creative they become. Art is a fundamental component of early childhood education therefore continuous exposure leads to seeing the world in different ways and learning about all the beautiful forms of art. Opportunities for creativity reinforces the children's ability to engage with the world in new and novel ways, which promotes inquiry, reflection and critical-thinking skills.

The Social-Emotional aspect of a child is the foundation that supports all areas of development. The stronger awareness and support a child is provided, the more equipped the child will be to navigate their growth in all aspects of their life. Social-Emotional development heavily affects & influences the child, therefore providing and using as many tools as possible early on will only benefit the children in an impactful way. Young children acquire social and emotional competencies in ways that are often different from how they acquire competence in the naming of letters or numbers. Social-emotional skills emerge through children’s experience in close relationships and the var­ied exposures that occur in relational experience, such as shared conversa­tion, warm nurturance, and intentional guided learning capacities for sociability, responsibility, and self- control. Just as with anything in the learning process of a child, the more you provide language + literacy along with hands-on experiences that explore social emotional development, the stronger the foundation is established for the child. This month we have been exploring feelings and today at circle time we read the book The Color Monster by Anna Llenas. This book is such an amazing story that associates colors with emotions in a way that is easy for young children to process and understand. We set out a tuff tray with a whole bunch of colorful loose parts, empty clear jars, and cut outs of each emotion in color from the book. To extend the literacy experience we asked each child to communicate what they were feeling today, then sort through the jumbled up colorful loose parts, pick the color, and sort it in the emotion jar just like the book, and transition to snack time. This process aids the child in further comprehending the concepts of the story while openly communicating their emotions in the classroom in a safe way. Here are two other invitations that explore social emotional learning: Emotion Sensory Bottles & Invitation to Explore Social Emotional Feelings.

You may have noticed that young children are ALWAYS on the go and seeking out to lift and move heavy things that are sometimes bigger than their own bodies. At times it seems as they continue to grow they are constantly looking for ways to develop their strength and challenge themselves. Maria Montessori observed in young children that suddenly, after learning to attain a new physical skill such as walking, climbing, jumping, they have a strong need to do heavy and hard work, which she defined as “maximum effort.” Through this work, they are building on their new found freedom of skills by continuing to build strength through mastering new gross motor skills. This invitation to lift, move, and build is set with recycled boxes, jugs, cartons, containers, and bottles. Some containers were empty, full, 1/2-1/4-1/3 full to provide different weights & sizes. The children were invited to explore these items which promoted: gross motor skills (lifting, carrying rolling, and pushing), coordination & balance (by adding the different elements of weight it helps perfect these skills), social emotional skills (by meeting a child’s need to lift they are fostering their self confidence and independence). Providing opportunities for young children to exercise the internal drive to reach this need for “maximum effort,” not only is developmentally appropriate it honors how their mind works, what their body needs and to instill that they are capable of doing anything. Here is a fun festive way to do it for Halloween . You can also enhance the experience by filling the containers with other items such as glitter , figurines , oil, or sensory materials (rice, beans, rocks , feathers , beads , twigs, water beads , wiggly eyes etc.)