Several months ago when visiting the Bay Area Discovery Museum , they had an outdoor interactive painting gallery that was quite possibly one of the most genius interactive installations that I could not stop thinking about and had to bring to life at work. Since a lot of our time is spent outdoors at our centers, creating an outdoor interactive painting gallery was the perfect solution to create a permanent art space where children could freely paint everyday on sculptures, canvases, statues, textures, frames, figurines and more. To set this up we used a lot of outdoor garden sculptures/statues/figurines and mounted them onto planters with a cement adhesive. On the fence we upcycled old frames and canvases in all different shapes, sizes, and textures. Lastly on the plexiglass glass we placed different garden flowers, leaves, animals and two sections with nothing to be a blank canvas. For the materials to create we placed two bar carts filled with tempera paint , paint cups , and paintbrushes . It is truly something special when people on your team help create your vision together. As educators, to see the evolution of a child fostering their own curiosity, making choices independently, and having the confidence and independence to become their own masterpieces is truly magical. "Your children are not a masterpiece that you create. They are their own masterpiece creating themselves, and you have been given the privilege of watching them be the artist."J Warren Welch. Process art experiences such as these not only support their intrinsic form of creativity it validates their ideas and work. From all developmental aspects of a child when we let children learn to make their own decisions, solve their own problems, create so freely they feel empowered + confident, and ultimately we have truly honored that "they are their own masterpiece creating themselves."

One of the best stories to explore light and shadow play is the story Flashlight by Lizi Boyd . It is told solely through images and using a spare yet dramatic palette, the exploration of night, nature, and art are a visual poem—like the flashlight beam itself. This story reveals that there is magic in the darkness, we just have to look for it. A previous invitation to integrate this literacy experience was setting out with translucent blocks and a flash light as a simply way to explore light through block play. After seeing Leap Then Look's Instagram post about making paper sculptures, it ignited revisiting this invitation to recreate the story through small world play with paper structures, cellophane , flash lights and forest figurines . Simply invite the child to explore, create, and play with the materials. The best part of all these open ended materials is that it is such an ideal way to let young children explore color, shapes, nature, building, and more through light and shadow play. As they maneuver the materials to build in different directions and combinations, the colorful shadows and structures recreate scenes from the story. Open ended and hands on invitations that extend literacy experiences, further develop a child's comprehension and language and literacy skills, while building so man other skills. This is yet another invitation that is inspired from taking Dr. Louisa Penfold's Light, Shadow, & Reflection workshop. It has continued to ignite new open ended play invitations that explore light, shadow and reflection. Here are the previous posts where we explored Rainbows , STEM , and Cellophane through light, shadow, and reflection.

After taking Dr. Louisa Penfold’s Light, Shadow, & Reflection workshop a couple of weeks ago it has continued to ignite inspiration for new open ended play invitations. Last time we explored Rainbows , this time around I wanted to set up exploring light and shadow play with transparent and translucent materials. Light and shadow experiences can begin with a variety of materials. Anything that is transparent, translucent, or lights up to be a source of exploration and creation. To set this space up I placed a light table, light up glow cylinders , tea lights , woodland cube chairs , glow construction blocks , flash lights, translucent buildings blocks , translucent shapes , color paddles , sakkaro geometry blocks , dinosaur figurines, and party cups . Light and shadows are all around us and from birth and children pay a great deal of attention to them due to its ever evolving magical nature. The presence of light and shadow instantly makes a child curious whether they are chasing a shadow, using a flash light, exploring with blocks, due to the fact that they are always drawn to light and their imagination truly becomes limitless in this type of play where a child's creativity is ignited and honored. When children are left to explore light and shadows, they are intrigued by the many interesting possibilities with the materials.Through playing with light and shadows from infancy throughout early childhood, they are able to explore a whole range of theories and enhance so much of their development. They are fascinated and deeply engaged by the interplay of the shapes, patterns, shadows, effects, spacing, imagery, light, sizes, and colors. Let the magic of light and shadows continue to enamor the child!

There are a multitude of Infant Sensory Balls to choose from, but did you know that besides letting an infant explore them on their own, you can enhance their exploration by placing them on a mirror, tray with water, or light table? Simply place sensory balls on any of these materials and it will motivate infants for tummy time, fine motor skills, and hand eye coordination. Mirror- Infants love to look at the human face. Providing a baby-safe mirror allows the opportunity to gaze at themself, objects, and others in the reflection. Offering a mirror during playtime with an infant boosts their development in so many ways, from visual and language skills to gross motor movement. Water- The sensory exposure of water play encourages brain development while the grasping and moving the balls on their tummy itself is great for physical development. Light Table- Children are drawn to light and can often find it calming to interact with the glow of a light table.

Left over balloons from a party? Reuse them for Infant Balloon Gross Motor Play! All you need is helium filled balloons, string, play mat, and if you want to enhance the experience you can add in a mirror. Gross motor development involves the larger stronger muscle groups of the body. In early childhood, it is the development of these muscles that enable a baby to hold his/her head up, sit, crawl, and eventually walk run, and skip. There are three different types of gross motor movements: 1. Locomotion 2. Stationary 3. Manipulation. Strengthening gross motor movements where babies can improve those three different types of gross motor skills is a great way to keep babies engaged and help reach milestones. For this specific activity, with every kick and punch, leg and arm raise to move the balloons up & down + side to side, the baby develops their eye tracking ability, cause and effect, and concentration. This is great to start at three months. Active supervision is required for this activity as balloons and string can be a choking hazard. Another fun way to get the last use out of the balloons is letting a child paint on the balloons .

Finally getting around to getting into the details of Cy’s 3rd birthday party from a couple weeks ago. Last year we did a race car Two Fast , themed birthday and while he is still 100% enamored by all things cars, he has become obsessed with all things monster trucks. The back drop was created by my husband and myself with plywood, spray paint, acrylic paint, recycled cardboard,@happilyeveretched name that we have used since his baby shower, monster truck wooden cut outs , and roadway tape . This area was the El Toro Loco Cake Smash Arena. Ordered Susie Cakes because they deliver! Smashed up some Oreos, placed and monster truck and some cone candles . The tables had geometric vase centerpieces filled with rocks and monster trucks. Checkered table runners , cones + flags , and tire vases . Now for the fun part! The sensory stations. Graveyard Arena: Tuff Tray , Kidfetti , Gravey Digger/Bone Shaker/Son-uva Digger Monster Trucks, Rocks, Skeletons, Glow and the Dark Epic Loop , Official Champ Ramp , Mini Cones , Mini Barrels , Crushable Cars. Megladon Carwash: Sensory Bin, Kiddie Pool , Water Beads , Sharks , Megladon Monster Trucks, Megladon Car Wash , Water, Funnels . Earth Shaker Dig: Pit Rocky area, large outdoor loose parts , ramps, gutters , construction toys, cones, and outdoor play digger.

Splash pads have become a summer time staple! A fun way to make it even more engaging and get a longer stretch of engaged open ended play is by adding figurines to create a small world play habitat. For this small world play we used our the Mini Dip Tropical Palm Leaf Splash Pad, rocks, leaves, and some jungle animals . Small world play accompanied with sensory materials (water, sand, rocks, etc.) are a great way for extending literacy, language, imaginary play, and tactile play. Through this play they can reenact what they see in stories, shows, experiences, and environments around them to deepen their understanding of the world. This type of play can be defined as where children accept and assign roles, then act them out. When children engage in small world play they break through the walls of reality, use their imagination, pretend to be someone or something different from themselves, explore different worlds, and have actions to go along with the roles they have chosen to play. Play is an integral part of the developmental learning process by allowing children to develop skills in such areas as abstract thinking, literacy, math, & social studies, in a timely natural manner. They are able to play and manipulate a variety of materials and textures that stimulate their mind and body while deepening their connection and understanding of the world.

This invitation is a great way to expose a child to the practical life skill of washing dishes + fruits/veggies while also engaging in water play! To set this up you will need either a sensory bin/kiddie pool/big bowl/bath tub with water, soap, towel, cleaning tools (sponge/toothbrush/bottle brush), and play dishes + fruits/veggies #gifted. Practical life activities such as this are not only enticing, they are important for young children. Activities for care of their environment are both fun and great for developing order, concentration, coordination, and independence. There are a series of steps that children will go through for a practical life activity that is wonderful for developing concentration, organization, and the ability to follow directions. Washing dishes + fruits/veggies is very attractive to children because they love anything that involves water and they are also able to model/mimic what they see adults doing everyday around them. Water play is a staple in early childhood education. It comes so naturally to children to play and explore with water. Through water play children begin to understand & investigate with ideas such as more/less, same/different, many/few, empty/full, before/after, greater than/less than. By providing various cleaning tools (sponges, tooth brush, bottle brush, towel) the child will be exposed to different techniques of cleaning while enhancing their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. This activity can be done indoors/outdoors and is also great for a wide age range of children.

Back again with an inspired light, shadow, & color exploration! Came across the magical artist educators Leap then Look on Instagram from Louisa Penfold’s stories a couple weeks ago. Their post where they explore light and shadows with cellophane, cups, water, and paper instantly ignited to this! Cellophane is a material that can be used in process art, science, STEAM, sensory, and open ended play. The best part of cellophane is that it is such an ideal way to let young children explore color through light and shadow play. To set this invitation place a white poster board as the base near a window, door, or outside where the natural light will play with the materials. Provide cups, water, and different colored cellophane. I added cds, disco balls, and rainbow twirler sticks for more play on light. Let the child explore by creating and building with the materials. As they maneuver and build in different directions and combinations, the colorful shadows and structures change into different shapes and colors. Letting young children explore light and shadows through cellophane is such a great open ended way to explore color. Hands-on invitations such this is truly tangible to young children. The concepts about the science of light and color can be complex, yet this invitation takes an abstract concept and makes it concrete and accessible to children who are naturally enamored and interested by light, shadows, and colors . After taking Dr. Louisa Penfold’s Light, Shadow, & Reflection workshop it has continued to ignite inspiration for new open ended play invitations. Last time we explored Rainbows and exploring light and shadow play with transparent and translucent materials.

Excellerations® Outdoor Toddler Mud Kitchen #gifted from Discount School Supply is not your average mud kitchen because it has a working pump that you can fill with water to be a working sink! The magic of a Mud Kitchen is truly endless. Outdoor mud kitchens provide opportunities to practice practical life skills, make sense of the world around them through dramatic play, and engage in science & sensory play by experimenting with an array of materials + tools. Whether you play with water, mud, leaves, branches, or rocks, so much exploration is to be had in a mud kitchen. Children are sensory based learners and mud kitchens truly honor the importance of messy play in early childhood. Not to mention being able to play outside enhances a child's developmental in so many ways while strengthening their immune system. For this invitation I placed different sized measuring cups, water, DIY Sensory Foam Paint, and extend the play space by using our Excellerations® Outdoor Sensory Mixing Table that was #gifted a while back to provide more opportunities to mix, measure, pour, and create! To make this DIY Sensory Foam Paint you can use recycled soap foam dispenser containers or purchase some here , place a couple of pumps of dish soap at the bottom, place liquid water colors , and some water. Invite the child to create, explore, and play in their Mud Kitchen with Sensory Foam Paint.

Last week after attending the CDSS Vaccinate All 58 meeting for the much awaited release of the COVID-19 vaccine for 6mos-5 years, I thought it would be a good idea to provide the information and resources that I sent out to our families at our three centers from the CDSS, CA Public Health Departmen t, AAP , CDC , FDA and more to help guide and support their decision to prepare and vaccinate . Parents/Guardians and caregivers like myself, have been eagerly waiting for this moment as it is our hope that this will help provide more protection for our communities and continue to steer us in the right direction to continue to safely operate childcare facilities with less disruptions, chaos, and more normalcy where we can focus on the magic and importance of early childhood. Preparing children through role play, talking, reading, watching a video, while giving them advanced notice of a vaccine appointment or doctors visit will help ease the process and make it positive experience that they will carry through the rest of their life. While it won’t guarantee zero tears, it will help ease the process and help build social emotional resiliency during these regular visits and appointments. One of the best ways for a child to feel more in control of visit or vaccine adminisration is through role play . Since children learn by doing, simply providing baby dolls and a doctor kit ( career set + first aid kit) for them to practice on the doll, parent, friend, sibling, or them will help them feel better prepared and more in control for what will happen to them as they will have a foundation of what to expect. Talking during meal times, car rides, or bed time opens the discussion to let them know what will happen, understand their worries, provide examples of what will happen, have them feel heard, why it is important to take care of our bodies, and protect our community. There are also many children’s books about doctor’s visits, vaccines, germs that you can read with your child in the days leading up such as these listed below: Doctor Visits: Baby Medical School: My Doctor's Visit: A Doctor Book for Kids Daniel Visits the Doctor Leo Gets a Checkup (Leo Can!) Checkup with Doctor Giraffe - Touch and Feel Board Book - Sensory Board Book Let's Meet a Doctor (Cloverleaf Books ™ ― Community Helpers) Vaccines: Baby Medical School: Vaccines: Learn about the Science of Immunity and How Vaccines Keep Us Healthy! When a Shot Meant a Lot: A Story for Kids About the COVID-19 Vaccine Maxine’s Critters Get the Vaccine Jitters: A cheerful and encouraging story to soothe kids’ covid vaccine fears How Germs are Spread (To explain why we go to the doctors/get vaccines) : Do Not Lick This Book Germs vs. Soap There's a Skeleton Inside You! Cutie Sue Fights the Germs: An Adorable Children's Book About Health and Personal Hygiene Sick Simon Baby Medical School: Bacteria and Antibiotics: A Human Body Science Book for Kids The Secret Life of Viruses: Incredible Science Facts about Germs, Vaccines, and What You Can Do to Stay Healthy And as always watching videos with their favorite characters helps take the pressure off, feels relatable, and they are more connected to that a familiar face doing the same thing they will be doing. Here are some videos below for doctor visits and vaccines: Vaccines: How to Talk to Your Child About Vaccines - PBS Daniel Tiger Gets a Shot Video - PBS The ABCs of COVID Vaccines - Sesame Street Big Bird + Rosita + Elmo Gets the COVID Vaccine- Sesame Street How Do People Catch a Cold - Netflix Doctor Visits: Getting A Check Up- Sesame Street D is for Doctor- Sesame Street Doctors are Grownups Who Help Us -PBS Field Trip to the Doctors More Resources and Information: Preparing Your Child for Visits to the Doctor 5 ways to prepare your child for the COVID vaccine COVID Vaccine Checklist for Kids Taking Fear and Pain Out of Needles—for Your Child and You COVID-19 Vaccine in Infants, Children, & Adolescents AAP COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions COVID Vaccines for Kids 6 Months & Older: FAQs for Families What should parents know about the COVID vaccine for kids under 5 Pediatricians on Instagram: @dr.amnahusain @unbiasedscipod @thepediatricanmom @pedsdoctalk @dr.nicolebaldwin @kckidsdoc @alokpatelmd @deardrchristina @drcarolinebrown @anitakatelmd @jessosheamd Epidemiologist on Instagram: @jessicamalatyrivera @laurel_bristow @snaxkpax.epi @epidemiologistkat @laughterinlight Today was a big day! First dose of Moderna administered for my guy. Find COVID Vaccines & Boosters here !

SNEAK PEEK ALERT! How beautiful is this new Children’s Factory Taupe Whatsit color that is coming soon?! This versatile color will be available in July on Amazon. (Will Link Soon!) Ever since we got our Gray Whatsit, it has been a staple in our playroom. The possibilities have gotten greater now with the addition of the Taupe set. With the ability to be rearranged in so many different ways, it provides for boosting a child's imagination as well as enhancing their cognitive and gross motor skills building a fort, tunnel, boat, car, castle, obstacle course, or book nook. After all that brain boosting play they can also utilize it to wind down and use it as a comfy spot to relax, read, nap, and regroup. The material is durable, stain-repellant and easy to clean. The covers can be unzipped and placed in a washing machine. The best part is that is can be moved and stored in so many different ways without taking up a lot of space. To get a discount on the Gray Whatsit now on Amazon use code 10offwhatsit at check out. *** about $30 dollars off