20 minutes before guests arrive we realize the balloon method is out the window! We put in a fair attempt but the drying time put a damper on things. We’re planning to try out the balloon method again next year. We may even get to do it sooner.
At this point, we’re scramming to get the supplies we needed for our paper bag pinata. The party was held at my in-law’s so we ran in circles locating everything. Once we put it together we realized that Tristan had sticker’s he received as a gift for Easter and added those to the pinata. We even colored on the front and back of the pinata. What could you possibly need for a paper bag pinata? It’s really simple and easy.
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I went to elementary school in Edgewood Maryland at Deerfield Elementary School. My most vivid memory there was a Nature Activity we did every winter right before Spring. We work on preparing pine cones for the birds by covering them with goodies to hang on the large pine trees outside our class windows. The big fire engine would come and some lucky children were chosen to help hang their pine cones at the very top of the tree with help from the fireman.
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The signs of Spring are slowly beginning to show themselves where I live and we are ecstatic! Enjoying the outdoors and investigating the signs of spring is the perfect “unstructured nature play” activity to do as a family.
Celebrating Spring as a family will bring joy into your home, help develop your children’s observational skills, foster your children’s love for learning and appreciating nature. Let go as the parent and be joyous with your children outside!
The following is a list of questions to use to help get your children into noticing Spring:
- What does the rain/wind smell, taste and sound like?
- How do the clouds look differently than they did in the wintertime?
- Do you notice any new baby critters that were not outside a couple of days ago?
- Are any plants starting to bulb/develop/grow?
- What species of birds are starting to build their nests?
- How is nighttime different now that it is spring? Do you hear different animals outside? Do you notice different sounds/smells/sights?
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by Derek Markham on March 3, 2009 · 1 comment
1. Begin by downloading this Center for Ecoliteracy free visual guide which promotes nature as our teacher. The guide teaches that sustainable living is rooted in a deep knowledge of our natural world and that it is a community practice which can start with the family in the backyard. Feel free to share these lessons in natural systems with your child’s teachers too.
2. If your child is still to young for reading, make gardening a part of playtime. Think of gardening like playing with toys, make a dollhouse garden, or a mini field for action figurines. The wee garden kit comes with a variety of little goodies to make your own enchanted miniature garden:
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by Derek Markham on February 23, 2009 · 2 comments
In my family we make it a goal to have unstructured play in nature every day. Unstructured play in my family means giving my children access to a safe environment without toys, playground equipment, electronics, etc. and give them the opportunity to explore nature and learn to be creative on their own. I notice a huge behavioral change when we don’t take time to spend in nature. My children tend to be calmer, more obedient and happier when we spend time outside. Child development specialists have preached the benefits of nature play for years, just a few of the benefits are: an increase in your children’s academic potential, social skills and creativity.
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I am a firm believer in minimalist living. That said, my kids like so many others have WAY too much stuff. We are working hard to change this and focus on what actually makes sense. The phrase, “I’m Bored” is never to be uttered in my house. I get this from my darling Grandparents who had a large hand in raising me. There is NEVER an excuse for boredom and if you do find yourself bored, there are always chores to be done. It always amazes me what bored minds can come up with when given the alternative of scrubbing the bathroom.
I have a huge problem with how so many toys on the market today have one use. The toys tell you how to use them (this even goes for planned building sets). I want my children to use their imagination and to not be hindered by what a toy is suppose to be for. (And don’t get me started on all the idol/hero worship, dolls who look like streetwalkers and massive amounts of fighting toys.)
So, what does a child really need (other than love, shelter, clothing & food): [read the full article...]
A new report,Vitamin D Deficiency Puts 40% of U.S. Infants and Toddlers At Risk, just came out today with surprising, perhaps shocking news.
At least 40 percent of American infants and toddlers aren’t getting enough vitamin D, according to researchers from Children’s Hospital in Boston.
The study made particular note of the fact that breast feed children may be at a higher risk and recommends both mother and child take vitamin D supplements.
Breast-feeding is a known risk factor for low vitamin D levels in infants, which is why many pediatricians routinely recommend vitamin D supplementation for breast-fed infants. Other factors that may contribute to low levels of vitamin D include not drinking enough vitamin D-fortified milk (for toddlers), staying out of the sun or using sunscreen. [read the full article...]
Tomorrow is Earth Day, and here at Eco Child’s Play, we have a full week of posts to celebrate every day being Earth Day. This week, we will be featuring mostly posts about outdoor fun with your child. Children need to experience time outside to appreciate our Earth and witness its beauty firsthand. Look for posts about gardening with your child, outside art projects, human sundials, music in nature, etc. We hope that our readers will also leave comments sharing their great ideas for outdoor fun with their children.
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