Artifact

Tool Kit

For Toddlers

Housing a forest (2011)

Biodegradable packing peanuts

I will provide children with Biodegradable packing peanuts. Biodegradable packing peanuts are common materials, so they are easy to find; at the same time, it's also a great resource for young children to play with, as those peanuts are fun to play with and safe enough if the babies accidentally put them in their mouths. As Children have an interest in sensory play, I can use the sensory bin filled with water and put those in and have the peanut children play with them. Infants can watch these beans absorb water and slowly dissolve in water. Also, they can squeeze the water out of the peanuts. This sensory water play is not only fun and accessible but is also easy to clean after playing as well. With this sensory experience, babies can know more about the properties of those biodegradable packing peanuts; they are able to learn about science how those peanuts react in the water- as infants will see them float on the surface and gradually dissolve and disappear in the water, Or infants will use their hands (fine motors) to touch, squeeze and play with the peanuts.

Messy-free canvas painting

As babies enjoy being involved in creative activities, I will offer them a mess-free activity where infants can create their art pieces with colors and cling film (or plastic wrap). The materials for this experience are accessible and easy to find include: canvas (or think card), paints (with multiple colors), Cling film (plastic wrap), and tape (if necessary). The process is easy to prepare since I will need 2 to 3 different color paints (I would prefer the colors that the babies are interested in), and squeeze the chosen paints onto the card or canvas, then I will cover and wrap my canvas/card around with some cling film (or plastic wrap). Finally, I could use the tape to stick the wrapper in place and add an extra layer just in case the paint gets leaking out. Now the canvas is ready for babies to squash, squeeze and merge the paint with their fingers or hands. Using their fingertips or whole hands, babies can spread the paint over the canvas and watch their favorite colors spreading and mixing together without getting their hands dirty or messing over the place. The experience is not only intriguing to play, but it’s also safe for infants in case they’re accidentally putting the paint in their mouths. And when the babies finish the paintings, I will carefully remove the cling film and let their painting dry. Through this activity, the infants will not only be able to engage in their creativity, seeing the colors changing, but also give them opportunities to practice the fine motors - their movements (squashing and squeezing) and control of the fingers and hands (when spreading the paint over the canvas).

Messy Little Monster (2015)

Musical Activity

As the music plays a crucial part in the infants' development and the babies' motors skills are developing day by day, I will provide the infants with a song that allows children to pop up and sit down several times while following the beats. Specifically, I can play the song called "Pop Goes the Weasel," and instead of saying the weasel, I will replace it with the babies' names so that I can sing like "Pop up [the baby's name]." In order to minimize the hazard, I will prepare some big pillows large enough for babies to sit on; in case children fell while popping up, they could fall on puffy pillows. By playing this song, I encourage the children to jump up and stand up on the pillow, promoting their gross motor skills. As the older infant is able to stand up, this song will offer him more opportunities to practice and strengthen his capacity of standing up, jumping and sitting down, where it could also challenge his balance abilities. As for the younger infant, with the help of the educator - holding his hand and helping him stand, the child could also engage in the activity, as well as facilitate his standing ability. To make the song more amusing and keep the babies engaged, I can provide the shakers (or several sensory bottles that can make different sounds when shaking them) for the babies to hold while popping with the song. As the babies are moving or jumping up and down, the sensory bottles may be shaken and make some sounds.

Water Sensory Play

For wet sensory, I will provide babies with some sponges to make different textures for the infants to touch during the water play. The activity is simple to set up, as I will give the children with their sensory bins filled with water, add baby soap to make bubbles and food coloring to make the bin look more intriguing. Then I will offer the babies new or unused sponges with different shapes, colors, and textures so that children can touch and feel various textures. With this wet sensory play, the babies can splash in the water practice their fine motor skills through picking up, holding, and squeezing sponges. As they’re having fun and getting wet, infants can also develop the awareness of their bodies, discover how to use the objects (sponges), and promote their sense of touch (as babies are touching a variety of textured sponges). Apart from splashing the water, I will encourage infants to hold the sponges in their hands show them the difference between wet sponges and dry sponges. Besides, I can take advantage of those sponges to use them in other activities, such as painting and drawing. As the sponges have various shapes, babies can push the sponge (already have the paint) onto the paper and see its shape print on it.

Ice painting

For creative and sensory play, I will provide infants an painting activity where they can paint with ice, which I call “Ice Painting”. With this experience, children will not only be able to practice their hand movements (fine motor skills), but it also stimulate their sense of creativeness and sensory, as they can touch the cold ice while spreading the water paint all over the paper. The materials to prepare are pretty easy to find include: small pots (it could be yogurt pots), food colouring (edible/safe for children to play with), water, craft sticks and cards/thick papers (since they are more durable when absorbing water). Basically, the process of making those paint sticks are similar to making ice creams, where I will pour water mixed with food coloring into a yogurt pot and each pot will have different colors, then I will put each craft stick in each pot and put all the pots into the fridge to let them freeze. Once the ice has frozen, I will take the ice paints out of the pots, and they’re ready to paint. Children can choose to use cards or paper to paint on, they can hold on the craft stick and rub the ice paint into the paper. The ice will melt out as they rub, creating some watery yet colorful patterns. (In order to take the ice out of the pot easier, I can put the pots into the warm water for few minutes before remove them).

Messy Little Monster (2015)

Erikson, J. (2017)

Ice muffin

As infants had opportunities to went outdoor this week and they were interested in snow, therefore, I will provide babies with an activity that can feel the coolness yet still stay warm and safe indoors. I call this play is “Ice muffin” where babies can use their hands, grab an ice cube and out it in the muffin tins. This activities can stimulate children sense of touch as they can feel the cold in the ice cube, practice their fine motors (grab the ice using the hands, moving back and forth), and they’re free to explore and modify their play as they want while having fun with this sensory play. For this activity, I will prepare some ice cubes (big enough for infants to hold), a bowl to pour the ice cubes in and one or two muffin tins. In order to prevent the floor get wet after the play, I can lay a large towel on the floor and put other materials on it. I also let the infants to sit on the towel as well. I will out all the materials in front of the infants and introduce the play to them. I will invite children to touch the ice, name the feeling when touching the ice - for example “Ice is cold”, and encourage babies to put the ice in the muffin tins and fill up the muffin cups.

Tugging box for Fine Motors

Because newborns want to play and do activities with their hands, I'll give them a tugging box, which can help them develop a variety of abilities as they play. The tugging box contains a cardboard box, various lengths of ribbons, strips of felt and pipe cleaners, adhesive tape, and a pencil for the preparation. Furthermore, if I want to make it more appealing, I will paint the box and embellish it. I'll puncture holes around the box and paint them to make it more visible to set up the material. Then I'll thread a variety of ribbon lengths through two holes and tie knots at the ends. I can use a pipe cleaner to assist with threading if necessary. Finally, I'll use tape to seal the package. This box allows babies to engage in some sensory play, thanks to the ribbons, felt strips, and huge pipe cleaners that were used to create a delightful sensory experience. Furthermore, because newborns will need to concentrate and aim the ends into the vacant holes, this box might help them develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Through trial and error, they may ultimately figure out how to pull the ribbon out. I can also generate a cause and effect response by threading each end of the ribbon through two distinct holes, if possible.

Paper Plate Painting

As children was still interested in creative activities like painting, I will provide babies with a painting play on paper plates. The process of setting up this play is simple and the materials are also accessible and easy to find, including: Paper Plates, Washable Non-toxic Paint, Paintbrushes, and Splash Mat. I will set up the paint on the floor, in which on each paper plate I will squirt a couple of paint with different colors. By setting the play on the floor, it allows infants to move around his paintings in a different way, which can work those gross motor skills and it can be easier to clean as well. With this painting play, children can use the brushes to swirl and dot and mix the colors together, if they want, they’re free to use their hands to play as well. Through this activity, children can practice their fine and gross motor skills as they use brushes or hands to mix the colors while moving around from one plate to another. As babies are playing with colors, the paints are different colors and if they mix them, the infants will see that it gradually create new colors, it can stimulate the sense of colors and foster their hand-eye coordination. In order to make the activity more meaningful, I can interact, ask and talk to the children about what they are doing - sharing experiences, which can somehow encourage their language development.

Hello Wonderful (n.d.)

Pompom Whisk for Fine Motors

This time, as the infants' motor skills, particularly their fine motor skills, are developing, I will provide them with a simple fine motor activity that requires only two items: pompom balls and a whisk. Because the pompom balls are already available in the classroom for current sensory activities, I will bring the kitchen whisk to the classroom to prepare for this activity. I'll stuff a bunch of pompoms through the slots of a whisk until it's completely full to set up the play. Then I'll show the kids how to pull each pompom out from between the wires. Because the activity can be quite difficult to complete, I will instruct them to use a pincer grasp (thumb and pointer only) to grab each pompom one at a time. Allow them time to complete it all on their own, but offer assistance if necessary. And when they're finished pulling them out, I'll encourage the kids to put them back in. Because pompoms are small and can cause choking hazards, I will always supervise and play alongside the children to avoid an incident. This Pompom Whisk activity allows babies to practise their fine motor skills by strengthening and collaborating the muscles of their hands by pulling pompoms out with a pincer grasp. Working on bilateral coordination (using two hands in different ways) by holding the whisk still with one hand while pulling out the pompoms with the other. Furthermore, the play promotes Language/Vocabulary development by providing infants with opportunities to listen to and talk about various objects (pompom, whisk, soft, fuzzy, colors, pull out). Children will be able to perceive feelings and different textures while playing with pompoms, which can be calming or stimulating for a child. They will, for example, be able to experiment with the softness of the pompom and the hardness of the whisk.

Pompom Bubbles Foam Sensory Bin

As infants are interested in bubbles during sensory plays. I will provide babies with another sensory play where they will be fill with bubbles and pom pom. The sensory play will be Pom Pom Bubble Foam Sensory Bin. In order to prepare for this activity, I will need their sensory bins, dish soap or baby soap, water, hand blender or a whisk. And for the materials for children to play with, I will add muffin tin, spoons and pom pom. Also, I will try to encourage children to add what they like in the bin to vary their play. First of all, I will make the bubble foam where I pour the water into the sensory bins and add foam directly in the bin, so that none of the foam is lost in the transfer from a bowl to the bin. Specifically, I may add about an inch or less of water and 2 tbsp of dish soap. And in order to make the water bubbling, I will tip the bin so that the water pools on one side and in your other hand use the hand blender or whisk to whip up the bubbles. If necessary, during the play, I can add more dish soap to create a thicker foam but a little does go a long way and the hand blender/whisk really works wonders. To make the play more colorful, I can add a few drops of food colouring to the water and dish soap mix, if I want to make different coloured foam. With just bubbles in the sensory bin, I will let children to play with it first so they can feel the fluffy and bubbles for a while and has yet to add the pretend play element. Once they grow bored of that I will add the pom poms and muffin tin to create bubble cupcakes. Here, I intend to extend the sensory play to be more like a pretend play where children have some pompom and bubbles and put them into the muffin tray to pretend like a cupcake. Besides, infants can mix pom pom and bubbles together, squeezed them and plopped them around and just generally had a good old sensory play time. With this activity, it not only promotes their fine motor skills (as the babies squeeze, plop bubble and pom pom around, use tools to whisk) but also stimulate their sensory of touching and feeling as they can feel how fluffy the bubbles are, play with the soft and wet pom pom, and more.

Happy Toddler play time (n.d.)

Personal Narrative

These plans were the Resource Tool Kit that I planned during my second Field Practicum. Those actvities were planned for Toddlers from 18 months to 2 years old. I was expected to plan one resource for each day and the resource that I could plan were varied from story books, lyrics to songs (for transitions, hand washing routine etc.), homemade materials, informational brochures for parents, loose parts, puppets, puzzles. While doing that, I considered ways that I could build the relationship with the children, connect to what I've learned and contribute to the resources that I had. Due to the pandemic, my placement back then was hold online, and my observation was based on what my cooperating teacher told us during the virtual meeting happens once a week. Unlike the first semester where my observation was based on summaries of children’s strength, interests and opportunities to growth, since all the information I collected depending on cooperating teacher’s response, I learned to take notes faster and always prepared questions ahead to ask cooperating teacher as much as possible. While record the plan, it is essential to identify what resources and materials that I use as well as consider how this activity could support the development of children in a fun yet educational ways.

Documentation

CPL

This portfolio belongs to Quan Do Le Truc. Do not copy without permission. Some of the samples within this portfolio are the property of the organization whose name appears on the document. Permission from each has been granted for the product to be used as documentation of my work.

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