What You See, What We See

Please excuse the mess. Children are making memories.

"The children look to us to set the tone for caring and learning, and they copy what we do. If we listen to them, they listen to each other. If we value them and support, encourage, and celebrate what they do, they will do the same for each other. If we encourage risk taking and accept approximations, they do the same for themselves and for others. If we are learners in the classroom, they become learners, too. A positive caring and learning community generates from our positive ways throughout the day. It matters that we greet everyone as they come in, help a child pick up the crayons she has dropped, and listen carefully to stories from home... When we are positive, the children are positive. When we demonstrate attitudes of caring along with the skills, strategies, and content of learning, we become the bonded adult whom the children emulate and look to for assurance that this classroom is physically, psychologically, and emotionally a safe place in whihc to take risks." - Bobbi Fisher

Summer Camp & Mixed Age Groups... Yes, please!

Check out this article from Time: Summer Camp: Can It Make Kids More Responsible? Why interaction within mixed-age groups makes kids more mature

We are in our eighth year of summer camp, which means some of our original campers are now taking on different roles as counselors in training and junior helpers. You may see these children doing more grown-up things... My son and nephew really showed us all up with their wood splitting and stacking skills last week! Ms. Jackie's son, Owen, had a posse of boys all week who kept him busy with ball games and wrestling and if he had some down time, he was filling water jugs, doing the heavy lifting, and prepping supplies. One of our campers, J, who told me when she was four years old that she "can't wait until she's old enough to work at Saplings" continues to impress: she guides younger children down the trails, has great ideas for activities and games--and coordinates them on her own, observes her surroundings to make sure everyone stays safe, and advocates for the younger campers. It's really wonderful to see how these older kiddos have grown. They are responsible, mature, and caring. It's beautiful to see how they interact with our younger campers, too. Big brothers and mother hens abound in our forest during the summer months!

Hidden Learning in Forest School (a blog)

Read about the hidden learning of forest school in this blog!

Boundaries, Setting Them & Why They're Important

We have quite a collection of articles re: boundaries, why they're important for children and how to be consistent with setting boundaries and maintaining expectations. Check out those reads here.

A Child Alone (is not necessarily a lonely child)

Here's a helpful article about the benefits of individual play!

Individual and group play are both important for development. Neither should replace the other, but the two types of play should compliment each other. Encourage both, but notice that it's okay to go through phases--ebbs and flows so to speak-- where your child may be leaning into one more than the other.

Mixed Age Classes

Isn't it interesting that students are grouped by birthdays instead of likes, interests, and abilities when it comes to education-- even after the frameworks switched over to "competency based"? After school, when will someone be in a room with 15-20 other people who are the same age as them? If you look at our staff, we range in age across decades. If you look at other places of employment, the ranges can be much, much larger.

There are so many benefits to children (and grown ups) grouping together across the birth years. Just like in your typical classroom, children are developing friendships and engaging in learning, but in classrooms where age ranges span more than two years, there's so much more! While students learn and grow together across more than one grade level, they have access to peer support and opportunities to lead learning for other children. These chances for older children to be more helpful, patient, and tolerant help develop more sophisticated social skills. The consistency for the younger peers to develop competencies alongside role models is a framework for deepening relationships. And with a wonderful teacher who can handle deviating from the standard curriculum and the demands of teaching children of varying abilities across grade levels, the benefits of staying with the same teacher are huge for the children who are viewed as individuals with unique abilities. And the group becomes much more like a family.

Sleep and Naps

Sometimes you see children on a bit of an emotional roller coaster: moods all over, really big feelings, and squirrelly attention and maybe a bit "out to lunch." We see busy kiddos who have long days expelling a lot of energy who probably need more sleep.

"Sleep plays a crucial role in the development of young minds. In addition to having a direct effect on happiness, research shows that sleep impacts alertness and attention, cognitive performance, mood, resiliency, vocabulary acquisition, and learning and memory. In toddlers, napping appears to be necessary for memory consolidation, executive attention, and motor skill development."

Here's a great read about children and the importance of sleep and how to help them sleep better!

Science

Children learn science in nature play long before they get to school classrooms and labs

"Our research shows nature play is a highly effective way of embedding STEM—science, technology, engineering and mathematics—in early childhood education. These areas share connections and practices, and research increasingly shows that "regardless of ability, young children are ready, willing, and able to engage in STEM activities." "

Sledding: Aerobic laughter and sustained exercise

The first snowfall means it's time to hit the hill! Any onlooker can see the joy, awe and grins and hear the giggles, laughter and shouts.

Sledding can be cold. Sledding can be wet. Sledding can be exhilarating! Even sliding down a small hill can bring much excitement when you're piled up onto a sled with your friends, veering down a ragged path, taking twists and turns, and toppling over in the snow.

Sledding makes even the kiddos who don't want to put on ski pants, hats, and gloves gear up... because it's sledding!

The trek to the hill is an exhausting, full-body workout... and worth it! Especially when the sun is shining and there's vitamin D to be had!

Nothing else is growing in a snowy, icy land, but friendships still bloom. Friends leaning down and lending a hand to help each other up... that's empathy. Friends taking turns... that's kindness. Friends riding together, friends crashing together... Cause, effect, spatial awareness, reaction time, resilience.

Waiting for a sled? Patience! Waiting for a turn? Patience! Waiting for a push? Patience!

And then there's science, oh so much science: Inertia, velocity, force, friction, gravity, and more! Sitting at the top of the hill? Potential energy, an object at rest. The pusher? Call him Newton! The ride down the hill? Kinetic energy, an object in motion. And there's so many more variables to consider: the push, the stop, the weight of the rider, leaning on the sled, the material of the sled, the conditions... And for each of these variables, there are so many questions to question, ask and answer. And for each of these questions and answers, there's so much language to incorporate into the conversation.

Sledding just may be the catalyst for future scientists, engineers and Olympians! And it's (usually) enjoyable to observe and join. :)

Learning through Physical Play

Movement is at the very core of how children develop intellectually, emotionally, socially and of course, physically. Here at Saplings we foster the move-to-learn style of children while helping parents and teachers understand the comprehensive values of all that wiggling! Initial physical assessments for playschoolers are heading your way, so here's a brief blurb about why we're intentionally observing and supporting so much learning through physical play!

While many long for the educational assessments which focus on the academics, it’s necessary to understand how physical, social and emotional growth are as important as intellectual growth. While many assessments are obtained through tests, ours are obtained from observation. Observations and assessments are continuous processes, show measurable outcomes and guide our teaching and learning.

Research shows that physical play enhances concentration, motivation, learning and well-being. It promotes fine and gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination. After noting the increased inactivity many children live on day-to-day due to reasons summarized as technology, smaller families and what is shared as fewer “safe” outside play areas, please note how much children enjoy physical play and revel in the freedom of movement and that should be an indication of the value. Suddenly, in wide open spaces, these children become inventive, adventurous and social.

Specifically, large muscle, or gross motor, helps: body management, balance, coordination, strength, agility, and confidence. Hand-eye and eye-foot coordination also help with strength and spatial awareness.

Often, when children struggle with handwriting, reading, self care or physical activities, it’s because they need more experience with cross lateral motion. Take handwriting for example--In order for a child to write his or her name: 1. The upper body must be strong enough to hold an upright standing or sitting position. 2. The shoulder muscles must be strong enough to control the weight of the arm, and flexible enough to rotate freely to position the arm for writing. 3. The upper arm holds the weight of the lower arm and hand, delivering the hand to the page. 4. The lower arm provides a sturdy fulcrum on which the wrist rotates. 5. The wrist holds the hand stead and rotates to the appropriate position. 6. The fingers fold around the pencil which is held in place by the thumb. 7. Together, all five fingers do a precision dance on the page: a. Placing the pencil at the exact angle to meet the page, b. Pressing down and maintaining the right amount of pressure to leave the imprint, and c. coordinating the tiny up, down, left and right movements across the page (Moving Smart). Instead of treating the symptoms, poor handwriting, we address the underlying causes--which often mean getting out and unplugged and moving-- we’d head for some climbing, wheelbarrow races or monkey bars.

Crossing the midline, the imaginary line down the center of the body, is a bilateral skill. Successfully using both sides of the body together shows how the left and right brain communicate with each other. Crossing the midline is a prerequisite skill required for appropriate development of various motor, including fine motor, and cognitive skills. Knowing how to observe and assess will help to determine whether a child is ambidextrous or whether a child has two mediocre hands.

Here at Saplings, our children develop gross motor through hiking, climbing, running, hopping, jumping, swinging, rolling, crawling, circle games and movement and large-scale construction. Fine motor development progresses through drawing, tying, stitching, cutting vegetables and fruits, stirring, picking, fastening, painting, sculpting, woodworking, hand games and small-scale construction. Health and personal awareness improve through physical movement, daily rhythms, overcoming obstacles, self-awareness, personal challenge, healthy food preparation and eating habits. They become more spatially aware through nature walks, movement, balancing, and the natural forest environment and a relationship to its elements.

Please remember, children develop in a holistic manner and although there are plenty of guides sharing when a child should reach a certain milestone-- whether it’s intellectual, physical, social or emotional, don’t stress. Let them be little. They’ll get there when the gettin’s good!

Cultivating Foodies

There's a special lady 'round here who brings so much to the table, both literally and figuratively! That's our Ms. Devyn. You may see the snack and lunch menus, your lack of dirty dishes, rouge wrappers, and festering lunchboxes and hear about some beloved energy bites or birthday cookies, some not-so-favorite new fruit that showed up at snack time, pasta "like Ms. Devyn makes" or nuts getting smashed with Yetis, but we get to see, hear and experience so much more.

In the beginning of the school year, there's an adjustment to eating at school--not just because it's not mom's menu, but because there's new foods. Yes, simple foods to start so that the less sophisticated palettes aren't scared away, but new nonetheless. These kiddos experience variety! A variety of vegetables in deep greens, reds and orange. A variety of fruits cut into safely consumable shapes. A variety of protein sources: eggs, beans, lean meats, nuts and seeds and a little bit of dairy. What they don't experience: sodas, added sugars, saturated fats, trans fats, or refined white flour.

We see physically active kiddos eating from a menu thoughtfully designed to sustain their energy.

We see mindful eating. Tastes, textures, and smells are all explored through our mealtimes.

We hear healthy conversations about food: where our food comes from, who's to thank from farmers to chefs, about waste and compost, about likes and dislikes, healthy choices and treats and so much more.

We see children using their fine motor skills to open pistachio and peanut shells.

We see role models. (Another reason to love mixed-aged groups mingling!) These kiddos talk about food: their favorites, their dislikes, and everything in between. These kiddos, through the power of peers, are helping us to avoid battles and expand palettes. We don't "yuck" eachother's "yums" 'round here.

We see kids getting involved and kids cooking! They love to check in during the mornings and ask, "What's for lunch today?" often lured in by the smells coming from the kitchen. Our kindergartners and elementary kiddos love eating their way through the alphabet and the seasons with their cooking classes each week.

Where parents often control the supply lines, here we get to see the kids get a bit of autonomy when it comes to eating experiences. They get to peel, cut, stir, mash, and sample and we get to nurture positivity around food and these eating experiences.

And while they think they're making big decisions for themselves, we know it's been curated so they are not only getting healthy, nutrient-dense foods, but they're eating foods that are safe for all to consume. There are no forbidden foods because there aren't foods that they shouldn't have here to avoid, no forbidden foods to cause anxiety, peak their interest or entice them to overindulge.

We see healthy relationships with food being formed.

Ms. Devyn knows her way around a kitchen--She used to own and operate her own cafe in downtown Laconia! Paired with her degree in education and her experiences as a big sister, mom, aunt, and teacher she also has a special way of connecting with kiddos and sharing her love for food: food as a fuel, food as medicine, food as a conversation piece and food as art! Not only is she highly qualified in meeting the needs for our children's growth and development, she continues her education as a lifelong learner and has quite the portfolio-- not only can she grow and harvest, she has taken courses about catering to allergies safely, courses about foods and hormones, courses about supporting a variety of diets due to illness or in search of wellness. Her Brave Soul Holistic clients seek her out because she knows what's up!

I know how fortunate we are to have someone who maintains a gluten free kitchen and who spends her Sundays schlepping around not only the Lakes Region, but also an hour south to make sure our kiddos are getting the best ingredients. And when she can't get them here, the Black River Organics truck delivers or boxes of bulk orders appear.

What I see, on a more personal level, goes so much deeper...

After a serious traumatic brain injury, Devyn provided me with food as medicine. She made sure I was eating all the brain foods, foods loaded with B vitamins and healthy fats. Because I lost my taste buds, she catered to my need for textures to be right. Because I was also forgetful, she would come find me and hand me my lunch or ask, "What have you eaten today?"

When my daughter started having accidents in first grade that turned out to be a constipation issue due to being lactose intolerant, Devyn helped navigate that situation better than any of her doctors who wanted to load her up on Miralax. She knew which foods would be the best fibers to keep her regular, which foods were sneaky hydration and how to make dairy-free versions of my cheese-loving child's favorites.

When my niece, who is so severely Celiacs that she cannot eat off a plate that has had gluten on it, who is so severely Celiacs that she cannot go into a restaurant or eat meals at her friends' houses, who is so severely Celiacs that accidental contamination hospitalizes her, comes to NH, Devyn's kitchen is the only safe space for her. My sister, who travels cross-country and internationally with her own pots and pans can breathe as she leaves her skillet in the car thanks to Devyn and her kitchen.

You may see a woman in the kitchen, but we see a wealth of knowledge, the keeper of comfort foods, a Godsend in times of need and our children's favorite food fairy, nutritionist and personal chef who also happens to have the coolest BandAids in playschool and the best ice packs in her freezer, so she's the go-to for bumps, scrapes and imaginary or invisible booboos, too.

If You Can't Take the Mud, Get Out of the Kitchen!

Mud kitchens are one of the biggest hits strewn about the playschool forest. To the unknowing eye, one might think they've stumbled upon a hobo village. Our older kiddos and playschoolers seek them out for regular sensory input, which does wonders for good health and development! Observing play in the mud kitchens is one of my favorite playtimes to observe. The children get so into it, experiencing the world with their hands. Yes, there's so much sand and mud-- but it's proven that our immune systems love good dirt and children who don't get the opportunity to play in the mud have weaker systems. (See our other articles about mud and sand play.) There's so much language development through imaginative and role playing, storytelling and scientific questioning. There's math through measuring and exploring capacity, filling and emptying containers: large, small and everything in between. The open-ended-ness of the mud kitchen promotes curiosity, exploration and experimentation. Want more fine motor? Add more tools! Want more practical life? Add real tools! Want more language development? Add containers with labels and recipe cards! Want to appeal to more senses? Add freshly cut herbs and flowers! Want more fun? Give your kiddos the freedom in their kitchen, bakery, restaurant, or whatever it may be to be whoever they want to be!

Rough & Tumble or Fight Club?

"What happens in fight club stays in fight club."

Depending on the group, there are days where playschool can feel a bit like a fight club. (Not yet this year, but give it time.) There's wrestling, chasing, tumbling, grappling and more that might look like something serious to passersby, but rough and tumble, or play fighting, is not aggressive. There's smiling and laughter. Children aren't bullying, hurting or forcing each other to do anything. The children know if there's frowning, crying, fear or anger that it isn't play. If someone mistakenly hits too hard or maliciously knocks someone over it's decided by the participants. With social reasoning and judgment they decide-- Was it an accident or was it on purpose? And if they can't, game over.

Physical benefits: Cardiovascular health and increased stamina, whole body experiences for all of the senses, motor skills, muscle tone and strength, balance and coordination, a release of energy, a vestibular workout (rolling, hanging upside down, spinning in circles), self-regulation of impulses and a test of own strength, speed, courage and will.

Cognitive benefits: Increased blood flow to the brain supports cognitive function, increase in BDNF levels (a protein, important for growth and maintenance of brain cells), improved memory, observation skills, exploration and investigation skills, experimentation and risk-taking, development of receptive and expressive language skills, self-regulation of attention, improved attention levels and persistence, creative problem solving.

Social benefits: Discover boundaries of health play (others' limits and own limits), learning to read and understand body language, establish social order, more acceptable outlet "using energy for good and not evil", listening and responding to needs of others, practice of sharing and turn-taking, leadership skills, conflict resolution skills, self-regulation of impulse control, social awareness (cooperation, fairness, compassion, and empathy), expression of care, creation, and nurturing of friendships.

Emotional benefits: Fullfills need for physical touch, builds confidence, self-protection, self-regulation (emotions), self-motivation, bonding and feeling connected, stress and tension relief, expression of the "spirit" of the child.

So go wrastle with your kiddos!

“Imagination is the most marvelous, miraculous, inconceivably powerful force the world has ever known.” - Napoleon Hill

“The imagination is precious. Don’t lose it. Don’t lose the child in you.” - Marilyn Manson

The Beauty of Imagination

"I'll be the mom. You're the baby. You can be the dad."

"I'm the queen and these are my servants! They do whatever I say!"

"Let's all be caterpillars!"

"We're rock-stars!"

"I'm Goldilocks! And they are the three bears."

"I made you an apple pie! Try it!"

"We need more ingredients for our magical potion."

"We're fairies, but she wants to be a mermaid, so now we're mermaid fairies."

These are clips of pretend play I've encountered in two days. Imaginations at work!

Imagination is a cognitive process used to generate new ideas from old. It's not simple! It requires advanced thinking strategies, communication, and social skills. If you stumble upon pretend play, you're encountering children (or maybe grownups?) who are thinking logically and creatively.

Often when it comes to school, imaginative play is the first to be kicked to the curb. Maybe it's because what is seen looks like fantasy, but pretend play can also be ordinary thoughts about alternatives to current reality. Pretend play doesn't fit nicely into segments. As children end up in more and more scheduled activities, they're losing so much when they aren't given the opportunities for their imaginations. Pretend play is developmentally essential, so please don't rush it! Allow the time because it is time well spent!

Imagination is a preoperative stage in development. It's a big part of the cognitive foundation that activates and strengthens regions of the brain involved in its real-life execution, improving performance. Imagination is good for the brain!

Imagination is thinking out of the box, seeing beyond what already exists. Imagination helps children gain courage to explore the unknown-- what's unknown to them. Pretend play can't be put in a box, but it checks a lot of boxes:

Recognizing and regulating emotions... check!

Self-regulation... check!

Negotiation and taking turns... check!

Problem solving... check!

Considering others' perspectives... check!

Expressing and listening to thoughts and ideas... check!

Balancing their own ideas with others... check!

Assigning tasks and roles... check!

Transferring knowledge from one situation to another... check!

Developing a plan and acting on it... check!

Engaging in a long term activity that is mutually beneficial... check!

Delayed gratification... check!

Exploring symbolism... check!

And that's why it is so important for children to have many opportunities to blend skills and knowledge together with pretend play: From following simple directions to building expressive and receptive language, from reading social cues to learning how to manage their emotions... Those ballerinas, rock stars, moms and babies, dads and their tools, chefs in the kitchen, queens and kings on their thrones, monkeys, puppies and kitties, zookeepers, teachers, truck drivers, doctors, ice cream vendors, lemonade stand entrepreneurs, and butterflies are all learning some serious critical thinking skills.

Let them be little. Let them play. Let them pretend. You won't regret it!

"Play is our brain's favorite way of learning." - Diane Ackerman, contemporary American author

The Great Outdoors...One giant sensory bin!

Check out this awesome article, which digs deep into all the sensory learning that happens when children step outside. Not only does the article share what we see when we take children into nature, but shares 50 suggestions for how, too!

Balancing on Logs

Balancing on logs is full body learning! There's working memory in action, which is exercising brains and bodies. The proprioception sense and awareness of body positioning is activated. The dynamic balance and postural control that happens through balancing on uneven surfaces combined with the working memory does wonders for performance in the classroom and for handwriting, which is truly a full-body experience.

Climbing Trees

Climbing trees builds confidence!

Climbing trees encourages creative thinking!

Climbing trees sends signals from your mind to your body to problem solve and then execute!

Climbing trees gives the opportunity for children to asses their own risks and hazards. How high? Is that a safe branch?

Playing in the Mud

Playing in the mud is an immunity booster and is good for our skin!

It's good for the heart and makes us happy!

Mud inspires us to be creative and care for the environment!

Playing in the mud uses both fine and gross motor skills!

In the mud, we're building our problem solving skills, listening and taking turns.

When there's mud, you can be sure that there's a full sensory experience about to happen!

Oh, look! It's raining! (Again!)

What a rainy spring and summer, second week of school and day we had today! When the baskets of gear come home and all the clothes are soggy, the rain gear is saturated and the boots are squishy, you might ask yourself, "Whhyyyyy?!?" And I'm here to tell you! Rainy day learning kicks so much learning up a notch!

Physically, skills are challenged in slippy conditions. That balance and coordination takes more effort. Jumping in puddles? That's serious bilateral coordination! Yes, please! Running in the rain? That's good for mind and body! Children who learn at a young age that the weather doesn't need to stop them from partaking in these activities carry a healthier lifestyle into adulthood and are often happier, healthier adults!

The critical thinking that occurs just because it's raining-- managing risks, evaluating situations. How slippery is that rock? How deep is that puddle? Where is the best place to stand, under the gutter or under a tree?

Rain enhances the senses: The sounds-- Rain is music! Rhythm, beats, tempo. The pitter patter is often calming and relaxing. The feelings-- of rain on a face, of rain in a boot, of sand and mud and puddles... The smells-- changing scents, often refreshing and energizing (unless you're talking about the soggy kids themselves). And speaking of soggy kiddos... They're learning independence, cause and effect and how to make choices: What do you need to go out in the rain? How should you dress? Can you put on your rain pants by yourself? Did you put the boots on the right feet? What happens if you swan dive into that puddle? What do you do when you get wet?

There's so much trial and error, prediction and estimation to be learned in the rain. Maybe they feel what it's like to be caught in the rain without appropriate gear... and remember. Maybe they explore the puddles, pots and pans to figure out how much it has rained. Maybe they're testing out objects in the puddle or stream-- What sinks? What floats? These explorations can lead to deeper thinking and even more math (through mixing, pouring, and measuring), language (through conversations and learning new words), and scientific concepts such as the water cycle, clouds and weather, and habitats and the environment (thanks to all those mini beasts who come out when it's raining! And I'm not talking about playschoolers! :) Hello, slugs, snails, and salamanders!

Children That Play Outside In All Weather Grow Up Resilient by Wild Earth

"Rainy days are just another learning experience’: Why outdoor nurseries are becoming more popular" by Cheryl Peebles

There's Sand In My Boot!

Shape it! Dig it! Sift it! Bury it! All the forms that sand can take come with so many opportunities for fun and secret learning.

Sometimes children enjoy playing in the sand by themselves. Sometimes it's a sand pile o' children.

While you may see children with sand in all the places you wouldn't want sand, there's also lots of secret learning to observe:

Using a small shovel, pulling a truck, building a castle... That's fine motor! Burying themselves, exploring sand with whole bodies... That's engaging for the proprioceptive sense (their body relative to space). Writing words... More fine motor and some language skills. Ask questions and engage in the sand play... More language! Stand back and observe... Build trust and confidence through independent play experiences. Sand in the air, sand in a boot, sand in water, water in sand... Cause and effect in real time!

Building together, digging together, exploring together... So many chances for developing social skills like problem solving (limited space), sharing (limited tools and toys), and communicating (What are we doing? Are we doing it together?)

Sand play is full of sensory exploration and secret learning. Not everyone will enjoy playing in the sand the same way. While one child may roll in sand, another may not want to touch sand at all but might enjoy the social aspect. However a child interacts with sand, whatever path they take through the sand pile, there's something to be learned.

Process Art

Maybe you see a mess, maybe you see a waste of materials, maybe you aren't quite sure what you see other than a child who needs a bath... Or maybe, like us you see so much (or even just a little bit) of the secret learning taking place!

Process art doesn't come with step-by-step instructions or samples to follow. There is no right or wrong way to create. Instead, the art is focused on an experience of the child's choice and exploration of techniques and tools and materials. (Yes, sometimes a lot of materials!) The art is unique, original and tells a story about the child who made it. ("I am an artist!") Usually, the experience is relaxing and calming instead of frustrating. There are no mistakes to fix!

What we see through all of the globs of paint, blobs of clay and rogue beads...

Socially and emotionally: The child is relaxed, focused (Often "Can I have some more time?", often feeling very successful ("I can't do it!" isn't usually a statement, "Look at what I made!"), and expressing feelings ("I love the color purple!" "This is so much fun!")

Linguistically: The child may be discussing the art... The materials, the technique, the colors, the textures, or what the art represents. Children may be collaborating on art together, demonstrating how they use materials to each other, or sharing ideas (either good ones or bad ones) about the process. The child might add print, either as an attempt at independent letter formation or by asking a teacher to be a scribe.

Cognitively: There's so much to compare (colors, textures, sizes, shapes, quantities, the process in general), predict ("How long is it going to take for the paint to dry?" What happens when these two colors are mixed together?"), plan ("I'd like to make a picture for my mom." "Can I have a piece of paper and some scissors?", and problem solve ("The scissors won't cut the string." "I spilled the water." "I got paint on my shirt!")

Physically: So many small motor skills in action when drawing, cutting, gluing and pasting, sculpting, stringing, pinching and stirring!

It's amazing what you might see when you say "Yes!" and provide a variety of new, interesting materials-- and plenty of them, give children plenty of time and allow them to come and go as they please. Throw on some background music and/or take your "arting" outside-- and experience the joy with them!

"Creative play is like a spring that bubbles up from the deep within a child." - Joan Almon, contemporary American educator

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