Beach magic in Wales

Had a lovely long weekend in Wales with "The Girls" and thought I would set myself a challenge to be as creative as possible with a bag of stones, shells and drift wood we collected on the beach...hear goes...

Firstly...

• Sorting....simple but very satisfying. Honey, my grand daughter loves sorting things and here is her lovely sorting pattern...she says it's a crocodile! Honey's sorting has progressed into transitional art.

 

 

• Using pebbles to count and order numbers

• Decorating stones, I use Sharpies they are amazing but be careful because 

they are permanent markers

 

• Investigating shells using a magnifying glass
• Turn pebbles into monsters with some goggly eyes and wool hair
• Shell rubbings and drawing round them
• Sea treasure bottles /jars



• Tuff spot with sea and sand exploration using the treasure from the beach, tactile fabrics and ribbons
• Blue spaghetti/sand play including the beach treasures
• Sand tray with drift wood
• Making pebble towers
• Play dough with pebbles, shells and feathers pressed in to make a picture /pattern
• Feather painting using the tip as a pen and the feathery surface as a brush



Messy Church - Water

 Every school holiday St Mary's Church Eastwood hold a Messy Church event for families with children aged up to 11 years old.
Summer 2017 theme is WATER and here are just a few of the activities on offer.

Jonah story sack
 

Collage fish

 

Sequin shell

Printing sponge fish

 

Wax resist fish

 

 

Play-dough mat

Pipe cleaner fish

 

                                       

 

Cork boat

 

Transient Art "Sea" Create a temporary art piece from loose pieces

 

 



                                   

 



Woolley jelly fish

Paper origami boat

 

Bubbles

 

 Treasure bottles

1. contains ribbons, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, toys

2. contains glue, water, glitter and sequins              

3. contains coloured sand, shells, letters and toys to

create a 'Find It' game

 

 

Kinetic sand 

 

Seaside treasure baskets

Coloured rice and sequins with open mouthed sharks

Great for filling and pouring



 

Treasure bottles, scarves and key words to talk about

Traditional sand play

 

Handmade magnetic fishing game

A novel book corner!

Sponge fish printing

Collage fish

Paper plate fish 

 

 

Transient art

Wax resist fish

 

 Can you come up with some more ideas to share with my readers?

 

 

 

 

For the love of BOOKS!

I have often been asked when you should introduce children to books? From the very beginning is my answer! Developing a love for reading is a lifelong gift that you can give your child...even in this age of computers and digital 'magic'. By sharing books as soon as your little one arrives you are preparing them for reading readiness and helping to lay the foundations of success in their learning journey.
Ensure firstly that you model reading...demonstrating that it is important and enjoyable and make sure your child sees you reading for both pleasure and to improve your own knowledge. Ensure you have a variety of books available for your children that are age appropriate and of good quality. Fabric books, waterproof books and board books are the starting point. Books need to be accessible...books in the car, the lounge, the bedroom, the bathroom and the toy box. The first thing I pack when going on holiday are books. There are mini books that can be slipped into a handbag or in the glove compartment of the car. Books can even occupy a toddler in the shopping trolley or buggy.
There are so many beautiful books and you will probably find your child develops favourites that they ask for all the time...that's fine because that's how children learn.
It helps to include books into your child's daily routine. As a former teacher I always encouraged parents to read to their child at bed time and to continue even when they are in the junior school when story time can become the sharing of great literature. When my Grandson was struggling with literacy at school his mum, my daughter, returned to reading to him every night. By the time they had shared all the Harry Potter books his teacher was praising him for his amazing vocabulary and they were both hooked on reading together, in fact it became one of those special mother / son times that they both valued! Reading together should become a special time together...please, please, please don't give your child the impression it is a bind. Can you tell I am passionate about reading with children!

Find a comfortable place for your child to sit and read and again make sure books are accessible...you might want to create a reading corner at home which is comfy and well lit. Include soft toys so your toddler can read to a 'friend' when they are playing independently. I always made sure I included books as gifts for birthdays and Christmas...demonstrating that books are special.
Over the next few weeks I am going to explore some of the ways we can extend the use some of the very best children's books, looking at creative ways.

Here's my first idea...A invitation to play featuring Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson.

It took 2 minutes to set up this invitation 3 drapes, 3 wooden mushrooms, the book, the witch from the story (£1.99 from the charity shop!) and under the purple sequin fabric is a basket hiding 3 soft toy fairies (also from the charity shop for £1.50). I wonder what my grand daughter will make of this when she arrives this morning?  

Seasonal creative cooking

Children learn best when they experience the world through all their senses...taste, smell, touch, sight and hearing. Preparing, cooking and eating food certainly involves all the senses.
Here are some of the amazing learning experiences children can engage in when doing cooking related activities:

• Exploring cooking utensils...banging, nesting, sorting and putting away
• Exploring cooking utensils with water...cups, beaters, spoons and funnels
• Pouring dry ingredients such as sugar, rice, dried beans
• Pouring wet ingredients including water, milk and juice
• Tasting fresh fruit and vegetables
• Comparing tastes, textures and colours of fresh fruit and vegetables
• Dipping raw fruit and vegetables into dips and sauces
• Scrubbing vegetables with a brush
• Breaking and tearing lettuce, snapping beans and shelling peas
• Stirring and mixing wet and dry ingredients
• Measuring wet and dry ingredients
• Arranging toppings on pizzas, biscuits, crackers sandwiches
• Spreading toppings on crackers and bread/toast
• Shaking milk shakes
• Rolling with both hands to make dough for cookies
• Juicing using a hand juicer
• Peeling apples and shells from boiled eggs
• Cutting safely with a knife
• Beating with a folk or whisk
• Grinding with a hand grinder
• Kneading bread dough

Am looking forward to finding some lovely concoctions to utilize all these skills.

This is an intergenerational project! My husband collected blackberries with his mum of 91 and her friend. I made fresh blackberry muffins and Honey, my grand daughter ate them!
Ingredients for 15 muffins
240ml milk, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice, 250g plain flour, 80g oats, 225g dark brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 200g fresh blackberries.
1. Pre-heat oven 200 c  / Gas 6
2. Whisk the milk,, egg, butter and vanilla extract together in a bowl.
3. Mix flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice and salt in bowl.
Make a well in middle and add egg mixture. Stir to combine and gently fold in blackberries. Divide into paper cases and bake for about 20 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container if you have any left after the kids snaffle them!
 

Sand and Water Play

Children seem to be instinctively attracted to sand and water and they both offer rich learning experiences. Children learn about the world through their senses, sand and water certainly gives plenty for those senses to enjoy! Here's a poem to teach the children.

 

Sand in your fingernails

Sand between your toes

Sand in your earholes

Sand up you nose

 

Sand in your sandwiches

Sand in your bananas

Sand in your bed at night

Sand in your pyjamas

 

Sand in your sandals

Sand in your hair

Sand in your knickers

Sand every where!

 

by John Foster

 

Holidays at the sea side in Britain were the only option for most when I was little but happy memories were made playing on the beach and lets not underestimate the learning experiences it can bring to young children.

 

Firstly think of the language opportunities...here are some of the words and phrases that can be introduced and used in context just about playing in the sand:

sand, pebbles, shells, bucket, spade, scoop, shovel, across, change, different, enough, exactly, inside, outside, between, left over, less, least, middle, beside, more, less, most, next, under, past, same, room, space, whole, hole, beaker full, bowl full, carton full, spoon full, fall, fill, full, half full, fit back in, fit over, circular, crumbly, curved, damp, dry, flat, gentle, gritty, rough, smooth, hard, high, level, low, lumpy, pointed, rounded, sharp, silky, soft, solid, tickly, wavy, sinks in, trickles, colour, bottom, top, ripple, shape, size, blow, break, build, tunnel, cover, drag, draw, drop, feel, fill, grind, make, pick up, pour, press, pull, rub, scratch, shake, spoil, squeeze, stick, tilt, sieve......to name just a few!

 

There's nearly 100 words that your child might learn just from a week at the seaside having fun in the sand...obviously you wont bombard the poor things with all of them but it just shows what a great learning experience it can be ...and that's just for language development think of all the other areas of learning.

 

Sand and water plays a major role in early science learning. Children are natural explorers and when playing in the sand and in the water they learn about texture, consistency, how things move, how they react and change in different situations, what things are made of... natural or man-made. 

 

Sand and water play involves maths skills, measuring, counting, estimating.

 

Physical skills, digging, scooping, burying your big brother! It's out in the fresh air and involves running, jumping, rolling, stretching.

 

Playing in the sand and water helps children to develop what professionals call fine and gross motor skills and hand eye coordination, the skills they will need later on for writing.

 

It also helps children to play both independently and cooperatively.

 

It engages the imagination and develops creativity...CAN YOU TELL I'M A FAN!  

 

Once you are at the sea side, for the day or for the week, beach play can cost very little...take a picnic, it's always good to have sand in your sandwiches and bring half the kitchen with you instead of buying too many fancy bucket and spade sets.

 

                          Useful items for making the most of sand and water play

• different sized containers
• scoops and spoons
• a bucket
• a sieve
• a funnel
• bowls to be used as moulds
• some home made flags
• sand toys like cars and play people
• shade from the sun , a hat, long sleeved shirt and factor 50 sun cream
• a towel
• anything you can find on the beach including bits of wood, shells and pebbles

I looked all over for an old fashioned fishing net and found one in 'Tiger' - such an amazing shop! (it does recommend age 6+ though.

 

You can play safely in the sun, just be careful to provide shade, clothes that cover and factor 50 sun cream. Keep a close eye on your children at all times, don't let them wander as they can soon get lost on a crowded beach, very scary! Use your common sense and remember children need to learn about keeping safe and you are their instructor /role model. Check out www.nhs.uk/Livewell/skin/Pages/Sunsafe.aspx

 

If you can't get to the seaside try one of the town beaches like the one in Nottingham city centre. If you are local the Erewash Museum, Ilkeston has a man-made beach open to the public for free for the whole 6 weeks summer holiday this year. Or get some play sand and a paddling pool for the back yard.  

 

 

I made some little sandcastle flags out of fabric and some plastic sticks but they can be made in scrap paper instead and the children can design and make their own.

 



Prayer Spaces / Safe Spaces

I have just got back from an amazing weekend at Walesby Forest, Nottinghamshire. The "Transform Weekend" has been running for 3 years now and is a Christian family camp put together by a group of people from the diocese of Southwell and Nottingham. One of the most popular events/activities really appealed to my love of creative learning experiences...it was a beautiful prayer tent created by some very talented people who really know how to engage people of all ages and encouraging them to use their different senses to draw close to God. They are part of "Prayer Spaces in Schools". It might be something you would like to explore further by visiting the web site www.prayerspacesinschools.com I certainly would love to find out more. Here are some of their values from their site:

• Prayer spaces allow children to respond individually and draw their own conclusions..
• Prayer spaces enable children to interact in their own way with an environment of prayer...including stillness...to express their thanks, hopes, dreams, questions, fears...
• prayer spaces inspire a sense of awe and wonder in children...
• Prayer spaces use a variety of innovative and imaginative techniques to enable children to express prayers in different ways.
• Prayer spaces provide a variety of learning styles...

Some of the wonderful creative ideas could also be used to create a safe, cosy, inspiring place in your child's bedroom where they have time to relax, think and explore their thoughts.

Creativity in the garden

Children can get out and about learning creatively outside in the garden, even if it is just a backyard with a few planters, if they help to create and maintain the space it will become a place they can enjoy and learn in. When we were creating a learning garden in school we wanted to engage all the senses and asked advice from lots of people about the best plants to choose...here are a few ideas.
It is important to choose a variety of different types of plants for different sensory learning purposes:

Plants for smell

• Spring bulbs such as hyacinth, daffodils, crocus, tulip
• roses, sweet peas (very easy to grow) sweet Williams, pinks, lily of the valley, lilies
• herbs such as thyme, mint, curry plant, sage, verbena

Shrubs and plants that attract birds

• cotoneaster, pyracantha, holly (for the berries)
• honeysuckle, potted laurel, small conifers, viburnum
• ceanothus to provide cover and nesting sites

Plants that attract butterflies

• buddleia, hyssop, lavender, limnanthes, African marigolds

Fruit trees for blossom and fruit to attract bees

• apple, pear, plum, cherry, peach (all can be bought as dwarf trees)

Vegetable patch

• French beans, radish, runner beans, short carrots, spring onions, spinach, beet, turnips, potatoes...all of which can be grown in raised beds, containers or small spaces
• Tomatoes, peppers, beetroot, cabbage, lettuce (all can be grown in pots)
• Bean sprouts, mustard and cress, leaf radish (all can be grown on the window sill.

I would also recommend installing bird boxes, insect boxes and a hedgehog box ...you can often pick them up cheaply on the car boot.

Even the youngest toddlers can be encouraged to get involved in gardening and outdoor learning. Get them a small watering can and trowel and a piece of earth they can call their own and you may be starting them off on a very lucrative career, look at Alan Titchmarsh!

Create a nature picture using things found on a walk in the country side.
Using colour charts from the local DIY store set your children a challenge to find things in the garden/park that match the individual colours...it's harder than you think.