Child Directed Play

Child directed play is allowing the child to choose how they will spend their time playing. The parents' or teachers' role is to provide interest centres with age and developmental appropriateness taking safety precautions when setting up the play environment. The space should function with choice so the child feels control over their choices. When children are empowered in their learning, they are more likely to cooperate and explore within the boundaries set.

The children's role is to freely explore and take risks when appropriate to enhance their learning. The adult involved may choose to set expectations of their child and how the materials are to be used. For example, when a mess happens (which it may) we all help clean up. If we become frustrated with the materials or our friends, we take a breath and a break, we wouldn't throw the items or hit.

•   Listen to the cues from your child for when to interject 

•   Communicate with your child to expand their vocabulary and language

•   Observe how your child is using the materials and take opportunities to suggest further exploration

•   Add, minimize or alter as you see fit from your observations and interactions

•   Document your child's play by writing about what they are doing and take pictures of them playing (this allows for opportunities for language opportunities for retelling about their play)

Development relies on the collaborative effort in play between parent and child. By taking the time to observe and listen to your child you will then be able to artfully direct their play for the most effective and productive play.

If you have any questions about child-directed play please speak to one of our facilitators at any three of our centres.

Chalk Paint Recipe

Summer is such a great time to get creative and messy in the great outdoors!
One weekend my children and I explored with cornstarch, water and tempera paint.

We mixed equal parts water and cornstarch, then added a blob of paint, stirred the mixture until we had a vibrant colour and smooth consistency.

The paints were beautiful to work with. My children decorated the sidewalk, rocks, made a hopscotch and played math games until the paint was gone.

Recipe:

1/2 cup of cornstarch
1/2 cup of water
Tbsp of tempera paint

Optional - a squirt of dish soap for a greater washability

Stir well and have fun!

Visit Laura at the Scott location on August 21 for a chance to make chalk paint to take home. Call (306) 523-3512 to register for any of the " Sensory Make and Take" programs during August!

Jada Fiissel

Jada has a Bachelor of Education, has completed her Yoga Teacher Training (300-hours) and a specialization in children’s yoga. She continues to deepen her own understanding through a dedicated practice and teaches adult and Kid’s Yoga throughout the city and incorporates yoga and the teachings in her daily family life.

Busy Buzzing Bees

During July at Dr. Hanna, children were busy buzzing around the centre!

A beekeeping family that visits the centre offered a dormant beehive for observation and inspiration. 

The children used their senses as they explored the wax, the honeycomb shapes and pretended to be beekeepers with hats and gloves

The children smelled, touched and picked at the block of beeswax. They painted bubble wrap available and stamped paper to resemble the honeycomb shape that bees are associated with. Mixing colours allowed for the  children to match  the colour of the beeswax.

Myriam constructed a beehive for one-one correspondence and to develop fine motor skills. She used toilet paper rolls, place them in a box, melted wax and made bees out of clothespins and fuzzy pipe cleaners.

Clear containers of "honey" (shampoo)!

Sensory play was extended into black buckets filled with black beans for pouring and cornmeal to simulate pollination process. The smell of the lavender scented flowers encouraged the relaxation during play.

As we enter into the fall season, watch for our honey available at the Farmer's Market at the Dr. Hanna location. Come play, explore and support our local market. 

Jada, Laura and Myriam

Everyone Contributes

We are so glad to have your interest and look forward to your future attendance at our centres. In order to have a safe and respectful environment we have clarified our roles as facilitators along with the expectations of the children and adults who visit.

Role of the Facilitator:

• To provide age appropriate experiences for your child's development. 
• To answer questions parents may have about development, support programs and age appropriate behaviours. 
• Observe the children and change/alter the play space to suit the needs of the families visiting. 

Role of the Child:

• To play and engage respectfully within the space and with the others who are also using the centre.
• Speak and act respectfully to their parents and to other children and adults in the room. 
• Treat the items available for play appropriately.
• Clean up the items after using them.

Role of the Parent: 

• To engage in play with their child.
• To speak to the child about what they are doing.  Therefore, enhancing their speech and vocabulary.
• Help the child clean up the items after using them and prepare the play space for the next family. 

Thank you for your cooperation. With the help from all who visit we can continue to make the centres great places to be!

Laura and Jada

Sensory Make and Take

The June Sensory Make and Take was a four week pre-registered program that provided parents insight on how easy making child activities can be with things you most likely have around home. No need to go and buy expensive toys!

Week One- No Bake Jello Playdough

This playdough is made with Jello powder instead of cream of tartar. It makes the most vibrant colours and smells so good you will want to eat it…which may happen!

Recipe

3 – 3½ cups flour

½ cup salt

6 oz. jello in desired flavor

3 tbsp. cooking oil

1 cup hot water

Glycerin (optional)

Steps:

1. Add 2½ - 3 cups of flour.

(start with 2½ cups and add in rest as needed - it will depend on the texture you want)

2. Add ½ cup salt and jello and mix well.

3. Add in oil and stir.

4. Mix in water & stir.

5. Let cool a bit before kneading the dough.

6. Knead dough until playdough forms.

Add flour as necessary when kneading until you have your desired consistency.

Glycerin may also be added while kneading to give it a little extra shine.

Week Two- Under the Sea Sensory Bottles

Materials:

•   Clear plastic bottle (ie. water or juice bottle)

•   Water

•   Blue food coloring

•   Cooking oil (ex. vegetable, sun seed, canola, etc.) or baby oil.

•   Small seashells/stones, glitter, plastic fish/shells, sea themed beads, coarse sand, etc.

•   Super glue or duct tape

•   Alka seltzer (optional)

Directions

•   Fill 1/3 of the bottle with water and the rest with oil.

•   Add 1 drop of blue food coloring and the small sea items.

•   Since oil and water do not mix, the oil creates slow waves in the water when you turn the bottle back and forth. 

•   By adding Alka Seltzer tablets, you can create a cool lava lamp effect.

•   The cap can be secured with a hot glue gun to avoid any leaking.

Week Three- Paint Chip Colour Books

Directions:

To create these Colour Books we used several different colours of paint chip cards picked up from a local paint store. We then wrote the colour at the top of each card and added an assortment of stickers in the matching colour.  For example: We wrote “orange” on the orange paint chip card and added stickers of orange fruit, pumpkins, etc. You can add as many stickers as you desire. BE CREATIVE! To make the individual cards into a book, we punched a hole at the top of each card and used a ring to put them all together. This is a great idea to help your child learn their colours with “colour to word” association.

Week Four- “I Spy” Bottles

Directions:

Begin by colouring the desired amount of rice.  To colour rice add a tablespoon of vinegar and a few drops of food colouring then mix and let dry. Before class, I made several batches of different coloured rice so the rice would be dry and ready to use.  At class we filled a clear plastic water bottle with the rice (note:  a clear plastic Ziploc bag can be used instead).

We then added these items into the bottle:

To finish it off, use a glue gun to secure the lid or if using a Ziploc bag secure by using packing tape along the top to ensure that it does not open.

I printed off the pictures of the items which we then put on to construction paper, punched a hole in the top and secured to the bottle with an elastic.

Eye spy bottles are great for the long summer road trips you may have planned this summer!

Sad you missed this program? No need to worry – another Sensory Make and Take program will be back in August with some new and different ideas. Call Laura at Scott (306) 523-3512 to register.

Click here to see what else is happening at the Centres over the summer.

Laura Bieber