Go Gallop

Grow a Learning Love of Play

As I lie in bed my mind begins to wander. I have spent a year focusing on what I thought were my needs while neglecting my true needs.  What I have gathered is a year that although has seen happiness is littered with many illnesses, lost potential and sadness.  It was this that triggered GALLOP….

Galloping is a large motor skill that children develop.  It’s a combination of a skip, slide and a hop. This skill is a bridge between: physical developments and the four domains of learning (physical, cognitive, social and emotional) that edge a child to more complex movements (such as skipping) and learning in other domains.  But to get there so many other things must happen first. It’s neither a beginning or ending, it has no age limit and all we do from birth brings us towards it. It’s laditudinal and it crosses the midline, it speaks of language development and expresses sensory needs. What is remarkable is that my ramblings may be seem nonsense to you, or they could make perfect sense. That is O.K. It’s why we are here - ALL this that I want us to experience together; to learn more about as we work to develop a love for play that enhances children’s growth and learning.  Come let us GALLOP. 

Let’s talk a little more about galloping?  Have you tried it?  No- I mean recently, not when you were 5, but perhaps in the last year, last month, last week…today?  OK! Now I know you just got up and galloped.  Am I right?  Of course I am.  I’m also sure you are smiling about it, maybe even laughing.  How could you not?  Have you ever seen someone who was galloping and grumpy? That’s right because galloping is silly, it’s fun, it’s the essence of happiness all the hallmarks of what makes play the foundation of learning- evoking positive emotions that foster the best in a child’s development.  

There are many topics I play to address as the children I work with bring them to light in their own development.  

These will include, but are not limited to...

Emotional Development and why emotional states are important to learning. 

Crossing the Midline

Domains of Learning

Schemas of Learning

What else would you like showcased?

"Go..Go Gallop!"

Trying on emotions and personality attributes

I always get a smile when kiddos feel the freedom to express themselves in their play. Getting to 'try on' attributes of personality is important in the early years.   About age 3 is when gains in imagination occur and children will spend time in fantasy play that helps them in understanding and practicing how to interact with the real world.  Children don't get much control over their lives at this age but in their fantasy world they are in charge. At this age fantasy and reality can co-mingle for children.  Rest assured that as they grow they will get better at recognizing the differences between them.  Hero play and play that involve fighting or weapons is to be expected.  Don't be alarmed -this too is practice. When children have play they can control they use it to experience big emotions within an environment they feel safe in. Talk of monsters and our acceptance of the fear of them are part of those big emotions and we can validate the child's feelings while talking with them, asking them for and giving ideas for how they can feel safe. It is how a child learns to further their self-regulation  of these emotions.  Children will benefit further when caregivers accommodate for growing independence by giving a couple of options for clothing, play, and healthy snacks.  It lets the child learn perspective, limits, consequences, and self-confidence. The key here is in offering only two choices and they should be options that the caregiver can accept no matter the child's choice. While we facilitate them in growing we are learning who they are.  What are your kiddos using for practice today?  

Busy...busy...busy!!!!

I am so sorry to have taken such a long break.  But let me tell you-I was super busy over this last several weeks and months which is going to mean loads of upcoming posts you will hopefully enjoy using to interact with your kiddos.  This is one of my favorites so I want to share it with you before the others.

While perusing photos online several weeks ago, I happened upon little twists of rope and yarn that appeared to me made to use as dolls or figures in dramatic play.  I can't say if they have a proper name, but my investigations came across many possibilities.  My husband and I especially got a laugh out of terming them voodoo dolls one evening of wrapping when the yarn I inadvertenly chose matched his top and shorts of the day.  In daycare we have decided that the British term POPPETS is what ours will go by, because we love to say it in a right proper English accent worthy of Duchess Kate. 

What we have found especially entertaining about them is their diverse nature that allows more open-ended play and imaginative work.  I hope I have a decent set of pictorial directions for you to follow if you choose to make your own.  Best of luck in your countryside, jedi knight, superhero, princess adventures.  

ON TO MAKING YOUR OWN.....

Cut four lengths of your rope choice
(I have used clothesline here)

 

                           

Loop them over at the middle.
This makes the head.  

Use yarn to tie it off.

 Cut 4 pieces smaller than the first.  These will be placed as arms.

Add another tie around just about where you will want a waist.

Then feed the arms through the center of it all.

                                     

    

     Take your yarn ball and begin wrapping
      at the neck and down to the top of them arms.
Be sure to leave a decent tail that runs under wrapping to tie off to at the waist.

                

                     Crosswrap body and down one arm...

then back up the arm, across
the other diagnol of the body 

Finish out body by wrapping and tying off at waist.

                           

                                     Tie on new color for pants.
                                Be sure to leave a decent tail at the
                               waist to tie off too at the end

Split the eight pieces and wrap down
then back up 4 for one leg.

Go down and back up for the
other leg and tie off at the waist.

Cut each end at feet and hands to even them up to finish it up. 

If your kiddos are old enough you could encourage the assistance and creativity to make these also!  Be sure to let us know about your making and playing with your own lil' dolls.  

ENJOY!!!  

S'no'W Fun-Saying "YES" to interesting!!!

          Hello!  I have been looking through pictures from this past few months and thinking about how even thought the winter was long and quite cold how it really had us working at how to stay not only busy, but entertained in learning.  In a multi age-child care program when one is the only adult for many hours it can be a challenge to meet that goal.  Some of my favorite activites were our sensory play activties with snow. I like snow as a focus resource because it enages the children in nature and many science properties, is adventureous (since we don't always have snow in the house) and let's face it - it's FREE!!! 
         Each time to enhance the experience and focus on different learning aspects we changed things up by adding different materials from around our home.  First off was our container...We have used a blow up baby pool, large under the bed storage tote, and smaller dishpans.  All chosen depending on what we wanted to do with the snow. The kids glove up with the little dollar bin stretch gloves for warmth and then top them with surgical gloves to stay dry.  Although the gloves don't always last. First we added the obvious things shovels, scoops and buckets be filled.  Other additions included colored ice cubes in various sizes, spray bottles and squirt bottles with watercoloring and various blocks with people, animals and cars.  This was one activity I could count on keeping the kids engaged at great lengths, not to mention the wonderful learning and conversation that happened in each instance.  What are some things that you might add?  

Good Evening, although it's almost a new day where I am at....Welcome to my blog!  It is my hope that when you visit here you gain new ideas or become rejuvenated in your plans to work with and nurture children's growth and development.  For 20 years now I have been an at home child care provider and a professional development trainer for the last 3 years.  I enjoy seeking out and using new ways to enrich the play that we do in my program and for my time training have had fun taking that information to my workshops.  Now I hope that in this little bit of cyber space you will have found a place to pop in for the same.  Not only will there be neat activities that are developmentally appropriate for a variety of ages, but you will find tips and tricks and information on social skill building, planning for a day of activties with multi-ages amoung other topics related to children and home daycare as well.  Welcome to the journey!!!