Weaving with nature

Take an old garden trellis. 

Add a few baskets of garden cuttings (This is a great activity to do if you are pruning!)

Weave them in and out through the trellis.

Get your weave on outdoors - naturally!

it's playtime - make a bug world

Welcome to another week of  It's Playtime.   

Playful Picks

Little kids love bugs, so why not create their very own bug world?  Picklebums did just that.

Meet my Partners in play:

Messy Kids,

The Imagination Tree ,

hands on: as we grow and

QuirkyMomma

What have you been playing this week?

Linking up is simple.

And they're off! School readiness, our style.

Every year in term 4, we watch our older children spread their wings and start to fly.

They become masters of their preschool universe.

They are strong and secure in the relationships with their friends, their teachers and their surroundings.

Their play is complex, independent and intricate.

They can do things themselves.  Practical things.  Self-help things.  Problem solving things.  Conflict resolution things.  Negotiation things.

In fact, if we have done our job well, they rarely need us at all.

They want more, different, bigger, newer, harder, riskier, faster, longer and higher.

They climb - high.  They hang upside down.  They somersault.  They run - fast.

They are at ease.

They love to tease us and joke with us -and to push us.

Their artwork is detailed, and often tells a story.

They push boundaries and limits.

They stand up for themselves.

They are curious.

They question.

They like games with rules.

They build cities with blocks and create magic out of boxes and tape.

They look after the younger ones - mostly.

They tell us what they want, in no uncertain terms.

They take on challenges.

They experiment with power.

They persist.

They play with words.

They write letters.  They write their names.  They write books.

They create their own play spaces.

They teach us things.

They undertake feats of complex engineering.

They tell us when we need to water the garden, feed the worms, pick the beans or feed the chooks.

The delight in 'real work'.

They roll their eyes but then get on with the business of packing away the block area or the sandpit like a well oiled machine.

They make us laugh.

They are explorers, artists, scientists, mathematicians, authors, actors, musicians, athletes, dancers.

They give each other comfort and support - most of the time.

They can be still, and are learning that sometimes they need to be.

They know what they like.  They know what they can do.  They will tell you that they are good at everything.

They still like a cuddle, but then they are off again.

They like nonsense.  The sillier, the better.

They strut.

They run through the bush, naming the landmarks along the way.  The creek, the short cut, jump rock, the cave, boat rock.

They spend the days as mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, babies, cats, dogs, lions, ninjas, superheroes, aliens, princesses, astronauts and pirates.

They are special.  They are needed.  They belong.

They don't just belong.  They own the joint!

"You are going to cry, and cry and cry when I leave preschool." said one five year old matter of factly.

We tease them that we won't let them leave.  "You have to.  You have to let us go."

And we do.  They're ready.

preschool shell painting

We love to paint on 'stuff'.

Painting on paper is all fine and dandy, but it is nice to paint on something different every now and then.

Nature has some wonderful 'stuff' to paint on, and as an added bonus it is free!  We paint rocks, seed pods, bark, leaves, branches, sticks - anything we can get our hands on really.

Here we painted shells:

Each shell is like a mini blank canvas.  The are small so they can be fiddly to paint and require a dainty touch - all terrific for the all important fine motor development.

We filled a glass jar full of the colourful shells, tied a ribbon around the top and popped it on the sign in table.   Other suggestions include:

• keep them as treasures to bury in the sandpit or hide around the outdoor area
• pop them in the block area
• use them in imaginative play scenes
• glue them to stiff board or wood in shapes and designs
• thread them with fishing line and hang from driftwood to create a mobile.

Any other ideas?

12 Top Outdoor Play Space Pinterest Boards

Are you looking for ideas for outdoor play spaces?  

Here are 12 Pinterest boards chock a block full of inspiration for irresistible outdoor spaces for either the home or the early childhood setting:

1. Outdoor Spaces @ Mia Cavalca
2. Outdoors @ Francine Cory
3. Mud Kitchens and Water Walls @ Francine Cory
4. Outdoor Play Link Up Ideas
5. Outdoor Play @ Mama Pea Pod
6. Kids' Gardens @ Nurture Store
7. Natural School Yards @ Brenda Hillenius
8. Outdoor Play Environments @ April White
9. Backyard Nature Play Spaces @ Debi Huang
10. Playground Ideas @ Karen Green
11. Outdoor Classroom Ideas @ Play Based Classroom
12. Learning Spaces @ Kierna Corr

And in a spot of shameless self promotion, here are a couple of my own:

• Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Environments
• Backyard Play Spaces

Do you have a Pinterest board of your own that you'd like to share?  

turn a boat into a garden bed

We took the kids to visit the local tip.  Or to use the fancy name, The Kimbriki Resource Recovery Centre.

Whilst there, I spied these old boats turned into funky garden beds.

What a playful addition they would make to a children's natural playscape.

In fact, we might have something just like it at school!

Of course, we don't all have old boats lying around.  So why not do what we did and visit your local tip.  You never know what you will find!

Have you used something unusual as a garden planter?

it's playtime - play outside!

Welcome to another week of  It's Playtime.   

Playful Picks

I hope you are in the mood for some outdoor fun, because this week's playful picks will be sure to have the little people in your world wanting to head out and play:

Leaf Maze from Happy Hooligans

Spider Cave Maze from Adventures at Home with Mum

And last but not least,

Sticks!  The original wooden toy from Fireflies and Mudpies

Meet my Partners in play:

Messy Kids,

The Imagination Tree ,

hands on: as we grow and

QuirkyMomma

What have you been playing this week?

Linking up is simple.

help me design my ebook cover - please!

I'll let you in on a little secret.  I've written an eBook.

I wasn't going to let the cat out of the bag until it was absolutely finished, but I need of your help.

I'm in an agony of indecision about the cover design, and quite frankly, I'm sick of looking at the darn thing.

This is where you come in.

Help me design the cover!

• Is it easy to read?
• Would it catch your attention?
• What would you change / add / do differently?

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

monster beans

There was excitement in the playground as the word has got around, our bean hut was yielding a crop of monster beans.  If by crop you mean 3 beans.  But they were enormous.

A crowd gathered to get a closer look.

"Monster beans!"

"We have to eat them!"

How do we share out 3 beans between 25 children?  Chop them into tiny bite-sized pieces.

Small though the sample may have been, our first harvest of fresh, crisp beans went down a treat.

It is such a privilege to be reminded of the excitement,  awe and wonder of the natural world through the experience of young children.

What's growing in your veggie garden?

Nature. It relaxes.

Nature.  It relaxes!

You might also enjoy:

• Nature Calms Children
• This is my Rock

It's Playtime - 90 Ideas for outdoor play and learning

Welcome to another week of  It's Playtime.   Or perhaps I should rename it It's Late-time given that the linky starts on a Thursday and here we are on Sunday.  I do apologise for the delay.

Playful Picks

Mummy Musings and Mayhem bought us not just one but 90 - yes 90! - ideas for outside and play and learning - frugally.

That should keep us all going for a while!

Meet my Partners in play:

Messy Kids,

The Imagination Tree ,

hands on: as we grow and

QuirkyMomma

What have you been playing this week?

Linking up is simple.

border patrol

Chickens patrolling the preschool perimeter.

Alert to any potential intruders.

Keeping chickens in a preschool setting has many obvious benefits.  One of the not so obvious benefits (apart from border patrol duty) is that they make you laugh.

Yes, chickens are hilarious and they get up to all sorts of chicken mischief throughout the day that delights the kids and keeps the teachers on their toes.

And in more chook news, check out the new chook palace kindly donated by one of our families:

Do you keep chickens?  What do you love about them?

The Safety and Security of Consistency

I was working with one of my student teachers recently and she expressed to me her exasperation with her cooperating site teacher.  They currently have a child who is in foster care in their class.  The little first grader has learned how to manipulate situations and refuses to cooperate with classroom rules.  My student teacher is frustrated because when she follows through on classroom procedures with the girl, and she is required to receive the consequences of her actions, the site teacher pulls the girl aside and gives her candy!  Ugh!
I know that the site teacher thinks she is being supportive and comforting to this little girl.  The student teacher feels like she is forced into the "bad guy" role in the classroom.

I was explaining to both teachers that the most secure and helpful procedure they could follow is being consistent with their expectations for the little girl.  While I understand that she needs extra support because of her unfortunately situation, the best support they can give is to be consistent in their expectations and procedures.  The best security we can provide for at-risk children is to surround them with the safety net of knowing what to expect when they come into the classroom each day.  By having clear rules and guidelines, clear consequences for inappropriate behavior, plus a loving and supporting classroom atmosphere, the small child will be supported in the best possible way.  The worst thing we can do for children in a classroom, especially at-risk kids, is not provide the security of consistency.  It is unfair and scary in a world that has already treated them unfairly.

ice in the stomach

Risk taking should be part of childhood. We learn through the point where we feel challenged. The feeling of having a knot in your stomach is the place where you feel out of your comfort zone. - Rattler Magazine

We all know that feeling that you get when you see your child just about to do something risky.

Your stomach does a little lurch, and you hold your breath without even realising it.   The part of your brain where common sense lives has a little holiday as thoughts of calling out a useless "be careful" or stopping the play altogether take over.  You may already be mentally dialling 000.

Have you ever thought of what the child is thinking at that exact same moment?

Anticipation?  Determination?  Nervousness?  Exhilaration? Excitement?  Fear?  Wonder?  Abandon?  Joy? All of the above?

At the Unwrapping Risk Conference last weekend, Claire Warden shared that in Denmark they actually have a name for this knot in the stomach feeling.  

'Is i maven' translates as 'ice in the stomach' and is seen as a positive emotion and one that both children and adults seek and benefit from.

Wouldn't it be sad, if through our well intentioned desire to keep our children safe, we denied them the chance of experiencing challenges that bought on that incredibly important feeling of 'ice in the stomach'?  

Let's - as parents and as educators - strive to be risk aware and not risk adverse so that children can fulfil their right to a childhood of adventure, challenge, exploration, freedom and risk taking.


For more on risk in early childhood:

• Young Children, Play and Risk

• When benefits Outweigh the Risk

unwrapping risk - the conference

Last Friday I tootled up to Newcastle to attend the Unwrapping - Encouraging Risk in the Cotton Wool Generation Conference put on by the good folk at Inspired EC.


How happy I was as I travelled up the Pacific Highway, merrily dodging semi-trailers along the way.

Happy to be on a grown-up only weekend escape that involved staying in a hotel room all on my very own and sleeping in crisp clean sheets that someone else had to wash.

Happy to be meeting up with blogging and facebook buddies old and new.

Happy to be finally hearing one of my play gurus - Claire Warden - speak of things I am passionate about.  And then happy to find out that she is not only inspiring but very funny too.

Happy that so many early childhood educators think that risky play, outdoor play and nature play are important enough to devote a weekend too.

And finally happy to discover that they are doing it all again next year.

You can read more (detailed) conference post mortems over at:

Irresistible Ideas for Play Based Learning
Males in Early Childhood

Is risk in early childhood a topic that interests you?  Challenges you?