Tuesday 29 January 2013

Fun things for children to play with

Okay, so I need to do a resource box for my course and I have been thinking back to when I was working in the centre before I moved and decided to focus on my studies.

We made playdough - but when it comes to storing it, don't make it, as it stinks. 
Here's how to make it:

2 Cups flour
2 Cups warm water
1 Cup salt
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon cream of tartar (to improve elasticity)
Food colouring (can be in the form of liquid, powder or unsweetened drink mix)

Mix the ingredients together and, sprinkling the table with flour, roll out and kneed the dough. Once it all comes together and all ingredients mix together, it's ready to play with.

Store it in an air-tight container or a plastic bag with all the air taken out of it, and store in a cool place (eg. the fridge.)

Outcomes:
They use their cognitive skills, learn their to use their fine motor skills, their imaginations and to manipulate objects.
The activity also encourages children to explore the many ways in which the children can manipulate and make the playdough into.

For story time I read from an Aboriginal book and then chose a picture the children can paint and had lots of colours.
Keeping in mind, though, not all children wanted to paint the picture and we in no way forced them to do so. Some wanted to paint flowers or something else, which was absolutely encouraged.
It just gave them the chance to interact.
While reading the story I asked them what they thought was happening next, what the animal was, and what colours were on the particular page we were on, and continued throughout the book.

Outcomes:
Cognitive - The children are using their minds to predict/guess what comes next, what animals are being displayed, the colours and the shapes;
Learning - The children are learning about the many animals, colours, shapes and events being undertaken in the book, and they're learning to paint it;
Fine Motor - They're using their fingers to paint;
Pincer Grip - They're learning how to hold their paintbrush to get the effect they desire.

What a Riot!

For a project for TAFE, I need to create a Resource Box, and for one of my projects I am doing a texture board. Texture is all your senses - smell, sight, touch, taste and hearing, and a texture board is really working on the sight and touch, as it's the texture of things.

Texture Boards don't have to be expensive, and it's much cheaper to make it yourself. That doesn't have to be expensive, either.

Bunnings Warehouse is a great place to start, as they have some of the cheapest prices around! They make places like Spotlight look expensive!

I haven't finished my texture board, and will post it as I go in this blog, even after I've published it, as I can edit it.

Today I went to Bunnings intending to buy plywood, but instead I bought a 900 x 600 x 3mm project board, and a 230 x 280mm piece of burgundy sand paper (the board was $2.30 and the sand paper was $0.69 (rounding off to 70c))

I then went to Spotlight and bought some paint, PVA glue and some cut off material. $15.83.

I then went to Riot! Art and Craft, and bought a showbag worth $55, but reduced to $20, which includes everything I needed and more. Actually, I need feathers, so I'll go back tomorrow.
I have been thinking about so much of what I want to put on, and I wanted to put on paddle pop sticks and some thing match-like sticks, but they cost around $4 each, and I didn't want to spend that much on a little collection of sticks, and I really only needed about five, not twenty of each.
When I spotted the showbag, though, I thought that even though it contained more than I actually needed and desired, it was well worth it. I also bought some velcro, which the children will love to run their fingers over, and to stick together.

I'm going to paint the project board and then glue the objects onto the board, and label them underneath - glue a label underneath.

It's also very amazing what you can find out and about, and not spend any money at all.
My grandparents were having their carpet replaced today, so I managed to get a cut off of the old carpet, as well as the foam they put underneath. My mum had some fabric lying around with sparkles on it, and we have a fluffy sample piece of fabric that came with our faux minx blankets. We already have patty pans at home.

I bought strong, durable aluminum foil from Woollies for $3.

Bunnings     = $3
Spotlight      = $15.85
Woollies      = $3
Riot! A & C = $20
Total            = $41.85

I may be putting something together that you can get in store, but this one's so much better, because I'm making it out of love, and with my passion for the subject, and I'm really putting that love and energy into my craft by thinking about it.

So, as you can see, it's really simple to make your own texture board, environmentally friendly, and low-cost - you're paying the same price as you would buying it off the shelves, but you're getting more for your money, and you're putting your heart and soul into it, and calling it your own. That, my friend, (love and creativity) you cannot put a price on!

Adios!

Certified

I know I haven't written on this blog in a while, but I've been very busy with life and finishing my course!
So, it's official: I have completed my Certificate III in Children's Services, and I am now a qualified Child Care Assistant! =D

My tip for today is this: use positive language with children, not negative, whether or not they do the right thing. Of course, you can teach them right from wrong, and so should you, but you can do it in a more positive way using positive language.

Positive (words/sentences to say):

Thank you for helping me with the cleaning up.
Thank you for putting your toys away/clearing the table.
You're a very good helper!
Use your walking feet inside and your running feet outside.
Use your words
Use your talking voice inside
Use your quiet voice inside/at rest time.
Use your hands for helping; if you swing your arms your hands are going to hurt somebody. (Use this depending on the child's age and stage of development.)
Use your feet for walking; if you swing your feet it may hit my friend and hurt them.

Negative (words to leave out):

No, you can't paint!
You're being very naughty right now/picking at that is very naughty!
You mustn't yell or run inside!
Don't do that, but do this!
Don't hit or kick!
Never knock the blocks down!
A big one: Suck it up!

Use positive words and if they're doing something undesirable like kicking down blocks, redirect the child. I know one child was sucking on my drumsticks (sticks for the drum, not meat or anything like that) and instead of telling her to get it out of her mouth, as that was yucky, I redirected her and told her what I wanted her to do by saying, "why don't you play that on the drum?" She did it, too, as I was suggesting the best way of doing things, not telling her off.

Well, that's my tip for the day.

Adios!