Play More!

 A blank slate. A new year lays in front of us. Happy New Year! What are your plans for 2023? More play every day! That is my plan for 2023… to play more. Last year, my co-authors and I published our curriculum-based assessment. The AEPS-3 (Bricker et al., 2022) covers 8 areas (i.e., adaptive, cognitive, communication, fine motor, gross motor, social emotional, literacy and math) where play could be embedded into the assessment, as well as the curriculum and instruction. I have been interested in play-based assessment since I was a doctoral student and created an approach for my dissertation study using play as the context for assessing young children to determine if toddlers are eligible for early intervention (IDEA, Part C). I’m guessing if you are reading this blog, you too are interested in play.

 As early childhood educators, we value play for children. However, what about us?! We are good at observing children at play. We know what child’s play looks and sounds like. But what do we know about adult play? Would we know it if we saw it?

Maybe here is how you know it is play…. One more! You know you are at play when you: (a) want to do more of it, (b) look at the time and you’re surprised at how fast time went by when you were engaged in the activity, and (c) the memory of it when it’s over makes you smile, giggle, and best of all belly laugh! Play can be one more chapter in that book you’re reading for fun, one more lap before going in from a sweaty run, one more page for the scrapbook, one more topic on a long phone call with a friend, one more row of knitting before putting the ball of yarn back into the basket. One more! That’s it. Simple. You want more of it. Play! It’s so good for us!

Do we forget how to play when we age? Children understand play. They know what to do! Sometimes it seems like children are from a completely different planet from us. We can try and take their perspective when it comes to play. Dr. Stuart Brown has a TedTalk focused on play where he introduces the concept of neoteny which is basically taking a childlike playful approach to life.

Neoteny! One way we can focus on neoteny and become more playful is to find a picture of ourselves doing something that brought us joy during play. Use the picture as a visual reminder. Put the picture of play on cell phone and every time we look at our phone we see the picture of ourselves engaged in play.

 Here is the picture I currently have on my phone to remind me about my 2023 goal to play more.

Photo taken by Hannah Gaebel Dorn.

This wallpaper reminds me every time I look at my phone to be playful with my family. During the holidays, I hired a photographer to take family photographs. We met Hannah on campus and she took beautiful pictures before sunset. I brought along a prop for our new antelope statue. Our campus mascot turned into Rudolph briefly with the red nose prop I brought from home. When we were done taking pictures and ready to leave, my husband placed the red nose on his face. We laughed so hard at his spontaneous playfulness. Now every time I look at my phone, I’m reminded of how much joy this play created in our family. Neoteny!

One more lap? YES! One more page? YES!! One more red nose? YES!!! Saying heck YAY to PLAY in 2023!

Reference

Bricker, D., Dionne, C., Grisham, J., Johnson, J.J., Macy, M., Slentz, K., & Waddell, M. (2022). Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System for Infants and Children, Third Edition (AEPS®- 3). Baltimore: Brookes Publishing Co.

Photo taken by Hannah Gaebel Dorn.

Photo taken by Hannah Gaebel Dorn.

Play Goals

Play skills are an important part of a child’s growth and development. Play is meant to be fun, however in group settings play can be difficult for children. One of the things that might make play a challenge for young children is being able to navigate the environment and social interactions with adults and peers during free play time. “For some children, self-direction is not a problem, but for some children with special needs, especially those with autism, self-direction in relation to play and leisure time may be difficult” (Sundberg, 2008, p. 143).

After observing a child and conducting an assessment, we can create play goals for a child. It would be helpful to select the skills where the child shows emergent behaviors in this area of development.

If a child is having difficulty with self-directed play, here are some instructional targets with corresponding behavioral objectives. Here are some possible play goals for “Marisa” (Bricker et al. 2022). 

1.      During free play time with peers, Marisa will use language to initiate a social interaction with peers at least once a day using words, gestures, motor actions, communication board, and/or cards.

2.      During free play time with peers, Marisa will use language to sustain a social interaction with peers at least once a day using words, gestures, motor actions, communication board, and/or cards.

3.      During free play time, Marisa will use conversational rules when communicating with adults in at least one communicative exchange daily.

4.      During free play time, Marisa will use conversational rules when communicating with peers in at least one communicative exchange daily.

5.      During free play time, Marisa will communicate personal likes and/or dislikes using either verbal or non-verbal strategies with adults and peers.

Once the goals have been created for the child, Marisa, the next phase is for educators to implement instruction/intervention to help the child reach their goals. Mr. Fred Rogers said, “Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.” We can support children as they learn to engage in self-directed play by creating goals for play and then monitoring how the child is responding.

Play

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.”~Mr. Rogers

References:

Bricker, D., Dionne, C., Grisham, J., Johnson, J.J., Macy, M., Slentz, K., & Waddell, M. (2022). Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System for Infants and Children, Third Edition (AEPS®-3). Baltimore: Brookes Publishing Co.

Sundberg, M. L. (2008). Verbal behavior milestones assessment and placement program. Concord, CA: AVB Press.

Teaching for Cognitive Growth

A barrier that may prevent or impact children’s cognitive development and growth is when adults/caregivers are in a hurry and do not take time to intentionally create responsiveness in the environment for children. Dr. Stephanie Jones who is an early childhood researcher at Harvard says, “When we talk about cognitive development, we are focusing on those skills that the brain uses to think, learn, read, remember, pay attention, and solve problems. Cognitive skills also support us when we set goals, plan, organize, and persevere through challenges.”

Research studies support the idea that cognition is one of the more difficult developmental areas to promote (Hamre, 2014; Hassinger-Das, Hirsh-Pasek, & Golinkoff, 2017; Hinton, 2017; National Commission on Social, Emotional, & Academic Development, 2019; Weiland & Yoshikawa,  2013; Weisberg et al., 2016). Parents and educators can support cognitive growth by creating cognitively stimulating interactions with children, and then by assessing, goal setting, implementing strategies, and then evaluating the effectiveness of the strategies.

One way to measure how effective we are in teaching children for cognitive growth is by implementing a curriculum-based assessment (CBA). My colleagues and I are publishing a new edition of a widely used CBA called the Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System or AEPS (Bricker, Dionne, Grisham, Johnson, Macy, Slentz, & Waddell, 2022). The AEPS3® has a revised cognitive area where we can assess, and also turn to a companion curriculum to help support cognitive development in infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners.

Educators and parents promote cognitive development by creating a responsive environment for children. Project Zero concepts can be used to model visible thinking and thinking routines for children (Project Zero, 2019; Salmon, 2010; Walsh & Rastegari, 2018). Providing children with feedback is an important element that supports growth and learning. For example, asking a child questions which expand on their initial communicative attempts is a form of feedback that leads to learning. Parents and educators can weave in opportunities throughout a young child’s day and routines when we teach for cognitive growth.

Sources:

Bricker, D., Dionne, C., Grisham, J., Johnson, J.J., Macy, M., Slentz, K., & Waddell, M. (2022). Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System for Infants and Children, Third Edition (AEPS®-3). Baltimore: Brookes Publishing Co.

Hamre, B. (2014). Teachers' daily interactions with children: An essential ingredient in effective early childhood programs. Child Development Perspectives 11(4), 223-230.

Hassinger-Das, B., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R.M. (2017). The case of brain science and guided-play: A developing story. Young Children, 72(2). Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/may2017/case-brain-science-guided-play

Hinton, M. (2017). New study touts gains from academic preschools. Education Week. Retrieved from https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/early_years/2017/06/study_finds_academic_preschools_benefit_middle-class_students.html

National Commission on Social, Emotional, & Academic Development. (2019). From a nation at risk to a nation at hope. Retrieved from http://nationathope.org/report-from-the-nation/executive-summary/

Project Zero (2019). Thinking Routines. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/108000553 (4:35 minutes).

Salmon, A. K. (2010). Engaging young children in thinking routines. Childhood Education (86),3, 132-137.

Walsh, B. & Rastegari, I. (2018). Think better. Usable Knowledge. Retrieved from https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/18/02/think-better Links to an external site.

Weiland, C. & Yoshikawa, H. (2013). Impacts of a prekindergarten program on children's mathematics, language, literacy, executive function, and emotional skills. Child Development, 84 (6), 2112–2130. 

Weisberg, D. S., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., Kittredge, A. K., & Klahr, D. (2016). Guided play: Principles and practice. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 25(3),177-182.

Homemade Play-dough

The power of play-dough cannot be underestimated in keeping little hands busy, but did you know there are developmental benefits children get from playing with play-dough?

Here are some potential benefits of playing with play-dough.

Fine motor- making a recipe and manipulating the dough builds children’s eye hand coordination. They use their fingers and hands in child directed play.

Cognitive- children can make the play-dough from a recipe to practice math when they measure ingredients. They use their problem solving skills to experiment and discover what they can do. Children can create cool things with their dough. Children exercise their imagination when playing and creating.

Communication- children use their receptive language skills to understand what others are saying when they do the activity with others, and use their expressive language skills when the communicate with others.

Here is my favorite recipe for homemade play-dough with only 4 simple ingredients.

2 cups flour

1/2 cup salt

2 teaspoons of vegetable oil

1/2-3/4  warm water

Do this: Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Then add the oil and water. If you want, you can add essential oil and/or food coloring.

Have fun with children when making and playing with homemade play-dough.

Lavender scented play-dough

Things to Consider as a Result of COVID-19

The vice provost of our university’s digital learning program, Dr. Thomas Cavanagh, wrote on Twitter that one of the lessons he has learned recently from this national experiment in remote teaching is that it is impossible to over-communicate.

I’m reminded of this lesson daily about communication. Effective communication is imperative even though we are physically distant from one another as we move our work to a virtual/remote format. The world has changed so much since the last time I wrote a blog entry. It feels like 327 years ago…but it was only about a month ago on March 1, 2020 when I was writing about bulletin boards.

A global pandemic has changed all of our lives. For me, I’m healthy and safe at home with my family. Yay! I am extremely grateful. The quarantine has been going well. I get to work from home teaching adults who are working on their undergraduate and graduate degrees in Child Development and Early Education. COVID-19 has changed how I interact and teach my students. I’m lucky to have the support and resources of my university to teach online.

In addition to the physical space, another thing that has changed for me is my work attire. I’ve added a new accessory to my work-from-home wardrobe. Virtual classroom teaching and virtual office hours attire for me now includes mouse ears. Yup, that’s me….

Marisa Macy

I love my students and I love Disney so I’ve tried to stay positive by signaling happiness with the way I dress for virtual teaching. Luckily I have several sets of ears between my Disney wardrobe and my family’s wardrobe that they have agreed to share with me. Thank you, fam! Here’s a picture I took a while back at a store in Disney Springs where I shop for mouse ears. I am looking forward to the day I can go back there and shop.

Another lesson that I’ve learned during this move to a virtual/remote format is how valuable it is to connect with people. Some ways I’ve been staying connected with others is through electronic communication, video conferencing, and phone calls. I haven’t talked this much on the phone since I was a teenager.

This global pandemic has been challenging for everyone. For my college students it has been rough on them in many ways. Students may not have the equipment and/or resources at home to fully function in an online capacity. Many students have had their final field experience disrupted and moved to a virtual/remote format. Several of my students did not even get a chance to say goodbye to the children they had been working with all semester which has been heartbreaking for them. Graduation celebrations have been postponed or canceled. I feel terrible that students may not get to experience the joy of walking across the stage at graduation and shaking our Dean’s hand at commencement. I’m so sorry for these and other things that are being missed out on as a result of the quarantine.

With so many things that have changed as a result of moving to remote/virtual format, we may find ourselves using time differently. Quarantine time may be an opportunity to add some professional activities that were hard to find time for before the global pandemic. I created this list with the help of my spring 2020 practicum students (thank you CB, JC, NF, EK, EP, KT, and JV … you guys have been such a pleasure getting to know better this semester!).

Here are things to consider if you are looking for ways to experience gratitude,  learn, and grow during COVID-19.

1.   Make a smile file. A recipe box with index cards are where I add things that happen I want to remember that make me happy. Here is an example of something that happened to me that is on an index card in my Smile File. What would you add to your file?

2.   Create a parent newsletter.

3.   Develop or revise program/agency handbook.

4.   Find ways to communicate with children and/or parents using other modalities. Learn or work on proficiency in other languages to include sign language.

5.  Create a resource list or binder.

6.  Work on curriculum or curricular enhancements.

7.   Attend virtual meetings, workshops, and/or trainings.

8.  Write reflection paper. Storyboard your ideas and experiences.

9.  Make a virtual bulletin board or design your future spaces.

10. Watch video clips on skills like positive behavior supports and other topics that enrich professional development.

11. Communicate with parents. Share tips and/or activities they can do with their child during quarantine.

12. Collaborate with related specialists (e.g., speech language pathologist, therapists, other), if applicable.

13. Set up a time to check in with others on a regular basis.

14. Participate in webinars that pertain to Early Education. I’ll be doing one on authentic assessment in May for Brookes Publishing. Stay tuned….

15. Make a parent letter/video/song/other of what parents can do at home with their children while they are away from school.

16. Look up different ideas and hands on activities to do with children. Here is an example of an art activity I love to do with my daughter.

17. Research and make program brochure.

18. Learn and use tools to implement developmental activities.

19. Create developmentally appropriate resources for parents to use during the COVID-19 quarantine.

This historical time in our lives is an opportunity for us to grow together. Right before the quarantine, I interviewed Mr. Bill Isler for the Buttercup iTunes show. Mr. Isler ran the Fred Rogers Productions Company and contributed and appears in the Tom Hanks movie about Mr. Rogers entitled, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” (2019).

Mr. Bill Isler

Mr. Isler shared some wonderful stories about his time with Mr. Rogers. One thing Mr. Rogers encouraged children to do is talk about their feelings and look for the helpers. Children and adults could all benefit by remembering kindness during these times and look for ways to not only survive but thrive during this difficult time. We will get through this together. Stay safe, stay connected, and look for the helpers, and/or become a helper. Wishing you good health!  

See ya real soon. Charge on!

Seize the Play

Play patterns change across childhood. At seven, my daughter plays differently than she did at 3 years old. I wanted to learn more about her ideas on play. Here is an interview I did with her.

 Me: What makes play fun?

Adriana: If you’re smiling, that means you’re having fun.

 Me: Do you need toys or electronics to play?

Adriana: No. I like to play with dirt at recess. But I do like toys and electronics for playing, though.

 Me: What is the best part of play?

Adriana: The part where everybody is happy. Or the part where everything is going wrong and we get a solution for it. 

 Me: How do you know you’re playing?

Adriana: If it is fun. I call spelling fun. Spelling tests are playing for me. Same thing for recess and at home. 

 Me: What do grown-ups need to know about play?

Adriana: They need to know the whole list of games like: hide-n-see, jump rope, hopscotch, hula hooping, hand games, Red Rover, and soccer.

Today, seize the play! Side effects may include: joy, giddiness, and general awesomeness.

Bleisure

If you travel for work, why not extend your trip for leisure?

Business + Leisure = Bleisure.

Last year we had 72 million people travel through our Orlando airport, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Many of those travelers were experiencing a happy case of bleisure. Here are some ideas for you in how to spend the leisure part of your bleisure if you are fortunate enough to travel to Orlando, Florida.

Winter Park

If you like to shop, then visit Park Avenue in Winter Park. The main street has over 100 boutiques. The oak trees will offer you plenty of shade as you meander your way to a quaint café for a bite to eat or sip of espresso. Throughout the year there are events that are sure to please you and your family. One of my family favorite events is the WUCF PBS Kids “Be My Neighbor Day” celebrating Mr. Fred Rogers who attended college in this area. 

Vero Beach

Many people who come to Orlando think of theme parks, but just a short drive from the hustle and bustle of the attractions is the Atlantic Ocean. Vero Beach is a great place to unwind after corporate travel. Vero Beach is a welcoming community with sandy beaches, palm trees, and a variety of bird species. If you come at the right time of the year, you might be able to catch a glimpse of loggerhead sea turtles laying their eggs on the beach. Nature tours are a great way to learn more about this unique ecosystem during your bleisure trip.

Vero Beach, Florida

Space Coast

While you are at Vero Beach, head north up the road and experience the Space Coast of Florida. The Kennedy Space Center offers many things to see and do. Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, cruise ships, beaches, NASA, and rocket launches… oh my. Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezo’s Blue Origin are actively dominating the Space Coast scene.

Space Coast Florida

U-pick Fruit Farm

The subtropical climate in central Florida is a paradise for fruit lovers. Discover citrus groves and pick your own fruit. Find a hydroponic garden and you might not even get dirty when you pick your own fresh fruit. “A Patch of Blue” is an urban hydroponic community farm near Winter Park that grows blueberries to pick during April and May, and strawberries from January to May.

Hydroponic U-pick Farm

Downtown Public Library

Since the 1960s, the Orlando Public Library has been located in downtown Orlando. The design of this building was called, "composition in monolithic concrete” by the architect John M. Johansen. The Orlando Public Library is the headquarters for the entire award winning Orange County Library System (OCLS). There are many branch library locations throughout the county. OCLS received the National Medal for Museum and Library Service which is the highest honor possible in America. When you visit this big urban library enjoy exploring all the floors. It wouldn’t be Orlando without a gift shop for you to take home a memorable souvenir before you leave. 

Bleisure is on the rise (Jain, 2018; Easen, 2017; Habtemariam, 2018; Lichy & McLeay, 2018). Wander your way around “City Beautiful” and make some great bleisure memories to last a lifetime. Treat yourself to extra time and play!!!

Sources:

1. Easen, N. (2017). Playing away. Buying Business Travel, 85, 28-31.
2. Habtemariam, D. (2018). More than two-thirds of business travelers embrace bleisure. Business Travel News, 35(5), 6.
3. Jain, A. (2018). Business, leisure or 'bleisure'?. Hotel Management, 233(6), 26-26.
4. Lichy, J., & McLeay, F. (2018). Bleisure: Motivations and typologies. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 35(4), 517-530.

Just Add Bubbles

They are easy to make!

They are fun!

They are happy little memory makers!

Bubbles

I am talking about bubbles. It is easy to be in a good mood when bubbles are present! A fun project to do with a child, or group of children, is make homemade bubbles.

In a clean bowl, mix together: water, corn syrup, and liquid Dawn (recipe below). Other liquid detergents could be used for the bubble mix recipe, but I’ve found Dawn makes the best bubbles.

Recycled materials can be used as containers for each child’s individual bubble kit. Children can decorate their containers. Pour the bubble mix into clean containers like plastic bottles or plastic jars (e.g., from yogurt or other food items). Pipe cleaners and/or plastic spoons with holes could be created to dip into the container and into the bubble mix… and then blow.

Watch bubbles float through air.

Watch as children try to catch and pop the bubbles.

Watch your children have fun making memories through the universal language of bubbles.

Bubble Mix Recipe:
6 cups of water
1 cup of corn syrup
2 cups of Dawn liquid

Paper Airplanes

Something as simple as folding a piece of paper can be an adventure. Making and flying paper airplanes can be a fun activity for children and adults. Ms. Marie Tourell Søderberg, a guest on my iTunes show, talked about the benefits of following a child’s lead during play. She gave an example of a child being interested in paper airplanes and spending the afternoon engaged in exploring paper airplanes.

Here are some steps to making a paper airplane if it has been a while since you made one. To make a basic dart paper airplane, start with a piece of paper. Fold the paper in half the long way (hot dog style). Unfold. Next, fold 2 corners into the crease to form a point. Then take the 2 new corners to create a wing by folding it into the same crease. Now fold your plane in half. The last step is to fold the wings.

This easy paper folding activity can be used for artistic expression. Children can design and decorate their paper airplane. It can be used before taking a trip in an actual airplane to talk about what to expect on their trip. Allow children the opportunity to experiment with their airplane. They can send their paper airplane through space. Distance, time, speed, and more can be observed. Flying the paper airplane and doing acrobats allows children to see math and science concepts come to life. Leonardo da Vinci said, “Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” Let their imagination take flight with this simple paper folding activity.

Communities of Play Innovation

Cities that promote play are at an economic advantage because people want to live, work, spend time and money in positive play environments. A sense of community can be established when families and children are able to play in public locations (Ehrenhalt, 2014). Play deserts occur in places where children have limited play opportunities. Crime, community facilities, and obesity are some of the factors leading to play deserts (Sharaievska, 2014). Location may also hinder opportunities for play. At least four things are needed to create communities of play.

#1) Safety. The basic ingredient for play is that it must be safe. Communities of play are environments where great care has been taken to ensure children are protected from harm. Safe play communities have low or no crime.

#2) Clean and welcoming facilities. Families seeking play communities for their children want clean spaces that are attractive and welcoming. The well-being of children is maximized when there are facilities conducive to play. Clean water, playgrounds, spaces, equipment, toys, and more are needed to attract children and families (Juster & Leichter-Saxby, 2014). 

#3) Access. Play environments must be accessible to people with diverse abilities. In my community, we recently renovated our community playground so that it could be more accessible to children with motor delays and people who use wheelchairs. The results have been more inclusive play for all our children. Such a valuable investment.

Access to play communities that are close to home and work are necessary to making play a priority for families. Schedules are busy and there are many things to do each day which may push opportunities for play to the bottom of the to-do list. Families do not need an extra errand to transport children far away to play.Community planning is necessary for the development and maintenance of play communities. 

#4) Supervision. Children require adult supervision. Parents, grandparents, family members, teachers, parks and rec staff, city employees paid to supervise community activities, and other adults designated to ensure the safety and well-being of children are necessary to play communities. Public spaces for play should be managed by qualified adults trained to properly supervise children.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states in Article 31 that children have the right to: “rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.” Children benefit when they are able to play in safe, clean, accessible, and supervised environments. Childhood is enhanced where there are nurturing and caring communities of play.

"I Spy with My Little Eye" playground.

Sources:

Ehrenhalt, A. a. (2014). Cities, families and places to play. Governing, 27(7), 14-16

Juster, A. H., & Leichter-Saxby, M. (2014). Citizens at play: Children's participation through community-based opportunities for child-directed play. Global Studies Of Childhood, 4(2), 77

Sharaievska, I. (2014). Family leisure and the play desert. Parks & Recreation, 49(8), 36-37.

What's New?

Happy New Year! I hope your new year is off to a great start. In 2018, my colleagues and I will be putting the finishing touches on the new edition of the Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System for Infants and Children (AEPS®).

We have been working on the AEPS®-3 since 2005 and I’m thrilled to see it going into production. Early childhood professionals can benefit from having a measure to assess young children that also links to a curriculum that could be used during play and routines. The AEPS®-3 Family component can be used to create positive and engaging partnerships with parents. Some of the most exciting new things in the AEPS®-3 are the early childhood math and reading areas.

Listen in to my iTunes show to hear a conversation with the pioneer of the AEPS® Dr. Diane Bricker (pictured below) talk about how she got started in our field, early childhood theoretical perspectives based on the work of Skinner and Piaget, and the influences and impact of her work in the area of early childhood assessment. 

If you would like professional development on the new AEPS®-3, start now. You can email me at marisamacy@gmail.com to begin. Wishing you all the best in 2018!

Left row: Carmen Dionne (Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières), Amy Perkins (Brookes Publishing), Naomi Rahn (Wisconsin DOE), Diane Bricker (University of Oregon), that's me in green - Marisa Macy (University of Central Florida), and I-Ching Chen (Kent State University). Right row: Sarah Zerofsky (Brookes Publishing), Misti Waddell (University of Oregon),  Jennifer Grisham-Brown (University of Kentucky),  Joann Johnson (St. Cloud University), and Heather Shrestha (Brookes Publishing)

Below is a PDF of our “Sneak Preview” my co-authors and I presented at a national conference. 

http://aepsinteractive.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/DEC-AEPS-3-Presentation-2017.pdf 

http://www.brookespublishing.com/resource-center/screening-and-assessment/aeps/

Dads and Play

Dads benefit when they play with their children. Researchers studied fathers and found there were no differences in testosterone levels, but there was a decrease in cortisol and prolactin in fathers after just a half hour of playing with their children. This study suggests fathers experience hormonal responses when playing with their children (Gettler et al., 2011). Playing with children can decrease stress, be lots of fun, and create wonderful memories. 

Play is good for Dads!

My playspiration is my Dad! When he plays with children in our family, my Dad is totally engaged and present in the moment. His granddaughter reminded me that the last time Nonno was at our house they played hide-n-seek for “lots of hours.” True! It was probably about two hours without a break. 

My Dad believes play is important. Places to play are important too. When I was little my Dad built me a playhouse in our backyard. After putting in a full day’s work, he would come home and work on the playhouse until everyone went to sleep.

The Playhouse Nonno Built 

Thank you for being my Dad! Also, thank you for making PLAY an important part of our life together. I love you, Dad! 

Happy Father's Day to all Dads this Sunday. 

Source: Gettler, L. T., McDade, T. W., Agustin, S. S., & Kuzawa, C. W. (2011). Short-term changes in fathers' hormones during father–child play: Impacts of paternal attitudes and experience. Hormones & Behavior, 60, 599-606.

Dapper Days

Playing dress up is an activity many children enjoy. Early childhood programs often include a socio-dramatic play area or center in America. On a recent trip to Disney World I saw people of all ages engaging in the fun of dress up on "Dapper Day." Twice a year guests arrive at the Disney gates dressed to the nines. How fun to see that some "grown-ups" have not outgrown this playful part of childhood. 

Santa Fe

There are many things to do in Santa Fe if you are traveling with young children. Start your day at the Santa Fe Botanical Garden. There is a fabulous program called, “Garden Sprouts Pre-K Activities.” I visited in spring and the theme was nests. Before entering the children’s tent, a sensory table filled with bird seed and nature treats welcomed children to play. Ms. Lydia, the Sprouts leader, read the book Best Nest by P.D. Eastman. Children made a sash to hang on a tree filled with all sorts of objects birds could use to build a nest. Hummingbird and other types of nests were shown to the children followed by a nature walk in the garden to look for nests. The Botanical Garden is full of interesting New Mexican plants, trees, artwork, and has the Sangre de Cristo Mountains as a backdrop. It hailed and snowed the day we visited at the end of April, so bring layers of warm clothing. You never know what Mother Nature has in store for you.

http://santafebotanicalgarden.org/

Hummingbird's nest

Next stop is the Santa Fe Children’s Museum. This is a short drive from the Botanical Garden. The museum just reopened to the public in spring 2016. By now you might be hungry from your morning at the Botanical Garden. Have lunch at the Children’s Museum in their new café. The food is delicious. My preschooler and I split a Panini with pasta salad for $6. It was a generous portion and fresh. Lunch gave us energy to play for several hours in the museum. There were at least five areas in the museum to participate in activities facilitated by museum staff. We made snow cones, kites, painted rocks, and learned about the science of bubbles from Science Girl.

http://santafechildrensmuseum.org/

Shells under a microscope

If you have time before dinner, head over to the Plaza and go shopping. A popular destination for children is Toyopolis. This toy store has everything from Calico Critters to children’s clothing. They have toys set out for children (and adults) to play.

http://www.toyopolissantafe.com/

I surveyed several locals about their favorite places to eat. Everyone I talked to told me to go to Counter Culture Café at 930 Baca Street. The locals were right. The food at Counter Culture is fantastic! They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a family-friendly environment. The diverse menu at Counter Culture has something for everyone. Kids and adults alike are made to feel welcome in this laid back atmosphere. They have a section in the restaurant for kids to play with toys, children’s reading material, and other fun stuff for the little ones to do. End your day with some sweets to take back to your room from the Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s which are close by.

The thriving art community with all the wonderful galleries and museums may discourage adults from bringing children on a trip to Santa Fe, but there are a lot of things for children to do in this vibrant town. ¡Aprender divirtiéndose no puede hacerse mejor! Learning, while having fun, was never so easy!

Play with Me!

Young children do not beat around the bush when they invite others to play. “Play with me!” It doesn’t get more direct. The simple request is initiating interactions with others. Social play!

Some ideas to encourage social play:

• Provide children opportunities during their day for child-directed playtime.

• The play area and materials should be safe, inviting, clean, and enough space to move around freely.

• Ensure children get positive adult attention, supervision, and interaction.

• Respond to children’s communication.

• Observe what motivates each child.

• Get involved in the child-initiated play. Smile often. Use a positive tone of voice. Be enthusiastic about the activities.

• Follow the child’s lead.

• Use a child-directed approach, rather than adult-directed or didactic. During play we don’t like to be told what and how to do something. For example, the child is in the kitchen play area and grasps a broom. They are handling the broom safely and singing while they sweep. Avoid telling the child how to sweep or taking over by giving play directives. Instead observe what they are doing and respond to their communicative attempts during play. Continue to be attentive and interact during the play. They also do not require verbal praise like, “Good job sweeping.” They are intrinsically motivated to play and saying good job is unnecessary to encourage social play.

Respectful caregiving creates secure and trusting relationships with children. Watch as young children bloom in the nurturing play environment you produce for them.

Delight at the Museum

Museum exhibits come alive in the movie, Night at the Museum. Ben Stiller and company show that museums can be more than what meets the eye. Come and discover your local museum! Ask your favorite kiddo to join you on an adventure worthy of memory making opportunities. Enjoying these public spaces may lead to a lifelong interest in museums. There are so many things for a child to experience at a museum. Here are a few:

#1- Interactive Exhibits

Children can take part in the diverse exhibits the museum has to offer. Follow the child’s lead and interests. They can examine, talk about, and learn from the museum displays. Encourage dialogue. If a docent is available, go on a guided tour.

#2- Events for Kids

Check out the special events that are designed for children. You can sign up to receive free newsletters, if available. Or view the museum’s calendar of events on the website. School field trips are a great way to introduce children to their local museum, encourage historical empathy, and communicate information to children in creative ways.

#3- Leave with a “Twinkle Think!”

Museums are places that keep, care for, and display a collection. Ask your child why the museum has chosen this collection. What is important about it? Do they like/dislike it? Why? As you and your child explore the museum, find a Twinkle Think. That is one thing you want to learn more about when you leave. A Twinkle Think gives the child a way to extend their experience and dive deeper into a topic.

Let your young explorer’s imagination take flight at the museum. Schedule future museum playdates with your child. Return often to see the ever-changing museum offerings.

Further reading:

Greene, J. P., Kisida, B, & Bowen, D. H. (2014). Why field trips matter. Museum, 33-41.

Moynihan, N., & Diamant-Cohen, B. (2012). It's all fun and games in "Tiny's Diner": Preschool programming in unusual exhibit spaces. Journal of Museum Education, 37(3), 91-98.

Horse Play

“Giddy up!” Kids have a field day at events that are novel for them. Getting out of the routine to do something different gives children unique experiences to talk about, as well as exposure to new concepts to expand their understanding about the world around them. New vocabulary and language opportunities are included.

The Future Farmers of America (FFA) organized an outdoor event for children in my area. It was a rodeo. No experience required! Children got to participate in activities like races with wooden stick horses. Navigating around barrels and other obstacles with their horse was a fun way for children to problem solve, get exercise, and breathe fresh air. Opportunities for social development occurred during horse play with peers.  

National FFA week is Feb. 20-27, 2016. Check out your local FFA chapter to find fun activities you and your family might enjoy. No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle. ~Winston Churchill

Children's FFA Rodeo

Pile-ology

I first noticed my daughter hitting her Pile-ology milestone at 30 months of age when one day she removed all the toys from a toy box to create a pile on the bedroom floor. She studied her pile. She touched her pile. She smiled at her pile. 

Then she grabbed as many things from her pile as would fit in her tiny arms and moved her toys from her bedroom to the living room where she continued to marvel at the pile she created. 

Starting around two years, toddlers begin doing something I call: Pile-ology.  During play, the child experiments with size and quantity concepts. Pile-ology is the study of piles. Children gather quantities of items, with diverse shapes and sizes, from one location and transfer them to study in another location.

This type of play does not seem to be practice for a future career at Mayflower or Graebel Van Lines - as far as I can tell. The Swiss theorist, Dr. Jean Piaget, studied his own children. I can imagine Dr. Piaget sitting in a sandbox with a clipboard, observing his children at play, and recording every movement. The Piagets must have had amazing scrapbooks and family records. I'll bet he was able to answer questions like, "Dad, how old was I when I first used a pincer grasp, said my first word, started pulling to stand, or making piles?"

If you happen to notice your child engaging in Pile-ology the next time he or she is at play… no need to panic or call hoarders anonymous. Pile-ology is a typical milestone. Your little scientist is trying to make sense of this marvelous world we live in.

Waiting

“Waiting is the hardest part,” sings Tom Petty. True! Waiting can be challenging. It is not easy to wait for something to happen. Or wait for someone.

Although it can be difficult for children to learn how to wait, waiting is not necessarily a bad thing for children. Waiting can help a young child learn patience and self-control. These are important building blocks for developing social emotional competency.

Waiting for my turn at the wheel at Monsters Inc. Playground at Disney's Flower & Garden Festival

Too much waiting, however, could have negative outcomes for young children. I was talking with a colleague about high/low quality early childhood programs. She said an interesting thing that I’m still thinking about four months later...children who are left waiting too long for routines and events are disadvantaged.

High quality early childhood programs are places where children are engaged, and minimal time is spent during a child’s day waiting. When a child has to wait too long, they are often taken from engaged play or meaningful learning opportunities. A useful question to ask is: How much waiting is too much? For each child it might be different. Issues to consider are: the child’s age, developmental status, environment, and routines.

All children need a safe and healthy environment to grow. Patch Adams M.D., said, “waiting in line is a great opportunity to meet people, daydream, or play.” Some waiting is fine… and can even be valuable for children. However, notice how long kids are having to wait during their day. More play and less waiting is ideal.

Tide Pools

Gather up the children and head to your nearest coastline. Young scientists will have a blast visiting tide pools. You are cordially invited by the seashore to explore the environment.

Who:

Explorers of all ages will enjoy a trip to the tide pools. Due to the shifting surface, functional mobility and balance are needed when accessing the tide pools.

Where:

Seaside areas that have low/high tides. Every 24 hours there are two low tides and two high tides (thank you, moon). You will want to time the tides so that you can see the most critters.  

When:

The best time to visit the tide pools is during low tide. Go during a minus tide. I really like Protides.com for tidal schedules and information. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is another excellent source.

What:

Properly supervise children. The beach can be a wonderful place to explore when safety considerations are made and with appropriate adult supervision.

Consider footwear. Rubber boots are my favorite to keep feet dry and safe from sharp objects on the beach.

Take home your memories and pictures, but please leave shells and other seaside artifacts behind for at least two reasons. First, the sea objects that many people like to collect may serve a valuable purpose in the wild. For example, a beautiful butter clam shell may become a cozy home for barnacles, crabs, and other sea life. Second, there may be dangerous bacteria and other micro-organisms that could make you and your children sick. Be sure to wash with soap and clean water when you get home from your day at the beach just in case you came into contact with any harmful organisms.

Here are some things to bring on your adventure: bucket, shovel, rake, magnifying glass, flashlight, camera, raincoat/poncho/umbrella, and field guide to learn more about the sea treasures you may encounter.

Make some memories with your kiddos. Enjoy and have fun! Here is a song my daughter and I made up on our day at the tide pools in Des Moines, Washington.

(sung to the tune of “Going to the Zoo”)

"We’re going to the beach! Beach! Beach!

It’s time to reach! Reach! Reach!

…the shore! Shore! Shore!

So we can explore! Explore! Explore!"

I hope you can visit. Buon viaggio…have a good trip.

RSVP: Please feel free to leave a message about your experience with tide pools.