You've Got Mail

Last week we discussed the value and benefits of dramatic play in a child's life.

 

I would like to share a spontaneous dramatic play adventure that I experienced  recently with my grandson.  This scenario is shared with you to illustrate just how

easy, fast and wonderful dramatic play can be.

 

We arrived home and entered the garage.  My grandson noticed the Little Tikes car and wanted to go for a spin.  (a tricycle or any riding toy would work for this activity).  The car was stored in a cardboard box laying on its side that served as the car's "garage".   As my grandson drove in circles around the inside of the garage, the wheels in my head began to turn.  I grabbed a cloth shopping bag from my vehicle, a handful of junk mail( including the envelopes) from the recycle bin and several empty card board boxes that were headed to the trash.  There was a stack of plastic five gallon buckets in one corner which I set  around the garage upside down.  On the top of each bucket I placed an empty cardboard box with the opening toward the center of the garage.  The fabric shopping bag was filled with junk mail and handed to my grandson.  I told him he could deliver the mail and be a postal carrier!  At first he needed some verbal suggestions of ideas as he drove around and placed mail in the boxes.  He headed back to the post office bay (the "garage")  to gather more mail.  After backing his vehicle into the "post office bay", he was encouraged to go back out to pick up the mail the people had placed in their mailboxes.  He drove around again and picked up all the outgoing mail.  Pretty soon he got the hang of the routine of a postal carrier and the real play began.  In fact, he proceeded to play for the next several hours.  He stopped to wash his car, repair the wheels and hooked it up to a wagon to carry more mail. The play just continued to grow. 

I listened and watched for ideas as he played and just kept adding props to his role play following his lead.  It was great!

 

You could also add a counter for the mail clerk or postmaster.  Stamps, stickers, ink pads, tape, calculator, scale etc. could be added for an extension of this play.  A hanging shoe bag could be hung for the postal carrier to sort mail etc.  What else can you think of?

 

Photo property of Hidden Splendor ©

 

 

Photo property of Hidden Splendor ©

 

 

 

Photo property of Hidden Splendor ©

 

 

 

 

Photo property of Hidden Splendor ©

 

Take a look around your house, watch and listen to your children.

What dramatic play can you come up with?

 

Inspired from the book:

Miraculous, Magical Moments in Minutes:

Over 500 Quick, Easy Activities for Adults and Children to Share

by Becky Baxa

Available from http://www.Amazon.com

in both Kindle and Paperback versions

Let's Pretend

Pretending, imaginative or role playing is a vital component of children's play.  

I remember when my children were young, my husband traveled extensively.  The boys spent hours setting up "airports" with cardboard conveyor belts to push their suitcases on and chairs set up for seats in an airplane. They issued tickets with old boarding passes and labeled luggage with tags from American Airlines, United and TWA.   They created airports on large pieces of cardboard and flew little metal planes to far corners of the earth.  As they played, they worked out their emotions of having a daddy that was frequently far from home.  They also experienced and explored the roles of flight attendant, baggage handler, ticket agent, air traffic controller, traveling businessman etc. 

This play would last for days and developed in complexity as it continued over the years.

 

Dramatic play is one area of play in which children accept roles and act them out.  They imitate behaviors they have seen and express verbal language they have heard.  It gives children the chance to pretend to be someone else.  They discover the realms of reality by pretending to be someone else and dramatize situations and actions that go along with the roles they are acting out.

 

Dramatic play is valuable to a child's development by allowing children to

develop skills in multiple areas.

 

Dramatic play enhances child development in four major critical areas:

 

Social/Emotional Development:  sharing, taking turns, negotiation, cooperation, better impulse control, delay gratification, dealing with feelings (anger, disappointment etc.), empathy.  Dramatic play promotes less aggressive behavior

 

Language Development:  better able to explain, ask and answer questions, vocabulary increases,  awareness of the importance of reading and writing is emphasized.

 

Physical Development:  gross and fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, visual discrimination

 

Intellectual/Cognitive Development:  problem solving, creativity, organizing and planning, negotiation, application of new information, abstract thinking, mathematics, literacy, sharing, re-telling of information is increased

 

 

For the child that is afraid at the doctor or at school,  dramatic play allows them to have the power to control the situation and the ability to conquer and define their fears and emotions.  Historically, dramatic play was defined as "housekeeping" in preschool settings.  Early childhood specialists know that the roles have expanded far beyond the role of playing "house", by rocking and caring for dolls or cooking in the kitchen, to the many professions and roles that society holds. 

 

Much to my husband's dismay, (later he admitted the value of such play) I included a kitchen set and a few dolls along with my boy's toys.  I encouraged them to be good daddies and helped them practice parenting skills.  This was especially helpful when a new child was brought into the family.  Culinary skills were practiced with the kitchen set.  My boys opened  restaurants learning how to plan nutritious meals, serving  fancy coffees and charging me very large prices!  As they grew older, play money was introduced and we calculated bills, counted money and made change.

 

My very favorite dramatic play was created with an old pizza box, some felt scraps, some fake fur and some empty plastic boxes.  This dramatic play box expanded over the years with their age and developmental stages.  It began by just making slices of pizza and expanded to the use of menus, order forms, and play money.  Before they could read and write we used stickee arrows to mark the ingredients the "customer" wanted on their slice of pizza. As the boys got older, we added order forms, learned to add up costs of an order, counted money and made change. We practiced etiquette of serving food and dealing with customers.  Hours... years of fun were created from this one dramatic play kit!  You wouldn't believe how much they used to charge me for a piece of pizza and a soda!  It was highway robbery.  :-) They had so much fun!

 

Dramatic Play Box - Pizza
Photo property of Hidden Splendor © 

 

 

 

 

 

Dramatic Play - Pizza - menu and order form
Photo property of Hidden Splendor ©

 

photo property of Hidden Splendor ©

 

The book Miraculous Magical Moments in Minutes:  Over 500 activities for Adults and Children to Share  by Becky Baxa available from Amazon.com  shares six pages of dramatic play kits you can make for your child (ren).  Kit ideas for family life, birthday party, tea party, doctor/hospital, cleaning, laundry, circus, zoo, farm/ranch, beach, fish pond, camping etc. can be found in this book, plus much more.  These dramatic play kits are made with materials found around the house or from garage/rummage sales or thrift/re-sale shops.  Don't forget to check boxes in the garage and attic too!

 

Next week I will share specifics on how to set up the dramatic play of being a postal carrier!

 

Remember, play is a child's work!

Take a break and play with your child.  Listen to them carefully.

What you hear will direct you to the play that will be most beneficial and interesting to them!

 

Have fun!

 

 

 

Additional Resources can be found at these web sites: 

 

http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=751

http://stayathomeeducator.com/the-benefits-of-dramatic-play-in-early-childhood-education/

 

 

 

Inspired from the book:

Miraculous, Magical Moments in Minutes:

Over 500 Quick, Easy Activities for Adults and Children to Share

by Becky Baxa

Available from http://www.Amazon.com

in both Kindle and Paperback versions

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yarn Dolls

We visited a town festival where they had wonderful "old-fashioned" toy stations. 

The stations were just packed with kids having fun.  So much for the "old-fashioned" part!

I stood in line and impatiently waited my turn, for after all, age isn't always

determined by the chronological number.

When at last I stood at the front of the line I tried my hand at making a yarn doll. 

My companions waited patiently off to the side and knew it was pointless

to try to force me to miss this opportunity.

I followed instructions, but hurried as the children in line behind me were pressing

close with anticipation.  (yes, I was the only adult in line.)

It was a very simple process and quite easy.  Wrapping yarn around a piece of cardboard, cutting yarn and tying knots were all the skills you needed.

 

Below are my results.

What fun - and how easy- it was to create a doll from scraps of yarn!

So, I came home and investigated some simple instructions for you to follow so you can make your own dolls.  Imagine the different colors, color combinations, features and sizes you could make.  Whole families with a mom, dad and different size kids.  Could you even make a dog, cat or horse? 

There was no sense in "reinventing the wheel".  So for directions, follow the web site below

and before you know it you will be playing with your very own unique doll!

 

http://www.redheart.com/blog/make-your-own-yarn-doll-easy-enough-kids

These dolls are great for traveling or tucking in a purse/pocket.

Why not try your hand at this and send me a picture of your dolls?

A Cardboard Box... let the magic begin!

A new appliance has joined the family and you are getting ready
to throw out the packing material. 
After all...
It's just a cardboard box...

STOP!
Don't throw it away.
Create, pretend and play first!

If you aren't in the market for a new appliance, do not fear.  Contact any store that sells appliances and ask for a refrigerator, washing machine or dryer box.  Actually, any large box(s) will do.  Most businesses are more than happy to share packing boxes with you. Many times I have gone dumpster diving (with permission) for that perfect box.

After bringing the box home an adult should cut out windows,doors and ramps.  Whatever suits your fancy.  If kids are old enough let them help create the design.  Make two holes in the doors and lace  string in each hole for door handles.  This makes it easier to open and close the doors.

 

 Bring out crayons and markers and let the kids decorate the box. 

 

Draw grass and flowers on the outside, color in the letters on the box, draw furniture on the inside.

 

Label the front door with your name.

 

Add a piece of carpet scrap or a carpet rectangle (sample) for indoor carpeting. 

 

Cut apart old greeting cards and tape them inside for artwork on the walls. 

 

 A piece of foil taped inside makes a fun "mirror".

 

Light weight dish towels or pieces of fabric can be taped, or tacked, to the window openings for curtains.

 

Let your imagination go wild!

 

 

And, don't forget... it is fun for big people too! 

Kids will love it if you join them inside their new secret place. 

What a great way to share a story, read a book or pretend.

 

 

  Why not get several boxes and set up a "city" in the basement or backyard.

You may be surprised of the hours of fun a simple cardboard box will generate!






This Blog Post is inspired from the book:

Miraculous, Magical Moments in Minutes:

Over 500 Quick, Easy Activities for Adults and Children to Share

by Becky B. Baxa

If you would like more fun ideas to share with your children

(that do not require batteries or electronics )

you can purchase this 180 page book,

full of color photos,

for $21.95

from Amazon.com

Or

from the gift shop at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO,

Silver Dollar City General Store in Branson, MO.

This book can also be checked out of the following libraries:

Scenic Regional Library - Pacific, MO

First Christian Church - Washington, MO

Hawaii State Library - Honolulu, HI

Story City Public Library - Story City, IA

Ellsworth Public Library - Ellsworth, ME

Ludington Public Library - Ludington, MI

 

Cardboard Box Fun!

It looks like an ordinary cardboard box...

But, to a child is becomes a...

fort

space ship

garage

secret hide-out

boat

car

play house

maze

etc.

 

Years ago we had just moved to another state.  Many things weren't unpacked yet and I was looking for something creative for the kids to do.  So, we took an empty box and turned it on its side. 

We cut out windows and a door.  Later we added a left over carpet scrap (a rug would work also). 

The next day we drew pictures on the outside of the box with crayons. 

Flowers, trees, grass and insects appeared on the outside of our "house". 

A roll of foil was found and a "mirror" appeared inside. 

Old greeting cards became pictures hanging on the wall. 

Crayons and markers created elaborate borders for each piece of wall art. 

Furniture was drawn on the walls to indicate which room of the house we were sitting in. 

 When some string was unpacked, we added handles to our window and door openings

to make them easier to open and close.

Every day, for weeks, we added something new.

 

 

 

Many years (yes years) of fun were had in that play box. 

It also sparked ideas for many more creations that lasted until the kids

 were in upper elementary school. 

 

"Robots"

 

Their ideas became more elaborate as they aged. 

 

 

 

We went through a lot of tape.  But the hours of fun and creativity it provided was well worth it!

 

 

After another move, when we had a fourth grader in the house,

the basement became consumed with a giant tunnel system created with our moving boxes. 

 Each day it become more elaborate as the design developed and became enhanced with things such as secret doors and spy holes.

 

Recently a young woman told me that playing in this cardboard maze in our basement

 was one of her favorite childhood memories. 

 

Who would have thought card board boxes could do that?

 

Playing with cardboard boxes is wonderful for dramatic role playing

and helps foster creativity in children.

Why foster creativity?  Architects, engineers, technology designers, teachers, carpenters, as well as actors, writers, musicians, and many more professions depend on creativity

 to excel in their profession.

 

So, give your kids some cardboard boxes, a roll of tape and let their imagination go! 

You will have to help make cuts if their design needs it.

 

Want an activity that may last the entire summer?

Contact a store that sells appliances and ask them to save you a box.

 

This could possibly be the best investment in your summer fun,

providing hours of play and creative opportunity for your children.

Fun With Masking Tape

Bored? 

Don't know what to do? 

 If you have a roll of masking tape you can have hours of fun!

Try a few of these ideas:

1.  Create a giant boat, tree, rocket ship etc. on the floor and play inside your pretend item! 
     This is a very simple, but powerful was to engage children in dramatic play.

\

 

2.  Create roads, train tracks, parking spots

 

 

   http://www.pintrest.com

 

3.  Create mazes

 

see http://www.handsonaswegrow.com for more maze fun ideas. 

 

This idea was also featured May 29, 2012 in this blog's post entitled Life Size Maze/City  

 

 

 

4.  Create Games:  Hopscotch

                         *Tic-tac-toe

                         * Long jump starting line

                                 (Measure how far everyone can jump.  Then try to beat your record.)

                         * Four Square - add a soft medium size ball and you are ready to go

                                 When my son was in fourth grade he made a four square on our basement

                                 floor that he and his friends had great fun with.  The masking tape four square

                                 provided hours of fun for many years, even through junior high.

 

  whattoexpect.com

 

 

5.  Obstacle course- this can be good for role play as well as large motor skill development.

 

      Tape back and forth across a small room or hallway.  Kids take turns crawling and stepping over

      without touching the tape.  This could also be done in a large refrigerator box.

      As much fun as this is for little ones, don't forget the older kids. 

      Tweens would LOVE to create complex designs and then test their skills! 

 

 

   chickenbabies.blogspot.com

 

                       

 

 

6.  Put random pieces on a table top, counter or the front of the refrigerator and let toddlers pick the

     pieces off.  This is an excellent activity to help develop fine motor skills.

 

 

   thestay-at-home-momsurvivalguide.blogspot.com 

 

 

 

7.  Using masking tape make lines or a design on a table top.  Then using a straw blow a pom pom

     along the lines.  Can you create the streets in your neighborhood and then "blow" your way

      home?  Make sure to create a little masking tape house that represents where you live.

 

     http://www.handsonaswegrow.com

 

 

 

8.  Spider Web Food Catch Game:  Create a giant spider web in a doorway using masking tape

     (painter's tape will be easier to remove and not leave a sticky residue on the wood).  Have each

     child create a bowl or plastic baggie full of tiny balls of paper wads.  This would be a good use for

     recycled paper.  Or, you could supply each child with cotton balls.  Then let kids pretend to be

    flies or insects that get "caught" in the spider web.  How many flies can the spider catch?

 

   handsonaswegrow.com

 

 

9.  Create shapes on the floor with your tape.  Then practice throwing bean bags into the square, then

     the triangle, then the rectangle, etc. 

 

Create a draw and throw game.  Using 3x5 note cards draw whatever shapes you have made on the floor.  Make 4 or 5 of the same shape.  Then have child draw a shape and toss a bean bag into the corresponding shape.

 

Directions for making simple bean bags can be found on October 22, 2012 post on this blog entitled Jiffy, Nifty Bean Bag.

 

No time to make a bean bag?  Try throwing cotton balls, small balls of foil, rolled up socks or paper wad.

 

   engagingtoddleractivities.wordpress.com

 

 

10.  Make a balance beam and walk the "line"

 

11.  Create images for amazing story telling!

 

 

 



This is Goliath from the Bible Story

He is really nine feet tall.

Kids have fun laying down with their heels at the bottom of his feet to see how tall he really was!

 

 

12.  And when the roll of masking tape is empty, don't forget to decorate the cardboard circle that is

       left making an awesome bracelet!  

     

13.  Use the empty masking tape ring as a stencil!

 

14.  Don't forget the easiest activity of all... play with the sticky.  Pull off a piece of tape and stick it

       together to form a circle.  Put your hand inside so the tape wraps around the palm of your hand.

       What can you pick up?  How does it  feel when you press it on and remove it from your fingers

        on the other hand?  How much lint can you remove from the couch, a pillow or your shirt/pants?

 

 

What else can you think of to do with masking tape?  I suppose the possibilities are endless!

 

Have fun!

 

 

 



Wooden Spoon Puppets

 

 

Puppets

 

There are a variety of ways to make a puppet

... fist, finger, paper sack, balloon, sock, envelope, glove etc.

 

For ideas on how to make these kind of puppets see: 

Miraculous, Magical, Moments in Minutes:  Over 500 activities for Adults and Children to Share

by Becky B. Baxa  pages 61-65. 

This book is available on Amazon.com and Etsy.com

 

Another exciting puppet is as close as your kitchen utensil drawer...

the wooden spoon!

 

 

 

Where to find your wooden spoons: 

 

Wooden spoons can be purchased at dollar or discount stores, resale shops or garage sales. 

Or, maybe you would like to get rid of a few in your utensil drawer that don't look so great anymore.

 

Needed: 

 

wooden spoon (s) and your creativity

 

Supply Ideas: 

 

glue, tape, pieces of yarn, felt, ribbon, fabric or felt scraps, construction or tissue  paper, markers and/or paints, googly eyes, colored chenille wires, Popsicle sticks, etc.  

 

Directions:  First decide what type of puppets you would like to make...people, animals, smiley faces, your favorite story book characters, family members, made up characters, etc.  Then start searching for things around the house that would work to make your puppet.  Desk drawers, craft and sewing supplies, left over pieces from other craft projects are all great places to look.  Let your imagination and creativity go! 

 

For example:  You would like to make someone that has blond hair and glasses and loves purple.  So, go on a hunt for yellow yarn or marker, a chenille wire or small piece of wire for glasses (or they can be drawn on with a marker) and some purple fabric or felt.  

 

If you decide to paint the entire spoon, a hairdryer can be used to speed the drying process.

charlottesfancy.com                                                                                  www.wikihow.com

 

The spoon can be pushed through the center of a soft airy sponge to form a body.

www.makeandtakes.com 

 

A Popsicle stick or colored chenille wire make great arms. Attach with a wire bread twist tie, yarn, string or a rubber band.

 

thenatureofgrace.blogspot.com 

 

Creation Ideas:

 

• Create a spoon puppet for everyone in your family. Don't forget the pets! www.biddingforgood.com

 

• Design puppets to match the characters in your favorite book and then retell the story.

 

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

 

 

•  Make up crazy characters, write a play and perform it for the family or your friends.

 

• A fun puppet stage can be created with an empty cereal box.  Cut the back out and a window in the front.  Decorate as desired.  You are ready for a puppet show!  Place the "stage" on the edge of a table.  Stand behind the box, or sit on a chair as you perform your play.

 

www.aspace.co.uk

• You can also use a window as your puppet stage.

 

 imperfectlybeautifulms.blogspot.com

 

 

 

www.comparestoreprices.co.uk 

 www.freekidscrafts.com

 

 

 

Alternative Idea:

 

Plastic spoons make great puppets also!

 

There are many different colors of plastic spoons that could be used to create a fun cast of characters. Faces can be added with a permanent marker.

 

Make a spoon for all kinds of different emotions.

 

 

www.creativejewishmom.com