Solar System - Summer Style

I love when play continues to evolve and as a result learning continues to evolve as well.  As many of you know after reading THIS post, my son is very interested in the planets/solar system.  He spotted these ice cube trays at the dollar store yesterday and said, “Look, Mommy.  Can we get these and make stars to go with my planets?”  YES!   

Star molds - Dollar Tree

My initial thought was – ‘ice brick planets’ – inspired by THIS post from last summer.  As we walked to the car with our new star ice molds I was brainstorming things to create our ice planets in.  My first thought was the obvious – some kind of round baking pans – but then I thought – BALLOONS!!  Could we freeze water balloons and have round ice planets??  I guess we’ll find out!

When we got home my son asked me if we could make the stars edible, so we used a mixture of lemonade and water.  Of course, he filled the molds.

Pouring into the molds

Then we got out his Space book to take a look at the planets again and come up with a plan.

• “So, how many planets are there again?”
• [Counting planets in his book] “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.  We need a sun, too.”
• “So how many balloons do we need to fill up?”
• “Ten.” [He gets out ten balloons, counting as he takes each one out.]

We used THIS balloon pump to fill up our balloons.  It was the best option for him to play an active role and it was the easiest way to get color into the water/balloons. 

Filling up balloons.  This was another opportunity for us to talk about the colors of the planets as well as the size.

Its important to check the balloons at least once every 20 minutes to see if they are frozen.  LOL - not yet!

Day 2 - sometimes things don't go as planned.

 Even us PAHMs have to remind ourselves not to go into activities/projects/invitations with our own agenda.  In my mind I thought this would be so cool.  We could explore our ice planets, put them in orbit, talk about their sizes, expand on our learning together, etc.  My 3 year old had other plans..... 

"I want to smash them, Mommy."

He was initially interested in using his book to place them in orbit (toddler style) and adding the stars to his "outer space", but that was about it.  Sun in the middle....then the planets/stars.  Some of our planets are oval - oh well, it was still fun and he had a blast smashing them to bits and eating the stars.

Our solar system

:)

Eating the planets

 - AK (MESE, MECD)

You have read this article Theme-based play / Water Play with the title May 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/05/solar-system-summer-style.html. Thanks!

A Mother's Love - Happy Birthday AK!

We know we get a lot of different reactions when people first visit our page...

This is awesome!

I suck as a mom.

Are these people serious?

I love this!

It's all staged.

These people are crazy. 

How do they come up with this stuff?

I know it’s sometimes difficult to know what type of mothers we really are by seeing a bunch of pictures of our children.  Especially when a newbie comes aboard and sees a picture of AK’s son laying on a speed bump in the middle of the road.  LOL LOL  To be honest if I was a new “liker” and that was the first picture I saw I’d probably say WTH, too!  There are times when a debate can get pretty heated and I usually say to myself “if they only knew her as a real person”.  I’ve wanted to write this for a while, but time is limited now!  Anyway…. Here is my

“If you only knew AK”

If you only knew AK you would know that she is a “Yes Mom”, a positive parent, and she absolutely believes in the power of play.  All these qualities as a parent are great just on their own.  However, when you combine the three…. Wonderful and amazing things happen. 

If you only knew AK, you would know that she is:

Patient- I remember a time when AK’s son didn’t like getting in his car seat right away.  He liked to “drive”, press buttons, and explore.  After EVERY trip to the park, store, etc. he would “drive” while she patiently waited for him to move on.  This lasted a good two months and is just one story out of many similar ones…. Yes, I will wait while you explore that creek.  Yes, I will wait while you put your shoes on… even though I know I could do it for you much quicker.  Yes, I will wait until YOU are ready to ride your bike, swim in the pool, and go down that big slide.  Yes, I know sometimes you get frustrated and upset over things that may seem little to me, but I know are big to you.  I will stay by your side and comfort and support you until you are ready to process those feelings on your own. 

"I really am your gift. I am not just a little person who needs to be "raised" and taught, and taken to activities...I came to the people in my life to bring a message: slow down. Feel. Be. Over and over again. When you do, you will notice immediately, that I am not an obstacle to your work, or inconvenient to your daily life. Instead, you will come to appreciate my honesty, humor, presence and love." - Bruce Scott

Understanding- There are no battles/struggles/tantrums in her home.  This is highly due to her understanding for her son.  She allows him to feel and accepts those feelings.  There is NEVER “no crying” or “stop crying”.  It is ALWAYS… Yes, you may have feelings.  Yes, you may cry in my arms. 

“Motherhood is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It's about understanding that he is exactly the person he is supposed to be. And that, if you're lucky, he just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be.” - Joan Ryan

Trustworthy- Her son trusts her truly and completely 100%.  We were at the playground one day and AK’s son was playing with some other boys off in the distance.  There was a big electrical box not too far off from where they were playing.  All the boys started to walk towards it.  AK called out to her son something along the lines of “Please stay where I can see you.”  All the other boys kept walking and AK’s son sat there and stared at her.  Once they made eye contact she said again “Please stay where I can see you.”  He looked at the boys that were clearly not listening (their mothers were all running towards them and screaming for them to stop) and he turned around and came back to the playground.  Wow!  A newly three year old not only withstood the peer-pressure, but he made his decision based off the love and trust he has for his mother… not a decision based off fear. 

“Treat me exactly as you would want me to treat you - exactly. Do not punish me ever. Teach me. Hold me. Love me. Trust that I, just like you, want to do what is right. Help me understand what I don’t know. Don't call me names, or label me or compare me, or make me compete for anything. Help me cooperate and collaborate. Be the example for me.” – Bruce Scott

Loving- AK not only has an enormous amount of love for her son but she has so much love for ALL children.  AK’s mom was in town visiting and we were at the playground (surprise surprise).  I am not sure exactly what happened but it ended with a mother carrying her kicking/screaming/crying son to the car to go home.  AK’s mom said “I feel bad for the mother in those situations.”  AK looked at her mom like she was crazy and said: “I don’t… I feel bad for the child.”  Her mom went on to explain her reasoning and then it was left at that.  She wasn’t going to sit there and argue with her mom.  However, you could in her eyes the love for that child.  I’m sure she was thinking…

Did he have a bad day at school?

Is he jealous of a brother or sister?

Is he tired?

Is he hungry?

Is he a little bit of everything mentioned above?

Instead of seeing…

Johnny threw sand at Mikey and now you will go home whether you like it or not…

She sees….

Wow!  Johnny is having some big feelings to throw sand at Mikey.  Let me connect with my child to find out what’s going on for him to want to do that. 

“A person’s a person no matter how small” – Dr. Seuss

Kind- AK treats my girls EXACTLY as she treats her own son.  I couldn’t ask for a better environment for my girls to grow up in.  We are together almost everyday and there is not a thing she wouldn’t do for them or me.  She’s always there to lend a helping hand when I need it.  While on “play dates” you see a true YES mom in action.  YES, I will change the swing out for you AGAIN.  YES, I will spin you around again, and again, and again.  YES, I will bounce you on this yoga ball even though it is a royal PITA!    She treats my girls with love and respect and they absolutely adore her. 

“Whatever they grow up to be, they are still our children, and the one most important of all the things we can give to them is unconditional love. Not a love that depends on anything at all except that they are our children.” – Dickson

Thankful- Everyday spent with her son is another day she is grateful. She never needs a break or time away because she truly cherishes every single moment of him by her side.   

Children Are...

Amazing,cherish them.

Believable, trust them.

Childlike, let them.

Divine, respect them.

Energetic, nourish them.

Fallible, embrace them.

Gifts, unwrap them.

Here Now, be with them.

Innocent, delight in them.

Joyful, appreciate them.

Kindhearted, join them.

Lovable, love them.

Magical, fly with them.

Noble, esteem them.

Open-minded, hear them.

Precious, treasure them.

Questioners, encourage them.

Resourceful, support them.

Spontaneous, enjoy them.

Talented, believe in them.

Unique, affirm them.

Vulnerable, protect them.

Whole, recognize them.

Xtraspecial, celebrate them.

Yearning, notice them.

Zany, laugh with them.

© Meiji Stewart.

Playful- When I asked my oldest what she wanted to get AK for her birthday this was our conversation:

RL – What would you like to get AK for her birthday?

B- I don’t know

RL-What does she like to do?

B- Play… Play and spin me around!!! 

RL-You are ABSOLUTELY right!  AK loves to PLAY and spin you around. 

I tried to teach my child with books.

He gave me only puzzled looks.

I tried to teach my child with words.

They passed him by often unheard.

Despairingly, I turned aside.

"How shall I teach this child?" I cried.

Into my hand he put the key

"Come," he said, "play with me."

-      Unknown

While searching for a present for AK we tried to work in all the things I mentioned above into a gift for her.  I contacted Megan Darienzo with the hopes she could put something together for me.  We went back and forth with ideas and she came up with this AMAZING necklace.  My original suggestion was some type of boy playing with a ball and her son’s birthstone as the “ball”.  I’m so glad when this picture popped up on my screen instead of a boy!  LOL  Let’s leave the necklace making up to the professionals.  J  I’m absolutely in love with the way in came out and we hope you are, too AK! 

To see more of Megan's incredible work visit her:

Etsy Shop and Facebook Page

Happy Birthday to an amazing Mother, Wife, Daughter, and Friend. 

We love you and are forever grateful for our friendship. 

RL  

You have read this article with the title May 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/05/a-mother-love-happy-birthday-ak.html. Thanks!

Honey Bees for a day - Questions answered

My girls are obsessed with all things bugs/insects lately.  My oldest is always asking a million questions a day.

Does that bee sting?

How come some bees sting and some don't?

Is that a honey bee?

How do bees make honey?

Why do they like flowers?

To be honest I can't answer half her questions!  

We first started exploring this by visiting the local library. We checked out 3-4 books on bees/wasps.  We have been reading these books for several weeks before I set up this invitation.  My oldest gave me the inspiration when she said: 

"I wish I could be a honey bee for a day."

The invitation

Flowers in water

Honey

Turkey Basters

Egg Carton

Bee costumes

I left this completely up to my girls to explore any way they wanted to.  

They started first by putting their nest (egg carton) "up high on the art table so no one would step on it"

My 27 Month old did not want to wear her wings and that is OK!  

Sucking up the nectar.  

My 27 Month old knew that the bees sucked it up from their mouth so she always put the back end of the baster up to her mouth.  

My oldest got a little frustrated with her baster so she asked for something else.  I gave her a medicine dropper.  

Putting the "nectar" into the "honeycomb."

My 27 Month old lost interest after a couple trips back and forth.  

My oldest declared me a "worker bee" and said "you need to squirt in some honey... but only where the nectar is, Mommy"  

Doing her "busy bee dance" to show all the other bees where the flower patch is.  

Collecting more nectar.  

Counting how many she has left to fill.  

Fanning the honey with her wings

I did NOT have wax paper out.  She asked for this to seal her honeycomb when it was done.  I thought that was a great association.  :-)  

My 27 Month old joined back in when she heard there was going to be honey tasting going on.  

Scrapping her honeycombs to put into jars.  

"Look at all this honey we made!"

And of course the taste test! 

RL 

You have read this article Child-Guided Play / Rainy Day Play / Theme-based play with the title May 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/05/honey-bees-for-day-questions-answered.html. Thanks!

Glass Sculptures

Materials:

Recycled Jars

Gems

Hot glue gun

My daughters often glue gems to paper to create their art.  My oldest gets frustrated sometimes when she glues them onto a piece of paper... and the paper flops all over when she picks it up.  This led to a conversation about what we could use that would be more sturdy.  She suggested that we put them on glass frames.  She has done this before with our WINDOW ART.   I didn't have any glass frames on hand so I suggested the baby food jars.  We have saved up quite a few over the past month or so.  She learned very quickly that elmer's glue was not going to work, and again became frustrated.  We went through a few more possible solutions using tape and band-aids before I asked if she would like to use the glue gun.  (Big Smile)  "YES, that will work!"  I don't have pictures of our attempts because it was spur of the moment.  She helped set up the following INVITATION  below.  

***PLEASE only do what you are comfortable with.  I have taught my daughter the proper way to use a glue gun and I have complete confidence in her capabilities. ***

  

The Invitation

Picking out gems

Gluing and...

Sticking

Gluing and...

sticking.  Quite a simple process!  :-)  

This is my middle girls creation (26 Months).  I don't have pictures with her because I was too busy showing her the proper way to use the glue gun.  

These are VERY strong.  I even tried pulling one apart because she decided she wanted a piece a little lower and it was NOT budging. 

My oldest made a cross.  (3.5 years)  

RL  

You have read this article Clay and Crafts / Rainy Day Play with the title May 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/05/glass-sculptures.html. Thanks!

Push Light Planets

I always try to follow the interests of my son when planning fun activities.  My hopes are to inspire him to delve deeper into learning about things he already loves.  He has been interested in the planets/solar system for months now.  He even requested Saturn (his favorite planet) as one of the paintings on his bedroom wall. 
 

He requests this book at bed time quite often….

This is the book we read a lot - and used for inspiration.

This morning I thought of using push lights to paint and illuminate the planets!  Dollar Tree sells push lights, but in my experience – they stink.  I bought this pack of 4 (small) push lights at Walmart for under $4.00.  The batteries that come with them are horrible, and we had to replace them the next day.

I bought 3 packs of these

I used glass paint (also purchased at Walmart for under $2.oo a jar).  Be aware that slathering on too much paint may cause the push lights to stick after dry.  Ours did not, but I can see how it could happen.  We also discovered that glass paint apparently doesn't adhere well to plastic.  When we pushed the lights to turn them on/off, some of the paint was peeling off.  I sealed it with Mod Podge and it hasn't happened since.

Paint

I initiated this activity by asking my son if he would like to help me put batteries in the new push lights.  He played an active role in setting up the entire activity.  We took the time to flip through each page of the book to see which planet he wanted to paint first – Jupiter.

The invitation.  My son played an active role in setting this up.  We paper clipped opened the book for inspiration.

Painting Jupiter.  I asked him why he was painting the sides and he said "because Mommy, the whole planet has color, not just the top".  I stand corrected.

We talked about the colors in each planet, he chose the corresponding paints, and he counted out the number of brushes needed.  He painted one planet at a time at his own pace.

Mars

Saturn

Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter - completed, dried, and illuminated!  Cool!

Earth

Venus.  The OCD in me wanted to tell him that the black on the left side of the planet in the picture is a shadow....but this is about so much more than "doing it right".   I think he did an amazing job!

Neptune

 Here are the 6 planets we have done so far.  My favorite parts of this activity was the dialogue it inspired, watching my son become so engaged in painting (something he RARELY does), and seeing him glow with pride.

painting Uranus with Daddy

Painting Mercury

Painting Mercury

Painting Pluto (and yes, Im aware that there has been some controversy as to whether Pluto is really a planet.)

The Solar System through the eyes of a 3 year old.  He still wants to get a big push light to paint the sun.

AND FINALLY.....THE SUN....

Its been about a month since we created the planets with push light and today he was finally ready to add the sun.  I asked him if he would like to use his book as reference and he said, "No thank you.  I know what the sun looks like".

Painting the sun

Beautiful sun

"Let's count them."

The sun and planets

This is how my son set them up when we were talking about the sun being the center of the solar system and all of the planets revolving around it.  AWESOME!!

MORE IDEAS:  

·         Buy different sized push lights to really represent the size of each planet.

·         Add glow in the dark stars to the wall with the completed, illuminated planets.

·         Encourage reading by using a label maker to label the back side of each planet with its name.

·         Encourage further reading and knowledge by printing fun facts about each planet onto sticker paper sheets and then adding them to the back of each light.

- AK (MESE, MECD)

You have read this article Paint Play / Rainy Day Play / Theme-based play with the title May 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/05/push-light-planets.html. Thanks!