The Little People Place

Happy Hunting

2014-09-27T03:42:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure about you but in Ontario right now we are having some very, dare I even say summer like days. I'll take them! This is actually an activity that we did in June but works great for warm fall days as well and is so easy to set up. I got the print out from Pinterest! (Thanks Pinterest) then just stapled them on some paper bags this set upbecame part of the activity for my older children, they love helping with play prep in the summer.

She added a crayon to each bag and off we went.

finding hidden treasures that were not on the list added to their play. This little path beside the park led to a fallen tree that the kids claimed as their fort. The branches were to low for me to follow giving them a little feeling of risk and independence.

They were happy with the freedom but it was a little tricky to get some of them to come back out. Guess who's kids theses are?

Finding items like robins eggs and animals that had passed, led to all sorts of questions and hand holding so that little fingers didn't get to close. It also gave me the opturnity to listen. The children were very empathetic to the animals and each other's feeling.

If you are a childcare provider setting out on this mini adventure here are a few key elements that kept our hunt happy! We ventured out early in the morning before the sun became to hot, just after morning snack. You could bring snack with you to extend your outting however having free hand for this one was nice. We also didn't go very far. We are very lucky to live close to some enchanted little parks and with small children in tow I am thankful for the connivence.

Returning home happy and still trying to master the jumping photo. Happy Hunting!

Fall Over Again

2014-09-23T08:51:00.001-07:00

Some things never get old! If you have never done this activity with a multiage classroom, DO IT! This table holds a 1-2 and almost 3 year old. Other then the fact that I cut out the leaf and stuck the sticky paper on they did the creative part themselves. The finished product is beautiful and they know it!

A popping good time

2013-10-28T11:23:00.001-07:00

On this day we were exploring corn. We have a nature table where I leave a small sensory bin open with popcorn and small cobs for the kids compare. They are able to remove to kennels from the cobs with tweezers, as wells as use spoons and other tools for transferring to help them explore. It's messy but it's small enough that they can keep it under control.
.

I would love to tell you that in daycare world I set up everything the night before. That like Mary Poppins and Nanny Mcphee I am made of magic and presto a room cleans itself and I have all the time in the world to test a activity before I actually do it with the children.

In the real world the kids sometimes help me set up the activity and we make it work and in the case of the rolling popcorn painting. After we talk about the way the corn looks and feels we head over to the craft table, my idea was to roll the bubble wrap in the paint to make it look like corn

example A.

The kids talked and decided it would work better if they painted each little bubble rather then pouring the paint onto the paper and rubbing it around.

Example B

I think they were right!

I wish I had taken a picture of our floor because they made about 35 prints between the 3 of them and thank goodness I had some extra sheet ready because they were having a little business/painting meeting that went on for a good hour. I just kept refilling the supplies and they just kept creating. Guess I don't have to always have everything planned after all.

Sticky Leaf Art

2013-10-06T17:50:00.001-07:00

Sticky paper is my new best friend. Martha Stewart stamps and I have always been best friends, I love that they are so durable and that the kids can use them.

This activity was so simple to set up and the kids put it together themselves.

The ages of my lil's for this one is between 2-5

As I set up the table, I asked the kids to run around the yard and pick out some leaves.

I explained to them that their paper was sticky and that I would like them to punch out some shapes from the leaves they collected and the rest was creative kid magic.

Somehow, my snowflake punch got put away in my fall bin so I am wondering if I will find the pumpkin punch in the winter bin come Christmas. The snowflake still made for a good design though.

Some lil's decided so make their own shapes using their new found scissor skills.

The best part of about this project was it kept them involved and they enjoyed watching what each other was creating and chattering away.

The final product was wonderful and we sealed it with another layer of sticky paper.

Watch out for more sticky work coming to a window near you!

word wall

2013-08-09T12:13:00.001-07:00

It's a boys club here this summer and that mean's not a lot of time is being spent at my craft table. so I am trying to be creative with ways to get them to write. So we made a word wall.

I used some puzzle pieces and they have to read the word

Then the use the magnet letter to build the word

and finally and washable marker to write it.

The older kid have been helping my younger ones

Throughout the week we have been coming up with new sentences and idea's for the wall.

Since my JK kids have been home on summer vacation they have loved the idea of centers and even went around the room posting numbers of how many people could be at each center at a time. Not sure if the little one's have got the idea yet but I love that they are bringing some of the classroom home.

Picky Pizza

2013-04-04T12:03:00.000-07:00

I'm still on my quest to fight against picky eaters. My kids are completely against me and try to turn

non picky eaters into PICKY EATERS!!! Not in my house. The flu bug hit us over the March break

and my sweet husband did the shopping for me. After three days being in bed I finally made it down

stairs to find that he had filled our cupboards with things that my children had never seen before.

Fruit rolls ups, pizza pockets, pudding, store bought treats of every kind.

I feel kinda bad even thinking about how quickly I cleared it all out since it did make them all so

happy. But the amount of junk makes my skin crawl. I decided that if they wanted this kind of food I

would make it for them but put in it what I wanted them to have.

It worked and they LOVED it!

I made "Pizza Pockets" with chicken and sweet potato inside and some cheese and pizza sauce. Not

only did my boys eat them for dinner but they next day we had them for daycare lunch.

All I did was get some whole grain (organic) already made pizza dough from the store,

and ad my own fillings.

These even work great for lunches eaten cold, or for nights when Dad is on dinner duty with some

salad. They can be cooked ahead and then frozen and heated when needed just like the store bought

pizza pockets.

These two little hams, who love the camera gave them two thumbs up!

What is your best trick to get your kids to eat healthy?

Easter Keeper

2013-03-26T18:30:00.001-07:00

The kids are all about making a project themselves from start to finish. I am amazed at how little instruction I have to give. I just set out the materials and they go to work.

For this project I strung the eggs for them because that part was a little tricky even for me.

These eggs came with holes in the top so it worked perfect for this activity.

The whole project could have just been cutting straws and they would have been happy. It was interesting for me to watch these three. They are each at such a different stages with their fine motor work.

My almost 3 year old is just happy to cut as fast as he can, now that he has complete control with his scissors.

Our 2 year old little lady is still trying to master the correct way to hold the item that she is trying to cut.

And our 4 year old sets goals for his work, aiming to cut each piece the same size.

Stringing the necklace was a bit of a challenge since the egg was in the middle so they had to find a way to fill both sides without the beads falling off.

Keeping the string laying on the table seemed to work best.

The finished product gave them such pride in their work. Anything that they create that becomes something they can wear seems to bring the most satisfaction.

And the fact that this item holds candy!! Well that just sealed the deal.

They were thrilled when I added the treats! Can you tell?

They were also so proud of each other and praising one and other for a job well done.

We all gave this project a A+

A smashing good time

2013-03-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

A hammer, some eggs and two toddlers.

Let the games begin!!!!

Add in some glue and glitter!

Ok A LOT of glue and glitter

And you have a perfect Easter craft

If you could hear them through these photo's you would hear a lot of planning, encouragement, sharing, complements, and pride as they completed the task themselves from start to finish. They each made a few pictures and would have kept going if we didn't run out of eggs. Next time I will know to have 100 eggs ready.

(please note no eggs were wasted in the making of this craft)

We had french toast for lunch for the next 3 days!!

Toddler Science

2013-03-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

We are having Mad science week at day care this week for March break and this is something we did during Halloween and I am doing it again this week. I saw it all over pinterest in the fall so I can't take credit for it but I thought I would share it with you incase you haven't tried it yet!
All you need a some vinegar and food coloring. A few droppers. I bought mine a the school supply store because we use them all the time but before we used these I was saving the ones from the Tylenol bottle and asking for extras at the pharmacy. shhhh don't tell them that's what we were using them for.

Then you just ad some baking soda to a tupper ware container and let them drop away.

Great for control and fine motor work as well as creativity. Love this activty

OVER WINTER

2013-03-09T03:59:00.001-08:00

I love winter and always wish for snow but then I always hit a wall when the snow is half gone and the puddles are making their way into my house via little feet and hands, and snow pants, and gloves. Goodness kids loves cold wet muddy puddles! So yes I am over winter. All my wishing for snow is down. I would like mother nature to wave a wand and clean up this mess and make spring appear the way Disney does. Until then I'll just dream of days like these that are sure to come, and be happy that we are having more and more days of sun.

2013-02-10T19:45:00.000-08:00

Our Valentines Station is completely kid friendly

We started by taking a old gift bag and stamping some hearts

One basket is stamping and another is gluing.

But I wanted them to make the craft on their own without my help so thankfully I found this smart idea on pinterest.

and it works

and they are so so proud of themselves

Everyone can cute their own heart and loves to practice.

We also love to color so we made a forth basket and used the left over heart paper as stencil's.

So the kids can walk up to the stations and either take the baskets down them selves or ask for help since some are up high. (multi age class so safety first) and make a completly child made valentine from start to finish!!!

Happy Heart Day

ABC Yoga Love

2013-02-10T19:03:00.000-08:00

I am enchanted with this book and so are the kids.

At first when we started this was the face they made.

Then I got out the turtle light and put on some soft music and asked them each to pick a mat. As of right now we are working on three poses a day.

Each pose has a rhyme to help the kid get into and remember the pose. As I walked around and help them they were excited to show me that they could do it.

We have been having a lot of up and down temperatures that sometimes keep us inside more days then we like, and we find ourselves looking for ways to exercise, and as fun as dance parties are, we sometimes need to find a way to use our energy with a different rhythm. So far this has been perfect!

Do your kids yoga?

Read to Feed

2013-01-28T16:35:00.000-08:00

In the summer we do this fun reading program

It's through Heifer International. This was our 2nd summer doing the reading program and the kids loved it.

We set a goal to read 100 books. Everyone brought books from home, and I think we read almost every book from our library in town.

When your register with Heifer they send you a package that helps you get started with your reading program, my package came with enough stuff to last me a few years since my group is so small and the package is made for a large class.

The kids fully understand that we are reading to raise money to buy a animal for a family who dosen't have access to food and water the same way we do. I do activties throughout the summer to help the kids understand how much work it takes to get grow food and get clean water. We even grew a small veggie garden from seed so we could see how long it takes to grow your own food.

At the end of the summer we had a lemonade stand to raise a bit more money on top of what the children had collected from family and friends. In order to purchase an animal to donate to a family in need.

They made poster's explaining what Heifer is all about.

They worked so hard all summer and raised enough money to order a goat for a family!! I can't wait to do it again this summer with them.

Sometimes we

2013-01-28T10:40:00.003-08:00

Sometimes we

Serve ourselves snack

I have everything set up for the kids.

I quickly ask them to wash their hands and while they are doing that I go over the directions.

Stand in line, no pushing, wait your turn, read the the signs, if you can't ask what they say, then take you bowl to the table, once you have your food you may come back and get a drink.

They love it. They work well together and often end up helping each other.

Then I stand back and try to force myself to not to step and remember the

Maria Montessori quote

"Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed"

So very true.

The Little People Place: Mr Snail

2012-10-18T17:23:00.009-07:00

The Little People Place: Mr Snail: We found a friend and made him a home. I'm not going to pretend that I knew how to make a habitat for a snail..... I googled it! (blushi...

The Little People Place: 5 Little Pumpkins

2012-10-18T17:23:00.007-07:00

The Little People Place: 5 Little Pumpkins: While shopping at my favorite local farm yesterday afternoon I purchased one large pumpkin and explained to my kids that we were goi...

The Little People Place: Ramps and Pathways

2012-10-18T17:23:00.005-07:00

The Little People Place: Ramps and Pathways: We added Ramps to our sand box It has been a hit all summer. I wish you could hear the commentary of John Deere, Mighty Machine l...

The Little People Place: Let them lead

2012-10-18T17:23:00.003-07:00

The Little People Place: Let them lead: Kids: Can we get out the Tunnel today. Me: Ok lets see what you can come up with. Kids: The little kids are moving the tunnel all o...

The Little People Place: Today is your day

2012-10-18T17:23:00.001-07:00

The Little People Place: Today is your day: When I was in high school and it came the time to pick what you wanted to be in life, I remember sitting in the guidance counselors office ...

The Little People Place: Gak Time

2012-10-18T17:22:00.007-07:00

The Little People Place: Gak Time: We are in love with, head over heels, totally addicted to, and completely absorbed by slim!! Have your pinned it? Have you actually made...

The Little People Place: And the Bird say Thanks

2012-10-18T17:22:00.005-07:00

The Little People Place: And the Bird say Thanks: Over thanks giving we read the book Bear Says Thanks and the kids decided they would like to make some treats for our outdoor friends. Si...

The Little People Place: Mr Snail

2012-10-18T17:22:00.003-07:00

The Little People Place: Mr Snail: We found a friend and made him a home. I'm not going to pretend that I knew how to make a habitat for a snail..... I googled it! (blushi...

The Little People Place: 5 Little Pumpkins

2012-10-18T17:22:00.001-07:00

The Little People Place: 5 Little Pumpkins: While shopping at my favorite local farm yesterday afternoon I purchased one large pumpkin and explained to my kids that we were goi...

5 Little Pumpkins

2012-10-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

While shopping at my favorite local farm yesterday afternoon I purchased one large pumpkin and explained to my kids that we were going to cut it open and explore the guts inside at daycare. So the owner ask me how many kids I watched and then kindly donated 5 pumpkins to my daycare kids for us to explore.

First we took a look at the outside and guess what would be on the inside.

PUMPKIN GUTS!!! was what we found.

Then we decided to extract the seeds.

This became a sensory bin, fine motor activity, science lesson.

and a taste testing

what a perfect fall morning.

Thank you Oakridge Acres for the pumpkins we had so much fun.

Mr Snail

2012-10-17T02:04:00.000-07:00

We found a friend and made him a home. I'm not going to pretend that I knew how to make a habitat for a snail..... I googled it! (blushing) sometimes this job finds you doing the funniest things.

I found another mom who had thankfully been in the same spot and made her own snail home and posted about it. Here is her link giving details about making a snail habitat.

Thanks to her helpful post we found out that Mr Snail likes to have fresh water, and leaves, and mulch, small rocks, large rocks and shade.

We did everything she suggested and our new little friend is very happy. The kids were very happy as well. This was a project they could all help with.