Enjoying our surrounds

A blog for enviroweek:
Outside play

The children love the outdoor environment. As soon as they arrive in the morning they are straight outside.



The following photos do not need words to explain the learning that is taking place. Children learn through play

Watering the plants is one of the children's favourite activities when we haven't had enough rain.

 The outside furniture is made from recycled materials and can be left outside in the elements

Wet weather clothing allows the children to explore outside even in winter

When we had the destructive hail storm this year a few homes owners in our area were told their trees needed to be cut down due to being unstable and posing a danger to the passing public. I came across one such owner and he kindly gave me all the cut up logs. We now use them in our outside environment

A nice cup of tea on a cold winters day

 One log was turned into a chalkboard

Old drawers are terrific for plantings vegetables in

 Strawberries grow wonderfully in bales of sugar cane mulch

 There is no greater play thing than a stick

 Bird watching

Checking to see how the vegetables are going

 Reaching for the clouds

 Digging in the dirt

 Problem solving (getting mud off shoes)

 Preparing the worm farm

 Cooking up a feast in the sandpit

 Car play in the converted compost box

 "How many worms can you find"?

 Small world play in a tyre filled with sand

Painting a masterpiece in the outdoor art gallery.

The Natural World is our  inspiration

Fruits of our Labour

Since we introduced our Permaculture program into Puzzles we have noticed the positive affects it is having on our little community.
The families have embraced the program and contribute to it as well by donating plants and also taking home the produce.
It has opened up so many conversations especially for the families that have made Australia their new home. They share stories of the foods they use to grow in their country and what dishes they use to make with them. I believe as we live in suburbia our little oasis here gives the families a sense of familiarity of what once was their way of life.
The children, while at first hesitant about getting dirty, are now right into tending the garden, feeding the worms and collecting the 'magical worm juice'. I never have to question twice on who would like to water the garden.
We have plans too.
A homemade water tank.
We want water in the sandpit but we do not want to waste water so we are going to design and construct an innovative water tank in the large tree that will ferry water from the rain down to the sandpit so the children can use it during play.
It's all very exciting and the learning possibilities are endless for the children.
It's time to get back to basics
Grow to live: Re-use to survive

Winter Warmers

Knitted Winter Warmers

Winter sure is coming in thick and fast here. I love the cosiness of the colder weather so when we are not outside (which is most of the day) I thought I'd make these little snugly slippers for the children to wear inside. 

I cannot make items following detailed patterns and I usually make it up as I go but a dear friend gave me this simple pattern that even I could do. The way I describe the steps is easy enough for even the newest knitter to follow. I mean basic. You can get really creative by selecting different  textures of  wool or making them various colours by changing wool colour throughout. The possibilities are endless.

Use 12 ply wool or 2x8ply and I am using Number 5 needles (only because they were the handiest at the time). This is knitted as one piece.



Cast on 21 st (small 2 to 3 yr. old)

knit 6 purl 1 knit 7 p1 knit 6 turn repeat keep repeating until you have done enough rows for the heal and the underside of the foot (you can just measure on a child's foot)

Then it is knit one purl 1 across the row turn and repeat the same (K1, P1) until the slipper is long enough once again measure on the child's foot (just be careful here depending on the number of stitches you have on, you may need to k2 at the start of the alternate row then p1 k1 etc.  to keep pattern true).



This is what it looks like as you knit it up.

The purl stitch you do in the first rows

 make the work have a turn up for sides

You are now ready to shape the toe end to finish

knit 2 together right across the next row (half amount of stitches left) 

Purl next row 

Next row k2 tog across row

Purl last row. 

With remaining stitches pull wool through and tighten (I use a crochet hook but you can thread wool through large needle to feed the wool through the hoops.

Thread wool through remaining

stitches and pull tight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The number of stitches you have dictates how high the sides go up the ankle and then you just knit the length you need. So if you want a higher slipper cast on more stitches.

Babies I do 18 stitches (K5 p1 k6 p1 k5)

2-3yr old 21 stitches (k6 p1 k7 p1 k6)

4 yr old I do 24 stitches ( k7 p1 k8 p1 k7) 

Ladies I do 27 (k8 p1 k9 p1 k8)

Men’s 30st ( k9 p1 k10 p1 k9)



Inside out sew up from the toe to the ankle
(till you get to the heel part)



The middle stitches just need to be one more than the outer ones so you can play around to find the size you want

Below are photos of how to sew the slipper up.

You cannot make a mistake really they are so very easy.

Experiment and have fun with them.

Stay warm :)



 



This is how to stitch the heel up
stitch inside out

when you turn it the right way

you will see how it sits like a heel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




 











Story Stones and more

Use blocks

 How many times have you had to go to training when you really didn't feel like it? Lets face it after working all day who wants to go outside of a night in the cold especially a week night?
I for one want to snuggle up in my flannies, dressing gown and slippers with a cuppa and my crocheting. However I squeezed myself into jeans to look reasonably presentable, trudged to the car, stopped off at a servo for a coffee and turned up at the training on the value of Story Stones.

Stones to go with favourite books


And I'm glad I did. It was fantastic, inspiring, fun, but most of all I was able to meet, laugh and enjoy adult company which I might add I lack considerably due to being a Family Day Care Educator.
The presenters put so much effort into setting up examples that you couldn't help but be inspired and excited to try your hand at making them yourself.
Of course me being me had to take photos of all the displays and asked if I could put them on my Face Book page which they gave their permission. So now I am sharing here in the hope they will inspire you too.
The idea is to use natural, recycled, offcuts or just about anything to make props for children to create stories. The ideas are endless.
I am not saying too much more about them as I will let the photos tell the story.


Symbols tell amazing stories

I will add the most exciting part of the night was at the end we could buy a mystery box. The boxes were taped up so we had no idea what was in them only that they contained items we could use to make our own Story Stones. I bought four boxes. I was like a kid choosing a lucky dip at the show.
Feeling very inspired now to create a variety of Story Stones but I must remember they are for the children, they are for the children, they are for the children.


Human bodies - all shapes and sizes



Use wooden cookies




My favourite- Space

Dinosaur world

Small world



Rock people

Use coasters from the Op Shop

Coasters again with pictures glued on

Mystery boxes

From Slip mat to Play mat

I am always looking for something quick and easy to create especially if it's re-purposing something.
This is an easy project if you can crochet or not. As you can see I did crochet this particular mat but you could easily make it by weaving the wool through the squares.
The idea is to make a play mat with a particular scene on it. This one is for 'Under the sea' but I can visualise an array of different mats including 'Outback Australia', Jungle, Forrest, Fairy Garden, Space, and a 'Winter Wonderland'. The possibilities are endless.
Use your own imagination. 


First you need to purchase a non-slip mat that they use under rugs. They are cheap as chips to buy and are rubbery and flexible. I found them at POCO for $6.00 each.
Then you need to decide what scene you want to make. If you are not confident to just create as you  are going along you can draw the scene on the mat first using a black marker (hint: put paper under it otherwise you will have your little scene depicted in dots on the floor or table).
Select the colours that relate to your theme. As mine was 'Under the sea' I went with colours relating to that from the sand to the water.


Folds up easily for storage

If you are crocheting it is really easy to do. Using double stitch just go into each square and secure the stitch to the top of the square just like you would on normal crochet work and work along the row. You cannot make a mistake. Change colours where you have decided the scene needs it. For example I used several colours for the sand just to give it texture as sand isn't always the same colour. Also for the water I made sure as my work grew the colours darkened to represent depth.


Underneath the finished play mat

Finish off by crocheting right around the outside to give it strength and so it sits flat.
Just to add to the look I chain stitched waves on top of the already finished piece.

You now have a durable non-slip play mat.
Now to start the 'Australian Outback' which is four times the size :)


'Under the Sea'

Jewels

I often walk around the markets drinking coffee and chatting to stall holders and something will catch my eye. This particular day I was with a friend and a lonely little cardboard box was on the ground in front of a trash and treasure stall. No one stopped to open the flap they just kept walking past. I couldn't do it. I had to see what discarded treasure was inside. (I say treasure because someone else's trash is always someone else's treasure). When I pulled the flap back a thousand possibilities jumped out. Bags and bags of little metal craft jewels all packaged and waiting for someone to see their potential.  To say I was excited is not an exaggeration. As soon as I recognised what they were and that there was more than one sort mathematical concepts started swimming in front of my eyes.
Oh the sorting, grouping, matching, patterns, comparing, sequencing, counting, dividing, multiplying and sharing; the possibilities were endless in my mind.
I had to have the whole box which ended up being divided between me and my fellow marketeer. 
It was obvious the vender had no idea he had just sold a box of endless learning opportunities for children at the bargain price of only $10.
So they sat in my shed for months and months until today when they jumped out screaming pick me pick me. You see I was looking for an activity to put out that would engage the children but with intentional reasoning behind it: to build on the children's hand and finger strength. I wasn't looking for an activity relating to mathematical concepts at all, however, when I noticed the small packets I knew that they had the potential to be both.
After putting them in a basket on the table I just let the children investigate. No prompting, no suggesting just free range to do with at will.
The first hurdle was to get the packets open. Grunts and groans followed by 'I just can't open it' were echo by all children.
Still no interference.
Hang on a break through. One child found if she ripped the corner upwards she could get a better grip. So with all the strength she had she pulled, just like a tug of war; the plastic one direction the cardboard the other. Next minute success as the slightly overbalanced child yells out "I got it".
That was the start of all the children mastering the art of opening packaging.
Opening items is a learned skill. We need to provide the opportunity for children to work it out for themselves. Yes we can demonstrate, but if we keep doing it for them we rob them of the feeling of accomplishment or developing the skills that will carry them through to the next stage of their learning.
So while I did buy the jewels to be used with a preconceived idea in my mind they proved to be so much more.
The determination of opening the packets outweighs the learning that followed. I already know that the children here are mathematically competent for their ages, but what I have observed over the last few weeks is that they needed support in building strength in their hands.
Looking for learning can be tricky. Sometimes we need to open our eyes wider. It is not always about academia.
Building sound foundations will support a world of learning.
Lets get back to basics. Oh and quirky is fun too.

The Drink Bottle

"Can I take my drink bottle home" a child asks her mum.

 Mum replied with  "It will be your responsibility to remember to bring it back, do you think you can do that"?

"oh yes I will bring it back in the morning" was her determined response.

For two days the child agonised over the fact she kept forgetting to bring her drink bottle back. Of course she was given a replacement however it didn't sit well with her at all.
 

Later that night a text message with a photo of the child holding up her drink bottle filled the screen of my iPhone.


 

The story goes like this:
 

Child arrived home and was obviously still thinking of her forgotten drink bottle. As the family were all busy doing their evening rituals of homework, cooking dinner and getting ready for the next day, they didn't notice the child had started gathering bits and bobs and putting them on the table; including blu tac off the wall. When mum finally realise there was a growing pile of 'junk' starting to overtake the table she asked what she was doing.

"I'm making my drink bottle into a person so I don't forget it" was the nonchalant reply. 

The child, using initiative set about solving her dilemma with explicit instructions to her older wiser sisters, that she didn't need any help she was doing it by herself. Sticking bottle tops for eyes and a water balloon to the top for hair she set the next stage in motion. She instructed her older sister to write a note saying 'I will not forget my drink bottle tomorrow' and sat it on the table next to her now embellished bottle.
Mum was astounded and took a photo straight away and sent it to me.
 

Some who read this might be thinking 'why didn't the mother just pack the drink bottle? Poor child to be worried like that'

I wanted to hug the parent.

Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, for giving your child the opportunity to be independent and responsible for herself.
Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou for allowing your child to have opportunity to investigate and find a solution to a problem that was obviously causing her so much anguish.
Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou for believing that your child is capable of making decisions.
The last but most important thankyou is for allowing your child to follow through with her solution.
Now that is parenting.

The look on the child and mothers face when they arrived the next morning with 'The Bottle' was priceless. It took pride of place on the table and was admired by all.

And I did hug the parent.