Weighing it all Out

I can't take credit for this idea. It came from the mind of my husband and started with the kids being interested in a kitchen scale. It turned into a fun exploration with weight and numbers.

They started by placing some random objects on the scale that they picked up around the kitchen

We talked about which objects weighed the most and which weighed the least. The lightest was the little lady bug weighing in at less than an ounce. The heaviest weight we could get was 2 pounds when they weighed the hammer. Then we decided to add some objects together. We set a goal of exactly five pounds.

It turns our that was harder than it looked. Beanie babies and stuffed animals really don't weigh all that much. We stopped to think for a minute. What could we use to get to five pounds? We needed objects that were around the same size and could fit nicely on the scale. As Beanie pointed out "Things for measuring have to be the same size!" We finally arrived at the idea to use the wooden blocks from the playroom. Beanie thought it would take 5 blocks to get to five pounds. Belle said "pink" and "HUMONGOUS!"which seem to be her answer to everything.

 We stacked on one block after the other but soon realized that even with all 28 blocks on the scale we were just under 5 pounds. So we thought out loud. We need something else to add that only weighs a little bit. What did we weigh that might work?

The Little Lady bug!

I am not sure how clearly you can see it here but the lady bug put us at EXACTLY 5 pounds! Beanie was really excited and jumped up and down shouting "five! We did it!" I asked "How many blocks did it take?" he said "I thought it would be five but it was twenty-eight and a ladybug!"

We stopped the activity there for a lunch break but Beanie was still asking questions. "I wonder how many blocks it would take to get to ten pounds?" So I got out some cheese its and we did some exploration with them where we pretended the cheese its were the blocks. We did end up reaching a conclusion but I think it was a bit abstract for him at that point. 

Some other extension activities that would be great with this, especially with older kids would be:

- Record the weights of various objects and have challenges to figure out how to combine them and make a specific number.

- Weigh objects and use blocks and bugs or other smaller toys to get to the weight of the object.

- If you are doing it with multiple children have each weigh and object and then figure out how much they would all weigh together.

- You can also do some basic algebra like what I did with the cheese its. If 14 blocks equal 2 1/2 pounds how many pounds do 28 blocks weigh? 

This was a great introduction to weights and measurement and the kids both had a great time with it. You can really use any object that is a consistent size and kitchen scales can be found and thrift stores or on craigslist if you keep your eyes open:) Have a great time weighing, counting, and thinking critically!

From Perfectionism to Impressionism

Since my son was about 6 months old he has been a perfectionist. The first time we went to the beach he wouldn't set foot on the sand for at least an hour. We had to lay towels out so that he could walk around the umbrella. Now he is 3 and he still likes things to be set a certain way, he does best with routine and isn't a huge fan of change. When we go to the store he "fixes" the shelves; putting the candy in the right direction and replacing any that may be in the wrong containers. One of his proudest moments happened recently when the clerk thanked him for his help and gave him a penny. He was thrilled to bring it home and put it in his piggy bank. Now he tells everyone that he has a job. He has also always been a quick study. Most things that he tries he picks up quickly and can master without much time.

None of this is necessarily a bad thing, it's a part of his personality and in fact can be kind of sweet and endearing. The problem arises when he runs into a skill he can't learn quickly enough or a problem that he can't solve. He promptly either gives up or melts down into frustrated tears. This is especially evident when he tries to write or draw. He wants his pictures to look just like what he has in his head but the fine motor skills just aren't there yet. My husband has had some success with him doing dot to dots since that helps with fine motor practice. But he still gets really sad if his lines are wobbly or he "ruins it" by drawing to an out of order number. I have tried explaining that he is only three and that he is learning and practicing. I have tried praising him for simply trying but through his tears he can't hear or focus on that. It's gotten to the point where most of the time I can't even get him to hold the crayon.

I have been researching and thinking about ways to help him get used to the fact that you can't be good at everything all the time. One of the suggestions I kept coming across was, to paraphrase: give them a task that they can be successful at right away but that can be slowly built upon. That way once the larger goal is eventually achieved the child has something to refer to. Knowing based on previous experience that practice and sometimes "ruining" things is the way to learn. I rolled it around in my head. He wants to have his pictures look like what he sees in front of him how do I help him get there without the melt downs. That when I thought about the impressionists. A perfect combination of art and chaos. 

I included Belle in the activity as well, she loves to paint. We started the activity by looking at impressionist art on the computer. I told him that these pictures are painted and drawn by grown up artists who like to paint the things they see based on the colors and shapes. We talked about the paintings and what we saw in them, what we liked and didn't like. These are some of the paintings we viewed.

The painting that he seemed most excited by was this abstract impressionistic painting.

 He looked at it and asked "What is this one!" I asked what he thought and he said "It looks all splashy and splooshy! I think it might be rain. Is it rain? or maybe a splashy splooshy bathtub? I want to make a painting like this one!" So I told him we would look at some pictures of rain and see what colors he thought he needed to make his own rain painting. On a side note Belle kept exclaiming "Pink! Pink!"  and singing "rain rain go away" but that's beside the point.

We looked at photos of rain in all seasons and different times of the day. The one he was most drawn to was this one so we left it up on the computer and discussed the colors he saw.

He chose various shades of blue and some white and started painting. Belle exclaimed "Pink!" one more time but then wanted the blue also. Then they started painting.

 

He started with some white dots and then switched to the blue in long lines. He was smiling the whole time and so proud of the end result! 

Here is the finished product:

Then we switched over to another rain picture with a yellow leaf in it.

Here is the finished product (for some reason it is showing up sideways and I can't figure out how to fix it):

And finally we switched gears a bit and he asked to see pictures of the circus. Here is the inspiration shot:

And here is the final product:

I don't want to leave Belle out. She took more of a whack the paint onto the paper and then paint my own hands approach:)

Here's her picture:

This activity went better than I could have hoped. He was so happy with his paintings and genuinely felt that they looked the way he wanted. He even said "I did it myself! Some things are crazy but it's okay." He embraced being an impressionist to the fullest extent possible.

 Now I am not saying that we are through the woods, painting is a different world from using a pencil. Here is what I'm thinking in terms of progress. The next time we will switch to pastels, then markers, then crayons and so on. I want to slowly build on the experience we had today until the point that he is confident it putting his own mark on a blank page. We will continue to work on the fine motor skills in other ways as well. My hope is that eventually he will build up enough confidence to try writing his letters without breaking down because "his R is wobbly." Unfortunately life is not well ordered and I am hoping that this process will not only help him deal with the inevitability that sometimes things will be "crazy" and even get "ruined" but life goes on. Everything will not be perfect all the time and trying new things is hard but worthwhile. I know what you are thinking. That's a lot to ask for from some paint and paper but I'm optimistic. I'll post as we go along, thanks for being a part of the process.

SCENTsational Fun in the Kitchen!

I am always on the hunt for great sensory activities and today the herbs from our garden and the awesome toys my husband makes provided a great one. 

My hubby made these toys lovingly with his own hands and the kids play with them all the time. They fit perfectly in their hands and Belle and Bean use them to play everything from cooking to putting on pretend make-up (Belle sometimes mixes up the use of the mortar and Pestle.) On other occasions they have used the mortar and pestle to grind up cereal.

Beanie and Belle love to sample the herbs from the garden. The fact that it is grown in our back yard is a huge novelty to them. We don't last long in the back yard before one or both of them have a mouthful of thyme, oregano, or basil. Picking the herbs is a sensory experience in itself but today we expanded on that idea and brought the herbs inside.

   

As they played, slicing and grinding the herbs, it released the oils and filled the kitchen with a wonderful aroma. Four of their five senses were engaged as they smelled, tasted, touched, the herbs. We even brought in a cognitive component as they were reminded what the herbs are called and what plants need to grow. The kids had a blast with this. You can use any kid friendly kitchen tools (e.g. rolling pins or a garlic press) but if you are looking for toys that will really enhance the experience then feel free to check out Robin's Etsy shop Fiddlehead Toys.

If you don't have access to a garden, fresh herbs can be bought at most grocery stores in the produce section. Thanks for reading and I hope you and your kiddos have your own SCENTsational experience.