Some days you just get blown away by the simplicity of a message. Today was that day.

Do you ever find yourself  doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. What about the children do you see that in them? How do you get them to move to a point where they can set simple goals and achieve them. Concentrate and persevere in an age appropriate manner.

I’m a totally a visual person so really appreciated Dr Becky Bailey  demonstrations and explanation on the importance of developing the executive state in the frontal lobe. Before you switch off thinking oh no brain science how will this impact my child let me encourage you with a few highlights.

0:00 Those exercises were hard.

3:00  Dr  Bailey warms up by talking about How we need to help our children set goals, achieve them, resolve conflicts, develop empathy and see things from a different perspective and access their own creative force.

Explains the three stats of problem solving and conflict resolution

08:05 Dr Bailey shares how we wire the brain for success

9:46  This is a typical situation we can all relate to

10:32 Here’s your actions What we need to do! ( You have to hear the beginning though for this to make complete sense. Otherwise you’re likely to want to skip without the foundation)

13:19 The problems of separation of the 3 states vs connection

14: 19  The journey to self-regulation

15:10-15:58  This was the best visual of  Who is the boss of me?
As we’ve seen in our 31 day series so far the focus has been heavily on how we come to the play table. What we bring with us? Our own experiences aren’t always adequate. Thinking and ideas have changed. Sharing and discussion of play ideals helps us to find our play levels.

We are also big believers in testing what works; not throwing out the baby with bath water because an idea comes from a previous generation. It is amazing how much playtime you both can enjoy as we expand our knowledge, experiment and change the scripts we say and the actions we do.

Watch the video!

Let me know what you think in the comments

Click here to read the rest of the posts in the series, 31 Days to a more Playful Tot.

31 days to a more Playful Tot {Day Twenty Three} Problem solving is a post from: Play-Activities.com
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Birmingham Public Library (AL)

Listening to audio is a skill that’s not confined to just car journeys. There are many times when we need to add some downtime or slow the pace down.

Listening is a very active form and a really easy way to provide imagination, inspiration and entertainment.

Here are 3 go to places for active listening

Listen and Play

This is part of the BBC school programming and is published on a Tuesday. They are available on demand for 7 days after broadcast.

Each programme includes familiar songs, rhymes, stories and sound discrimination games to develop children’s phonological awareness and confidence with spoken language.

Each show has kept my little one interested and we’ve subscribed via iTunes so can listen again to older versions. if you live outside of the UK access to the BBC iplayer is restricted but you can subscribe via iTunes and download as a podcast.

Listen and play

Playtime

P-L-A-Y-T-I-M-E …It’s PLAYTIME! P-L-A-Y-T-I-M-E………

With the current interest in letters and singing of the ABC song along with the phonic game on the fridge this show is perfect for my soon turning preschooler. It’s full of energy and emotion that he’ll stop to listen. We pretend together and with siblings as well.

Songs, stories and movement activities for pre-school children inspired by popular themes.

This is also part of BBC programming for schools.

Playtime

Barefoot books podcast

I’m a big advocate for diversity in book and literature with my family of boys we just love the Barefoot Books as they have a range of stories both traditional and from different cultures. We always have lots to talk about seeing the people and places in these books. Now you can read along or just listen to your favourite books.

Barefoot books publish a huge range of stories and many of them for the over 5s so watch out for the themes.

Barefoot books

We’ve been experimenting with audio and listening recently and have tried them at our family dinner time. Instead of the usual hustle and bustle we listened to a story and then discussed it afterwards. It was really a different way to celebrate dinner together.

We’ve tried the traditional sit down and listen but this doesn’t work as well for us . It’s been great tidy up ‘music’ and listen to in the morning music before everyone is awake.

Photo credit: Birmingham Public Library (AL)

When do you listen to audio and what do you listen to?

3 must have places to bookmark for preschool listening is a post from: Play-Activities.com
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What’s family dinner like in your home? Probably pretty busy. Anytime for play activities?

Family meal times can be a really chaotic time of day with the bewitching hour close by/ clubs and activities/ and the general hustle and bustle of preparing a meal with children underfoot. By the time we make it to the table we’re all a little frazzled. Once we start eating we try a conversation and get mixed results.

Dinner time is a great time to connect and feel that family bond. We’ve had a lot of success with Dinner games and now were extending the fun.

Extending the fun

During the meal we try the conversation starters to get to know our children. Then move onto family night activities.

At the end of each month I’ll be sharing a download full of activities to try over the month for dinner conversation and together family activities.

Photo credit

Download April here

Contents

Since we’re at dinner I thought I would continue the theme………………….

Appetizer: Conversation starters during dinner

4-6 questions to promote conversation with your under 5s plus space to add your own.

First course: Recommended family game or activity

Games we recommend that encourage team work, participation, conversation and appeals to various ages.

Second course: Book recommendation

These books work really well read aloud or working together as a family.

Salad course: Podcast recommendation

Podcasts for kids or parents to enjoy

Dessert: Music

Start their musical appreciation with some carefully thought out musical journeys.

Cheese course: find some excellent play activities to do for the month.

How?

Combine them in one night and have a playful family’dinnight’ or try different parts over the month.

Photo credit

Happy family ‘dinnight’!

Download April here

Family night and dinnertime play activities- April is a post from: Play-Activities.com
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What’s family dinner like in your home? Probably pretty busy. Anytime for play activities?

Family meal times can be a really chaotic time of day with the bewitching hour close by/ clubs and activities/ and the general hustle and bustle of preparing a meal with children underfoot. By the time we make it to the table we’re all a little frazzled. Once we start eating we try a conversation and get mixed results.

Dinner time is a great time to connect and feel that family bond. We’ve had a lot of success with Dinner games and now were extending the fun.

Extending the fun

During the meal we try the conversation starters to get to know our children. Then move onto family night activities.

At the end of each month I’ll be sharing a download full of activities to try over the month for dinner conversation and together family activities.

Photo credit

Download March here

Contents

Since we’re at dinner I thought I would continue the theme………………….

Appetizer: Conversation starters during dinner

4-6 questions to promote conversation with your under 5s plus space to add your own.

First course: Recommended family game or activity

Games we recommend that encourage team work, participation, conversation and appeals to various ages.

Second course: Book recommendation

These books work really well read aloud or working together as a family.

Salad course: Podcast recommendation

Podcasts for kids or parents to enjoy

Dessert: Music

Start their musical appreciation with some carefully thought out musical journeys.

Cheese course: find some excellent play activities to do for the month.

How?

Combine them in one night and have a playful family’dinnight’ or try different parts over the month.

Photo credit

Happy family ‘dinnight’!

Family night and dinnertime play activities- March is a post from: Play-Activities.com
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It’s been almost a month now since you got your shiny new smartphone/ipad/ipod. You’ve got to grips with some features but you know it can do so much more.

You’ll be wanting to listen to shows that help you as a parent or maybe you need some light relief.

Photo credit

How to find shows?

iTunes

• Ask your friends and bloggers. Kara from Simplekids.com shared her favourites recently.

• Download iTunes it’s a free piece of software that holds a vast directory of podcasts, as well as music, movies and radio.

• Once you have downloaded iTunes visit the podcast section in the iTunes store. There’s a search bar in the top right corner.

• Look at your favourite radio shows most have a podcast version so you never miss them again.

Smartphones

• Blackberry has a podcast directory where you can find shows.
• Stitcher is a free application you install on your smartphone. You can listen to content right from your phone without needing to be syncing your computer and ipod.

Podcasts to try

The (Over)thinking Mom

This is a recent find for me and I’m loving digging into the archives as Meredith has some great topics.Meredith talks about interesting and topical subjects around parenting. She loves researching and investigating- which is good for us as she shares it all in this podcast. I’ve really enjoyed her range of episodes and just like “MPR”  ( NPR), I found myself listening to topics I didn’t think I would be interested in and totally got hooked. Cost : Free

Tweet with The (Over)thinking Mom on Twitter | Like The (Over)thinking Mom on Facebook

BAM- Body, Mind and Child

BAM is a radio network of many channels that caters to parents, educators and leaders in Education. The show I listen to the format is the host, Rae Pica putting questions to two or more guests with opposing opinions. It often makes for a lively discussion.   Deborah of Teachpreschool.org was a recent guest. These shows are 10- 15 minutes long and are packed with lots of information and background on children. It’s the one that plays in the right sidebar of this site. Cost: Free

Like BAM- Body, Mind and Child on Facebook

Apple Juice Radio

This a fun husband and wife podcasting duo talking about the parents guide to children’s books and films. This show is based in the UK. I really enjoy the reviews as they are not sugar coated and always with a positive spin neither do the couple  always agree so the discussion is spirited and you can totally get the point the view. There’s a lot of laughter and you really feel like you’re listening into a conversation in their 15-25 minute show. They are show notes that give more information about the book and the film. Cost: Free

Tweet with Apple Juice Radio on Twitter | Like Apple Juice Radio on Facebook

Classics for Kids podcast

All the previous podcasts were for parents to listen for themselves or to learn for the children. This podcast is one that was recommended to me by a homeschooling mom who uses the podcast as part of her curriculum. It’s a short podcast that illustrates a classic composer and is full of music.  At 6 minutes it’s perfect “setting the table” listening in our house to keep everything moving along. Each composer lasts 3-5 podcasts but with the bite sized child friendly language and chunks it is totally accessible as an easy listen. Cost: Free.

Parents’ Perspective

One of the first podcasts I subscribed to in the mid Naughties and still a favourite today. This is a co-hosted show where the topics are on parenting and offer a wie range of material, not just focused on the Early years. The host starts with a senario and ends with the interview  of a special guest expert that attempts to answer the question. With each show approximately 27 mintues long the time goes really quickly as you listen to stories and information. Cost: Free

Like Parents’ Perspective on Facebook

The Because Show

All the previous shows were information about development or parenting ideas whereas these three women from Los Angeles talk about a subject each week. It’s not a parenting show and it is a parenting show as all three are parents. They have occasional guest but usually we have girlfriends answering questions, sharing stories and commenting on life. It’s a refreshing  to listen  to parents who can talk about and experience other things other than children and perfect listening during the day. They do have an explicit tag to some of their material which is useful when you have little ears who would love nothing better than to repeat what they hear. You can check each show and they usually say beforehand in the intro. They really are like a magazine with the diversity of subjects and views. They have long and short shows. Cost: Free

Tweet with TheBecauseShow | Like TheBecauseShow

Raising Playful Tots

My show.

Raising Playful Tots (RPT) is a weekly podcast and Internet Radio show for mums who want to make the most of Early Childhood playtime. We offer tips, suggestions, guest interviews and conversation about how to keep appropriate play central in the under 5s in our care.  Time: between 20 and 30 minutes. Cost: Free

Tweet |Facebook

Carnival of Parenting Podcasts

Why Podcasts?

Photo credit

What do you do once the children go to bed of an evening? Slump in front of the TV, grab a book, watch a movie, study for school, go to club, Facebook or Tweet? We all have our things we do. There’s a podcast out there for you too.

::Ones for parents to learn and grow

::Once for parents to be transported

::Ones for parents to laugh and groan.

So many different types.

As a parent who is interested in playing with their child there’s got to be time for the parents to play. Fun for your ears.

What’s a recent podcast you’ve subscribed to?

Dusting off your new ipod or smartphone is a post from: Play-Activities.com
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Well at least I believe so!

photo credit: Pinkpollyanna

I was surprised to see the link in the NYTimes over the weekend Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children

We love picture books here and I can’t imagine forgoing picture books and substituting them with chapter books.

I wonder if though if it’s something to do with who chooses the books that the children read. When I go to the library to get books I’m drawn to the picture book section. There are many ways that we choose our books. Sometimes I choose them all while they are at school but more often they come with me and we choose together. I love to find books with an aim and purpose in mind. It’s not often that I go to the library or bookshop with a totally open mind.

Recently  I have been on a quest to find books where my boys will see themselves represented as brown-skinned boys in a positive light. During the summer I was looking for books based on stories from around the world. Next month I want to find some art books.

However when my husband goes to the bookshop or library he is drawn to the cartoon section, authors that I don’t know, chapter books and magazines. We have widely differing tastes in books. Luckily for the children they get to experience both our styles.  If I or my husband solely choose the books I know the kids would have had a strong leaning to a type of book. We can’t help that. I don’t think that’s uncommon an approach.

Now we have the book shops layout themselves. I’ve always been disappointed with the shelf space devoted to hardback picture books in the two book shops that were local to me in the States; Barnes and Noble and Borders. Both seemed to have lots of space devoted to hardbacks that make us parents weep. Not just the cost but the dust jacket is easy to rip with little fingers. Hardback books just don’t stand up to the hardcore love that preschoolers inflict. Well certainly not in our home. I really didn’t want the books to be so special that they can’t be handled but the kids did need to treat them well. Skating on them was really a no-no activity even though they make excellent skis.

I preferred paperback  or board book picture books. I can buy another copy. We’re on our third copy of The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. The kids can handle them without the spine popping or pages coming adrift. At least that has been our experience. A well handled book is a well loved book.

So here is the dilemma!

There are hardly any paperback books on the shelf for me to browse and buy but there are heaps of hardbacks. I’ll walk by these then. I happily support my local library where they have many paperbacks and covered in plastic. It works for us. I have noticed in Waterstones that there are more paperbacks to view than I was used to in the States but these are just based on three local shops and not really representative of the countries . How is it where you live?

If you’re a family on a budget. You’re offered more hardbacks than paperbacks, a lot more in a book store. You’re hearing from school that they need to be reading more or more fluent it might be easier to take a stroll over to the chapter books.

I don’t know the solution. I know we love our picture books and will continue to buy both paperback and the occasional hardback book. We listen to stories as well via the computer or an audio CD, more so recently. We have chapter books but are mindful that the chapter book doesn’t become the be all and end all of reading. We have a lot of discussion around picture books and that skill I would not give up for all the chapter books in the world.

How do you choose your books? Do you have a preference about picture books vs Chapter books?

Picture books are here to stay is a post from: Play-Activities.com
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We had many opportunities to visit the Art Museum and now the big art museum is a few hours away we’ve really noticed how much we miss seeing the gallery. Not being on the doorstep of a major art gallery will not dampen our enthusiasm for all things art based. Although we will have to be more deliberate.

The boys are really into straight lines and bold colours at the moment, so it wasn’t difficult to choose Piet Mondrian as our artist.

After looking a selection of images the boys were really surprised to see how art isn’t just about painting. They’d never thought of a room ( picture 1) or a cake ( picture 4) in the style of a painting. Then we looked at how we could reproduce our own “Mondrian style” painting.

We realised it was shapes. They chose 3 sizes of rectangle and 2 sizes of square from what we had already.

Draw around the shape. Try and keep the edges straight. Colour a block in crayon applying a lot of pressure.( Something most preschoolers don’t need to be reminded)

Complete the picture. Screw up the picture into a ball and undo. ( This was hard for one who refused to screw up his creation and exciting for the other who loved the idea)

The crayon appears cracked and the texture is very different than the flat picture we usually do in art. I’m sure there’s a correct term for this but alas I don’t know.

I put the paper between two newspapers and ironed on a cool iron to flatten the paper more but keep the texture.

We covered the finished picture with white glue and water wash to make it shiny. When it’s on the wall the light reflects off the surfaces.

This post is part of  Get crafty ,

Little Masterpieces

and Artists and Art

Preschool art appreciation with Mondrian is a post from: Play-Activities.com
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Technorati Tags: Piet Mondrian

Last time I talked about the reasons why you should subscribe to play newsletters. I’d like to share 6  play newsletters you should know. I wouldn’t suggest subscribing to them all. Each newsletter should have an unsubscribe link. If you like them don’t forget to tell your friends and feel free to email the writers.

1. Kids craft weekly

Amber writes about ..”new craft ideas that are cheap, educational, child-friendly and fun.” Amber has crafted up amazing newsletters for many years now and archives them on her site as well.
2.    Play activities

Here you’ll find open-ended play activities for the under 5s. Many of the ideas are starting points allowing everyone to take the activity in their own direction. I also add in reader submitted activities.

3.   Productive parenting

Productive Parenting provides one new activity suggestion each day based on your child’s birth date! These activities are all about fun, creativity and bonding.

4.   Refresh

Stef produces a fortnightly or biweekly ezine of encouragement and simple solutions for busy parents. Each issue has a resources or link section and a great story.

5.                 Kaboose Weekly Newsletter

Kaboose produce a range of newsletters. I subscribed to the Kids’ Crafts & Activities Newsletter. I found the activities interesting but highly polished. So it was good for specific projects but I didn’t find it easy to use them as a springboard.

6.                  Family Crafts Guide

About.com have a few newsletters. I enjoyed the family crafts guide. The ideas were varied , entertaining and engaging. The activities are great for multi aged families.

Play newsletters you should know is a post from: Play-Activities.com
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