Theory Links
Video: Are Your Family’s Routines Working? – This is exactly why we have routines for everything in our house. Routines = expected, planned good times. Lack of routines = panicky, chaotic frustration.
Video: Baby Teamwork – I’m working hard on letting my kids solve their own problems more. When things like this happen spontaeously between a 1- and almost-3-year-old, it shocks me. Check it out.
One-Sided Parental Vigilance – Although I’m not on the food hypervilance wagon, I have to agree that I would like to see more studies about kids and media characters. Not all character play is bad, mind you–I spent a good portion of my childhood playing Sound of Music with a certain friend. But it makes me sad when young kids are totally addicted to characters on everything they own by age 3. Childhood (and adulthood) should be a little less branded.
Activity Links
Floor Block Puzzles – I really like the idea of free form puzzles. Sort of an easy introduction to tangrams.
Display Seasonal Books on a Stuffed Animal Chain - Good enough to go in the family room, I say.
Fun Leaf Projects for Kids – A plethora of ideas for fall themed crafts. I’m really loving the leaf mobile.
LIz, thank you so much for sharing the video…and I’m glad to hear that you were amazed by this as I was. Just had class again with these babies a couple of days ago and they continued working cooperatively with this particular toy. This group has a very different dynamic from the others I’ve facilitated over many years. As I said in the post, this makes me very hopeful for the future of the world. Cheers!