Big Kids Need to Play with Clay




My kids are currently 9 and 13, and some of their favorite activities are making playdough, building forts, playing in the mud, and making blanket forts. All sorts of questions and discoveries arise through this sensory play that is often considered more appropriate for much younger children. Like why does Oobleck work the way it does? Why does the ratio of 4:1 make this substance but not that? What is the point of cream of tartar in playdough? Why is this mud grittier than that mud, and why does it smell like this? What makes clay from the ground turn into art class clay or stucco? You get the idea. You don't even have to come up with any sort of lesson plan - in fact, when I get all teachy, they lose interest. They don't listen. Play is important for all ages, even and maybe especially play that you think they are too old to engage in.







What will you play today?




















~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


For more ideas on natural parenting, 
check out my book! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Autism Community Store Review

Image
We visited the Autism Community Store today. It's just east of Iliff and Quebec. They do a good job of creating a calm, not overwhelming environment despite being jam packed with all manner of resources. My son especially enjoyed the hanging swing and the "sensory cave," a closet-sized space with soft cushions, soothing lights, weighted blankets, and a lava lamp filled with bubbles and (plastic) fish. I perused the book shelves, which includes a lending library as well as titles for sale,  and spent a good long time gathering cards and flyers for local resources to support my hive of homeschooling families. Looks like they make their own weighted blankets, beanbag animals, and weighted vests. We picked out a blue swirly chewelry and a stand for our exercise ball to replace our broken office chair. As I helped my son put his shoes back on before we headed out the door, I giggled at a sign right in front of us: "No shoes, no shirt, no skirt, no problem." He
Read more

Math for the Reluctant Artist

Image
My daughter, currently eleven years old, believes she is "bad at math" because computation steps don't stick in her head. We've gone over long division and adding fractions repeatedly, and it just doesn't stick. It doesn't make sense to her, and she's the kind of learner who wants to understand the Why of something before she'll understand the How or What. In most areas of our homeschooling journey, we unschool. This means I keep a gentle pulse on what my children are learning through experience and play. But like many unschooling mamas, I wonder about math. How much is "enough"? When we sit down to "do a little math," it often ends (at least with my daughter) in tears, anger, and frustration. It doesn't matter that I explain that she actually is skilled at math - her numeracy skills are fabulous and her ability to see patterns and relationships is quite advanced. It doesn't matter that I point out the math she uses in Min
Read more

Art in Children's Literature:

Image
This past school year I taught an art class to grades 1-6 at a homeschool enrichment program. Each class was based on a children's book; we either learned about replicating the style or created something based on the story. We studied the techniques used by the artist to explore the Elements of Art and various aspects of art like warm and cool colors. I tried to expose students to a variety of mediums, and to using mediums in interesting ways. Students were encouraged to do the project suggested, but creative exploration was always encouraged. I loosely followed the seasons and some holidays with my choices, but not always. Here is a list of most of the projects we did in our art class. Links on titles take you to Goodreads. More ideas can be found on my Pinterest board. Projects from Art with Literature Let's Paint by Gabriel Alborozo   We painted using liquid watercolor and tools other than brushes: pipettes, cotton balls, paper towels, etc.
Read more