A nurturing environment that is rhythmic in nature ensures a strong foundation that is essential to the healthy development of the young child. Predictable rhythms through the day, week and year provide security and a sense of the interrelationships and wholeness of life. 

Our daily rhythm alternates periods of concentration and expansion, as if in a breathing rhythm where there is inhaling and exhaling. In the inhaling or breathing-in phase the child directs his attention to an activity that basically relates him to himself (drawing, water painting, eating…). In the exhaling or breathing-out period, the child relates mainly to the surrounding world (free play, gross motor movements etc.). For each breathing-in period the child needs a breathing-out period and so a pattern and balance is established. 

In our weekly rhythm teachers strive to give a rhythmic structure to individual lessons as well where we reflect on a subject we explored the days before and follow that with presentation of a new element. Whatever has been taken in on one day is remembered and reflected on the following days. This builds a growing rhythm and a deeper sense of understanding of a subject.

Young children are in deep harmony with nature and our seasonal rhythm connects us more to the natural world.  Nature is a world of rhythms - the rising and setting of the sun, the flowering of trees, the change of seasons... when we provide supporting rhythms for children, we harmonize their being, thereby aiding the development of their inner rhythms of sleep, digestion, circulation etc. Monthly themes, block study, seasonal festivals and celebrations reflect and support our connection to the seasonal rhythm.

We highly recommend reading Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne for inspiration to create more rhythm in your children's life at home!

​“Children depend on the rhythmic structure of the day–on its predictability, its regularity, its pulse…. By surrounding a young child with a sense of rhythm and ritual, you can help them order their physical, emotional, and intellectual view of the world. As little ones come to understand, with regularity, that ‘this is what we do', they feel solid under their feet, a platform for growth. Such a stable foundation can facilitate their mapmaking: the connectedness that they are charting in their brains, in relation to other people, and in their emerging worldview.” (Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne)

We also recommend the blog Rhythms of Play for more inspiration in how to create healthy rhythm and routine in your life at home.


Here's a look at how we learn through rhythm at Austin Children's Garden:


Daily Rhythm

Our daily rhythm is a gentle guide to the flow of our day. We do not adhere to a rigid time structure for the day but we do follow the same order so there is a natural predictability of what comes next. This natural predictability helps promote positive behavior from the children - if they know what is coming next they are more willing to go with the flow of the day:

Art Projects
Circle
Schoolhouse Free Play
Snack
Outside Free Play
Guided Activity
Lunch (Morning Group) or Big Snack (Afternoon Group)
Special Classes: Hola Yoga, Music, Cooperative Games, or Conscious Discipline
Story Time

​With so many new children this month we have been focusing a lot on our rhythm and touring the different learning areas we offer to create a solid platform for growth. Share the rhythm and pictures with your kids to help them build a strong foundation.

As children arrive we have art projects and schoolhouse materials for the children to interact freely with. We have been getting to know all our new friends so we have kept the art projects as a simple introduction to the supplies that are commonly available to create with. Our art projects are process based - please read our blog Raising Creative Thinkers with Process Art to learn more!

In our opening circle we unite as one group, connect with each other through singing and various greeting activities and move our bodies in brain smart ways that enhance our ability to learn.

On the first few days of a new school year we give the kids a tour of our schoolhouse and play gardens so they have more understanding of all there is to discover and play with:

Here are 10 developmental benefits of dress up and pretend play for kids by Sarah Baldwin, author of Nurturing Children and Families.

1. Brain Building
Dress-up and pretend play engages your child’s brain and memory. Dramatic play requires kids to remember what they’ve seen or heard. They remember how their parents behaves when performing household chores when they are imitating her. Or they recall the details of a fairy tale they’ve heard before acting it out.

2. Vocabulary Building
Pretend play builds vocabulary as a child decides what his or her character would say. It gives them a chance to expand their vocabularies with words and phrases that they might have heard in stories, but wouldn’t ordinarily use. Children may then begin to use these new words in conversations.

3. Problem-Solving
Who’s going to be the doctor? Who’s going to be the patient? Children must make decisions when they engage in dress-up and pretend play. They practice problem-solving problems when deciding on what costumes elements and props each character needs to act out a scenario.

4. Empathy
When a child is engaged in role-play, it helps her see the world through another’s eyes which increases empathy – whether pretending to be a parent nurturing a baby, a doctor taking care of an injured patient, or a firefighter putting out a fire. Dramatic play helps children understand the role that helpers play in in our lives.

5. Emotional Development
Children are constantly confronted with scary situations that they don’t understand – whether witnessing an accident in real life, or seeing violent images on TV. Children process their fears through play, which helps them make sense of the world, and overcome their feelings of helplessness.
By allowing children to act out their fears through dress-up and role playing, we are helping their emotional development.

6. Motor Skills
Children develop fine motor skills by putting on dress-up clothes, whether buttoning a shirt, zipping up pants, or tying on a pirate’s bandana
They use their large motor skills when engaged in role-play, whether they are jumping like a superhero, running like a baseball player, or twirling like a ballerina.

7. Gender Exploration
When children choose costumes and characters to be, they are able to explore different gender identities and the behaviors of those characters.
While boys often want to be superheroes, firemen, or pirates, and girls often want to be fairies and princesses, it is normal and healthy for children to try on different gender roles as they learn about the world. A child should never be ridiculed for pretending to be a different gender.

8. Imitation
Children are naturally imitative creatures. They learn about the world by imitating the lives of the adults and others around them. Through dress-up and dramatic role-play, children explore the lives of other people by imitating their actions, feelings and words.

9. Socialization
Pretend play encourages cooperation and taking turns. Children learn how to negotiate as they agree on stories and rules. They develop interest in others and learn how to give-and-take.

10. Imagination
Children’s imaginations are limitless, and have not yet been hardened and constrained by the “realities” of the world. Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education, believed that imaginative play in early childhood is the key to creative thinking during the adult years.
When children engage in dress-up play, their imaginations are given free reign. There is no limit to who, where, or what they can be.
​

Montessori inspired materials are available to the children to explore and learn with.

The Nature Table offers a way for the children to connect to the natural world and reflects the rhythm of the seasons.

The safe place is an area where the children can go if they are having big feelings and have the space and tools to practice self-regulation.  For more details on how we use the safe place see our previous blog:

http://www.austinchildrensgarden.org/blog/archives/02-2016

To start off our day together in a positive way we like to focus on social emotional learning while we have snack - we practice our grace and courtesy at the table and discuss ways we can be kind and helpful.

In outside free play the children play and explore in our 1/4 acre of lush gardens and natural play areas.

Strawbale Playground

This is our quiet sacred space for imagination play, gentle art activities, and yoga or music classes.

We love building with these awesome hardwood construction blocks!

​These little fairies LOVED playing in the rain!

After free play we have some kind of guided activity of gardening, literacy, math, cooking, sensory exploration, science investigation, or a special project.

We planted broccoli, carrot seeds, and lots of herbs!

To learn more about sensory play, check out our previous blog - Learning With Our Senses:
http://www.austinchildrensgarden.org/blog/archives/11-2017

Exploring addition, subtraction and number sense with the Rekenrek.

Learning math with our bodies!

​Simon Says: "Obtuse Angle!"

To learn more about the many benefits of cooking with kids read our previous blog:  ​http://www.austinchildrensgarden.org/blog/archives/11-2016

Our lunches use a lot of the vegetables and fruits we grow in our garden as well as other local produce which helps us to stay in balance with the rhythm of the seasons.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Maple Sweet Potatoes, Dinosaur Kale, Apples, and Tangerines.

Mac n Cheese with Navy Bean and Garden Herb Soup, Kid-Sliced Strawberries, Apples, and Carrots

Ask the kids to sing you our song before we snack or lunch together - "Give thanks to the mother earth..."

​Cleaning up together!

After lunch (morning program) or big snack (afternoon program) we alternate special classes - on Monday and Tuesday we play Cooperative Games and on Wednesday/Thursday/Friday we alternate Hola Yoga, Music Class, and Conscious Discipline/Mindfulness Activities.

"Hola Cielo"
​"Hello Sky"

"Hola Tierra"
​"Hello Earth"

"Reir como una mariposa"
​"Laugh like a butterfly"

"Crecer fuerte como un árbol"
"Grow strong like a tree"

"Brilla como una estrella"
​"Shine like a star"

We love singing, rhyming, and playing instruments together while learning about steady beat, rhythm, melody, and song-writing.

We show these breaths a lot and that's because we practice them a lot!  By practicing the steps of the safe place and the feeling buddies at regular times we have the tools for self regulation when we really need them.

After Special Classes we enjoy enjoy a closing circle with books and 100% fruit juice popsicles to finish our day!

Every 4 to 6 weeks we have a theme that we focus on in our project time.  Some of the themes follow the rhythms of the seasons, some emerge from the children's interests, and some from the teacher's passion.

This month, in addition to learning about the environment and the rhythm of the day, our theme is focused on kindness, cooperation, and creating our school rules.

We love these books to inspire some great conversations on different ways we can be kind.

The kids love playing this game where they roll the ball to a friend and say the friend's name. Once we have the names down we say something we like about the person we are rolling the ball to.

Our school 'rules' are agreements we make so that we can learn and play safely together.  

We loved making these sweet Kindness Cookies together and then passing a cookie to one of our friends instead of gobbling one up.. everyone still got a cookie when we shared!

To make these simple coconut cookies mix together the following ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes:
​

• 3/4 cup coconut flour 
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

The Kindness Jar is a practice that helps us to spread kindness in our community.  Any time we see someone else doing something kind or helpful we put a pompom in the jar.  Once the jar is filled we will have a fun celebration!

In honor of the International Day of Peace on Sept 21st we learned about the Appeal of the Nobel Laureates where Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, and other Nobel Prize Winners created the Better World Pledge.

As we listened to the story we created pictures of acts of kindness and talked about a kid-friendly version of the pledge:
​

We read about the incredible Moringa Tree and how it offers superfood nutrition and yet grows in dry harsh climates. It is used extensively by the Peace Corp to help combat nutrition in impoverished countries.  We planted several in our garden together!

Here are 52 Acts of Kindness for Families with Young Children from the blog Moments a Day.  What lights you up to practice more kindness with your children?
​

​1. Bring some fresh baked cookies to a neighbor
2. Give away old toys to younger children
3. Leave a treat for the mail carrier in your mailbox
4. Give some flowers to someone feeling unwell
5. Make happy notes on the sidewalk with chalk
6. Take paints and paper to share at the local playground
7. Feed some birds or ducks – or animals at your local zoo
8. Organize an afternoon of games for your neighborhood
9. Give popsicles to outdoor workers (those in construction or gardening, perhaps)
10. Take icewater and cups to the playground to share with others
11. Hold a Lemonade Stand to donate to a cause you support
12. Hold a “dog wash” to raise money for an animal shelter or zoo
13. Wash cars to raise money for a cause you support
14. Rake leaves (or do gardening) for a neighbor
15. Take baked goods to a teacher
16. Take snacks to staff at the local Hospital
17. Babysit so that a couple can have a date
18. Donate DVDs to the local Hospital
19. Donate toys to the fire brigade for children in emergencies
20. Have a family round of shoulder massages
21. Pass out stickers to children waiting at the doctor’s office
22. Read inspiring stories to a group of children
23. Donate books to a doctor’s or dentist’s office
24. Meet someone new at the shops or in a park
25. Take a treat to a bus driver
26. Educate yourself and your neighbors about recycling
27. Invite another family over for dinner
28. Cut coupons and put them in a neighbor’s mailbox
29. Take a Thank You card to the local librarians
30. Drop off “good morning” notes for early risers in a hotel
31. Draw a picture of your community for the Police Station
32. Open the door for people entering a shop or restaurant
33. Bring a meal to a family in need (recent birth, sickness, or loss)
34. Write a poem for someone you love
35. Make “Be Happy” notes and put them in mailboxes
36. Vacuum the house of a family who just had a baby
37. Learn a joke to tell to a check-out person
38. Tape change to a parking meter or vending machine
39. Make a list of things you love about someone and send it to them
40. Leave a happy note in a library book
41. Create a movie theater afternoon for your neighborhood
42. Send a postcard to a distant cousin or friend who moved away
43. Pick up trash around the neighborhood or at a park
44. Sing for the elderly
45. Make a phone call to a friend or family member far away
46. Go on an errand and smile at everyone you see
47. Blow bubbles (and take extra) to the playground
48. Volunteer in a local animal shelter
49. Take cans of food to the local Food Bank
50. Donate old clothes a local organization
51. Introduce someone who just moved to your town to new friends
52. Let someone go ahead of you in line at the shops

This has been a fun month of STEAM learning as we explored force and motion with Action Art, Simple Machines, and learning all about levers, wheels, inclined planes, gravity, magnets and more!

We love the book Action Jackson by Jan Greenberg to inspire kids in Action Art!

These collaborative Splatter Paintings are a creative way to explore gravity and amazing to see how the splatter technique really captures the feeling of motion.

Marble Painting is a hands-on way to learn about the effects of push and pull with force and motion!

“We all know that children prefer to be active, and action art incorporates the child’s need for activity with the always important need for creativity. The art experiences are based on the philosophy that children will learn from the process of creating, and that the finished product is the result of that process, not the goal.” ~ from the book Action Art by Mary Ann Kohl

We turned our table into an inclined plane by raising it on one side, then dipped toy cars into paint, and raced then down the canvas.

Paint on one side of the paper, then fold in half, use a rolling pin (wheel and axle!), and reveal your symmetrical art!

Did you know you can make a toy car with a clothespin, a straw, 2 bread ties, and 4 buttons?

We got this idea from the wonderful book 'I Can Make Toys' by Mary Wallace.

Decorate your clothespin with markers, paint, stickers, glitter....

Attach the buttons to either side of the straw, creating a wheel and axle!

Attach the front wheels in the front part of the clothes pin. Older kids can use a hot glue gun to secure the back wheels in place.  Younger kids can use tape or have an adult help.

Race your cars down an inclined plane!

Fun catapults made with popsicle sticks, a spoon, and rubber bands.

Ready, Set, Launch!

We made this Cherry Picker powered by syringes filled with water.

We love this Magformer Car Set!

We also love this Tegu Magnetic Car Set!

The kids were sent home with a challenge to create a protective box that would protect an egg from being cracked from the highest point in our playground.

They came up with so many great original ideas - old wrapping paper, a ziploc bag of water, ball moss...

"Ready, Set, Drop!"

The kids were delighted to find out if their egg survived the drop or not!

These Cinnamon Coconut Apples were a hit! And a great way to pack apples for snacks!

Add 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp of coconut sugar, and 2 tsp of unsweetened shredded coconut to a bag of sliced apples.  Then "shake shake shake" the apples until they are fully coated.

These Yogi Dice are a fun way to inspire some motion with yoga!  Roll the dice and do the poses that roll face up!

Flying Locusts!

Flying Airplanes!

Hissing Snakes!

We measured the distance of the slide, then we timed to see how many seconds it would take for a toy truck to get from top to bottom, then calculated the speed by dividing the seconds from the meters.

We created our own inclined plane to play on too!

In our Monday math class we created our own money, set up a store and cafe with price tags, and calculated the totals for our goods!

We have been hunting for rhino beetles,

counting and planting seeds,

and tasting fresh figs!

Hi Y'all!  Sorry for the delay - Morna has been in Mexico to develop our bilingual yoga program for kids - so Ben has been standing in on the blog :)

In our first water activity the children explored the 3 water phases: solid, liquid and gas.
Then they painted water color pictures that remined them of the 3 phases.

We did experimental trials to see if salt changes how fast frozen water can be melted into a liquid. Each group of kids had a block of ice to melt. One group had fresh water to pour over the block. The other group had water with a high concentration of salt dissolved in it.

The salty water meted the ice block much faster!!

We also learned how to measure the volume of water in mililiters!

We did a series of cool experiments that explored the property diffusion. I think diffusion is cooler than magic, because it explains how seemingly invisable things can move around, cause weather and keep us alive!! Diffusion is the movement of molecules from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration. If you put food coloring in a jar of still water eventally the coloring will move all around the jar until the color is all spread out!! Wow the molecules are moving!

Next we wanted to see if we could get the molecues to move from one jar to another. What do you think - can they do it?
The kids folded up paper towels to act as a syphon from one jar to another!

Will the yellow and blue water molecules move to the empty jar?
What color will the water be in the center jar?

5 year old after 45 minutes "Wow the molecules are really moving!!!"

After two hours the levels are almost equal!

After 24 hours the levels have become equal and reached equilibrium!
Nature likes to be balanced!! Science is even more amazing than magic!!

We also did a classic experiment to see what would happen to the carbon dioxide dissolved in water when Mentos candies are introduced. The kids worked in groups to develop trigger mechanisms that would allow the Mentos to be released into the carbonated water as quickly as possible.

The kids really explored whay happens when they mix and create with the primary colors!

We also explored using this prism to see how sun light has every color of the rainbow in it.

See you next time!

"When my dad took me camping we were part of an ecosystem!"

Our ecosystem in a bottle experiment tested to see if the plants really need sunlight to grow. 
The ecosystem that thrives will have its lid closed. The growing plants in the sealed ecosystem made oxygen for the insects and the insects made carbon dioxide for the plants!! 
Add soil and compost to each container. One container is transparent, the other is opaque.

Add 4 black eyed pea seeds to each container and sprinkle compost on top of them.

Add water to each container.

The transparent container THRIVED, and became art inspirations!
The entire water cycle is occurring in the sealed bottle.

The seeds that did not receive sun did not thrive.
PLANTS REALLY DO GET THEIR ENERGY FROM THE SUN!!

Basil can handle the heat! Lets plant some to make pesto pasta!

Don't forget to water!

"Save the people with the slide!"

To celebrate the summer solstice we made yummy banana muffins for the potluck!!
Add 2 very ripe bananas to a mixing bowl.

Add 4 eggs.

Add one half teaspoon of baking soda.

Add one half cup almond flour.

Add one half cup coconut oil

Add one quarter teaspoon of salt

Add one third cup honey.
Mix
Put in muffin tin.
​Bake at 350 degrees for 15 mins or until firm.

Making potions is one of our favorite activities to inspire children in hands-on science activities and start to develop scientific inquiry.  Here's a great selection of items for your potion table at home:

After the fun of mixing together a lot of different elements we began to break down the potion making experience into simple (and fun!) science experiments:

​

(we transferred our test tubes to larger ones to enjoy the reactions more!)

To further explore the chemical reaction we trapped the carbon dioxide released from the baking soda and vinegar and blew up balloons with the gas!

In art class we have been enjoying a lot of process art based activities!  To learn more about Raising Creative Thinkers with Process Art check out our previous blog.

Use a straw to blow watered down tempera paint to create unique colors and shapes.

Have a lot of paint on your paper? Make a print!

Use rice with watercolors to create interesting patterns and textures.

We made face masks of our favorite circus animals!

Dancing Gorillas!

Stretching Giraffes!

Roaring Lions!

Ms Hannah led us in some fun parachute 'circus tent' games!

Ms Hannah also taught us some hula hoop moves!

We designed our own popcorn bags and made fresh popcorn!

It's amazing how much kids love to watch popcorn popping! But maybe not as much as they love to EAT the popcorn :)

Ms Symone and Mr Noah gave us an amazing juggling and acroyoga performance for our Circus Party! Thank y'all SO MUCH!!

Even some of the parents joined in!

We have been planting butternuts, watermelons, sweet potatoes, and lots of sweet basil.

We spotted a Monarch Caterpillar feasting on the dill!

While we make at least a dozen different recipes here are 2 of our favorite garden pestos:

Blend together 2 cups basil, 1/2 cup garlic olive oil, 1/2 cup sprouted pumpkin seeds, and a few shakes of Himalayan salt.  Yum!

We LOVE this Roasted Garlic Olive Oil by Texas Olive Ranch we get at Wheatsville!

Blend together 2 cups fresh parsley, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup walnuts, and several pinches celtic sea salt. Yum again!

See you next time!

In a world where we are preparing our children for all kinds of unknown professions, it is important to engage children's curiosity and their natural joy for learning.  This love of learning along with communication skills, self regulation skills, and the ability to problem solve leads to life long success no matter the profession.  Some might think that learning these skills will only happen behind a desk in a typical school environment, but Dimensions Educational Research Foundation's research tells us that children who spend time in well designed, nature filled classrooms with many opportunities to engage with open ended materials and loose parts develop skills across all learning domains.

​For generations children have used found materials in their play from rocks and sticks to tin cans and wire. In his article “How NOT to Cheat Children: the Theory of Loose Parts,” the British architect Simon Nicholson coined the term “loose parts” to describe open-ended materials that can be used and manipulated in many ways. Environments, he believed, offer many ways for children to interact with variables such as gravity, sounds, chemical reactions, concepts, words, and people. “In any environment,” Nicholson writes, “both the degree of inventiveness and creativity, and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and kind of variables in it”. When children play and create with loose parts, they can move around, making use of any or all of the found objects, devising spaces and structures that can entertain them for hours. They become more creative and flexible in their thinking while satisfying their ever-growing curiosity and love for learning.

In our blog this month 'Learning with Loose Parts' we are highlighting how we introduce and incorporate loose parts into our learning environment with lots of ideas and projects to inspire families to include loose parts in their art and play environments at home.  We love to focus on loose parts in April as it's Earth Day month and so many of loose parts are found objects, nature materials, or recycled items - who needs plastic toys??

When first introducing loose parts we like to provide 3 different open-ended items for the children to to create and play with along with the invitation of "I wonder what we could do with these...".  Here are a few combinations of what we explored:

"I'm making a boat, a big boat for my whole family."

"It's sparkly!  I love glitter glue!"

"It's a robot with a robot motorcycle.  It goes fast and it has super powers!"

"Look at my magic wand!"

Once the kids were clearly comfortable with 3 materials, we started introducing 5 materials to expand the experience.

Buttons, Wire, Tape, Paper Clips, and Ribbon

After lots of exploring loose parts that the classroom provided, we wanted to investigate what it means to children when they have sought out, discovered, and collected materials themselves.

Each child went home with a paper bag with their name on it and instructions for what types of materials to look for to further study how materials can fuel ideas and thinking.

We gathered in a circle and invited the children to empty their bags one at a time and share any stories or thoughts about the items they collected.

​TOTE, CARRY, AND PILE

• Picks up loose parts and explores it.
• Transports loose parts from one location to another. 
• Drops loose parts into containers.
• Gathers loose parts in a container.
• Pushes containers of loose parts from one location to another.
• Can shovel or scoop up loose parts.
• Can pour loose parts from one container to another.

SHAPE & FORM

• Lines up loose parts make a vertical or horizontal line.
• Stacks 7 or more loose parts.
• Orders loose parts by some common attribute (color, size, shape, texture, etc.).
• Sorts loose parts by common attribute (color, size, shape, texture, etc.)
• Moves loose parts into racing or flying.
• Names the loose parts creation or use.

 
ATTENTION TO DETAIL

• Creates enclosures with loose parts.
• Builds structures vertically and horizontally.
• Writes and/or draws about loose parts creation.
• Creates intentional structures with clear purpose or idea.
• Creates detailed settings with loose parts.

SYMMETRY AND ASYMMETRY

• Has a distinct theme to the play with loose parts.
• Uses loose parts to help define play role
• Uses loose parts to create and execute an elaborate idea.
• Can transform any loose part into a specific use and purpose in a larger play theme or theory. 

After the organizing stage we created open ended projects with one type of part at a time and then participated in projects where we used all the loose parts together.

Working with wood scraps and recycled paper materials invites experimental building, thinking in three dimensions, and thinking about space.

The freedom to experiment invites creative and often collaborative solutions.  When the children first started constructing they had no definitive goal in mind, but as the process developed they began to form a consensus of what they were making together. They titled this "Our Spaceship Boat!".

We classified our nature items into categories: things that came from plants, things that came from animals, and things that did not come from living things.

We also explored how we could use our nature items in play - rocks became homes, leaves became airplanes, and avocado seeds became birds eggs.

As the children continue to explore the "metal things", the objects gleam and glisten and the children begin to notice subtle differences in shape, color, and texture.  

The children are delighted to see how easily objects can transform into facial features.

Exploring circles!

Once the children seemed fluent in the different materials we began some theme-based yet still open ended projects.

To make the beginning structure of the robot we wrapped floral foam with tin foil and connected the pieces with small bamboo skewers.

"My robot can turn his head!"

Then we added all kinds of found materials.  Most objects can easily be inserted through the tin foil and into the foam.  We used glue and stickers for other designs.

To extend the project, some of us made drawings of our robots too!

The children were delighted to continue to find items they had personally collected as well as new objects they had never seen before as we engaged in the different projects.

The final collaborative project was to create the alphabet and the numbers 1 to 10 with our collected and sorted loose parts.

One of the children brought in fresh dandelion flowers from their garden at home so we made our scrumptious dandelion cookies.  Check out our previous blog for the recipe.

Some other simple loose parts to introduce to children are:

Velcro Rollers

To celebrate Earth Day we created a collaborative piece where the children formed "earth beads" and decorated our window with them.

We have been incorporating more mindfulness activities into our yoga classes:

Magic Massage
Self massage is restorative.  Magic Massage stimulates the blood flow to the brain which helps improve concentration skills, while the muscle massage soothes and releases tension.

Washing Machine

Allow your arms to be loose and floppy so that they wrap around the front and back of your body as you turn side to side.  Notice if there is something you would like to wash out - anger, hurt, feelings, worries? As you swing from side to side, imagine you can feel those things being washed out and away from your body and down into the ground.

Volcano

Such a fun way to release tension, negativity, or excess energy!  With your hands in front of your heart notice if you are carrying around any anger or excess energy inside.  Let it bubble up out of your heart into your hands.  With an exhale forcefully explode your volcano, making the sound "Pssssh!".  Imagine the hot lava leaving your body and mind.

Do My Best

Lift your left knee to your right elbow.  Lower and switch sides.  As you continue from side to side repeat the following song:

"Opposite elbow,
Opposite knee.
I stand up strong, 
just like a tree.
I use my mind,
and body,
and breath,
To focus myself,
and do my BEST!"

This movement crosses the midline of the body and coordinates the information flow between both sides of the brain.

And we've been doing some old favorites too:

Singing Stars

Planting and watering baby lettuces we grew from seed :)

And picking and eating fresh carrots!

See you next time!

This March started off with just a few blooms around us.  The kids were excited to explore the dogwood and redbud branches found on our property - the first blooms of Austin Springtime.

The kids loved seeing the natural cycle of a dogwood bloom and smelling it's fresh unique scent.

As our early Texas Spring continued we collected wildflowers and native blooms from all over the garden. 

​ Learning to use a magnifying glass is one of our favorite nature table activities!

We were particularly enchanted with the sweet scent of the Texas Mountain Laurel!

The art of flower arranging is a Montessori inspired 'Practical Life' activity!

"It is almost possible to say that there is a mathematical relationship between the beauty of his surroundings  and the activity of the child; he will make discoveries rather more voluntarily in a gracious setting than in an ugly one." - Maria Montessori. The Child in the Family. 

"Maria Montessori developed practical life activities to help children develop into independent thinking adults. Each step in a practical life activity satisfies the child’s innate desire to imitate the home life skills that children see adults perform around them on a daily basis."

​Rhythms of Play

After making more bouquets, we created still life drawings with oil pastels!

To preserve our flowers we carefully selected the best ones for our plant press.

Such a great opportunity to incorporate learning about counting, colors, and shapes.

After Spring Break our flowers were completely pressed and we composed them into our own designs - some with patterns, some with free form - preserved with contact paper.

To extend the activity we did crayon rubbings on top of our compositions and noticed the beautiful texture the flowers and leaves made.

The beauty of flowers is expressed by artists throughout time.  In this activity we looked through the Art Masters Sticker Book and were challenged to find 4 paintings each that had flowers in them.

Andy Goldsworthy is an amazing British artist who has spent his life collaborating with nature and inspired these environmental art projects.

Taking art books and cutting them into DIY puzzles is a fun and simple way to introduce children to the great artists!

Such a sweet little snack!  Excellent for hand-eye-coordination, number sense, and creating healthy, aesthetically pleasing treats.

Simply take banana slices and add pumpkin seeds as petals around the banana.  Use a dried mulberry or raisin for the center of the flower.  Serve with a smile!

We loved learning about the life cycle of a flower!

A lot of our learning takes place in the natural questions and conversations that come up as we work on various projects.  Mr Ben has a wonderful talent of explaining scientific concepts in ways that young children can really grasp the information!

"Why do plants have roots?"

"To keep from getting pulled up"

"The roots are like little straws that drink water from the soil"

"Why do plants have leaves?"

"They get energy from the sun to make food for the plant. When we eat plants we are eating stored sunshine"

"Why do plants have flowers?"

"To make seeds."

"Why do plants have seeds?"

​"To make little baby plants and the circle of life continues!"

​"Crece, crece, crece
Grow, grow, grow"

Happy Flower Dance!

After our blooming flowers we have been practicing our Conscious Discipline breathing tools.  Check out our previous blog for more details on how we use these to help with self regulation.

Planting violas in the veggie and fairy herb gardens!  The kids love these pretty colorful flowers in their salads.

Can you count all the fairies visiting our fairy herb garden?

"Why do we have seasons?"

The following experiment explains how seasons work:

We used a globe with a tilt, a heat lamp, and a digital infrared thermometer to see how the tilt of the Earth and the position of the Earth in it's orbit around the sun effect the globe's surface temperature in Austin. We modeled the position of the Earth and Sun for the spring equinox, the autumn equinox, the summer solstice and the winter solstice and measured the different temperatures of Austin on the globe.

This hands on experience really helped the kids understand how the different intensities of light affect the temperature in Austin!

See you next time!

At ACG we love to create dynamic, hands-on learning experiences to help develop essential skills.  Check out these 30 fun projects that encourage literacy and language development!
​

Kids are much more motivated to practice reading and writing if they are creating something like a special card, a birthday wish list, or even a grocery list.

Using scissors and other tools helps to make strong motor skills for writing!

Dotted lines help early writers to find confidence in their writing skills.

​We used the Montessori technique of 'analysis of movement'; when we are demonstrating a skill we break it down into clear simple steps.

"…the adult should be calm and act slowly so that all the details of his action may be clear to the child who is watching." – Maria Montessori, The Secret of Childhood

We started off sewing the first letter of our names.

After the sewing exercise the kids were easily able to recognize the first letter of their names with these fairy letter coloring sheets.

A neat way to highlight children's art work is to outline it in sharpie and cut out around the shapes.

The kids loved seeing their alphabet fairies turned into a magical fairyland!

Use children's interests as motivation for learning! Our Pre K class is really enjoying learning the sounds of the alphabet. The following project was inspired by Fairy Dust Teaching:

"I love making special gems and jewels to help motivate my students to learn critical skills like letters, letter sounds and sight words.

I have found that it can be highly motivating to students who are struggling. This is most powerful if you introduce the jewels through a little story:

Once, a long time ago, there lived a little fairy.  She was no ordinary fairy.  She was an Alphabet Fairy.  Yup.  She wore a beautiful Pink Cape and had a little blue bag.  She carried in her very secret bag - secret jewels.

Shhhh - -  I will tell you Alphabet Fairy’s secret.   (I pull out a blue bag).

Alphabet Fairy loved all the sounds of the letters.  One day she was telling her best friend the Tooth Fairy how much she loved letters and their sounds.  “I wish I could let children know how special the letters and their sounds are. . . .”

Just then, the Tooth Fairy had an idea.  “I know!  You could leave one of your special sparkling letter jewels every time a child learns a new letter and it’s sound!”

Alphabet Fairy danced and danced.  “Yes!  Just think!  They could have a bag full of 26 sparkling jewels and love the letters as much as I do!”
From that day on - she shared the jewels with as many children as she could.

(I open the bag and pour a pile of letter jewels in my hand.)

(I tell the children) The Alphabet Fairy has given me the jewels to share with you as you learn your letters and sounds."

​

Learning to identify and spell your name is a beloved preschool favorite!

This fun board encompasses sight, sound, and touch skills as children learn how to write letters by tracing the directional arrows and develop writing motor skills.

The kids love the sound of the magnet pulling the metal balls into the shapes of the letters!

We also love this maze board that helps us to master letter identification and alphabet order!

Some explored with random letters, creating really long nonsense words.

While others were eager to practice their name mastery.

The kids loved exploring and matching these hieroglyph stamps while gaining a deeper understanding of the history of our alphabet!

The kids were delighted when they saw the first letter of thier name appear as well as other pictures!

Providing a comfy spot and a variety of eye-level books supports the independent exploration of pre-readers.

Studies show that reading books aloud to toddlers is important because the earlier children acquire language, the more likely they are to master it.

“You are stretching them in vocabulary and grammar at an early age. You are preparing them to be expert language users, and indirectly you are going to facilitate their learning to read.

Encouraging older children to sound out words and explaining what a word means if it isn’t clear in the context of the story will help build children’s vocabularies.

Allowing children to pick the books they are interested in and turn the pages themselves keeps them active and engaged in learning. 

Reading to children also teaches them to listen, and good listeners are going to be good readers."

 - Dominic Massaro

For more details on the research read:

“Two Different Communication Genres and Implications for Vocabulary Development and Learning to Read” by Dominic W. Massaro, Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz, 2015

First we explored making letters out of sticks, forming the alphabet, and writing our own names.

Then we added letters on stones too!

Using nature-inspired loose parts to make letters and words creates a beautiful expression of language. 

These ABC Yoga cards by Rainbow Kids Yoga are so much fun!   The kids loved doing the poses for the first letter of their names!

As we did our letter posture we also made all the different sounds the letters can make!

How we love to add nutritious ingredients to our favorite recipes :)

The kids loved these Sweet Potato Avocado Brownies! And it was fun learning to read the recipe together on the outdoor chalkboard.

Mix together the above ingredients and add 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt and 2 TBS melted coconut oil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

The kids gave these a thumbs up!

We were inspired by this Valentine book by Gail Gibbons to explore some poetry!

The kids especially enjoyed these haikus so we came up with a cool haiku project below.

This was such a fun original idea!  We wrote out nature inspired, one syllable, nouns, verbs, adjectives, and a couple of prepositions on heart shaped sticky notes.  Then the kids counted out the haiku rhythm of 5, 7, 5.

The readers had fun carefully selecting their words.

The pre-readers enjoyed randomly choosing their words and being surprised when the finished product is read to them.

These poetry books by Jane Yolen were an intriguing way to introduce rhyming while also integrating nature, counting, and color.

By far, the favorite book of the month is Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas.  Just say "No Bob!" to the kids and expect riotous laughter :)

These are a fun way to learn about different vowel sounds and practice rhyming.

These poetry pebbles provided a fun opportunity to express our imaginations and a rich experience in oral language and storytelling.

After reading "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" by Mo Willems the kids crafted their own story by creating a huge bus that can fit all the pigeons on the planet!

And these guys created bridges for the troll from the classic fairy tale Three Billy Goats Gruff.  There were some excellent troll impersonations!

While not an obvious literacy activity, we presented the beads and sorting tray in a left-to-right order. Materials in Montessori Education are presented in this order as an indirect preparation for reading and writing. ​

Incorporating a variety of texts into projects and play introduces children to all the different ways language can be used to communicate ideas as well as unusual or difficult words that are new to them.

When snacking in the garden it's fun to explore new and interesting words to describe our experience - the broccoli flowers are "crunchy, ticklish, fragrant".

See you next time!

STEAM is a developing educational model of how the traditional academic subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) can be organized into an integrative framework which creates an interconnected learning experience. 
 
STEAM is a way to teach how all things relate to each other.  There is a lot of research suggesting that integrating these subjects, especially adding a creative component with art, is beneficial for students. This emergent methodology is more fun than traditional methodologies and makes more sense to all types of learners as it is based on the natural ways that people learn. STEAM activities are usually hands-on, exploratory, and inquiry-based.

Outer Space has always attracted the attention of young children. Outer Space exploration helps to address fundamental questions about our place in the Universe and the history of our solar system. Children are naturally looking for explanations and trying to understand everything in their environment.  Combining STEAM education with learning about outer space leads to natural learning at its finest!

​Check out our 'out of this world' projects this month with a STEAM lens:

We used real photos from NASA of the sun and the planets with watercolors and different sizes of coffee filters to create a sun-catcher solar system for our front windows.

"When we contemplate the whole globe as one great dewdrop, striped and dotted with continents and islands, flying through space with other stars all singing and shining together as one, the whole universe appears as an infinite storm of beauty."
John Muir

"I made an asteroid belt!"

This 200 piece Solar System puzzle took a little teacher help but it was amazing how long the kids concentrated to finish it!

Integrating math into our learning was fun with this interactive activity.

​Each step equals 36 million miles.  The kids were amazed at how many miles there are between the planets.

The pumpkin was the sun.  Mercury was 1 step, Venus was 2 steps, Earth was 3 steps, and Mars was 4 steps from the sun.

Jupiter was 13 steps, Saturn was 25 steps...

... and all the way down the garden Uranus was 47 steps and Neptune was 77 steps from the sun!  That's far!

Looking for an awesome spot to go camping in Central Texas?  Try out Canyon of the Eagles - it's where the UT astronomy department has their telescopes and there are Star Parties most evenings that children are welcome to!

This Twinstar Telescope is not bad!  We were able to see the daylight moon and a magnified version of the tops of the trees quite clearly.

We love our blocks!  We made a space station for our astronaut "Flying Frank", as well as a Martian community complete with Mars Rovers.

The kids were creating space stations all over the garden too!

A collaborative art project leads to hours of imaginative play that sparks more of an interest for further learning.

Watching and counting down with this Space Shuttle Launch was seriously exciting!

The rocket went at least 30 feet up and got stuck in the treetops!

Straw Rockets!

Straw Rockets are an excellent opportunity for children to practice the engineering design process. 

Check out this link for directions and a template to make the rockets at home.

We loved these resourceful books to practice our ABC's!

Yoga Journey to  Outer Space!

We started off our Astronaut Adventure by stretching our arms up high to put on our big astronaut helmets.

Then we stretched out our legs one by one and put on our huge astronaut boots.

We crawled into our small rocket ships and counted backwards from 10 to 1.

"3 - 2 - 1 Lift off!"

Travelling in space we saw some "bright stars!"

and "falling stars".

The kids have creative control of our journey and they wanted to go to the moon and see some aliens!

Then we became peaceful warriors to create peace with the aliens.

When we were ready to go back home we got in our rocket ships and counted backwards from 10 to 1 again.

" 3 - 2 - 1 Lift-off!"

We landed back on earth, strong and proud from our great voyage.

For more on STEAM learning check out our previous blog!

See you next time!

Winter is often thought of as a season of peace with the snow (yes we had some in Central Texas this year!), the holidays, and the shift into a fresh new year. Children often ask what peace means. They hear the expression “Peace on Earth” but they don’t always understand the concept. Different families and cultures view peace in many ways; from harmony with neighbors and acceptance of one another, to personal well-being and calmness in our hearts. 

"Peace is what every human being is craving for, and it can be brought about by humanity through the child"
-Maria Montessori

Our Peace Curriculum at Austin Children's Garden is deeply rooted in Maria Montessori's work in Peace Education.  While we draw from many educational philosophies to create our unique learning community, our years of teaching in Montessori schools have been integral in creating an environment to support young peacemakers.

Montessori recognized children as the redeeming factor in the evolution of humankind. In order to bring about a world of peace and tolerance it is important to focus and teach peace early. Having a peace curriculum is a sure way to prepare our children to be peace-seekers. Dr. Montessori said “…we must gather together all the elements of the world and organize them into a science of peace.” 

There are many forms and layers of peace.  To think about what peace is and how it can be practiced means analyzing possibilities for its application.  The Peace Flower diagram provides a simple, concrete framework upon which teachers and parents can focus on.

The Montessori Peace Flower- The Four States of Peace Awareness: ​​

Self Awareness - An awareness of how we are thinking, feeling, and behaving.  It means being mindful about thoughts, words, and actions.

Community Awareness - An awareness of other people in the community and the nature of relationships we have with people, especially people with whom we interact every day.  Community radiates out from each individual to include family, other students, teachers, school staff, neighbors, shopkeepers, etc.

Environmental Awareness - An awareness of what the earth needs to stay healthy and how individuals, communities, and cultures treat the earth.

​Cultural Awareness - An awareness and appreciation of the differences in people’s attitudes, beliefs, practices, customs, and social behavior.

In Early Childhood, we spend a significant amount of time on the first petal of Self Awareness.  We want to help identify and name all of the various feelings the child will have, and help them know that all feelings are okay and give them tools to process their feelings in a healthy way.  Continuing to move outward, we want to show them what appropriate actions they can do with these feelings.  We then want the child to begin to contemplate and meditate upon their actions before they are performed.

While concentrating on the first petal of self awareness, our overall goal is to help the child move from a less egocentric state to one of community, environmental, and ultimately cultural awareness.

By now all the kids should know - what's the first thing we can do to calm down when we start to feel upset?

BREATHE!

(We were inspired to make these breathing and counting beads from a camp our son attended at Yogapeutics, a positive and fun aerial yoga class that incorporates mindfulness and sensory integration.  Check out their awesome weekly classes and camps!)

First we decorated our popsicle sticks with markers and stickers.

Then with one side of a pipe cleaner taped to the popsicle stick we counted out 8 beads and beaded them onto the pipe cleaner.

After our beads were on we taped down the other side of the pipe cleaner.

Such a fun tool that really helps us to slow down and focus on our breathing!

The kids loved these cards made by Yoga 4 Classrooms!

We had some delightful conversations on what it means to be peaceful.  Being quiet is one way to be peaceful, but there are many other ways to practice peace.  Peace is an attitude we create with our thoughts, words, and actions.  Here are some ideas the kids came up with of how we can practice peace everyday:

"Sing with my mommy"
"Play outside"
"Be nice"
"Give lots of hugs and give presents"
"We give presents to kids who don't have any presents"
"Hug my brother"
​"Smile and be nice"

We feel peaceful when we think positive thoughts!  The kids loved coloring and painting these positive messages and then making collages out of them.

We loved making these Peace Fortune Tellers from The Peace Booth.

Inspired by these great books we created a community poster and a classroom declaration of peace.

The Peaceful Classroom is a wonderful resource and has inspired a lot of our activities in learning about compassion and cooperation!

"If we are to teach real peace in this world... we shall have to begin with the children."
—Mahatma Gandhi

Step 1:

Fold the tissue paper into rectangles.

Step 2:

Twist a pipe cleaner stem onto the middle.

Step 3:

Trim of the edges so they are rounded.

Step 4:

Carefully separate the tissue paper into beautiful flower petals.

All the teachers and volunteers at ACG receive training in Nonviolent Communication.  When we work with the kids we use vocabulary words that are free of judgement but express authentic feelings.  The list below is just a partial list.

Here are some of the words that might express your Feelings:

Excited
Amazed
Motivated
Delighted
Appreciative
Thankful
Touched
Encouraged
Amused
Glad
Happy
Tickled
Energized
Restored
Content
Relieved
Centered

Here are some of the words that might express your Needs:

Cooperation
Consideration
Respect
Support
Ease
Harmony
Order
Rest/Sleep
Contribution
Participation
Space
​
Here are some words for feelings when your Needs aren’t met:

​Baffled
Dismayed
Exasperated
Frustrated
Irked
Surprised
Ashamed
Exhausted
Tired
Hurt
Frazzled
Cranky
Nervous
Overwhelmed
Stressed out
​

For more details on NVC and how to use it with young children check out this article by Marion Badenoch Rose Ph.D.:

The Heart of Parenting: Nonviolent Communication in Action

Every home and classroom needs a Peace Basket filled with tools for young peacemakers.  Here we have our classroom peace flower, a meditative finger labyrinth, a calming mind jar, arnica based "boo boo cream" and noise cancelling headphones for sensitive ears.

The kids love using this simple finger labyrinth!

Check out our previous blog to learn how to make your own calming mind jar at home!

We made our own peace flags with beautiful beeswax crayons and a PEACE stencil.

The kids were delighted when they took off their stencil to reveal the word PEACE!

We loved this tape resist "Peace on Earth" project!  We mixed blue and yellow water color on paper plates to look like the blue water and green land of the earth and then peeled off the tape to show a peace sign.

We created our own doves of peace with sparkling water colors and a print of Picasso's - The Dove of Peace.

We put all our art projects together to decorate our Peace Corner in the classroom.

We created a variety of beeswax candles to help us Sing Peace Around the World.

Hint - if the beeswax is a little tough to mold in the cold weather - try a hair dryer!

At circle time we learned the song Light a Candle for Peace which is a classic Montessori Peace Day project.  For more details on the project - check out World Community.

Taking care of our garden and creating food together is a wonderful way for us to practice our environmental awareness!

To prepare the salad we ripped up the collards into bite sized pieces and washed it in the salad spinner.

Oh the joys of salad spinning!!

We added a fresh orange from our orange tree!

Scooped out some yummy avocado...

...and made a simple dressing of fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.

Bon Appetit!

Check out our Facebook page for pics and the recipe for this delicious carrot cake we made with this HUGE carrot for our Winter Solstice Potluck!

In Science class we have been learning all about the amazing properties of water and how to take care of the earth to protect clean water.

​Dr. Masaru Emoto's stunning water-crystal photographs have enchanted millions of people in his many books. His groundbreaking work has shown that thoughts and words have a direct effect on water- crystal formation, and since our bodies are mostly water, our thoughts and words certainly affect not only ourselves but the world around us. In The Secret of Water, Dr. Emoto brings water's message of love, peace, and hope to the next generation in his first children's book. This book offers an understanding of water that will encourage parents and children alike to value and give thanks to our most precious resource. 

To learn more about Dr. Emoto's work check out the Emoto Peace Project.

The kids loved reading this book and looking at the pictures of the different water crystals and then took to their water play with extra respect and gusto!

Since ancient times music and singing have been considered powerful healing tools.  We love listening to World Music from Putumayo Kids to learn about other cultures and discovering new peaceful music at the library.