Building- No Instructions Necessary

At the YCCF, we know children love to build-- so we give them many opportunities to do so.  We offer blocks of all shapes and sizes, sticks and "tree cookies," small manipulative building toys like Lego, as well as other building options like the Magna-Tiles pictured here.

There's one thing we DON'T offer them, though:  instructions.

So many building toys come with directions included-- many are now sold as sets that you can really only make one thing from (often a movie-themed item, like Star Wars Lego toys.) But do children really need instructions to build?  And what opportunities might be opened up for them if they were given building materials without instruction on what and how to build?

At the YCCF, our philosophy of curriculum includes increasing children's critical thinking and cognitive flexibility, as well as engaging children actively instead of passively.  In addition, we hope to strengthen children's sense of competence and enjoyment of learning.  We know from research that giving children open-ended options best supports these goals, among others.

When building without instructions, children have to form an idea in their mind of what they want to build, and then figure out how to make it work.  If they run out of squares, they may figure out how to put two triangles together to make the same shape.  If their tall building won't stand up, they will need to figure out how to stabilize it.  These opportunities don't come when following pre-written instructions.  In addition, children's engagement and therefore, attention span, is heightened when building from their own imaginations.

IM Pei didn't use instructions.

And besides, I'm guessing that famous architects Frank Lloyd Wright and I.M. Pei never were given instructions for what to build as kids. 

How can you help at home?  Look for building toys that are open-ended. While building sets sold in stores are often of the instructions-only kind, you can find open-ended toys online, or at places locally like Learning Treasures or The Green Nursery.  You can offer your child a bin of clean recyclables to build with, too.  Boxes and cans with no sharp edges work beautifully!

YCCF Guest Blogger, Sara (@nature novice)! Take 1: Beanblossom Bottoms

This week I'm thrilled to introduce you to guest blogger, Sara, a YCCF parent! 

 

There is so much research that tells us that getting children (and adults!) into nature is good for the mind, the body and the soul.  But sometimes....... we're just not that comfortable with nature ourselves.  We're thrilled to bring Sycamore Land Trust's Environmental Education Director, Shane Gibson to the YCCF next week for a family meadow and woodland exploration event. Maybe with just a little bit of guidance, we can all become more comfortable in the woods!

 

-Jen

 

 

#BabyBusby & I started our #NatureNovice adventure in April 2015.  Nothing beats an experience in the great outdoors with your 2-year old only to realize that, despite the 35+ years that separate you in age, you’re neck-to-neck when it comes to nature maturity - or, in this case, immaturity.  

Ready or not, Mother Nature … Here come the Busbys!

24 Hours Before Nature Novice Adventure #1 … 

Baby Busby and I began our outdoor adventure on April 11, 2015, at a “Li’l” Hikers event organized by Sycamore Land Trust.  On April 10, I received an email sharing how recent rains had created a very wet ground and some puddles at  Beanblossom Bottoms. Rubber boots were encouraged.

Beanblossom Bottoms, a nature preserve located in Ellettsville, Indiana, is part of a wetland. I had never before trekked through wetlands, but wet ground and puddles sounded like everything I imagined wetlands to be.  The day of our event, I received a second email telling me, “We will be playing in water more than we will be hiking, so bring rubber boots… the trails are flooded.”

I should take a minute here to share that I swim like a fish but don’t enjoy swimming with the fish.  I don’t enjoy lakes unless I’m on top of the water cruising on a boat.  Flooded wetlands caught my attention, because it seemed like standing water in the woods equalled a mini lake with lots of trees thrown into the mix. 

It was this notion that sprung me into action and, 25 minutes before Baby Busby and I needed to depart for our playdate with nature, I was sprinting through the mall in a fruitless effort to find rubber boots for toddlers.  In 15 minutes, I visited five stores and came up with a big zero.  

It looked like both Busbys were about to wade through a kiddie-sized lake…

Beanblossom Bottoms Preserve, Meet the Busbys 

Water greeted Baby Busby and I when we arrived at Beanblossom Bottoms.   Even the parking lot was under 4″ of water in places.  My hiking boots were soaked clear through by the time I walked - or waded - around the car to get Baby Busby from her carseat.  Not that I minded; I may not be a nature girl, but I don’t mind dirty.  Baby Busby, on the other hand, wasn’t into the water — literally or physically.  

David Rupp, of IndiGo Birding Nature Tours, served as both our guide and instructor.  Rupp taught the Li’l Hikers about the different sounds made by different frogs.  We had an opportunity to touch the amphibians - “Pass” said both Baby Busby & I - and learned the differences between amphibians and reptiles.  We learned and listened to the different sounds made by different types of frogs - Did you know that a chorus frog sounds like the noise you make when you run your fingers down a comb?  

Sometime half-way through the instructor’s lesson, a creature darted underneath the plank on which Rupp was giving his lesson, which was 18″ away from where I stood holding Baby Busby.

“Did anyone see that?!” our leader excitedly asked. “A mouse just darted underneath us! I think it’s still under us!” 

Confession #1: I shamelessly admit that my proudest moment of this entire adventure is that I managed to squelch the screech that I unconsciously make every time I see a creature.  

As our guide wrapped up his lesson, he distributed nets and other paraphernalia for the children, aged 18 months through 12 years, waded into the water. Baby Busby and I brought up the rear.  We watched an 8-year old boy, also not in rubber boots, as he searched for and discovered bugs and amphibians in the water that was now mid-way up my calves.

I soon saw one of the older children return to our spot, which was a mere 20 feet from the parking lot.  Upon seeing us, she advised against venturing off the trail into the wetlands’ woods.  We then watched her hold onto the Sycamore Land Trust trail map sign before pulling off her knee-high rubber boots empty each one.  

“The water is pretty deep when you get off the trail,” as she explained.

Baby Busby and I lasted about 50 minutes in the water before we wrapped up our first Nature Novice adventure.  I stood in four inches of water as secured her carseat.  As I shut her car door to squish my way to the drivers side, something in the water caught my attention.  A few feet away, I saw something that initially looked like a long skinny leaf.  Upon a (slightly) closer look, I thought it might be a snake.  

“Aadi!” I called to our new friend. “Look! What’s this?”

Aadi wasn’t sure, but he was excited and enthusiastically called out, “David, come look at this! It might be a snake!”

“It’s a leach!” David said while dipping his hand into the water to pick up the critter. “Look how it latches on and starts sucking on me right away!”

Exit the Busbys, stage right…

author: @naturenovice

Blog:  http://naturenovice.tumblr.com

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/naturenovice

 

Time for Independence (and NOISE!) with Toddlers

Toddlers playing music (banging!) with spoons, rocks and bark.

There's not much toddlers enjoy more than banging on things and making noise!  Whether it is banging hands on the table, banging spoons against pots and pans, banging two blocks together or even banging the door closed, if it can make an interesting noise, toddlers will figure it out!

At the YCCF, we understand that toddlers need to bang and make noise, so we work to find creative solutions to allow them to do so.  One of those ways is depicted here-- a simple piece of plywood with pots, pans and colanders from Goodwill attached.  It's outdoors-- so they can bang all they want! 

Why do toddlers need to bang? Developmentally, toddlers are busy learning that they are separate individuals who are able to make things happen because they want them to happen.  (Or prevent things from happening, as you know if you've tried to get your toddler to do something she didn't want to do.)  While it is extremely frustrating at times, (OK, often!) it is vitally important for toddlers to learn that they can choose to make an impact on the world.  If they don't, we run the risk of instilling in them self-doubt instead of autonomy.  Children in the toddler years choose to show their independence not only by making a joyful (loud) noise, but also by refusing to wear the nice shirt you picked out, wanting to walk instead of be carried, refusing the nice broccoli you chose for dinner or insisting that their shoes belong on the wrong feet (right where they put them.)

How do we support this learning at school? Sometimes, toddlers want to do things that we can't allow because it puts them in danger or is unhealthy (like refusing to have a dirty diaper changed.) Whenever we can allow them to make their own choices, though, we do.  So when toddlers want to bang and make noise, which is often, we learn to make the most of it! In the photo above, not only are children banging, making noise and having fun, but they're also engaged in scientific inquiry.  "What noise does the pot make if I bang with the wooden spoon?  What noise does it make if I bang with a rock?  How about this bark?"  Children learn that their actions have different outcomes, based on how hard they bang or how soft or what they use.  This increased understanding of their ability to control themselves and impact the world also moves them toward a really important toddler milestone-- toilet training! (Toilet training is all about toddler autonomy.)

How can you support this learning at home? Besides letting them bang away (stock up on the ibuprofen), consider other ways you can give your toddler choices at home.  If they insist on wearing their pajamas to the store, maybe that's OK.  If it's not, offer them two different choices of shirts to wear:  "Do you want to wear the red shirt with the yellow stripes, or the black shirt with the white polka dots?" Offering that simple choice (don't give too many options!) may fulfill your toddler's desire to be in charge.  If banging on the metal pots with the metal spoon is just unbearable at your house, your toddler may be just as happy banging on your plastic colander with a plastic ladle.  Ultimately, finding some safe ways for your toddler to make some small "noise" in the world (literally and figuratively,) you can help your toddler grow into the autonomous, confident child you hope she'll be.