Building a Sensory Garden

Last year, when we went on vacation, we went to the MN Children's Museum.  I would totally recommend it as one of the most awesome places to take your children.  Or borrow someone else's children and take them.  It is so cool and so much fun to watch kiddos explore and learn in all the exhibits that they have set up there...  And it is a lot of fun to check out as an adult too, I won't lie.  I think I have almost as much fun as my munchkins do.  :)

One of the things that I really noticed the last time we were there was that they had planted a sensory garden in their rooftop exhibit.  I loved that it combined gardening, the outdoors, and a total sensory experience for children.  As they had planted herbs, the plants had strong, individual odors, different shapes and colors, different textures, and were safe to allow children to taste.

Little Man exploring the sensory garden at MN Children's Museum

So, this summer I stole borrowed the idea of a "Summer Bucket List" from a fellow mom/child care teacher/ blogger, and we came up with a great list of fun things to do this summer.  Since I love the idea of a sensory garden, we added that. 

To set it up, I picked up a huge clay pot from Menards about a week ago.  I also picked up a couple smaller ones for something else, and used one of those to make a small sensory garden for my nephew to take home.  It was great fun that he got to join us!

The kids and I took turns digging up some black dirt from a small hill that I have in my back yard and filled those pots up.  I should mention that I set the pots in the kids' Radio Flyer wagon, as I didn't want to be hauling full pots of dirt across the yard.  Did I mention that one of them was huge?  Even with some plastic bottles filling up about half the space in the bottom of the large pot (for extra drainage, and to lessen the weight in the pot in the event that I do have to move it more than a few inches), it was still pretty heavy.

On Saturday morning, my munchkin crew and I hit up the farmer's market for several varieties of herbs- basil, lemon mint, rosemary, and opal basil in two varieties.  Kinda basil heavy, but they all look and smell different, which was the point.  :)  And really, you can put what ever plants you want in these...  Though I would recommend plants that are child safe, as one sense that children love to explore is taste.  :)  After we had the pots filled, we took turns making holes in the dirt, and setting our 'baby plants' into their new homes.  The kiddos all had fun patting the dirt around the root balls.

After we had our plants in, we talked about how to touch the plants gently, how we could smell them and notice the differences, and that we could pick off little pieces of leaves to taste.  

None of the kids were overly impressed with the tastes of any of the plants available, but they sure had a lot of fun making these!

I love gardens for children, and am looking forward to seeing these give my loves some interest and learning through the summer.

The Clothes We Wear

I love that the weather has finally been warm enough the last couple weeks that we have been able to spend some great time outside, both at home and with the babes at work.  For a while, I worried that it would stay too windy, too rainy, or just too chilly in general for us to let the munchkins enjoy some time on the playground.  But, we made it!

This got me thinking about the clothes that children wear to daycare/school these days, and how that might impact the children's involvement in outdoor (or even just messy indoor) activities.  Paint, mud, markers, and grass are just a few of the things used daily in our work and play that can stain clothing, not to mention the times that clothing can be snagged or pulled on and get rips.  Or even the every day wear and tear of active children on fabric.  The material doesn't even stand a chance, really.  :)

Now, I know that children as young as the ones I care for don't really think about their clothes when they are presented with an activity.  But as they get older, teacher and parent reactions to getting dirty, messy, and torn can make a child think twice about engaging in a wonderful learning opportunity out of concern for what they are wearing.  So, how do we help them not to have to worry?

Garage sales and thrift stores are great places to stock up on gently used clothing.  You get a great bargain, and since you usually pay a few dollars or less for a piece of clothing, having it get ripped or stained isn't nearly as concerning as if the clothes you paid more for are damaged.

Bargain hunt.  If second hand clothing is not for you, track the fliers for your favorite children's stores, and watch for coupons for dollars or percentages off of clothing.  Usually, you can use coupons on sale items, and increase your savings, and get brand new clothing for only slightly more than you would at a  thrift store.  :)  Also, pay attention to things like Target's Cartwheel app, or apps like RetailMeNot etc., which give you extra discounts and can often be used with paper coupons and sale items.

Designate specific outfits for days when you know there will be messy or outdoor play.  Children will learn quickly that these clothes are ones that they don't have to  be as careful with, and will be able to play without worry.

And in the end, do remember that everything washes.  There are endless sites online with tips and tricks for getting just about anything out of clothing.  (Here and here are just two available!)

So, relax and enjoy the messes and dirt.  Children are getting so much more out of their time exploring and learning, and we will miss these days of watching them learn so much all too soon.

You ROCK!

As a parent and child care teacher, some of my greatest reasons for doing what I do are the things I can do for the families and children I am with.  It is one of the best feelings ever when I can help a parent be less worried about what their child can or can't yet do.  Or encourage them in supporting their child's learning.  Or share the information and resources I have learned in my years as a parent and caregiver. Or even just being able to be the safe place that they can leave their baby and trust that they will be kept as safe and happy as I can make them while they are with me.  (And having some awesome help and support with that is one of the most crucial parts of making it happen!)

I recently read a comment by a fellow child care teacher, who mentioned how great it is to hear from the parents that we work with, what a great job they may feel that we do.  It got me thinking of some of the best professional compliments I have ever gotten.  She was so right!

One of the earliest that stands out was a young mom dropping her daughter off and telling my then-assistant teacher and I how much her little girl looked forward to spending time with her "daytime mommies".  The fact that she would feel comfortable enough telling us that she and her child (her first and, at the time, only child) were happy and confident enough with us to label us mommies for this baby was such a great moment for me.  It is one time that sure stands out as to why I love my profession so much.

Other moments come when parents ask about their child's development, and trust that I can help make sense of what their child may be doing.  Why are they so interested in what is in the cupboards in the kitchen when we have spent time and effort in creating a child-friendly zone?  Why does my child cling and cry when I have to leave, when they were fine last week?  What does it mean for my child when they can wave/ sign/ point?  When will my child walk?  There is no single right answer, but being able to point parents in the right direction on where to find more information is great.  Being able to learn and share about the developing mind and body of a child is such a great privilege.

On the flip side of my job working with children and parents is my opportunity to work with some truly awesome people.  I have worked with people who were totally new to child care, college students working to become the next generation of teachers, teachers who were able to share years more experience than I have with me.  Every one has given me something (or a lot of somethings) new to learn and think about.  Everyone comes in with ideas and expectations about what child care looks like and is about.  Having the opportunity to help others make sense of the world of teaching and child care is another great benefit of my job.  I've never really thought of myself as a teacher in the sense of teaching adults, but how cool is it that I get to do it anyway?!  When I am able to help someone make sense of what we are doing and why, it reminds me of why I love to teach.  :)

There are a thousand moments every day that my families, my co-workers, my employers, the children I work with, my own children and family at home tell me that I am valuable to them, that what I do makes a difference in their lives.  I have to admit, there are days where the chaos of getting from moment to moment with the demands of the day make me forget to notice them- in their moments.  But when I sit back and take stock of the day, I sure notice they were there.

And those moments, when you are told that you are so important to a family you care for that you have earned the title of "daytime mommy" in their eyes, it makes every moment of effort to get to that point so worth it.  Remember, as a provider or a parent, you are so important in the life of the child you are with.  You so truly ROCK!