Pom-pom flowers

Maybe this will be the last flower post, unless we get into them again (which is of course entirely possible). This has proved quite popular, which actually surprised me. I only had the brainwave as I was packing away another pom-pom activity and was looking for a place to put the pom-poms, and remembered the making of pop-pom flowers on scarves a week or so ago.

"One test of correctness of educational procedure is the happiness of the child." Maria Montessori.

Flower parts

I saw this idea in a link on Little Blossoms from The adventures of Bear about a poor man's flower puzzle. The Adventures of Bear's idea used felt, I used funky foam and drew around the pieces to make the guide.

Currently this has not been played with, despite my enthusiasm! I will keep you posted, because I love it and hope it will become a favourite that happens sometimes doesn't it.

"I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers." Claude Monet

Flower Silhouettes

Was thinking up activities relating to plants and flowers and knowing matching is a popular activity was going to find some pictures online to print and match. But no ink not an option!! However when looking through a Waitrose catalogue thought of making this activity that requires more skills than regular matching and doesn't require a printer, you could do this for any theme or with any clear photos.

1. Select photos from magazine/ catalogue.
2. Blue tack the back to piece of black paper.
3. Cut carefully around picture.
4. Remove blue tack.
5. Stick silhouette to some card/ backing paper.
6. Laminate.

"It's paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play with out seeing the vital connection between them." Leo F. Buscaglia

counting ladybirds

Matching ladybirds to the correct number or sum, although only a loose link to flowers and plants is a real favourite. Ladybirds were bought from lakeland in their craft section.

"The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things." Plato

How does your garden grow?

With the continued theme of plants and flowers, thought that Mary, Mary quite contrary would be a great little play corner. So here's what's in it.

Book and doll

Flowers poked into the bottom of an egg box

Shells and bells

Flower bead threading

Flower buttoning

Threading flowers with silk flowers

"I was always making up rhymes. But I never thought that poetry would become my life." Saul Williams

Again!!!!! Connecting schema

... Don't worry no more buttons today, not to say not been played with, I'm just not going to talk about them. However I am going to discuss the reasons why we are a little obsessed by them currently, and it's all related to schema's, connecting to be precise.

When we observe children we often see patterns in their play and activity, whether we are looking for it or not, these patterns are referred to as schema. For example an infant repeatedly throwing toys out of pram (trajectory schema), toddler filling bags up with toys and moving around room (transportation and enclosure schema) etc. There have been many schema identified but common ones are:

• Enclosure/ enveloping.

• Connecting.

• Disconnecting.

• Trajectory.

• Rotation.

• Transportation.

• Vertical Trajectory.

There are full descriptions in the links on the post about theCookie Cutter size puzzle, post. Observing children's spontaneous actions and play allows us to identify their dominant schema's and thus plan activities that extend learning by presenting activities through preferred format or engage further by offering more sustained activities around the schema.

"Schemas can be regarded as a window into children's learning.

Generally, when children are playing schematically they are intrinsically motivated to learn, resulting in long periods of concentration. Through their schemas, children are 'fitting' various experiences into their current thinking." (Colette Tait,16 December 2004, Nursery World)

Within your continuos provision ensure a range of resources to support children's current schema and enhance provision with resources that lend themselves to supporting particular schema's in an open ended way. For example with a connecting schema a collection of pegs can be used in a range of ways to enhance play and development and support the schema e.g. to secure sheets for a tent, simply clipping to things, joining papers together, attaching to string to join vehicles, attaching to string to make a fishing rod, pegging out washing etc.

Adult led and enhanced provision can also allow children to develop new skills through their schematic preference if adults are creative in their presentation of resources, providing appropriate activities and equipment. Using PLOD planning can be a useful brainstorming activity to allow you think think of ideas to support individual children's needs through dominant schema.

Again!!!!! Connecting schema

Here are a few more example of connecting schema:

"A pattern of repeatable behaviour into which experiences are assimilated and that are gradually co-ordinated. Co-ordinations lead to higher-level and more powerful schemas." Chris Athey, 1990