As Heard At MVS on a Gray and Rainy Thursday this Week:
"Guys, it's going to be a beautiful day to play outside!". -SM, Pre-KWhile we adults tend to groan and lament the prospect of a dreary, rainy day, the view is quite different from the eyes of another beholder. The children love and appreciate the changing weather. There's so much excitement that comes with rain drops, there's possibility that can unfold in puddles and joy in the wonder of something new. It's always a beautiful day to play outside...
Early Childhood Day at the Legislature
This week Sarah attended the annual Early Childhood Day at the Legislature in Montpelier. Next week we will dig into all of the issues discussed by the advocates in attendance. A big focus was on improving early childhood programs throughout the state of Vermont and just what it takes to put some of the big ideas into practice. Another aspect of the day was the gubernatorial forum, where candidates for governor discussed how they would make early childhood a priority. Read more about what the candidates had to say here, and check back next week for more on this topic.
Back to Mud
Like it or not, mud season is very much here. The winter that never came, seems to be passing the baton to spring, and we find ourselves investigating all that the changing season has to offer. Below is an article published last year on the benefits of messy play and playing in the mud, as well as some resources for appropriate clothing choices for young children. Enjoy!
The Magic of Mud aka, "The Mud Edition"
These days, we often find ourselves a bit wet and muddy after time spent on our playground; but what's more is that we've also had some pretty epic adventures along the way, adventures that set the stage for ongoing learning and development.
Getting wet and muddy is a natural and expected part of springtime in Vermont. We believe playing in the varied and ever-changing elements of the outdoors is one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children, and not just because it's really fun. There is a wealth of research in the field that documents not only the benefits of active, nature-based play, but specifically, play that involves getting muddy, sandy, wet, and just plain dirty.
Here's a few things we know about playin' in the mud!
1. It can benefit a child's physical health: In a 2012 report by the National Wildlife Federation called "The Dirt on Dirt, How Getting Dirty Outdoors Benefits Kids," researchers found that playing in the dirt can boost children's immunity and build healthier cardiovascular systems. "Dirt is good. If your child isn't coming in dirty every day, they're not doing their job. They're not building their immunological army. So it's terribly important," states Dr. Mary Ruebush, an immunologist and author of the book Why Dirt Is Good. Additionally, dirt, says a Northwestern University study, is good for childrens’ cardiovascular health. Analyzing data collected from thousands of children over two decades, researchers have concluded that when children are exposed to germs and pathogens during childhood their risk of cardiovascular inflammation in adulthood, a precursor to heart attacks and strokes, is reduced (NWF, Dirt on Dirt, 5). At a very basic level, there is plenty of evidence that suggests the innumerable health benefits of this type of play.
2. It provides diverse sensory opportunities: As we've mentioned before here in the newsletter, young children learn with their senses. And experiencing the varying degrees of mud: wet, slimy, squishy, cold, warm, bubbly...we could go on and on...is a real sensory delight.
3. There's no right or wrong way to play in the mud: The mud is and can be anything. From mud pies, to small river cities, the possibilities are endless. When we provide children with an unfettered medium in which to create, their imaginations are truly allowed to run wild. This is the stuff that fosters creativity and problem solving.
4. It's joyful! Spending an afternoon watching children play and explore in the mud is certainly a way to observe some of the emotional benefits, and we invite parents and families to spend time with us outdoors, and even get a little muddy themselves! In fact, "making direct contact with soil, whether through gardening, digging for worms, or making mud pies has been shown to improve mood, reduce anxiety, and facilitate learning" (NWF, Dirt on Dirt, 6).
For more information on the benefits of messy, muddy play take a gander at this list of resources:
Full text of Ithaca, NY native, natural play space designer and author Rusty Keeler's experience with mud at a preschool in Whangarei, New Zealand.*
Being Prepared for the Mess of Mud...
We know that at the end of a workday, it can feel a little exhausting to pick up a muddy, wet child, and then attend to the soiled clothing. We understand this, and empathize. We hope however, that with the right gear and a little pre-planning, the kids can get muddy to their heart's content, without giving their families additional hassle.
For these reasons, we recommend the following waterproof options for outdoor play:
1. Tuffo Suits, the "Muddy Buddy" model is one to check out. You can also find these on Amazon at varied price points.
2. Oakiwear, lots of choices! AND, Sarah has recently arranged a partnership with them. Enter coupon code outdoorschool at checkout for 15% off
2. Oakiwear, lots of choices! AND, Sarah has recently arranged a partnership with them. Enter coupon code outdoorschool at checkout for 15% off
5. Puddlegear. Lots of waterproof varieties.
6. Perhaps consider Rain Mittens. We've experienced some cold hands this week, mainly because regular winter mittens absorb the moisture. If you're not in the market for new mittens, send multiples along, so teachers can bring them out to playground and change them once they are wet.
7. A pair of rubber rain boots, many options available locally and online.
You'll find that on the colder days, we will put on the children's snow clothes with a Tuffo over the top, so sizing up is a good thing, as is continuing to send warm winter layers.
Additionally, send extra clothing, including multiple pairs of warm socks. Even though the above options are great, the chances are high that a little water/mud might sneak in. In cases of wet feet, we do change socks mid-way through our outside time to ensure the kids are warm, comfy and can get back to playtime.
And a final note, please take home wet and muddy clothing to be washed and/or dried and bring it back the next day. We know this is an additional step in your already busy day, however, we are simply not able to launder the clothing of 45 children given the constraints of time, capacity, and energy costs. We truly appreciate your understanding on this, and hopefully, the use of Tuffos will mitigate extra laundry loads for you.
Play on!
Play on!
A Note on Muddy Babies
For the youngest children at our school, our hope is to make it outdoors as much as possible, but, we do have a few more unique constraints that can prevent us from getting outdoors at times.
In the earliest few months of life, the emphasis in the classroom is placed on establishing routines. Many of the smallest babies are currently working to get into the flow of consistent eating and sleeping routines. Above all, we want to avoid rushing the infants, and provide them with comfort to ensure their needs are met. When a trip outdoors does not interfere with the work of routine building, then the infants head outdoors for as long as they can.
As some of the infants have limited mobility, and tend to stay put outdoors, there is also the challenge of keeping them dry. When placed on the wet ground, their snowsuits can sop up a lot of wetness, and we especially want to avoid this.
When we are outside, you may notice the infants will nap outdoors, and this is something that is completely appropriate and safe given their age.
The ultimate goal is to ensure that the infants are outdoors for as much of the day as possible, and as their schedules become more predictable, the ground dries and it gets warmer, you can expect more and more outdoor time.
MVS Parent-Teacher Book Club
This Thursday a small crew of parents met to eat, drink, be merry and discuss all number of things related to parenting. Framing their conversation was the work of Alyson Schafer, "therapist, author and internationally claimed parenting expert." You can find more about Alyson's books and approach, as well as clips from her TED talk by visiting her site. Join the next book club on April 7th at 6pm!
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: The older infants took mud to the next level this week. Because of the warm weather (nearly 65 on Wednesday!) the children were able to play without mittens, which led to an exciting exploration. They grabbed, smelled, tasted and became completed covered! The older infants also enjoyed a meal together at a small table with chairs just their size. It was quite an experience to see them doing this; they are becoming incredibly independent. The younger children continue to work on strategies to soothe themselves They are making more choices themselves when it comes to toys and work to hold and investigate them.
Infant II: This week the children really enjoyed extended periods of outside time. The warm temps and puddles on the playground made for very happy kids. The younger children were focused on cause and effect: splashing in puddles to see what would happen. The older children were interested in gathering water in scoops and shovels and moving it from place to place. They also worked with varying volumes of water in different sized containers. We will continue to play outside and really get into the sensory experience of mud and water, so please send in lots of extra socks and changes of clothes. We like to explore with our whole bodies and tend to get a tad messy.
Toddler I: We welcomed a new student this week and he is getting in the groove of the new room. We also wished a student well as he moved up to Toddler II. We have been working very hard to achieve independence in all areas of our day, from getting dressed to using the toilet, we can do so much all by ourselves! We have continued reading our dragon book and enjoy the contrasting black and white and colored pictures as we identify and count all the different objects on the page. We have been looking at a variety of shapes and this week learned two new shapes, hexagon and octagon. We have been moving our bodies more and more with an increased amount of yoga and stretching. And, our outdoor time had meant lots of puddle play which has brought some serious fishing trips.
Toddler II: Welcome to Toddler II, JGK. This week in the classroom we spent time with the tubes again, adding, changing, challenging heights and directions. We have also been cutting with scissors, playing with the tiny animals, (dogs, cats, giraffes) making them houses and putting them on the wooden boat.
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We also played with our small wooden colored blocks, matching and sorting the colors as well as building tiny structures and lining them up.
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Pre-K: We have been doing lots of cool structure building from sculptures to leprechaun houses and traps. In fact, the whole class got in on a leprechaun trap in the classroom. See below.
Also Seen at MVS
-Sam
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