September 1st, 2024
| On Sunday, September 1, Selwyn’s Director of Early Childhood Education, Mrs. Jennifer Livas, appeared on WFAA’s Daybreak to share her expert tips on how to cultivate a child’s play area in ways that are developmentally appropriate and engaging. Mrs. Livas shares more of her tips below: Creating a love for learning starts in the home. Your children will thrive at school when they feel confident, prepared and ready for a challenge. Here are a few tips to cultivate a creative learning environment at home. Keep in mind that a playroom can be in any area of your home! It can be a spot at the dining room table, a nook in the living room, a special area in the child’s bedroom–it can be anywhere creativity can be fostered works beautifully for the child. We try to keep these four tips in mind: Create a calm space. Consider defining the space with a rug and then adding soft surroundings like pillows, blankets and a basket of books. Calming colors are typically neutral leaving room for their artwork and creations to bring the color! Create an inspiring space. Children love using tools to create: tape, scissors, stapler, etc. These tools are open-ended so that the possibilities to create become limitless. Open-ended materials to consider are Legos, blocks, loose parts (container lids, applesauce lids, wood cookies, clips, glass beads, small wooden planks, pinecones, acorns, leaves, sticks). Bring back the nature finds when you’re on a walk together! Create an accessible space. Consider allowing your child to access these tools when a creative lightbulb moment happens! We teach our students to practice safety and tell us their plan before they begin using a tool. Once they get the hang of it, we set them free! Show them how to use it safely and then keep it accessible for them. This can be on a cart, shallow basket or tray. Create an orderly space. Display the materials in the play space in clear bins/jars and shallow baskets. Children play with their eyes first! If the materials can be seen quickly and orderly, the child will naturally be inspired to either create an idea or get started on an existing project. Cleaning up the play space is a form of learning as well! Sorting, counting, color-coordinating, returning items that are the same is all part of the learning process. This independent skill will create confidence and healthy self-esteem. Create a fun space! A joyful environment is the number one way to foster a love for learning! Remember, play is the work of the child. Lean into what sparks their imagination and then resource it with materials. It’s that simple! |
