Boil Boil Toil and Trouble

UPDATE March 20, 2023-

We have since relocated, twice!- first to a bigger house and most recently to a bigger center with individual classrooms. 

A few years back I ran into a former "Linda's" Kid. He was in junior high at the timd and told me that this activity was his favorite! 

This week we are scientists.  We are experimenting and discovering the world around us.  Today we mixed potions.  It was a very simple activity which kept all the children interested for a long period of time.
We told the children they were scientists. They put on their 'lab coats' (paint shirts) and went to their science lab (their place at the table).
Each child got a bowl, spoon and craft (stirring) stick.  
We put a variety of powders in large trays on each table.

We used cocoa powder (for hot chocolate), flour, sugar, Kool aid powder, oatmeal, baking soda and cornstarch.

We filled squirt bottles with colored water, lemon juice, and vinegar.

The children mixed and stirred and created unusual concoctions.

"A" made Bob aka Jello Man (the blob character from Monsters vs Aliens)

Everybody had their own method of doing it.  One child even did it double fisted with two bottles of colored water at the same time.  At first some children were reluctant until they realized there wasn't a right or wrong way to do it.

The project was messy and the children didn't have a finished product to take home.  You may wonder why? What's the purpose if you have nothing to show for it?   There may not be a tangible product to take home, but the experience the children had they will remember for a long time.  They experimented with mixing colors. Using trial and error they discovered which substances could be combined to create bubbling brews.  They discovered which substances mixed together until they were no longer distinguishable and which substances held their texture no matter how much they stirred (oatmeal).

Someday maybe one of these children will discover a cure for a deadly disease. Maybe one will become a master Chef creating dishes one could only dream of.  Maybe another will perfect an abstract art form.  Where ever these children find themselves in th years to come, I hope they will not be afraid to try and will enjoy the experience along the way.

Fence painting

Absolutely GORGEOUS day outside!!   There is a little bit of wind but it's nothing compared to the big gusts we had yesterday that almost blew some kids over!

We did art outside today.  We cut 2 white shower curtains in half and attached them to the fence with clothespins.  With about 2 children to a curtain, they painted whatever and how ever they pleased.  In the end we ended up with a little paint in some hair but nothing that didn't wash right out.

I'm not sure what all is on here. I see a spider and a shark.

                    

    Teddy bear

                                                             A face

They even painted leaves they found on the ground and tried to make leaf prints.

Even the youngest one added her expertise.

All in all we had a fun. If it wasn't lunch time, they probably would have stayed out much longer to paint.  Eventually the rain will wash these masterpieces off and they can do it again.

   

The Locked Cupboard

You probably know what I'm talking about. The one cupboard or closet that toys or other things are locked in.  The reasons why they are locked up vary but just knowing that those items are not readily accessible makes them even more appealing.

  When I was a child my mom had a locked closet upstairs where she hid away certain toys.  I don't know if these were toys that were too noisy, toys we didn't pick up, or toys that were just a nuisance in some way.  Whatever the reason we LOVED the rare opportunities we had to look through the treasures of that closet.

In the Center we have a similar locked cupboard.  It houses all the board games for the school age kids, puzzles with lots of pieces, and those toys that just create havoc if left out for anyone and everyone to access.  Now don't get me wrong, we have plenty of things on the shelves with lots of pieces to pick up and things that can be messy.  The games and toys are in this cupboard to preserve their usefulness.  There is nothing more frustrating for our school age kids to sit down to play a game only to find important pieces are missing.

To the younger children this cupboard is almost magical.  It doesn't matter whether they get to look in the cupboard a couple times a week or on a daily basis, their eyes still light up each time the lock is taken off and the doors open.  Deciding which game to try or puzzle to do is a major dilemma.  There is an urgency to play with as many games as they can before the closet is locked up yet again.

When we are forced to stay inside I reluctantly open the "magical" cupboard.  I have visions of games being strung all across the tables.  Game pieces from numerous games mixed together everywhere.  As hard as I tried to keep it quiet, only having a select few choosing games, word spreads like wild fire.  I wonder if the "magic" part of that cupboard is a special radar that goes off alerting every child in range. (Much like the radar that goes off as soon as I answer the phone or use the restroom--there's always someone that needs my immediate attention then.)

The last child hasn't even chosen her game yet when the first few children are coming back for another.  Soon some children got picked up, others lost interest, and the true magic of the cupboard is revealed. One child is left playing a game.  The chaos around us has diminished and I sit to watch.  Soon the child tells me "I'm blue, you can be red." The game begins.  Our fun is ultimately interrupted with the arrival of the parents, but promises to play again another day are made.

As I put everything back in the cupboard, it dawns on me.  The 'magic' of the cupboard is not what is IN the cupboard.  It is the challenge to be the last one who gets Linda all to herself.