Growing With The Wonder Of Nature & Play "There are two lasting bequests we can grant our children. We are currently working on a raised bed veggie garden.
One of these is roots, the other, wings." ~ Hodding Carter
NATURE : CREATIVITY : SUSTAINABILITY : PLAY : ART : MOVEMENT : HEART
I am the founder of Little Forest Folk, a child care service nestled in Boronia, at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges. Our heart-based, holistic approach is designed for children under school age, generally ranging from 1.5 to 5 years old, with occasional flex
03/03/2024
🎉✨️ Festival Time Huzzahh ✨️🎉
Little Forest Folk will be sharing our creative connection clay playshop with all the small wildling creatures in The Shallows Esoverse at Esoteric Festival this weekend.
Join us for the play:
🌟 Saturday 1:00pm
🌟 Sunday 12:00pm
See you there cosmic kids!
We are all stardust... Ahoy!
03/03/2024
“The artist is not a special kind of person; rather each person is a special kind of artist.”
Ananda Coomaraswamy
16/02/2024
The cutest little wombat visitor this week.
16/02/2024
Fun stuff from the little folk.
11/02/2024
09/02/2024
HOW TO BEST PREPARE PRESCHOOLERS FOR FUTURE READING AND WRITING
There's no need for pencils or paper. Preschoolers don’t need to learn letters at this age either.
“Getting ready to read and write does NOT need to, nor should it, involve sitting still, OR letters, OR paper, and pencil. There are so many other important things that need to happen, and happen a LOT, before a child can successfully read and write.” - Denita Dinger, author and early childhood educator
• Children need a strong sense of body awareness (developed through active free play)
• Eyes need to track
• Core muscles (stomach & back), shoulders, neck, hand, and finger strength should be adequate
• Children need basic coordination of both fine and gross motor skills
• Children need time to make lots of mistakes and learn perseverance
Children gain these foundational skills through FREQUENT outdoor play opportunities!
Let children....
Blow more bubbles.
Swing, spin, and roll down hills.
Hang upside down from the monkey bars.
Climb more trees.
Build more forts.
Make more mistakes.
Struggle more, give up less.
Ample outdoor play opportunities lay a strong foundation by organizing the brain and preparing the body, so that reading and writing can become a meaningful experience.
06/02/2024
Calming clay play at Little Forest Folk. We invite children to interact with calm nooks like calm boxes for independent play and self-regulation. Clay is always a winner for children and adults.
01/02/2024
Butterfly flutterby play today. 🦋🌲
27/01/2024
Dinosaur sun catchers!
From Gina@aplayfilledlife
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEb7CwBBOdq/
26/01/2024
Diary of a 2 year old:
Today I woke up and wanted to get dressed by myself but was told “No, we don’t have time, let me do it.”
This made me sad. I wanted to feed myself for breakfast but was told “No, you’re too messy, let me do it for you.” This made me feel frustrated.
I wanted to walk to the car and get in on my own but was told, “No, we need to get going, we don’t have time. Let me do it.” This made me cry.
I wanted to get out of the car on my own but was told “No, we don’t have time, let me do it.” This made me want to run away.
Later I wanted to play with blocks but was told “no, not like that, like this…” I decided I didn’t want to play with blocks any more. I wanted to play with a doll that someone else had, so I took it, I was told “no, don’t do that, you have to share.”
I’m not sure what I did, but it made me sad. So I cried. I wanted a hug but was told “no, you’re fine, go play”.
I’m being told it’s time to pick up, I know this because someone keeps saying, “Go pick up your toys.” I am not sure what to do, I am waiting for someone to show me….”What are you doing, why are you just standing there, pick up your toys…Now.” I was not allowed to dress myself or move my own body to get to where I needed to go, but now I am being asked to pick things up.
I’m not sure what to do. Is someone supposed to show me how to do this? Where do I start? Where do these things go? I am hearing a lot of words but I do not understand what is being asked of me. I am scared and do not move. I lay down on the floor and cry.
When it was time to eat I wanted to get my own food but was told “no, you’re too little, let me do it.” This made me feel small. I tried to eat the food in front of me but I did not put it there and someone keeps saying “here, try this, eat this…” and putting things in my face. I didn’t want to eat anymore. This made me want to throw things and cry.
I can’t get down from the table because no one will let me…because I’m too small and I can’t. They keep saying I have to take a bite. This makes me cry more. I’m hungry and frustrated and sad. I’m tired and I need someone to hold me. I do not feel safe or in control. This makes me scared. I cry even more.
I am 2. No one will let me dress myself, no one will let me move my own body where it needs to go, no one will let me attend to my own needs.
However, I am expected to know how to share, “listen”, or “wait a minute”. I am expected to know what to say and how to act or handle my emotions. I am expected to sit still or know that if I throw something it might break….But, I do NOT know these things.
I am not allowed to practice my skills of walking, pushing, pulling, zipping, buttoning, pouring, serving, climbing, running, throwing or doing things that I know I can do. Things that interest me and make me curious, these are the things I am NOT allowed to do.
I am 2. I am not terrible…I am frustrated. I am nervous, stressed out, overwhelmed, and confused. I need a hug.
Author unknown
21/01/2024
