Controlling Children's Toys, Screentime and Playtime??!!

A grandparent posted a comment on one of my social media channels. She said, "My dear grandchildren earn their toys and playtime and screen time with tickets. X number required for X activity or toy. Tickets taken away for sass or disobedience. Works like a charm. Helps kids learn to police themselves."

My response to her was this: "I'm delighted to hear that you found something that works for you with managing screen time, good for you. Screen time should be kept to no more that 30 - 60 mins. per day for young children. I am concerned however, that you are controlling healthy playtime. It is my opinion that playtime should be given automatically to children, as is oxygen and healthy food. Healthy, non screentime play is critical to a child's development and should not be controlled or withheld. Toys on the other hand, must be controlled because many children have too many. Too many toys can lead to anxiety and chaos."

"My children could only keep the number of large, easy to pick up toys, that could fit in a moderate size toybox in the playroom (not their bedroom). All others that did not fit were donated or thrown away. When they received new toys for birthdays or Christmas, they had to pick some toys to donate to a local charity. Any toys with many and/or small pieces were kept high on a shelf and my child had to ask permission to play with one of those. They did not get to have another one of these "many pieces" toys (Legos, hot wheels, army men, little pet sets, etc.) until the one they were playing with was picked up and put away."

What are your thoughts?

The Perfect Song for Right Now: "Gifts for Mommy!"

These 3's are holding their "bees" - carefully!

    Spring is…well, it's trying to spring here in Chicago.  Miss Carole of Macaroni Soup here!  With 1.5” of snow on Monday I think the crocus and anemones in my garden would disagree (not to mention the angry squirrels under my empty birdfeeder!  I've been busy, guys!)

     You may be preparing for a Mother’s Day program, or just need a great song to sing for Spring!  I don’t know where I first heard some of these verses – and I’ve added my own at my students’ requests.  It’s easy to learn, easy to teach, and the children love it.  They get the humor, no bees are squished and it’s downright adorable!  

     You probably already know the tune – “I’m Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee!”  If not, it’s on my Sticky Bubble Gum cd – you can hear a clip HERE (track #13) – and it was the Song of the Month on my website in May 2007.

Do you hear your bee? Bzzzz!

    I use Beanie Baby animals for visuals in each verse – you could use pictures or puppets, too.

Verse 1:  Waggle your pointer finger around while buzzing until you catch an imaginary bee.  Check your hands to be sure he’s in there!  Sing:

I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee

Won’t my Mommy be so proud of me!

I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee-

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Teacher:  Would that be a good present for Mom?

Kids:  NO!

Teacher:  Then let him go – bzzzzzz!  How about a dinosaur?

Stomp! Stomp!

Verse 2:  Pat hands on thighs for dinosaur steps!

I’m bringing home a baby dinosaur

Won’t my Mommy hide behind the door!

I’m bringing home a baby dinosaur –

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp Stomp!

Teacher:  Would that be a good present for Mommy?

Kids:   Nooo!

Teacher:  How about a crocodile????

Chomp! Chomp!

Verse 3:  Open and close arms vertically in front of you to the beat to make croc jaws!

I’m bringing home a baby crocodile

Won’t my Mommy wear a great big smile!

I’m bringing home a baby crocodile –

Chomp! Chomp! Chomp! Chomp! Chomp!

Teacher:  Would Mommy like that?

Kids:   NO!

Teacher:  How about a grizzly bear?

Smiling grizzly bears - it's so much fun to growl!

Verse 4:  Make claw-paws.  Teach kids to put teeth together to growl!

I’m bringing home a baby grizzly bear

Won’t my Mommy tear out all her hair?!?

Oh, I’m bringing home a baby grizzly bear –

Grrrr!  Grrrr!  Grrrr! Grrrr! GRRRRR!

Teacher:  Would THAT make a good present form Mom?

Kids:  NOOO!

Teacher:  What if we brought Mom something she would really like?  Can you think of what your Mommy likes?  I’ve got a great big pot (hold out arms, hands touching in front, to make a big pot.)  What can we put in it that Mom would like?   (take all suggestions – flowers, kisses, chocolate, salad, noodles – yes, it usually includes things the children like, too!)  After all ideas are in, sing:

Verse 5:  Everyone holds a big “pot” in front of them.

I’m bringing home a great big pot of love

So much bigger than the sky above!

Oh, I’m bringing home a great big pot of love –

Hug, hug, kiss, kiss, kiss!

Teacher:  Would Mommy like that?

Kids:   YES!!!

    I have done a ladybug verse (won’t my Mommy give me a big hug?) and even done Daddy verses!  Have fun with this song – all year long!

Yours for a Mommy Song!

"Miss Carole" Stephens

Macaroni Soup!  Active Music for Active Kids!

Play Is Where Learning Begins: WOYC

Hi! I'm Ayn and I am a Ga. Pre-K teacher, serving 4 and 5 year olds in an inclusive setting. I share my classroom adventures on my blog, little illuminations.

April 6-12 is NAEYC's official "Week of the Young Child". The theme this year is "Early Years Are Learning Years". 

shared from the NAEYC website: http://www.naeyc.org/woyc

The purpose is "to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs". (NAEYC 2014) There are also several sub-themes, but today I'd like to focus on "Play: Where Learning Begins". 

Teachers and parents often ask what they can do to help celebrate WOYC. The answer is fairly simple! Provide lots of open ended opportunities for play, exploration and investigation! Children learn through play. Trial and error is an essential part of development. 

Provide opportunities for sensory exploration. 

Children will draw, write letters or their name, just about anywhere! 

Children learn about balance through play. They discover how their bodies move in space and how objects in their world around them react to their actions. 

This little boy filled dishes with sand and placed each one, precariously balancing on the last. 

When the tower would begin to wobble, he'd take each dish down, trying to get the balance just right. 

Finally, the tower stood tall!

These boys poured sand down the slide over and over again. They tried a variety of different ways and even used damp sand and very dry sand, sometimes trying to catch the sand at the bottom. At one point, they even attempted to slide with the sand!

In addition to open ended play, we often provide a game or two during our outside play. This helps children learn rules, social interactions and turn taking, in addition to the gross motor skills that these games often develop.

Pretend play is one of the ways children relate to the world around them. Provide lots of opportunities for children to explore family and occupational roles.

Allowing for free play with toys and materials as "loose parts" enhances creative and critical thinking skills. I remember in my first years teaching hearing other teachers tell children, "That's not how you play with those materials. Play with them the right way or you'll have to put them away." This was not just one situation or just one teacher. It was common practice. I cringe now when I think about those words and the creativity it stifled!

One of the greatest things about this type of play is the dialogue that goes along with it. I hear wonderful stories with intricate details about the loose parts play.

"This is a skyscraper. It has 17 floors!"

"We're making shapes!"

"This is my church!"

A movie theater

Another movie theater, by a different child, on a different day.

A pet village

The party at the top of the tree from "Go, Dog! Go!"

An elaborate marble run.

Here's a sign that even the children understand that play is important. This little tableau was made by a group on the playground early in the day, right in the middle of the playground. I took this picture late in the day, after several groups had come and gone. Every group left it be ---- without children or adults asking them to. 

Music, movement and dance are  great ways for child to learn and express themselves!

NAEYC is hosting a "Week of the Young Child Music Fest" Google Hangout April 9. You can find more information here. Also on that page is a list of resources about how children play with music. The article, "Young Children and Movement: The Power of Creative Dance" is by our very own Connie Dow! It is a GREAT resource!

I'm proud to say that I am a part of a weekly blog hop called "Just Playing?", hosted by Amy of Child Central Station. For great pictures and provocations of children at play, stop by Child Central Station or little illuminations on Thursdays to see how children are learning through play. Don't forget to check out the links at the bottom to see posts from other bloggers participating in the blog hop! We also have a Pinterest board of all the "Just Playing?" posts!

Follow Amy @ Child Central Station's board "Just Playing" on Pinterest.

1-2-3-4  PLAY MATTERS!!!!!!!

Stop by and visit me anytime at littleilluminations.blogspot.com or visit the little illuminations fanpage on facebook! And be sure to check out PreK+K Sharing EEE!