the holidays are over, the new year is upon us, and everything seems so bright and new...
these wintery days leave our cheeks rosy and our feet snuggled in warm boots.
This is a time for outdoor exploration; making us hardy towards the elements...yet our outdoor play is not nearly as lengthy as it is during the warmer months. (especially with a 17 month old!)
We spend much time indoors...toys and blocks are everywhere, all the time.
Does your house look like this by mid morning, too?
Now, messes don't bother me all that much...a messy house is a busy house! A productive house! But when W decides to knock over a huge pile of papers, throw every single one of his blocks, and generally act destructive, I know it's time to bundle up and head outside...exhale!
I've been trying to come up with some gentle sensory indoor activities that will keep him engaged and happy.
Jars of beans and other large grains are opened and scattered about the floor...the sound is unique...I offer a variety of containers for sorting and scooping. Muffin tins are awesome...wood bowls or coconut shells sound lovely...a plastic dish makes a totally different sound...and the timbre of beans being thrown into an aluminum is unrivaled...
I'm also trying to figure out a 'sensory table' for us...think lavender, grains, sand, corn cobs...scoops and small dishes...all housed in a short and deep wooden table. (Kind of like those popular "water tables" that are found in many day cares and preschools today.)
These activities can be a bit messy (there's that word again!), but with a little meaningful help, clean up is easy!
Music also plays a leading role during all seasons...sometimes I go about my day singing and I don't even realize I'm doing it! When I'm not making up my own songs (it's a good thing I am alone with W for most of the day!), we make music with instruments (lyre, tin whistle, jingle bells, to name a few...) or we enjoy charming recorded folk music..
At this time, our favorite compilation is Lorraine Nelson Wolf's "Come Follow Me". There are 2 volumes available, and I can't decide if I prefer one over the other. Mostly seasonal songs, they are sung with love and reverence for the Earth and her changing tides. I look forward to singing them with W as he grows and having them become a large part of his childhood! I'll bet a lot of you readers have already discovered this wonderful music! If not, it's well worth downloading off of itunes for $9.99!
How do you meaningfully pass the hours with your little ones during these cold months?
Soapy water is a big hit with toddlers, too. I set them up on a towel covered chair, with scoops and unbreakable dishes and a little cloth. Also baths. Kneading bread dough, playing with scraps of fabric and wool and buttons (big, non-chokey buttons). Forts made out of blankets and the corner of the couch for snack time. A big box with a "door" and "window" cut out of it, if you have the space, for peek a boo and decorating and house (it will be destroyed within a week, but what fun it will be in the process). Paper taped to the wall for colouring on. Chase. Throwing soft fabric balls or beanbags.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell I've spent a few long winters with toddlers? I find most of these are good up to about 3 or 4 yrs old. Also, to keep the bean / rice / sensory play mess down, lay it out on a tablecloth or blanket, then form the blanket into a funnel and clean up the mess quicker.
HI there ! my dayhome children have a favorite sensory material .... flax seeds... if you have never done this try it --- they flow through baskets like water - and when you are done your hands are soft and smell amazing ... we are an all natural dayhome so-- dry beans get used a lot and i made some very simple wooden matching games from small pieces of wood we found. Painting is huge, and don't forget flashlights !! the rechargable ones- that double as a night light... my group loves flashlights and colored cellophane for different colors and shadows... so fun ! My waldorf playstand gets a blanket thrown over it and we pretend to be winter camping in a cave with flashlights ! soooo cute and fun !
ReplyDeletelet me know if you try !
light and peace ..... oh oh one more thing they love is when you add colored rice.. you can color rice with food coloring and vinegar --did you know ? when it dries it can been added to the bin and you can hide cars, buttons, felted animals and other little treasures to find !
In the winter months, we like to cook, read our "snow" books, and color a lot! I'm grateful for your creative ideas and the ones already listed in the comments. Oh, and the music suggestion sounds terrific! (Love your new header.)
ReplyDeleteWe are fortunate to live in warm climate, but when we stay indoors Noah's favorite activities are playdough, train table (with mama) and books. Another thing is a long bubble bath with tons of suds. It makes him so happy. I'm so happy to see my creations mixed in your home. I hope to post your very well loved playscape soon. :-)
ReplyDeleteJanuary is a tough month here. Loads of snow. We're filling the days with play dough, wool roving time (where I felt and she plays) and baking. We're also doing crayons and general pretending. I miss grass!
ReplyDeletehow is your waldorf training going?
ReplyDeletesorry it took me so long to respond.
I am enjoying mine so much more than I even imagined. Reading Theosophy right now.
I'm afraid the messiness drives me a bit bonkers. I try to give them activities that can be contained in one area just to keep my sanity. We've been doing lots of puzzles and block building. My girls love to carry around their little notebooks, just scribbling away for hrs. Pictures, "writing", whatever!
ReplyDeleteoh, the music is so cute. i've never heard of her before but her voice is lovely.
ReplyDeletemy daughter it too old for that kind-of music, she's 14, but i could get it for future grandkids. :)
I always love reading your posts. It is summer here at the moment so the days are long and hot with lots of time spent outdoors. But I will remember the sorting idea for this coming winter when my littlest will be about your wee ones age now. Last winter my 2 year old loved a sink full of warm water to play in and lots of crayon art.
ReplyDeleteI've decided my new favorite "waldorfy" winter activity is grating cheese. I might make mac and cheese all winter- just to watch the girls ( mine and the childcare babes) grating cheese and singing at the table. Especially nice since I get everything else done with how long it takes them! But in general my rule of thumb is to follow my normal rhythm and replace my outdoors time with active indoor activities. We still spend a good deal of time outdoors in winter but I try to make it more purposeful then the lazy wandering we do in the other seasons. We walk with purpose to visit friends or collect materials.
ReplyDeleteI just love your blog and find such warmth and comfort here. Thank you for sharing all you do!
ReplyDeleteI was happy to see you're interested in creating a sensory table for your little one. I create a new sensory tub each month for my son and have posted my ideas on my blog, if you're interested in gathering some ideas. I don't know that you'll find them as 'organic' as you'd like, but I assure you my son LOVES them and has enjoyed many hours of play with them.
Here's my link: http://countingcoconuts.blogspot.com/search/label/Sensory%20Tubs
Warmly,
Mari-Ann
I love those shelves! Did you make them?
ReplyDeleteI wish we could go to all wooden/natural toys but my kids have gotten used to having plastic ones and relatives aren't very accomodating to my desire.
I have no wee ones of my own as you know, but I have fond memories of “Island Hopping” with my niece and nephew when they were younger. We scattered pillows around the living room and jumped from one to the other while one person on all fours (usually me) pretended to be a crocodile trying to eat the fleeing pirates using our arms like giant crocodile jaws. Islands were safe places, but you had to stay in motion. Take care.
ReplyDeleteI love reading your posts! My own children are 10 and 13 now, so they're not that messy anymore, but in my classroom it can be a big mess too! This morning the girls made pies of sand, serving them on plates in their own 'restaurant'. I bought a small broom for them to clean up the sand and they couldn't stop! So lovely to watch! Bye, Barbara
ReplyDeleteLove these ideas. Just last night I scooped up a bowl of snow and some sticks and let my ten month old daughter play with it so I could make dinner...she's very rpecocosious but would (and does) put beans in her mouth! more ideas of this nature would be awesome, love the lavender in the sensory table idea.
ReplyDeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the "Come Follow Me" CDs.
Your blog is just lovely. It takes me back to when my daughter was a toddler. Those wonderful days pass much too quickly (she's now in 7th grade). Cherish each moment!