Author Archives: Janelle Durham

About Janelle Durham

I am a parent educator and social worker, and teach music and science to children age 1 - 8.

Play-Based Learning

What is play-based learning?

The teacher or parent sets the stage with engaging and fun activities. Then the child explores through play: observing, experiencing, wondering, exploring, and discovering. The teacher or parent is nearby to observe, ask questions, make suggestions, or play along with the child. But the child decides which activities to do, which toys to play with, what to do with them, and for how long.

[The video linked above, by Jessica Lubina, is a nice quick overview of the concept.]

What is play?

Play can be defined as anything that has these characteristics:

Child-Led. Freely chosen. The child is in control. He makes the plan.
Process, Not Product. Play is done for its own sake, not to accomplish a task. It involves lots of exploring of possibilities, experiments, trial and error, and repetition.
Creative. The child can adapt items, create something new or experience things in a new way.
Spontaneous. It’s flexible and open-ended, and it changes and evolves as play time goes on.
Fun. The player looks happy and engaged.

Does a child really learn by “just playing”?

We know the brain builds connections when it is exposed to novel experiences, and then allowed to repeat them again and again till it achieves mastery. This process builds two 2 forms of intelligence: memory – crystallized intelligence – the database of information that we access, and improvisation – fluid intelligence – what allows us to adapt that information to new situations. (Medina)

Direct instruction from a parent or teacher can be a great way of adding information to the database of crystallized intelligence. But, the best possible way for children to build fluid intelligence is by hands-on, engaged, self-guided improvisation… in other words, by playing.

What play-based learning is not:

Specialized toys. Despite what marketers tell you, learning does not require scientifically designed educational toys and apps or flash cards. Simple, open-ended toys will do.
Uninvolved babysitters. Some schools have co-opted the phrase “play-based learning” as a justification for sitting back and letting kids do whatever they want to do with no forethought by the teachers, and no input along the way. We’re talking about a more engaged process.

Benefits – Kids who learn by playing gain:

Physical competence. Free play allows a child to practice emerging skills till they are mastered.
Self-direction. The child gets to make decisions, make plans, and see them through.
Creativity. Experiments show that children who are taught “the right way” to use a toy will use it in limited ways. Kids who are allowed to freely explore develop many more creative uses.
Problem-solving. When a child creates her own plan for play, she doesn’t foresee challenges that will come up that an adult might see. This offers lots of chances for problem-solving.
Language skills. Play requires asking and answering questions, giving commands and acting on them, and explaining your goals to the person you are playing with.
Conflict resolution skills. There’s lots of negotiation that goes on in cooperative play.
Emotional intelligence. Dramatic play helps children understand emotions, learn how to express emotions, and distinguish between real emotions and “pretend” emotions.
Symbolic play. If a child can use a stick to simulate an ice cream cone, it helps her later understand that numbers on a page represent how many objects they have, and that letters represent sounds, and musical notes on a page indicate where to place her fingers.
Better memory. Kids are motivated to remember things they need to know for a play scenario.
Reduced stress. Play is fun. Children play when they feel safe. We are all more capable of learning new things when we are having fun and feeling safe.

Teacher’s Role / Parent’s Role

The adult plans an environment and schedule which promotes learning. Children learn best when they feel safe, so familiar routines, consistent rules, and respectful caregivers are essential components. The adults offer meaningful experiences that are stimulating, invite exploration and engage kids. The teacher often has outcomes in mind: knowledge, skills, abilities and understandings children will acquire. But they have not determined an exact path the child must take to get that knowledge.

As Teacher Tom says: “One thing I don’t do is decide what the children will learn… That’s not the job of a teacher… that’s the job of the children. My job is to create an environment, then play with them in it, helping them, but only when they really need it.” Some roles an adult may play are:

Stage manager: Sets the stage. Creates an “invitation to play” that combines familiar objects and activities (for repetition/mastery) with novel objects to explore and discover.
Observer. Observe quietly. Be there so if they look up with an “a-ha” moment, or an “I did it”, you’re there to reflect that success back to them. A good rule of thumb is to observe for at least 3 minutes before talking. Then make suggestions or ask questions to extend their thinking, or encourage reflection. But don’t change their play, or tell them what their results need to be.
Recorder: Ask them to describe what they are doing. (Remember, ask about the process, not the product they’ll end up with.) Write it down to share with a parent or friend later.
Facilitator: Help get them the tools they need to accomplish their play plan. Help clear away the “clutter” that gets in the way of their play. Ask more, answer less.
Mediator: For children age 3 and up, it’s best to sit back and let kids work out their own conflicts and learn from doing so. But sometimes, especially with younger children, an adult helps resolved conflicts by offering new materials or suggesting alternatives, and modelling flexible thinking needed for peer interactions.
Interpreter: help children understand what is meant by another’s words and actions.
Participant in play: You follow their lead, respect their individual style of play. Don’t try to make the game your own. Simply be one of the kids who is playing! (As the “big kid” in the group, you can role model respect, creativity, flexibility.)
Tools of the Mind style. Kids develop a plan for their pretend play. Teacher offers instruction in pretend play – suggestions specific to the scenario. Kids play. When play comes to an end, the teacher discusses it with them and asks about what they did.
Reggio Emilia – inquiry-based or project-based learning style. When your child demonstrates interest in a topic, you collect resources related to it: books, videos, tools, resources for dramatic play related to it. The child chooses a project and must plan their actions, gather information, and develop new ideas. The teacher / parent observes, participates, guides the play when needed, asks questions, and encourages deeper thinking.

A key element of play-based learning is Scaffolding. Development advances and learning occurs when children are challenged to do something just one step beyond their current mastery, and then allowed to practice newly acquired skills. Adults and older children help them make the step by giving a hint, modelling the skill, or adapting materials or activities, and then allowing them to continue to play.

Resources

Read: Brain Rules for Babies, by John Medina.

Collections of resources on Play & Learning: www.naeyc.org/play and www.zerotothree.org/child-development/play/

Watch: The Power of Play documentary: https://vimeo.com/20964066

If you ever find yourself wondering about our class: “Why aren’t they teaching my child anything?? All they do is play!” watch this video to remember everything kids learn when they are playing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNlW7YIX7pk

Additional Sources Used:

The Playing Learning Child: Towards a pedagogy of early childhood. Samuelsson & Carlsson. 2008 Scandinavian Journal of Education. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00313830802497265

The Role of Play in Today’s Kindergarten, Lori Jamison. http://lorijamison.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/The-Role-of-Play-in-Todays-Kindergarten.pdf

References to Play in NAEYC Position Statements: http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/ecprofessional/Play%20references%20in%20NAEYC%20position%20statements_10%2009%20update.pdf

Play in the Preschool Classroom: Its Socio-emotional Significance and the Teacher’s Role in Play, Godwin S. Ashiabi1,2 Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 35, No. 2, October 2007. http://leadershiplinc.illinoisstate.edu/play-based-learning/documents/play_in_the_preschool_classroom.pdf

Go Play – Promoting Your Child’s Learning Through Play www.zerotothree.org

Teaching a Play-Based Curriculum by Teacher Tom. http://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/teaching-play-based-curriculum.html

What is child-led play? On nature-play.co.uk

An Invitation to Play

12 Replies

Children learn through:

being introduced to new ideas and activities (novelty)
having the chance to experiment, explore, test & re-test (repetition to achieve mastery)

In play-based learning, a parent or teacher’s role can be to set the stage with new materials, or with familiar materials combined in new ways. Then it’s the child’s role to play: experiment, explore, test and re-test.

“Invitations to play” is one way of approaching these tasks. Parents often say “my child has so many toys that they don’t even play with.” If all the toys are tidily put away in baskets, it’s hard for a child to decide what basket to pull off the shelf. If all the toys are randomly scattered about the floor, it’s hard to decide what to play with first.

We can better engage the child with a little intention. Like instead of just a box of magna-tiles sitting next to a box of toy cars on the shelf, I could set up a magna-tile garage on the table with supplies nearby to build more garages. Instead of just having a toy kitchen with all the things that are there every day, I could create new play ideas by scribbling out a menu for a cat cafe, and place a couple stuffed cats there. Even just setting a puzzle on the table with one piece sitting loose next to the puzzle is more engaging than seeing an assembled puzzle sitting there. When you look at the table, you know what to do!

Water Beads vs. Boba (Edible Tapioca Balls)

1 Reply

Water beads are FABULOUS to play with (see my last post) but bad to ingest (non-toxic, but not healthy, even potentially deadly…. again, see my last post). So, if you’ve got a little one who ALWAYS puts everything in their mouth and swallows it, they’re not a safe option.

I’d seen a recommendation to use boba – tapioca pearls like are used in bubble tea. I decided to do a side-by-side comparison.

The products

My water beads were BioGel from Creation Station. The boba was Rainbow Tapioca Pearls, ordered from Amazon. On a pound-for-pound basis, the boba was half the cost, but I had to buy a larger quantity than I would need for sensory play for one kid.

Ease of Preparation

Boba – boil water, add boba, cook for five minutes or more, drain.

Water beads – put them in water. Let them sit for six hours.

Water beads win, but both pretty easy.

Appearance

Boba for sensory play

Water beads for sensory play

As you can see, water beads are MUCH prettier than the boba. The boba was fine on its own – interesting shape, some shine, nice color. But doesn’t begin to compare to the beauty of the water beads!

Play-ability

Boba – they’re pretty sticky – stick to your hands and stick to each other – so easier to play with if you float some in water. Interesting to touch, fun to “chase” around the water and catch, fun to squish between your fingers into blobs of goop. Held my son’s attention for about 5 minutes – if he’d used these before the water beads, they might have been more interesting.

Water beads – VERY fun to play with – on their own or in water. Can be scooped, poured, picked up with tongs, and so on. (See my other post, or ideas on Pinterest.) Kept my son’s attention for a week of on-going play and exploration.

Again, the water beads are the clear winner.

Taste

Boba – bland but chewy – I told my son they were edible but the water beads absolutely were not. He popped a couple in his mouth and ate them, but not a lot. (He loves them in bubble tea, but not as much in this context, which is probably a good thing. (I generally try to keep “sensory items” and “food” in separate categories to minimize confusion.)

Water beads – tasteless and no smell, so no motivation to eat, luckily. Note: my son did not taste them, because I told him they were not edible. I did taste them (licked one), for the purposes of this review – I wanted to know if they would appeal to toddlers. FWIW: My dog also was unimpressed. We dropped one on the floor, he picked it up, carried it in his mouth for a few seconds and spit it out. This is a dog who eats lots of stuff he shouldn’t (like socks), so these must really be unappealing.

Mess and clean-up

Boba – need to wash your hands and whatever surface you played on after use – starchy, gooey.

Water beads – no clean-up needed. I dry my hands after playing with them. But my son (who is a kid who HATES being wet after water play) doesn’t even bother to dry his damp hands when he’s done.

Storage

Boba – we didn’t have them around for long – they just weren’t interesting enough to keep around. I imagine they dry out and stick together, may go bad?

Water beads – they’ve been sitting uncovered on the counter for a week, no maintenance needed. I rinsed them after a week, just for kicks. Don’t know if they were dirty.

Conclusion

Water beads are a far superior sensory material. For me, personally, with my child I will use them in the future, and not boba. If you’ve got a kid who mouths and eats everything, then the boba may be a better option for you.

Update: here are alternate directions for making tapioca water beads… I have not tested it, but it’s worth taking a look at, because they claim it works for them: https://thecraftathomefamily.com/edible-water-beads/?fbclid=IwAR3oXVvI1TUktv3l824wwp_8FT6h4aLmbhYRCBHxIAVboD4zb3RhpZaCcRw

Water Beads

19 Replies

Let’s talk about one of my favorite sensory items. On Pinterest and blogs, you’ll find lots of posts about “water beads” and using them as a sensory item for toddlers and preschoolers. For safety reasons, I don’t recommend them for children under three. (See safety note below.)

What are water beads?

Water beads are a water absorbing polymer designed to be used in flower vases. They look like tiny plastic balls till you put them in water for 6 – 8 hours, then they swell up to gelatinous marbles. They stay hydrated for days, even uncovered.

They are really interesting and appealing to touch – they feel cool, wet, squishy but not squash-able (resilient), malleable. Fun to just run your fingers through. They’re interesting to look at – really beautiful – brightly colored, shiny, reflective, and they pick up all the light in the room (they look great on light tables). They bounce. Luckily, they don’t taste like anything at all or smell like anything yummy, so not a lot of motivation to eat, which is good. (See safety note below.)

We usually use them in containers by themselves and let the kids sift their hands through them, but they’re also fun in a water table (use fish nets to catch them!).We’ve also used them with the marble maze.

img_20160326_132519369 img_20170204_134548438

Where do you get them?

They are sold in floral departments of stores, or at dollar stores, or can be ordered online (search for “water beads” or one site said to search for “polymers”). Orbeez is a good brand. I ordered MarvelBeads Water Beads Rainbow Mix, 8 oz (20,000 beads) and have been working my way through the package for a few years! (One ounce of beads makes one gallon when they’re full size, so I usually only use a small amount per class.) They can be re-used. (see below)

Important Safety Note

Water beads are non-toxic, but that doesn’t mean they’re good to eat! If a child swallowed dry ones, they could swell in their belly.

You should never give a child jumbo size water beads! (Those that are the size of a marble when dry and swell to the size of a pingpong or golf ball.) These can cause intestinal blockages which can require surgery or can be deadly. (Some jumbo beads were recalled in 2012 but they continue to be sold. Learn more about the hazards.)

So, you should only use the beads that start out tiny and only swell to marble size. They should only be used with close supervision. If your child is under age 3 or an older child who tends to mouth things, avoid them or consider some of the more baby-proofed options for water bead play described on Playing and Learning Begins at Home, such as putting them inside a transparent plastic container with a lid. Or, make edible boba (tapioca beads) instead… see this post for my comparison. Or, Fun at Home with Kids recommends basil seed.

Set-Up, Containing Mess, and Clean-Up

They do need to be soaked before use. For class, we tend to start soaking them about 90 minutes before class starts. (They get bigger if you soak them 6 hours, but they’re a little sturdier when they’re not full size.)

They do bounce and they do roll. Some parents say that their kids dump the container all over the floor and it’s a pain to clean them up. My son kept them all up on the counter, and if one dropped to the floor, he would scramble down to rescue it and return it to the container as soon as possible. In my classes, I find most kids try to keep them in the sensory bin / water table but there’s always a few escapees that we try to chase down before they get stepped on and squished. Some parents at home have had success with putting the container of water beads inside another container (like a bowl of beads inside a cake pan) and that helps catch some of the strays.

If you soak these beads for a very long time (like leaving them in water for a few days) they do get a lot more fragile and start to break apart. So if I’m using them in the water table at class, I scoop them out of the water and let them dry a bit overnight. (Apparently some brands are always pretty fragiles and kids squish them into mushy blobs. The Biogel is more resilient than that.)

If you leave them in an open bowl, they’ll stay wet / expanded for days (weeks in humid Seattle.) If you want to dry them out to store, you need to spread them out on a cookie sheet so they aren’t touching each other and it still takes days to lose all the moisture.

Play Value

When my son was three, I got our first package, and they were a huge hit! They sat in a container on the kitchen counter all week, and every breakfast and snack time, he played with them – mostly moving them from one container to another and back again. Sometimes pretending that they’re dinosaurs chatting each other up. Sometimes just rolling them around with one hand while he reads a book, or running his fingers through them when watching a video. He used tongs and spoons to move them back and forth. For very little money, they were entertainment that lasted a long time. They’re also great in classes.

Want to see lots of posts on water beads and sensory play?

Just search online! Or, go to our BC Parent Ed Pinterest board of water bead ideas.

My favorite summary is on Artful Parent. And here’s “10 Ways to play with Water Beads”

Photo credit, beads in hand: 10MFH via photopin; Tub: LizMarie_AK via photopin

Tinkering

43 Replies

At an in-service last week, after seeing this poster, I had a great conversation with one of my class’ teachers about the word “tinkering” and how great it is when parents allow their kids to tinker around, exploring, testing, fixing, breaking, and fixing again. So many skills are learned by this kind of hands-on exploration.

So, what is “tinkering”? Let’s ignore the definitions that say things like “unskillful or clumsy worker.” I like:

Children at play, discovering new materials, and exploring new uses for familiar materials are Tinkers. People who were allowed to tinker a lot as children often become engineers, or scientists, because of that approach of “what happens if I try this? Oh cool! Now, what if I do that? Ooh, even better!”

People who were allowed to tinker a lot as children also become chefs, woodworkers, architects, computer designers, graphic artists, fashion designers, and builders. Learning early on the joys of building and creating and refining sets a lifelong passion for hands-on work in a variety of fields. (Check out this great post on The Importance of Learning to Make Things.)

How do you encourage your children to tinker? Give them lots of open-ended materials (cardboard boxes, toilet paper tubes, tape, string) and time to experiment. Talk to them about their creations, asking about the process and what they learned along the way. Ask them what they want to do next with their experiment.

I like this post from Kids Stuff World on Ten Powerful Life Lessons from TInkerlab. A couple of her lessons are:

The results are not as important as the process.
The more exposure you have to a material, the more you will learn what you can do with it.
Think of everything as an experiment.

Allowing your child to play, and tinker, and putter around, helps to ensure that as they get older, they meet this definition of Tinker: “somebody good at many tasks: somebody able to do many different kinds of work successfully.” (Bing dictionary)

Check out this Forbes article: Today’s Tinkerers are Tomorrow’s Inventors.

If you’re in the Seattle area, and want to do some tinkering with your child, join our Family Inventors Lab!

More Good Days with Kids

Research, Resources & Realistic Recommendations for Parents of Kids age 1 to 7