Blog: Middlers

Good morning! It’s the middle of another week and the middle of July today. The weather will be hot again, as usual, so we have included an invitation to help your child stay cool.

Dramatic Play Invitation: Library

Dramatic play offers children an opportunity to try out adult roles, to become something or someone new, and to process events that are happening or have happened. Today we wonder how much children remember about going to the library. We hope you have access to books and magazines and can work with your child to set up an imaginary library somewhere in your home. Your child can be the library patron or the librarian helping to put the books away when they are turned in, helping their dolls or stuffed animals (or trucks) pick out books they will like, and scanning the books to check them out. If you are feeling excited about this invitation, you could also recreate some of the wonderful library programming like a book character photo scavenger hunt or battle of the books voting bracket. There are also library storytimes hosted by real Durham County Library librarians available on the DCL Youtube channel.

Language/Literacy Invitation: Storyteller’s workshop

Today we are wondering again what stories your child has to tell. Are they telling stories from books? Are they processing and narrating events from their own life? You can record the stories as audio files, invite your child to create a book, or write down their words as they tell the story. You can also extend the library dramatic play idea and invite your child to have a library storytime for their stuffed animals. 

Sensory Invitation: Melting ice explorations

This invitation involves ice, if you don’t have any at the moment, put some small containers (or an ice cube tray) full of water in the freezer now so it will be ready when it is really hot this afternoon. 

Today we are combining two explorations: how ice is affected by water, and color mixing. You will need several small containers that you can fill with water and a drop of food coloring, a spoon or two, and a rimmed baking pan to hold everything. Put the ice on the tray and offer it to your child along with the colored water and spoons. See where the materials take them. 

Good morning! Here are three invitations for middlers today.

Sensory Invitation: Exploring herbs

You can offer this invitation with dried herbs and spices from your pantry, or fresh herbs from a garden (or the grocery store). If you are using dried herbs, pull out bottles of herbs and spices (avoid things that are very spicy such as cayenne pepper). Invite your child to open the lids and smell the contents of the bottles. You can narrate what you see your child doing and initiate conversations. We suggest using open ended questions like, “what would you cook with this?” or “what does this remind you of?”

If you are using fresh herbs, you can also have your child explore the leaves and stems with their fingers, you can add questions about how the herbs feel and how they are similar and different. Much of this work will be adult noticing and narration of what the child is doing.

Cooking Invitation: Making basil sauce for pasta

You can make this simple pasta sauce using a mortar and pestle or a food processor. Your child can work with you peeling the garlic, washing and measuring the basil, grinding things in the mortar and pestle.

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup packed basil leaves
• ⅓ cup olive oil or more as needed
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or parmesan)
• Kosher salt as needed

Mortar and pestle method: Combine garlic and basil leaves in the mortar and pestle and grind until smooth-ish. Slowly add the olive oil and continue to blend. Add cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Serve on pasta or rice.

Food processor method: Combine everything in a food processor, pulse until blended. Serve on pasta or rice.

Art Invitation: Painting

Today we invite you to think back over the past several months, thinking about the paint offerings you have set out for your child. What was their favorite? Do they prefer finger paint, watercolors, tempera paints with brushes? Was there something they were tentative about trying? Consider setting that up again and inviting your child to explore. You can add richness to the invitation with different colors, brushes, or a different canvas.

Good morning! We hope you were able to find some time for rest over the weekend and that you were able to stay cool! July weather has really arrived! Here are three invitations for busy middlers today.

Large/Fine Motor Invitation: Durham County Library indoor obstacle course

We mentioned a couple of weeks ago that Durham County Library’s Summer Reading program is happening now. As part of that program, they are posting virtual storytimes and other informative and fun content on their Youtube channel. We really liked their idea for an indoor obstacle course that involves not only physical, but cognitive challenges as well! What obstacles will you and your child come up with? Stacking blocks, completing a puzzle, or sorting some objects by color?

Art Invitation: Colored pencils and paper

This simple opportunity for creative expression and exploring mark making is a favorite at Lakewood. Colored pencils can be used for bold designs, light shading, and layering to create different colors and textures. We offer them frequently so children gain facility with this medium.

Nature/Science Invitation: Checking on your plant

Last week we suggested inviting your child to find a plant to befriend somewhere closeby. Today we are wondering how their plant is doing? In the summer plants can change quickly! Tomatoes grow and ripen, flowers turn to seedpods, leaves wilt in the heat. See if your child would like to make a drawing or take a photograph of their plant today. Ask if there are ways they would like to care for it. Does it need water? Would it like to hear your child tell it a story or sing it a song?

Happy Friday! We are wishing you a happy and healthy weekend. Here are three invitations for middlers today.

Outdoor/Science Invitation: Foil river with boats

For this invitation you will need some foil (heavy duty works best), water and a small boat or two. If you don’t have any boats, invite your child to create some from leaves or sticks. Work with your child to create a riverbed from the foil and then add a small flow of water and float the boats down the stream. Your child might have other ideas of things to float down the river as well, or it might evolve into a sink/float investigation. 

Language/Literacy Invitation: Firebird by Misty Copeland

As a literacy invitation today, we suggest sharing the book Firebird by Misty Copeland. You can find the ebook through Durham County Library, or listen to the book read aloud here. You can also find a short video of Misty dancing through this link. It may lead to a Friday dance party!

Art/Fine Motor Invitation: Paint and paper flowers

Set out a piece of paper, some paints and paper, cloth or dried flowers (fresh might work as well), and a paintbrush. You might also want a paper towel and a small container of water for rinsing brushes. Invite your child to create something using these materials. They may use the flowers as brushes, or adhere them to their work using the paint.