Moments Under the Tree

I love trees and the gifts they provide... 
At You're Invited we are so fortunate to have several trees and I believe ours are being used to  to fullest of God's intentions for providing them to us.  Some of these trees are huge and provide the best natural shade and we are blessed to have a few that offer even more gifts.  Our trees that have low, strong branches provide endless opportunities for our children.  Low branches provide a feeling of being enclosed and give children a place that feels like their own little shelter.  Swings are possible when branches are low and of course the amazing, powerful feat of being able to climb something "hugemungus" like a tree.  As much as these trees offer, they can not be fully utilized without offering children the time to use them to their fullest potential.
     It is so important that children are given long amounts of time with the freedom to make their own choices in their play.    It easy to be convinced of the fallacy that children need to constantly be presented with curriculum and provided with information constantly.  The intention behind these overly structured environments is to "get them ready"  but what happens are children that can be stressed, overwhelmed and unable to think on their own.  They become dependent on outside resources to be stimulated and they don't develop the inner resources that can equip them for their future.
     Children need to be given time and spaces that are rich for building language and friendships, working out drama and creating pretend dramas, they need the time and space to be free, to think without interruption, to dream and to relax. 

After School Care Makes Sense!!

Did you know that statistics show that most juvenile crime occurs in the hours immediately following school dismissal? (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 1999). The rate of juvenile violence in the afterschool period is four times the rate than any other period of time. Why, then, have county subsidy agencies decided to abruptly to discontinue paying for low income children to attend afterschool care when a child turns 11 years old? That is, for most children, 6th grade! Families, most often single mothers, will most likely be forced to have these very young children home alone, fending for themselves, or be cared for by an older sibling. This is not how I feel is the best possible way for our government agencies to take care of the children in our community. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention study suggests that the potential for reducing a community’s juvenile violent crime rate is greatest in our efforts to reduce juvenile crime after school. Several studies have also shown that afterschool programs can decrease juvenile crime and youth participation in risky behaviors, the type which often leads to violence (Fox and Newman 1997). School Age Care by You’re Invited suggests as well, that afterschool programs, like ours, that offer students supervised and engaged structured activities during the high-risk period (e.g., 3:00-5:00pm), are necessary and it seems the cost of what quality afterschool care is, is substantially less than what it can cost our community in the long run. In our desire to promote the “it takes a village” philosophy at You’re Invited we are looking at starting reduced or free tuition scholarships for families with children ages 11-13 years. Our hope at School Age Care by You’re Invited is to continue providing a safe place for children in these very important years to be safe and develop social skills, character development. The greatest return on our investment in these children is to help them to grow the best they can and they return these skills as contributing members of our community.

If you are interested in more information about helping our low-income families keep their children in quality care or about any of our other programs please feel free to contact us.

*Fox, J.A., and S.A. Newman. 1997. After-School Crime or After-School Programs: Tuning in to the Prime Time for Violent Juvenile Crime and Implications for National Policy. A Report to the United States Attorney General. Washington, DC: Fight Crime: Invest in Kids.

Going Up The Slide The Wrong Way!!

Many preschools (and public) schools have instilled these hard set rules about appropriate outdoor play. Kids cant swing on their bellies (great for proprioception), can only ride trikes on a path and the path is usually a circle (not very risky), cant move items outside their designated play space (not encouraging teamwork and creativity), and can't go up the slide the wrong way!

Have there been serious maming and disfiguring accidents that I dont know about or have we made decisions putting our possible legal liabilities and paranoia over the developmental needs of our children? I read an article recently that spoke of playground accident related lawsuits have actually increasing since this recent push of boring, static playgrounds with restrictive rules.

This picture taken at my school shows the beauty that can happen when children are allowed to "go up the wrong way on the slide." I think the joy on the face of the girl with the extended arm can be enough to encourage us to rethink our outdoor play rules. I wish I could have recorded her giggle! She is a 3 year old helping her older 4 year old friend up, modeling teamwork for the 2 year old friend next to her. Bliss!!

When children are supervised well and given opportunities to use outdoor equipment in ways that allow risk, creativity and challenge it will translate into positive self worth, confidence, and cooperation skills.

ARRRRRRR Matey, Pirate Fun for Preschool!

Creating Pirate costumes for Pirate week!

Creating telescopes!!

More fun & learning with the Pirate theme!
Look, I made an ocean!" (playdough with boats & pirates)

Outside we had these activities:
"Cozy Area w/ pirate booksPirate Puzzle

Counting coins and cash from the pirates treasure chest!
The friends also learned and had fun doing these activities:

Created Pirate Hooks, borrowed from www.busybeekidscrafts.com/Pirate-crafts.html

Outdoor treasure hunt with treasure maps (learning the letter X)

Used a plank of wood and a kiddie pool to, yep you guessed it, "walk the plank"

The friend dicated pirate stories then they decorated page with Jolly Roger stickers (we learned how the Pirate flag got its name from Roger, the Jolly Pirate)

We read these great stories:
Do Pirates Take Baths, Kathy Tucker (our favorite!)
Pirate Girl, Cornelia Funke, et al
, Roger, the Jolly Pirate, Brett Helquist

A Day at You're Invited Children's Center