Mortar & Pestals

One of our favorite activities at You're Invited is working

with mortar & pestals!!

We provide the children with bowls of different textures, smells & tastes and the children experiment with their very own "creations." There is so much learning going on with this activity! The friends are experiencing science because they get to determine the mixtures and combinations. Also being developed is their creativity and learning cause and effect. Also, all of their senses are being engaged.

This is an easy activity to provide for children and not very expensive once you've invested a small amount into a collection of mortar & pestals and trays.

We found the mortar & pestals on Ebay or at Worlds Fair Market for around $7 each!

The "ingredients" are seasonings from your pantry (or the 99cent store) and we added fresh rosemary, gardenia petals and mint from our own garden.

We also have salt and flour, each each with a koolaid packet mixed in for scent and color. Other great ideas are brown sugar, oatmeal, cornmeal, cocoa, peanuts (watch for allergies), bacon bits (very scentful) and we combine water with a flavored extract in paint cups with droppers!

Notice the mortars are on trays. This is done to give the children their own space and keeps the mess to a minimum!! When a child is done with this activity we either empty their mortar into the trash or back into a bowl for another friend to use.

Mortar & Pestal activites also give children agreat opportunity to develop a sense of their own power when they pound, mush, combine, determine how much and what ingredients they will use for their "creation"

For a list of mortar & pestal ingredients and activity ideas, send me an email at

youreinvitedchildrenscenter@gmail.com

Will they be ready for Kindergarten?
By Jami West

AT YOU'RE INVITED CHILDREN'S CENTER (SEE LINK) WE DO NOT SPEND OUR TIME WITH THE CHILDREN MAKING SURE THEY KNOW LETTERS AND NUMBERS OR THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO WRITE THEIR NAME, OR IDENTIFY COLORS. WE KNOW THAT THESE THINGS WILL COME. HOW DO WE KNOW?

BECAUSE OUR ENVIRONMENT IS SET UP TO PROVIDE MORE THAN ENOUGH OPPORTUNITIES FOR WRITING, READING, COUNTING, FIGURING THINGS OUT, MUSIC, BECOMING FAMILIAR WITH PRINT, SEQUENCING AND MORE. WHEN THE CHILD IS READY IT IS THERE FOR THEM TO ENGAGE AND EXPERIENCE
.
WHAT WE DO, ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, IS HELP GET THEM READY TO BE SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE. HOW DO WE DO THAT?

BY LOVING THEM TRULY AND UNCONDITIONALLY

BY KNOWING THEM AND RESPECTING THEM

BY ENCOURAGING THEM TO TAKE RISKS

ALLOWING THEM TO DIRECT THEIR OWN LEARNING AND OFFERING ACTIVITIES WHERE THE END RESULT IS NOT DETERMINED BY ANYONE BUT THEM. BY GIVING THEM FREEDOM TO BE WHO THEY ARE

BY OFFERING LARGE AMOUNTS OF FREE TIME, AND BY KNOWING THAT, DEVELOPMENTALLY, EACH AND EVERY CHILD IS EXACTLY WHERE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE.

Welcome Welcome

Its 12:47 am and I had to get out of bed because I couldn't stop thinking about important matters of the world - "sharing" and saying "I'm sorry." As I sat here with a pen an paper and worked out how to share my thoughts on the detriment of forcing both of these expectations on young children I considered how often I find myself processing like this and it dawned on me ... I need to blog, so wooo hooo! Here I am and I am excited! But thats enough for tonight, I have to be up in few hours. Next time, more on sharing and sorry.