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As most of you know, I run a preschool 3 hrs/day 4 days/week. I wanted to try an experiment the week of December 13th (their last week before a 3-week break). I want to have a no toy week. I will have available containers, boxes, some art materials, blankets, pillows, preschool-made books and other materials from around the house. Here is my letter to parents about it:
During free play on Thursday, I watched the children play with just 2 large storage baskets for over 45 minutes. They were climbing in them, dragging each other around and putting them on their heads. I started thinking about what children did years ago before toys were mass produced and before their parents had the means to purchase toys. Now our children are surrounded not only by an abundance of toys, but expensive toys. And toys that DO everything for them. Instead of opening children's minds, many toys today can only be played with in one pre-determined way decided by a manufacturer, not a child.
So, in revolt (
) I've decided to have a NO TOY week at preschool. When your child arrives on Monday (or Tuesday) next week they will find no toys in the playroom, none in my livingroom and none outside. That's right, NO TOYS!
How will we manage? Instead of toys, I will supply an abundance of everyday and recyclable materials: baskets, boxes, tubing, ribbons, packing materials, pillows, blankets, fabric scraps and several other items from around the house. The children will be encouraged to use their imaginations. If they want to play with a train, they can use boxes to be the train. Or they can draw a train. Or they can use people to be a train. The point is, they will have to figure out how to do it. I will encourage and support, but won't do it for them.
Really, no toys? Ok, I'm keeping in our wooden block set (it's homemade so I figure it's okay...hahaha), crayons, glue, paper, and other art materials so that we can make our own toys if we desire. We'll probably also have several balls available as those are difficult to reproduce from everyday materials and are a wonderful open-ended material that can be played with in a multitude of ways.
How can you help? In addition to NO TOYS, we will have no books! I know, I know, books are important for children's understanding of the world, and their language skills and social skills. I will have book-making materials available to the children all week and I'd like you to work with your child to make a few books for the preschool.
You can pick up all of your book-making supplies at preschool. You and your child can make as many as you'd like.
Book-making suggestions:
1. Follow your child's lead.
2. Don't do it for them!
3. Use simple materials. Allow them to use crayons, markers, paint, whatever (but please, no stickers, glitter paints, sequins etc.).
4. If they want to make a 3-d book, they might use yarn, popsicle sticks, cut up boxes, cotton balls, etc. Whatever you can find around your house.
5. Older kids might tell a story about what they are drawing, feel free to write it on the book.
6. Make sure that you (or the child) puts their name on it.
I will be sure to take a lot of photos and let you know how the week goes!! I've never done this before, so I can't wait to see the results!
This is manageable, right? Do you have any other suggestions for what I should make available to the children? Any other ideas on how the parents can help (they really like to be involved)? Yikes...I can do this, right??
During free play on Thursday, I watched the children play with just 2 large storage baskets for over 45 minutes. They were climbing in them, dragging each other around and putting them on their heads. I started thinking about what children did years ago before toys were mass produced and before their parents had the means to purchase toys. Now our children are surrounded not only by an abundance of toys, but expensive toys. And toys that DO everything for them. Instead of opening children's minds, many toys today can only be played with in one pre-determined way decided by a manufacturer, not a child.
So, in revolt (
) I've decided to have a NO TOY week at preschool. When your child arrives on Monday (or Tuesday) next week they will find no toys in the playroom, none in my livingroom and none outside. That's right, NO TOYS!How will we manage? Instead of toys, I will supply an abundance of everyday and recyclable materials: baskets, boxes, tubing, ribbons, packing materials, pillows, blankets, fabric scraps and several other items from around the house. The children will be encouraged to use their imaginations. If they want to play with a train, they can use boxes to be the train. Or they can draw a train. Or they can use people to be a train. The point is, they will have to figure out how to do it. I will encourage and support, but won't do it for them.
Really, no toys? Ok, I'm keeping in our wooden block set (it's homemade so I figure it's okay...hahaha), crayons, glue, paper, and other art materials so that we can make our own toys if we desire. We'll probably also have several balls available as those are difficult to reproduce from everyday materials and are a wonderful open-ended material that can be played with in a multitude of ways.
How can you help? In addition to NO TOYS, we will have no books! I know, I know, books are important for children's understanding of the world, and their language skills and social skills. I will have book-making materials available to the children all week and I'd like you to work with your child to make a few books for the preschool.
You can pick up all of your book-making supplies at preschool. You and your child can make as many as you'd like.
Book-making suggestions:
1. Follow your child's lead.
2. Don't do it for them!
3. Use simple materials. Allow them to use crayons, markers, paint, whatever (but please, no stickers, glitter paints, sequins etc.).
4. If they want to make a 3-d book, they might use yarn, popsicle sticks, cut up boxes, cotton balls, etc. Whatever you can find around your house.
5. Older kids might tell a story about what they are drawing, feel free to write it on the book.
6. Make sure that you (or the child) puts their name on it.
I will be sure to take a lot of photos and let you know how the week goes!! I've never done this before, so I can't wait to see the results!
This is manageable, right? Do you have any other suggestions for what I should make available to the children? Any other ideas on how the parents can help (they really like to be involved)? Yikes...I can do this, right??
)
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