Sarah Brenkert joined the Children’s Museum of Denver in September 2010 as Director of Education. She has worked with young children, families and educators for 15 years and holds a master’s in education from Bank Street College in New York City. She has a background in child development, informal learning environments and experiential education approaches. In this article, Sarah shares her experiences as a parent of two young children: Vivian, 1, and Liam, 4.
The Great Indoors
Shorter hours of sunlight and dreary weather can make
for some tedious days this time of year. And by tedious, I
also mean potentially perilous, as I seem to have spent an
inordinate amount of time prying my athletic 4-year-old off
bookshelves and out of windowsills as he attempts to a)
fly and b) burn off some of his infinite energy. As a parent
of two kiddos under the age of five, I must admit that
coffee spurted out my nose just a little when I read a
well-intentioned education expert writing that winter
days provide parents “the delightful opportunity to spend
lots of time indoors with their young children.” Ha!
But in many ways, she is right. Winter days together are full
of opportunities to use simple materials to connect with our
kids and share a joyful experience. While you can’t go wrong
bundling up and romping outdoors, here are a few ideas for
those “have to be inside” days that beat a DVD every time.
Get Your Art On…
…literally! Children love any opportunity to paint, draw,
collage and scribble, and a well-stocked art box is a must-have.
For a sensory-rich twist on the classic art project, consider
body painting. You’ll need washable non-toxic tempera
paints or body lotion mixed with a few drops of food
coloring. Cover the bathroom floor with towels and strip
down to bathing suits or diapers. Gently decorate each
other’s bodies using foam, soft bristle brushes or sponges
dipped in paint. (Remind kids not to paint faces so no paint
or paintbrush gets near the eyes.)
To extend the learning:
• It can be fun for older preschoolers to close their eyes, feel
letters slowly being painted on their arm, belly or back, and
try to decipher the letters.
• Talk with your child about the sensations he is experiencing.
Alternate long, smooth strokes with quick short strokes
and offer names for what he might be feeling: “smooth,”
“scratchy” or “soft.”
• Name body parts as you paint, and think together of all
the ways those body parts can move.
Now just fill the bath! When the masterpieces are complete,
take a photograph (or six) and hit the tub.
Note: Babies younger than 18 months – who already
experience their world with all their senses and paint
themselves with food regularly – don’t usually appreciate
the novelty of this activity.
On the move!
How do you channel the boundless energy of young kids
when you’re stuck inside? Put away the breakables and
construct an obstacle course with pillows, couch cushions,
ride-on toys and big cardboard boxes. Older kids and
toddlers alike will enjoy an indoor triathlon, which could
last all morning.
Scatter the pillows and cushions around carpeted areas of
the house to establish the route. In between, station cars to
drive, balls to roll through tubes and open cardboard boxes
to crawl through. You can also make lines on the floor with
painters’ tape and invite your child to walk on the tape
without stepping off. For a change of pace, turn on some
energetic music and challenge each other to complete the
course before the song ends.
To extend the learning:
• Take turns being the “play-by-play” announcer for the
people doing the obstacle course. When it’s your turn, use
lots of positional words (above, below, over, under, inside,
outside, etc.) to help your child connect spatial reasoning
and new vocabulary with her physical experience.
• Teach your children how to take their pulse or count how
many breaths they take in a minute while resting before the
course. Measure again after racing, and talk about how
good it feels to get our hearts pumping and lungs working.
While nobody looks forward to frigid afternoons stuck inside,
they have the potential to blossom with play and learning.
The wise, caring folks at United Way’s Born Learning initiative
put it this way, “Children are constantly learning, right from
birth. Their early years are the foundation for growth and
development, and what they
learn during those years
depends on the experiences
they have each and every
day. This is our greatest
challenge as caregivers, as
well as our greatest
opportunity.”
Happy Winter!
