Michelle’s Marvelous Gift Guide for Children 2017

This next weekend is the beginning of a long marketing bonanza.  Technically it's already been creeping in on us, I started hearing holiday music playing in stores before Halloween.  We can all probably agree that the world will take this season to a whole new level starting this Thursday.

I'm here to give you permission this year to minimize the spending of time and money; specifically on gifts.  I'm also here to share with you a few tips on finding gifts that will add value to your child's life rather than take away -- ones that will inspire learning.  Of course we all have opinions and these are just a collection of mine, however I have not only researched thoroughly, but also used these gifts repeatedly with children.  They rarely fail...unless the iPad is an option, which is a whole different can of worms.

Creativity
Through my experience working in many settings with all sorts of children and adults I've found one key ingredient that guarantees growth -- Creativity.

Whether it's communication, cognitive, socio-emotional, or any other function of development, igniting creativity is the engine for learning in all domains.

And how do we foster creativity?

We play.

If I want a child to learn social skills, we play tea party, house, or any game where we take turns.
If I want them to learn the names of animals, we play hide and seek to find animals.
If I want a child to learn directions, we make it into a game.

We play, then we learn.  That people is the order in which it goes and play is nearly always (never say always) the least resistant path.

There has been repeated, evidence over time to clearly show that when we play and experiment, we grow and learn at our highest capacity.  This applies to children and adults both.  Albert Einstein once said, "Play is the highest form of research."

I warn you not to underestimate the benefit of play nor the complexity of it.  There are certain characteristics that spark the finest play, which is why I have created this list.

A Gift Guide for All Children 

1.  Low Tech
I am so serious with this one you guys.  I had this lower on the list and chose to make it number one.  Screen time is an addiction and we are all victims.  Your child will do what she sees you do and her little brain is highly fragile.  It is our job as adults to protect them, which means really thinking through the long-term impact of our actions today.  If we as adults are addicted (be careful, denial is a sign), then our children are more than vulnerable.  Tread lightly and give them your time...screen free.  Observe your own personal use and limit it.  Notice I said limit it, not get rid of it.

"Technology is a useful servant, but a dangerous master." -Christian Lous Lange

The behaviors from technology addiction include:

• tantrums (crying, screaming, yelling)
• inattention
• fidgeting
• lack of creativity or ability to play imaginatively
• lack of sleep.  

Here's a red flag.  Steve Jobs and all other tech geniuses kept their children's technology use at a MINIMUM.  Stay away from technology and be firm.  Tablets are not used while I'm working with children and their complaining ends once the boundaries have been set and our relationship has been established....AND when they see and begin to use the other toys available of course.

2.  Quiet Toys
Whether your child has a speech-language delay or not you want them to talk during play, you don't want the toys to be talking, singing, or making noises for them.  Toys that are noisy can also be overstimulating and/or cause stress.

A developmental phase that isn't often explained, but observed, is a child's use of self-talk.  This is when a child is talking quietly (or not) while playing and is typical between ages 3-5 yrs.  It's developmentally appropriate and a gift that continues to give.

It's through self-talk that your child learns how to solve problems and regulate emotions. It's where the real-world and imaginary one intersect.  You and I have learned to use silent self-talk to work through problems or to-do lists...most of us that is...I still talk out loud a lot of the time. Hehe.

Now, if you do buy toys that make sounds, buy toys where the she can create the sounds.  For instance, a drum or tambourine.  She will experiment with these instruments, resulting in learning.

3.  Used Toys
This is a hard one for so many, but in all the years that I've worked with children, not one of them has noticed when a toy is new vs. used (unless they've been taught).  The majority of my therapy toys are used and they function as good as any new, expensive toy from Toys R' Us.  Children are not judgemental by nature; a toy, is a toy, is a toy.

4.  Multipurpose Toys
Searching for toys that are open-ended and can be used in multiple ways is a great way to keep your child engaged in play.  An example would be blocks.  They can be used to build towers, roads, houses, dominoes, etc.  You can build them up, knock them down, trace them for art projects, decorate them, and so much more.  Blocks are the Rocky Balboa of toys...the best.

5.  No Toys
Physical gifts are fun to open and play with, but in today's world our children are overwhelmed by stuff and lacking quality time with adults.  Taking an evening, weekend, or week to do something together either at home or away from the home is an amazing gift.

Maybe your talents are building or quilting and you spend a few evenings building a doll house, bird house, or creating a blanket with your child.  What if she helps pick out colors or starts the project with you and on Christmas day she waits for the "big reveal?"  Maybe you take her somewhere and spend quality time together unplugged from the responsibilities of the world.  Make it happen.

Toy Suggestions

1.  Building Blocks

Here are basic, wooden blocks through DINDINTOYS that are fabulous for children up to third grade (pictured below)

For older children, Legos could not be more fitting.

Here's one that I actually love too ;) and it's the Angry Birds game.  It's a real-life game, not electronic app and they can play for hours with it.

2.  Books

If you want your child to love and appreciate reading, you have to show that reading is important through your own actions.  That means you should give books on special occasions as well as read in front of them.  Children are a result of what they see.  Here are some great books for children of all ages.

Ages 0-3

• I Went Walking by Sue Williams
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr.
• Corduroy by Don Freeman
• Moo!  Baa,  La La La! by Sandra Boynton
• Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes by Annie Kubler

Ages 4-7

• The Little Mouse, The Big Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood
• Swimmy by Leo Lionni
• The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne
• What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?  by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
• Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
• Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish 

Ages 8-10

• Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
• Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
• A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle
• The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett

Ages 11+

• A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle
• Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
• Harry Potter ANYTHING by J.K. Rowling
• Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
• Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
• Joyful Noise:  Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman

3.  Tools

Fake or real depending on the age of your child, introduce her to tools of all kinds.  This could be tools for building, paint brushes for painting, crayons for coloring, a medical kit for curing...I'm sure you get the gist.

Heck, find cardboard boxes to let her draw all over and use as a fort and I guarantee she will be more than happy and entertained for hours.  Ooo...even better, turn the fort into a reading fort or creative space where she can color, paint, or read in.  The things you can do with toys (and boxes hehe) are endless!

This link from www.thisoldhouse.com gives a great list of tools for kids (pictured above).

www.forsmallhands.com is another website that has great tools for children of many ages including these manipulatives here.

A fabulous list of art supplies can be found at this blog called The Artful Parent.

Kitchen Tools can be found here for our chefs/bakers in the making!


4.  Dolls, Puppets, Dollhouses & Clothes for Dressing Up!
Boys and girls both love dollhouses, puppets, and dressing up.  Not kidding...I used to borrow a dollhouse from the school social worker and all of the children loved it.  To a point that some of them (even students who weren't on my caseload) would attempt to sneak away from their classrooms to play with the dollhouse in the room.  You can do no wrong with giving them toys that encourage your child to use her imagination.

Here are some links for you to search!
Puppets (pictured above)
Puppet Theater
Wooden Dollhouse
Melissa & Doug Dollhouse
Plastic Dollhouse
Dress Up Clothes--can be found at any second-hand shop. ;)


5.  Nature Anything
You may have already noticed, but children are fascinated with the outdoors.  They can spend hours outside and remain entertained.  When I was younger, I had several containers for catching bugs, buckets for holding dirt, and a butterfly net.  Our sandbox was also a huge hit...always.

Here are just a few suggestions...
Water Bug Viewer Container w/Net (pictured above)
Metal Bucket
Binoculars
Star & Sphere Kit
Nature Walk Bag
Build a sand, rice and/or water table!


6.  Puzzles & Games
These activities are bound to keep your child growing and learning through problem solving, organizing, sequencing, etc.

Rush Hour (Ultimate Favorite...pictured above)
IQ Twist Brainteaser...this one is really hard and has different levels of difficulty.  My students and I would lose track of our free time sometimes with this one!
Melissa & Doug- Animals Mini-Puzzle Pack
Melissa & Doug- World Map Floor Puzzle 
United States Map Puzzle

Really any puzzle that's age appropriate and game will do the trick!


7.  Trucks, Cars, & Things That Go!
The floor mats and/or carpets that have roads, buildings, etc. on them are also great.  Any trucks, cars, buses, boats, etc. that can be used to create imaginary places work wonders!  I won't post any links for these since they are easily found at local toy stores.

PC:  https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Carrier-Truck-Wooden/dp/B0037UT3E4

8.  Animals/Figurines
There is surely something about figurines that sparks language and communication.  I can't even begin to count the amount of times I've seen a little boy or girl running around with an action figure in hand, voicing all sorts of sound effects.  Kids get completely lost in play when they have animals or figurines to act out their own dreams and ambitions.

PC:  https://www.teaching.com.au/product/SK04

9.  Music, Lessons, and/or Performances
I'm putting quite a bit into one bullet here, but they all go together.  Giving your child the gift of music whether it's streaming music, taking them to lessons, or performances.  It ignites a whole new center for activity within them.

Technology has truly come so far since I was a little girl.  We used to play records in my house and I still remember the favorites I would dance to.  Subscribing to Spotify or Apple Music might be a great gift...just be sure that you too are dancing and singing along with your child sometimes.

PC:  The Land of Nod by Crate & Barrel

10.  You
Again, it is really tough for a toy to replace you as their parent, guardian, grandparent, childcare provider, teacher, etc.  The most important gifts you can give your child are your time, attention and love.  Honor her and embrace the time you have to spend with her while she's young.  Capture her creativity and be inspired to play yourself.  Escape adulthood for a few moments and ignite your inner child!  Ultimately this is what our children gift us in return.

Wishing you all a happy & safe holiday season filled with love and quality time spent with your loved ones.  Honor them with your whole heart.

Five Language Benefits of Scavenger Hunts Outside

This week has been COLD in Northern Michigan.  It's easy to want to curl up under a warm blanket and play inside as soon as the weather changes.  I mean...why get uncomfortable?

If this is where you're at, I sure hope you'll reconsider.  Nature is a key element in child development and the overall wellness of us as people.  Being outside is like magic.  It spurs imaginative play and creativity with little effort.  It also reduces stress and encourages socio-emotional wellness.

Some of my very favorite memories happened outside and I would bet I'm not alone.  I remember my mom, brother and I playing a game in the snow called "Fox and Squirrel." We ran and played for hours.  It was dark and cold outside, but the laughs were so strong and plentiful that we didn't even notice.

Here we'll look at five benefits of playing outdoors specific to language. BUT, before I get into these keep in mind all the other benefits such as cognitive and motor development!  Also...HAVE FUN!

• Vocabulary
• Describing
• Following Directions
• Recall
• Sequencing

Vocabulary
I cannot stress vocabulary building enough.  Reading and talking with our children is an extremely powerful tool in development.  Here's a little graphic that exhibits the building blocks that start with vocabulary and expression of one's ideas through written language.

VERY basic graphic showing the progression of

general language development.

The sheet below is full of examples of things you and your child(ren) can explore outside.  It's also a great visual tool for building reading awareness as they connect the picture with the word underneath each image.  If they aren't yet reading ready, then use the visuals-only or point to the word below the picture while saying it.

Describing
Building utterances into phrases and then into sentences is really based on a strong vocabulary.  However, describing helps expand vocabulary and also encourage your child to string words together to build phrases and eventually sentences.

While you're outdoors exploring all of the things on your list, try using descriptive words to expand your child's knowledge about what you're seeing or finding.  For example, maybe you see a bird walking on the ground.  A typical response might be, "do you see the bird?" and we leave it at that. Instead, be intentional about using adjectives to describe the bird you see.  This might sound like... 

"Do you see the bird?  

It's a black bird with a red belly and an orange beak.  

That bird is called a robin.  

Robin.  

Robins are black with red bellies and have orange beaks.  

Robins like to eat worms and build nests."  

**Note that your child may not repeat any of the words you give, but she is listening and processing!

You may feel like you're repeating yourself a lot.  If so, you're doing great!

Following Directions
Following directions is something adults can really "trip over" (if you will).  We assume they know what we're talking about after we spew off three or four directives.  This may not actually be the case and there could be several reasons other than, "they just don't listen" that your child is having difficulty following directions.  Outdoor scavenger hunts lend many moments to focus on practicing these skills.  To help build their ability to follow direction, use words such as:

You can incorporate following directions into this by saying, "First find a flower, then find a piece of grass," or "Find a red leaf on the ground."

Tips if they're still learning or having difficulty...

• Have them repeat the direction you give back to them.
• Point to the picture in the appropriate order while verbally giving the direction.
• Simplify the direction given (i.e. "First find a flower, then find a piece of grass," becomes "first flower, then grass."

Recalling
Recalling and sequencing go great together and I've included both pages that complement one another very well as a full activity.  After you've been scavenging, recall some of the items you've found and places you've found them with your child.  If they can't tell you verbally, let them find pictures of what they found (see below).  It's like finishing a circle when we come back to what we've done and recall what we've gleaned.  This gives you an idea of what your child is able to recall and also fill in the gaps and build bridges for learning these skills.

Sequencing
If you're developing sequencing or modeling the order in which events occur, directional words are SO important.  The conversation may start out like, "first we will find the sun, then we will point to the cloud."  Using words such as "first, second, third, last, before, after, etc." are all important concepts for our kiddos to latch onto and understand in order to improve their communication skills.

There is so much to learn beyond the walls of our homes.  It's not always comfortable.  It may be cold, rainy, hot, or snowing, but it can be such a great recharge and learning experience for you and your kids.  So bundle up and get outside friends!