As we move into our 17th month of Play to Learn....(Wow! 17 months have flown by I must say)  we are discovering and experiencing that our programs draw quite a crowd at times.  When I look back at the beginning, I remember days when we had 20 or less and I thought that was incredible.  Now we see groups as large as 90 at some of our locations... it's mind boggling to think of offering a circle time for 90 adults and children.  It is such great fun!  I consistently welcome the challenge, joy, and am so excited to see the learning that takes place in such a crowd even when it may look or seem impossible. 
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Dollars invested in early learning reap a bounty of benifits for each child, family, and our state.  This Saturday night, January 9 at 9pm, King 5 TV will feature "Learning for Life: The Path to Better Early Education". This special was created in a partnership between Thrive by Five and King 5 to highlight our state's action on this important topic.   

Don't miss this conversation about what our state is doing to set a strong foundation for life long learning.

Or for more segments on early learning topics, like our favorite - PLAY, visit the Thrive by Five website about Learning for Life.  And stay tuned to our blog for more about the Children's Museum of Tacoma's involvement in early learning in Pierce County and beyond.

 

While I was talking with a mom at our Play to Learn program, she shared her love of the program, which is always wonderful to hear, but she also said a few things I had not heard in the same way before. 

She told me that her two children have become more playful and more joyful- something she hadn't realized as deficient until she came to Play to Learn.  She claims they have more fun now at home and play longer together as a family....laughing more, reading more, and learning happily.

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In a new study, the amount of television viewed by many young children in child care settings doubles the previous estimates of early childhood screen time, with those in home-based settings watching significantly more on average than those in center-based daycares.

This study is the first to examine screen time in child care settings in more than 20 years. The study looked at television use in 168 child care programs in four states, and was guided by lead researcher Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children's Research Institute and professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Read more →

I am always fascinated by the creative ways children attempt to hold, use and manipulate scissors.  As adults, we want to teach them the "correct" way even when they are very young or not let them use scissors at all until they are older. 

Truth is...scissors are tricky and they require some intense fine motor skills and muscle control.  It takes time for children to develop these skills and they can become easily frustrated during the process.
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Creative thoughts and actions happen every minute in a child's life.  Unfettered by adult conventions, children are free to express new ideas.  Walk through the Children's Museum of Tacoma and you will see creative thoughts flowing as children play everyday.

Most of these creative moments remain with the child, helping them to make sense of the world.  They are expressed in simple ways as children use the skills and materials available to them to share their ideas.  Yet their simple marks on paper or constructs out of sticks are windows into the lives of future artists and engineers. Read more →

Children get ready to read years before they start school. Grown ups can prepare children for reading by helping them have fun with words and stories.

Talking to children, asking them to share their stories in words or pictures, playing with books and singing rhyming songs creates the foundation for strong literacy skills. Read more →

Did you happen to catch the monthly installment of Learning for Life on King 5 on Sunday? I don't watch a lot of tv on the weekends so I missed it however the resources are still available.

Learning for Life is a partnership between Thrive by Five and King 5 that offers great resources for parents. This month's focus was all about getting your child ready for kindergarten. It's not just about holding your pencil and writing your name!
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Our Spring 2009 newsletter features an article "What If? Nurturing the Creative Process". At the Children's Museum of Tacoma we believe in supporting the development of creative minds. That's why we referenced Ken Robinson's book Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative in our article.

Sir Robinson has a new book out The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. Last Tuesday he was featured on KUOW's Weekday program. Take a listen at http://www.kuow.org/program.php?current=WK1 and consider WHAT IF?

Children's Museum staff often shares articles regarding play, learning, and young children. We look forward to sharing these with you here. To get us started, I have some recent items regarding financial literacy (money!) - a hot topic these days both inside the Museum and out.
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Both Governor Chris Gregoire and event chair Charley Bingham quoted a study on the rate of return for early learning investments at the Children's Museum of Tacoma's annual Power of Play Lunch. Here are some more details. Read more →