Learning Through Play Archives - Not another slippery dip

How to keep your kids entertained on the school holidays

October 4, 2016 By Michaela Fox

Keeping the kids entertained on the school holidays

Dedicate a day to arts and craft

School holidays. Two words that are likely to incite excitement and dread in equal measure. The upside of the school break is that our kids get a much-needed break from the busy days of school. And let’s not forget about the parents who get much-needed respite from making lunch boxes and the endless school drop offs, pick ups, readers and extra curricular activities!

But, often our fantasy of such a break and the reality of the break are diametrically opposed. When my kids were little I wrote this post about my attempts to keep them entertained with my sanity in tact. I managed to entertain them, but the sanity part is debatable! Now they are a bit older, I look forward to the holidays with a fair degree of enthusiasm. The school term is so harried and I welcome the down time and slow parenting. But, after weeks of anticipation, four days of bliss, the “Mum, I’m booooored” line will inevitably echo around the family walls.

So, for many of us (honest) mums, the school holidays comes with a certain amount of dread. How will we keep the kids entertained for two entire weeks with our sanity and bank balances in tact? I like to mix up the holidays with a good balance of slow, at-home days, and activities outside the home. Here are my top tips for keeping the little ones entertained:…

The power of play & Sylvanian Families giveaway

November 4, 2015 By Michaela Fox

A world of imagination

I write here on the blog about the importance of play in a child’s world. Play is one of the most critical elements of early development and “play” is what kids enjoy naturally. The benefits of play-based learning are well established. Play encourages language and conversation which is an important foundation for literacy. It also helps build confidence and important social skills. And play develops and fosters imagination, creativity and self-expression. Essential life skills are learned through play, and that this cannot be undervalued. Most importantly, play is fun. And kids need a lot of it.

I am a big advocate of play-based learning in preschool and at home. And my favourite kind is the free, “unstructured” (read: unsupervised) play. I love observing my kids immersed in imaginative play, acting out their own narrative. Role playing “mums and dads” is their favourite game and can be quite, er, “revealing”. When my kids were very young I tired of floor play easily. Puzzles were not my thing and let’s face it, stacking up cups and knocking them down again wears thin pretty quickly (for the parents, that is)!…

Wordless Wednesday: Simple pleasures

May 26, 2015 By Michaela Fox

Caught it!

It never ceases to amaze me how little kids need to be happy. They find entertainment climbing trees, picking up millipedes and going on nature trails. Most of us are guilty of having far more toys and gadgets than our children need. More often, it’s the simplest things that amuse them the most. Of course, a childhood is not all chasing butterflies and making daisy chains, but isn’t it lovely when it is this pure and uncomplicated….

Wordless Wednesday: The art of play

January 28, 2015 By Michaela Fox

My little artist

We gave Miss A a tabletop art easel for Christmas. She loves drawing and painting and has shown quite an artistic inclination and talent from a young age. I love watching her create something from a blank canvas. Unlike her younger siblings, she can sit and focus on one task for a long time. After breakfast she goes straight to the craft tubs and begins drawing. After drawing, she then begins crafting (is that a word?). She will happily build, make and create all day long. She produces about a dozen works of art a day. In fact, we are drowning in her artistic creations, but I can’t bear to discard many.

I love her curiosity, care and quiet patience. I love watching her work; weaving her own narrative around a blob of paint, mosaic or glitter glue. I love her persistence and precision. Most of all I just love watching her eyes as she creates, quietly focussed and determined, blazing with imagination and wonder….

11 precious things about parenting preschoolers

November 9, 2014 By Michaela Fox

Embracing simplicity

Turbulent. Challenging. Exasperating. Exhausting. Welcome to the preschool years: a roller coaster ride of highs and lows. Where reason and logic fails and mystery and confusion prevails. The early years of parenting can be particularly challenging. I should know – I am parenting three preschoolers concurrently!

These emotionally charged years, while exhausting and confusing, are unique years as a parent. While these years can be tiring, vexing and grueling, little kids imbue most days with magic and possibility. Parenting young children is defined by extremes:…

What makes kids happy?

September 24, 2014 By Michaela Fox

Child’s play

We all want our kids to be healthy, strong, kind and capable. Mostly, though, we want them to be happy. And yet in our quest to raise happy children we often overlook the simplest ingredients of a happy childhood. So, what makes kids happy? It’s not the latest gadget or digital device. It doesn’t cost money and it can’t be downloaded. It is pure and it is instinctive. Happiness is found in play.

Here is a list of 15 innate things that, all the world over, kids enjoy….

Why music matters in early childhood

December 2, 2013 By Michaela Fox

Music matters in early childhood

Once a week I take my three young daughters to a music class for preschoolers. For 45 minutes the girls are immersed in a wonderful creative experience. With charged enthusiasm, they explore the narrative and movement of music and dance. It’s the highlight of their week. To them, it is simple fun; it’s instinctual and playful. And yet, this experience is giving them much more than fun.

Research shows that music plays a powerful role in the cognitive development of children. Exposure to music helps build children’s brains. But the benefits don’t stop there. Music inspires creativity, increases confidence, teaches discipline, improves self-esteem and is good for memory skills….

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