Cart - Stories of Play

Hit enter to search or ESC to close

0

was successfully added to your cart.

Home
Hello There!
Blog
Contact

Your cart is currently empty.

0 Shares

Stories of Play on Instagram

“Math isn’t meant to be memorised. It is meant

“Math isn’t meant to be memorised. It is meant to be understood”

I could not like this more if I tried! Thank you for giving me permission to repost this wonderful graphic Neily @countingwithkids along with a funny story of ours from today 😂

Earlier this morning, all 3 girls woke up too early for our liking and the hubs and I just weren’t ready to get up yet.

“Can we have breakfast now daddy?” Miss 4 asked

“Daddy will get up in 1 minute ok” hubs replied (big mistake 1)

“Can I have your watch please daddy?” Miss 4 continued

“Sure” the hubs sleepily reached over to his bedside table to grab his digital watch and hands it to her (big mistake 2)

Exactly ONE minute later, no more no less...
“It’s 1 minute now daddy! Time to wake up mummy!” 🙄🤣

Moral of the story - children will learn math and understand it and be able to apply it in any situation with the right context as long as it’s meaningful and relevant to them! Don’t you worry my friend!

Have you got an #authenticlearning math story to share? 👇🏼
Bonus points if it’s funny hahaha!

p.s. this digital watch has also been of great value this week solving fights between the girls as they work out how much time they each get to have with a particular toy they all want before they have to pass it on to their sibling 🙌🏼

This has been on my ❤️ to share for the longes

This has been on my ❤️ to share for the longest time so here it is.

I love this play community to bits. I’m so grateful for the beautiful teachers/mamas that I’ve had the privilege of connecting with, and the stackloads of inspiration that’s found here.

But I’m also aware of how easy it is to look at the setups you see here & feel discouraged that you’re not doing enough, or that a certain activity/toy wouldn’t work in your home because your kids or even you yourself as the parent are “not wired” a certain way, or even that you don’t have ANY of the beautiful toys you see.

To all that I just want to say, BE INSPIRED by all the activities and setups you see here, but then DECIDE for yourself what would work for you & your family, and then BE CONFIDENT of and OWN the decisions you make as the gatekeeper of your home.

For instance I love talking about what having a home art space that’s freely accessible to my girls 24/7 means to me and my family. I OWN it and I’m not afraid to shout about the joys, challenges & benefits of having one. But if you find that this just would not work for you for whatever reason, that’s totally fine! 🙂 Every family’s dynamics, values and journey is different.

Now in the spirit of full disclosure, I thought I’d share some things I see on this IG that I’m totally inspired by and LOVE seeing, but have decided it’s not for US. They include coloring pages, printables, how-to crafts, sensory play that mixes wet & dry mediums, once-off sensory play using food items (so cooked spaghetti, jelly etc) and fun activities for children to “learn through play”.

These are activities and materials I have very intentionally chosen not to include as part of my children’s play because I either personally can’t deal 😆🙈 or because it just doesn’t sit right with my beliefs of how children learn, my values and the values I want to instill in my children.

Bottom line, we have to make decisions that best suit our values, beliefs and family’s unique circumstances. But as long as you are championing play in your home, I’ll be cheering you on, whether you use spaghetti or not 😉

What are some activities you see on IG that you’ll NEVER do? 👇🏼☺️

When I was a first-time mum, I couldn’t wait for

When I was a first-time mum, I couldn’t wait for my baby to grow up and hit all of her developmental milestones

Couldn’t wait for her to roll
Crawl
Sit up unassisted
Eat solids
Say her first words
Call mama
Wave hello
Clap
Pull herself to stand
Walk
Sleep through the night
Talk in sentences
Count
Know her letters, numbers, colours, animals
Draw, write, paint beautiful pictures, use scissors, build towers, knead playdough etc

I was so focused on doing everything right and by the book
So focused on helping her get to the next step

That I forgot about the now
Blinked and it was gone

It was only when I had my second and third that I was given the gift of looking at my children with new eyes

And slowing down to appreciate the NOW season instead of wishing for the next

My littlest turns 2 today and to be completely honest, as joyful and wonderful a day we’ve had, it’s also been extremely hard for me emotionally

I was supposed to be about 22 weeks pregnant now and today, I am reminded that I am not

I’ve always had another baby when we celebrated a child turning 2
And this time, we don’t

Which is a huge reminder for me to always be in the present because we really only have the now

But even in the midst of carrying hope in our hearts for the future, we know that there is hope even right now
(not so coincidentally, our littlest’s middle name is Hope ☺️)

Because there is a purpose for and beauty in every single season of life

Childhood isn’t just a season in preparation for adulthood
Children aren’t mini adults waiting to step into their next season

Their current season is now
And so is ours

So take the time and breathe in the present my friends ❤️
Because the future will have its own time, but the time isn’t now

Can I be honest for a minute? 🙈 As exciting as

Can I be honest for a minute? 🙈

As exciting as this past month has been for our little family, it has also been extremely tough

SO. UNBELIEVABLY. TOUGH

With our inter-state move and everything that came along with it, like the fact that we’re currently living out of two suitcases in a temporary space with no proper work space and trying to look for a house simultaneously, it feels like we are balancing what seems like 1800 plates while trying to stand on one foot. All the plates are screaming and spinning faster and faster and I’m about to drop every single thing

Wife
Mum
Housekeeping
Homeschooling
Boss
Coach
Business owner

Feels like I’m not doing anything well

Mum guilt, wife guilt and biz-owner guilt is at an all time high
Self-care is at an all time low 😔

I obviously can’t do it all and so in this transition season of house-hunting and not being in our own space with a prepared work/play space for both adults and children, something has got to give

My family will always come first, which is why we have made the decision to postpone our upcoming “Art of the Invitation” workshop as well as to open doors to The Authentic Learning Experience two weeks behind our original schedule which was planned for later this month.

The people pleaser in me is feeling horrible about this because I know so many of you are really looking forward to the workshop

In all honesty, so am I!
#teachingismypassion

But I have to practice what I preach, and that is in a season where I got to choose where I put my time and energies, I have to make time and space for what truly matters

My family ❤️

I can always do a workshop another time, but I’ll never get back this time with my kids

If you are in a similar season like I am juggling ALL. THE. THINGS, here’s a friendly reminder to you that you don’t have to do them all

Make time and space for what truly matters ❤️

This is my unpopular opinion 👇🏼 And my opin

This is my unpopular opinion 👇🏼

And my opinion is you can’t MAKE kids interested in an activity if they’re not.. even if it’s developmentally appropriate.

“I know my child is ready to sort colours/ write her letters/ count to 20. She’ll do it if I sit down with her and encourage her to continue but she won’t do it on her own. How can I get her to do it?”

My friend, you can’t get them or make them

You can only meet them where they’re at

Observe what they are doing and provide materials that will help to extend on their interest.

Listen to the questions they are asking and show them where/how to find the answers for their questions.

Draw their attention to how colours, letters and numbers are used in our everyday life

Because the thing is...

Even if somehow you manage to make them engage in an activity that they’re not originally interested in, at what cost would that be?

Would they engage in the activity long?

Would their interest be sustained?

Or would they constantly look to you to provide the next activity for them?

Or worse, begin to associate learning with stress, dread and fear?

Most importantly, do you want to be the one solely in charge and responsible for their play and learning or do you want to empower your child to see themselves as capable, confident and competent with the ability to self direct their play and learning?

Which would it be? I’d love to know 👇🏼☺️

Can I be honest with you? 🙈 Over this past yea

Can I be honest with you? 🙈

Over this past year, I realised I have unconsciously stopped scrolling my IG feed.

I still watch the stories of accounts that I find great value in, people who inspire me or those belonging to friends so I can catch up on their lives.

But for awhile now, I’ve completely stopped scrolling my feed.

And the reason is because I have felt overwhelm at the vast amount of information that’s out there

It could be covid-related in part

But honestly I’ve just had enough of seeing all the stuff, all the physical stuff and all the info-stuff about play

I had enough of seeing beautiful toys and playrooms

I had enough of reading about small world play, loose parts play, bookish play, sensory play, themed play ideas, math invitations, “invitations to play” and “learning through play” activities.

And this is when I’m in the field of teaching people about play 😆😂 So I cannot imagine what it must feel like for someone who’s not a teacher or one who’s knowledgeable about play.

Since when did play become so complicated?

Since when did play become all these things that you need to DO? 😩

Play at its core is a voluntary, spontaneous, self-chosen, fun, MEANINGFUL activity/experience children (or adult 🤣) engage in.

It is about the process of discovery and children making meaning and connections of what they have seen, heard and experienced in their world.

And the beauty of play is when we come to trust the process of real unstructured child-led play, it unlocks a magical world of learning for our children.

A world of REAL learning through play
Learning that is meaningful and authentic
Learning that sticks

So friend, if you are reading this (or not if you’ve stopped scrolling feeds like I have 😂), here’s a friendly reminder that if you are feeling stuff-overwhelm and information-overwhelm like I am, to just go back to basics

1) Trust the process of play
2) Trust your child
3) Keep it simple

Much love,
Jules

Should you set up an invitation to play or not? 🤔

First up, thanks to social media, I think most people have a wrong impression of what an invitation to play is and what it actually entails.

An invitation to play is literally that... an invitation.. to a child... to come play!

An invitation to a child to imagine and create... whatever!

Not an invitation to play with a zoo, or a safari, or a forest, or a fairy world, unicorn world, or a fancy smancy setup that takes you the entire naptime to set up ❌

The joy and fun for children is in the PROCESS of creating and imagining what COULD BE, not so much in playing with an entire world that YOU have created.

Which explains why the more you do, the less they play!

But should you do nothing then and leave everything in their trays and on their shelf?

It depends.

It depends on how well your children are inducted to playing with open-ended toys.

My girls are pros by now and so I can leave them on the shelf in trays and they would still take them down on their own and play with them in various ways.

But when they were much younger and new to these toys, I would set up invitations.

Simple ones that take less than 60 sec to set up!

Because invitations SPARK IMAGINATIONS, prompt them to look at the toys in different ways and help them to see the POSSIBILITIES!

I mean just looking at the first two pictures, which would entice you more to dive in and play? ☺️

Screen-time at 9am is a recurring daily event at o

Screen-time at 9am is a recurring daily event at our house

I’m quite open about it yet everytime I share that my children have screentime, these are often comments I get

“Glad to see that it’s not just at our house”
“Thank you for keeping it real that screen time exists even for your kids”
“So it’s normal then!”

Oh the guilt around the amount of screen-time our children have access to

Friends, screens is not a DIRTY WORD.

If you’re a screen-free family and it works for you, good for you! Keep doing what you’re doing 🙌🏼

But letting your children watch TV is not something to feel guilt or shame about as a parent and here’s why

1. There are some amazing programs out there that do in fact ADD to children’s play and creativity and if you’re INTENTIONAL and SELECTIVE about what they watch, TV can definitely be considered an amazing tool. Playschool is a great example and it’s the reason why I unashamedly make it a part of our daily routine. I turn on the TV every single day at 9am even without them asking for it.

2. Self-care. And this is with regards to us KEEPING OUR SANITY while having to do/ having done all the things #TheJuggleIsReal

Trying to get dinner ready but your ravenous and overtired cranky kids are hanging off your legs during witching hour? Stayed up all night with a teething baby/toddler only for the preschooler to be up and ready for the day at 5am?! 38 weeks pregnant and have maxed out your energy levels playing with your active toddler on the ground & reading the same book about 2800 times?

Use TV as a TOOL and don’t feel guilty about it!

Now I’m not saying go ahead and use TV freely to entertain your kids with abandon and without a second thought. There is a difference between self-care and just simply outsourcing parenting.

I mean I do teach parents about the power and value of creative unstructured play in my programs & more TV time obviously means less creative play time.

What I’m saying here is when you’re INTENTIONAL about how it’s used in your household - whether for value-adding or for your sanity, and not simply defaulting to it because it’s EASIER, don’t be guilty about it!

So tell me, how do you feel about screentime?

6 years ago, this was my favourite line from the h

6 years ago, this was my favourite line from the hubs’ wedding vows.

6 years on, it is still my favourite line

I used to think I loved that line because I had found a husband who loved kids and family as much as I did.

But reading it today, the line that really struck a chord in my heart is the part about “one day our kids will say”

Because nothing says more about WHO WE REALLY ARE than what the people who spend the most amount of time with us, people who see us at both our best and at our worst, say about us.

And here was a man who was/ is saying that if he is to be known by people who matter, for anything that he’s done in his life, he wants to be known as one who loves his wife 😭

If the past 6 years are any indication of the rest of our years ahead, I know without a doubt that our girls will be saying that years from now 🥰

Happy 6 years babe! Thank you for being the daddy who loves the mummy very much! Love you too ❤️

p.s. also good luck to my future sons-in-law 🤣You have your work cut out for you as my girls will not settle for anything less than what they have seen modelled by the first man they’ve ever loved

#MrStoriesofplay

Load More... Follow Stories of Play on Instagram

© 2020 Stories of Play. All Rights Reserved.

Home
Hello There!
Blog
Contact