Play Space: Mini Centers

My last post about putting the entire bin of toys out for Kz to explore on his own sparked a thought about what my play space looks like on a typical day. If I don't have a special activity set up for Kz, I still like to put some thought into how his toys are presented. I've noticed that when toys are strewn about, Kz is more likely to ignore them. Keeping the play space interesting, fresh and inviting affords Kz the opportunity to get excited about his toys, even if they are the same ones he plays with each day.

I've found that it helps to divide the space into mini centers. This provides a clear space for Kz to crawl through and neat, exciting areas for him to explore. I may sort Kz's toys by shape or color and display them in a transparent container so he can better see their common attributes. Or stack them up so when he reaches for one, they topple over, making him giggle. Anything to entice Kz to crawl on over and get engaged!

When making centers, I like to think about some of the skills that Kz is currently working on. He's recently been pulling up and cruising, so on this day I made sure to make his favorite push toy accessible. I also was careful not to crowd is favorite places to pull up (like the couch) with toys.

On this particular day, I created 7 centers, which is a lot! I find that depending on the types of toys or materials I'm using, I can create more or less accordingly. Recycled, open-ended and real materials get the most play time. Familiar toys get the least. The best tip is to get in the habit of rotating your toys. Have those familiar toys take a two week vacation. This way, when they are reintroduced they feel like new again! If you hide them for longer, you'll find that your child plays with them in an entirely different way since developmentally he or she has grown.

 Kz loves taking apart his play mat. This is one of those things that I know I should encourage but it actually drives me nuts. Piecing the mat back together after he's gleefully disassembled the entire thing is irritating and time consuming. I briefly considered gluing this mat together but the truth is, its a great puzzle for Kz and he loves to tote the little circles around in his mouth while he crawls. To keep me sane, I take a few pieces off the mat and create a center.

Sometimes, taking toys out of context makes them feel brand new! Kz's bath toys are usually only explored during his short baths. For this center, I've taken them out and put them in a basket for him to get a closer look. Some still had a bit of water that surprised him when he squeezed! Besides being hilarious for me, I like to think this reminded him of where he is used to seeing them.

Sometimes I think that Kz's most colorful toys get lost on the bright colored mats or busy rugs we have. Placing a solid blanket underneath makes them pop.

I always like to reserve a space for recycled materials and homemade toys. These sensory bottles have provided endless fun for Kz since he was about 5 months old. Now, at 9 months, he likes to shake them to feel their different weights and hear their unique sounds.

It's important to provide some challenges for your child. Just a little something they can work towards mastering. I have been working with Kz on posting. He is way more interested in dumping things out. Is this a boy trait? Anyway, I have been providing a center for him to explore shape and color while encouraging him to put pieces IN instead of just taking them OUT.

Last but not least, books! I dream about having a place to store books that allows Kz to go and get them as he pleases. Until then, I like to choose a few of his current faves and prop them up in a snuggly corner for him to read. For older children, provide pillows and proper lighting to make this library nook even more inviting.

How do you set up your play space?

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Documenting Your Child's First Years

My mother kept a baby book from when I was a child. I've looked at it over the years and felt so grateful to have a few photographs, a lock of hair from my first haircut and some handwritten dates of important milestones. These days, documenting our lives has become a lot easier. We can whip out our cameras at a moments notice. And, sharing all the special memories we've recorded is as easy as the push of a button. In the first week Kz was born, I think I had already accumulated about 1000 photos. Which sounds great (or crazy...whatever), right? But who's going to want to look back in 10, 20, 30 years and sift through thousands of disorganized digital photos?

One of the ways that I have documented Kz's first year is by creating these simple, monthly "newsletters." I know the word newsletter sounds a little involved but they are more like small summaries of the month's happenings. You can also create these without using text at all, but I find that while a picture is worth a thousand words, even a tiny caption provides context and adds endless sentiment to your newsletter. Here is an example of one of Kz's monthly newsletters...  

This  one has a little blurb as well as some captions at the top. It's simple, easy to make, and is great to share digitally. Each month, I draft a quick email to a list of contacts of family and close friends with the newsletter attached. It's great for my family who lives far away because it provides them with a little more than just a few cute photos. 

I use a Mac, so these documents are made in the program Pages. You can also create similar docs in Word or if you are fancy, in Photoshop. Pages has lots of templates and is the most user friendly for this type of photo documentation so I highly recommend using it. Here's how to do it: 

1. Create a folder on your desktop where you will drag the photos you want to use. Because they will be copies of the original photos, you can place them here temporarily and delete them when you've finished, or save them for further use and editing later. 

2. Here's the fun part! Go through your photos and choose your favorites. I suggest doing monthly newsletters so that the amount of photos you have to go through isn't too overwhelming but if you take a lot more or a lot less, you can do a trimonthly newsletter or a weekly edition. Remember the purpose of these docs is to highlight the special moments and milestones of the month, so be picky! I typically choose between 7 and 12 photos. Now, drag the photos to the folder on your desktop.

3. Open Pages and decide whether you'd like to use a template or create your document from scratch. Sometimes I like to put in my own photos as the background and using a blank page allows me to do this. Other times, I don't want to be bothered with formatting so I go with a template. Switch it up so your newsletters have a different feel each month! 

4. Open your new photo folder and begin dragging and placing your photos. Vary the size, put them in frames, play with the opacity and tilt them any way you like. Add text boxes to provide captions or to write a larger blurb about your photos. 

5. Don't forget to add the date and your child's age! 

6. I typically save these as pdf's. It makes it accessible to everyone regardless of the type of computer they have ( .pages files can only be opened by mac users). To do this, hit PRINT and then SAVE AS PDF. I save them all to a specific folder so that when I decide to print them, I will not have to go searching. 

7. Your newsletter is ready to share! If your photos are taken with a good camera then chances are this newsletter is now a very large file. Reduce file size first to make emailing the document easier (and less annoying for your recipients to open). Do this simply by clicking FILE and then REDUCE FILE SIZE. 

In addition to saving the newsletters in a folder on my desktop, I plan to print these in two ways. After Kz's first year, I will send all of them to a printer or online photo shop like Snapfish and have them made into a book for us to keep. A tangible copy is a more cherished keepsake in my opinion. I will also print these on the computer and slide them into plastic sheet protectors and bind them for Kz to have. Incorporating family photos can help create a great tool for your child to use on their first days of school when they may be feeling a little homesick.  

How do you record your child's special moments?