Our Journey to Scoopy Doop (yes, "Doop")

NOTE:  As is true in most things in life, the valuable part of this post is not a recipe, but rather the JOURNEY.  If you choose to let your crew lead you on a Scoopy Doop Journey, your experiences and resulting "Scoopy Doop" should end up differently then ours does.  With that said, enjoy reading about OUR JOURNEY:

Our Journey to "Scoopy Doop" began as a simple idea I found on Pinterest:  Frozen Vinegar. 
A perfect activity to give the children in my program an opportunity for delayed gratification.  In our instant satisfaction world (DVR's, cellphones, microwaves, internet, etc.) we need to make sure young children are given opportunities to wait, anticipate and predict.  We need to help them appreciate the rewards of waiting and the skill of patience.

The beginning of our journey: frozen, colored vinegar.  Colored with Liquid Watercolor from Discount School Supply.

The opportunity for waiting came right away, with the freezing of the vinegar.  We colored it, poured it into the ice cube trays and placed it in the freezer.  At first, a request to check it came every few minutes.  Then, once it was realized that this was not something that would occur rapidly, the interest faded and other tasks envoloped their curiosity and time.

By the next day, the frozen vinegar was long forgotten about, but all it took was a simple question to bring their curiosity running.  "Boys and girls...I wonder what happened to the vinegar we put in the freezer yesterday?"

Once I had their naturally curious mind's attention, I posed another question:  "What should we do with our frozen vinegar?"

After some discussion and various ideas, it was decided to put it in the white stuff we always use with vinegar.  The "fun white stuff that makes it fizz" :)

And so, I obliged.  Out came the baking soda (aka: the fun stuff that makes it fizz), and we placed three cubes of frozen vinegar on top.  Let the waiting begin.

After placing the frozen vinegar on the pile of baking soda, the waiting began.  We waited.   And we waited.  Absolutely NOTHING happened.

Out of boredom comes clever ideas. (Along with delayed gratification, young children also need to be BORED, from boredom, GRAND ideas can be born!). 
"Hey...how about we use a blow dryer to melt the vinegar faster?"
"How about we use warm water to melt the cubes?"

In an attempt to speed up the process, we tried the various ideas that my crew thought of.  First...we tried the blow dryer.  You can imagine how that worked (cough cough).  Then, we tried the warm water. 

SUCCESS! 
It is very empowering for a child to suggest an idea, to try the idea, and then to see the idea succeed!

Instead of the success being the end of this journey, it was just the beginning.  The next clever idea we tried was:
"Lets put ALL the frozen vinegar on there and then bury it with more white stuff...THEN squirt it with warm water!!"

SUCCESS AGAIN!

Two moments of success helped to boost the confidence of my littles as more innovative ideas were suggested.  You could just feel the gears turning as one idea after the other were imagined in little brains so full of curiosity.

As more and more water was added, and vinegar poured in, the urge to dig in grew!  Soon, shovels were requested.

Once the mixture became VERY soupy (thanks to the requested addition to pour vinegar on it (ooooh!!), I had my own idea.  "What would happen if I added some cornstarch to try to thicken things up?"

The addition of cornstarch was a game-changer.  The once easy to scoop mixture now became VERY challenging to manipulate with shovels maneuvered by little hands.  The addition of sparkly "sequins and spangles" from Discount School Supply (I suggest the 1lb bag) added to the scenarios that the children were creating as they scooped and manipulated the now sticky and gooey concoction.

Time to cure another curiosity.  This one was my own curiosity.  What would happen if we added some flour?  After the flour was added, a request to make it blue was honored.  Immediately the storyline turned to a recent real-life experience.  The mixture now looked like "the frosting from my dad's Birthday cake".  So the scenario now turned to birthdays and birthday parties.

The next addition of flour made the mixture even more strenuous to maneuver.  These were highly motivated children, and a little challenge was not going to stop them from continuing their play.

Let's recap:  this concoction of vinegar, baking soda, water, cornstarch, flour and more coloring took on the consistency of moldable goop.  It moved very slowly through space...you could form it in your hands, then release it to watch it slowly ooze through your fingers.  It was simply captivating.

I love to see children organize themselves.  These three had been playing with the "Scoopy Doop" (as it was later called) for quite some time.  They had developed many story lines.  They had compared the mixture to life experiences.  They had solved problems, asked for what they needed, experimented with new additions and through it all they maintained a level of cooperation adults sometimes struggle with.

When it was time to put the "Scoopy Doop" away, the children asked if I could save it for the next day.  And so, yet another experiment.  WHAT would happen to the Scoopy Doop overnight?  The results were awesome!  It was a little less gooey, and a lot more moldable.  It still had the properties of our beloved "goop" (aka: ooblik), yet was completely different.



This is the Scoopy Doop after sitting overnight with a plastic cover.  It was more playdough-like yet had the "melting" properties of goop (aka: ooblik).




On the second day, the Scoopy Doop was stampable, moldable, oozeable and all sorts of other "ables" that aren't even in the dictionary!



What was my purpose in dragging you along on this journey?  Did I want you to leave with a recipe for a great sensory activity?  Not at all.  There is much more then a recipe in this post.  My purpose was to show you that:
1)  Feeding curiosity is empowering. 
2)  Feeding curiosity means leaving our adult plans behind in order to follow the whimsical curiosities of a child (which will, more then likely, pull out our own curiosities as well)
3)  What you might invent is unknown...but what the children in your program will learn along the way is priceless and valuable.

Now shoo.  Go make your own "Scoopy Doop"! 
I'd LOVE to hear of your  "Scoopy Doop" journeys...please share in the comments below!

The Power of Causing and the WOW of the Effect

This simple plop sparked the empowerment of causing and the amazing "WOWS!" of the effect.

This beauty can be found in the paint section of Walmart. I purchased the 12'x8' dropcloth for a tish over $6.00.

This double layered, nonwoven, plastic backed dropcloth is loaded with potential for learning through cause and effect, trial and error, independent thinking, problem solving, imaginations and is just plain fun! 

My crew dove right into this exciting new plop.  They were simply amazed watching the colors spread, children were collaborating to aim their different colors at the same spot to see what effect this clever idea would cause.

Sometimes we forget that empowering children is really so simple.  At times, it's as easy as adults stepping back in order for children to own failures, discoveries and try their self created ideas.  Let them cause things to happen.  Let them marvel in the effect and express their excitment in words.

This was an exciting activity for all of my crew (ages 2-5).  Lots of fine motor work of course, but the most valuable benefit of this was the empowering feeling of making something happen.  Seeing colors changing right before our eyes and knowing that we made it happen.

The results were BEAUTIFUL as the the drop cloth became more and more saturated with the blending colors.

The plastic backing on this amazing stuff allowed for seemingly unlimited amounts of colored water to be squirted and effects to be observed.

I've said it before, TIME launches so much learning!  Plop something interesting, then step back, observe, let children ask for what they need, let one thing lead to another and give them TIME.

After the drop cloth was fully saturated, the idea popped into my head of using papertowels to make a print of the colorful effects.

The children were simply enthralled with the process of pressing their finger, one at a time at first, on the papertowel covered drop cloth and watching the color soak through.

As usually happens when children have time and freedom...one discovery lead to another.
This seemingly simple action of Jack's was a game changer and opened up the learning potential of the dropcloth that I had not seen coming!





WOW!



 Suddenly the dropcloth plop became a scientific playground.  Full of little scientists testing and comparing results, only to test again just to see if the results are the same.  Objects were gathered from around the room as these naturally curious minds worked diligently at hypothesizing and exclaiming "WOW!".  If Jack's hands show up on the paper towel...WHAT else will too!!!

I get asked a lot how I set up my plops.  This is one way that works, I have several different plops.  Two that were familiar and this one that was a brand new one.  The carpeted space (which you cannot see in this pic) was left for my crew to do as they pleased.  No specific plops or intentions (other then the empowerment to control their own choices) were set up.

Let the children in your program feel the power of causing.  Let them enjoy the WOW of the effect.  Just step back a little.  (note: stepping back does not mean running to Starbucks for a coffee) Step back, and let learning happen.  Try not to show, rather, enhance by adding what you think might take the play to another level (example:  I added the paper towel), but then step back again, and see where the children lead you.  Give the power to young children, let them be in control while you relax and soak their amazing minds in!

PLAY COUNTS!

Got Spontaneity?

Do you ever have a moment of spontaneous geniousness?

Not sure what I mean?

Keep reading.

This was the scene that greeted my crew on a cold Monday morning in January:

Each of those dots has a number on it.  Yes, it is a giant dot-to-dot.  (click here for other giant dot-to-dot ideas) 

I found it interesting how each child felt the need to make sure that I knew someone had put numbers on the floor!  But other then that, not much more was said.   And so, I waited...patiently.....quietly.



Erik was the first to play with the dots...jumping one to the next, correcting other children when they jumped in the wrong order. Sharing what we know to be true is very empowering for a young child. Learning from peers is very effective to. Usually, my younger crew members are simply striving to be just like the older ones on a daily basis!

About an hour into our morning, while the children were deep in their play someone, out of the blue said "Nita!  I KNOW!  It's one of those unicorn things that swim"

"Huh?!" 

It took me a while to figure out that he was talking about what the dot-to-dot could be (I LOVE that about plopping a giant dot-to-dot.  The creativity and visual skills the children need to have to mentally connect the dots, then try to guess what it could be, uses some advance thinking skills!)

More guesses came at random times throughout the morning as the children were emerged in their play:
"I know...it's a submarine!"
"I think it's a monster hand."
"It could be a mitten!"

At last, the curiosity got the best of them. 
"Can we connect the dots and find out what it is?!"

OF COURSE!!  I thought you'd NEVER ask!  (Keeping quiet and waiting for that moment is sometimes so challenging.  There was no sense in rushing them, there was plenty of learning occuring in their own play...but, I was getting anxious for them to discover what the dot-to-dot was!!)  Since the children have done numerous giant dot-to-dots at my house, they knew exactly how this was done.  If this is the first time you try this with your crew, I suggest holding out on the tools needed and let some creative brainstorming happen!  (see the link mentioned above for details about the first giant dot-to-dot with the kids in my program).

As the dots were being connected, impressive vocabulary was being shared "OH!  It's a curve", "OH!  I know...a seahorse is what I meant...it's a seahorse", "No...it's monster hands", "It can't be monster hands...there aren't any fingers",  "there's a thumb", "I think it's an animal with a really long neck" "That wouldn't be a very long neck though" ... on and on the chatter went and ideas being shared freely and safely!  I am so thankful that the environment I have created allows for fearlessly sharing new ideas and thoughts.

In due time......the dots were all connected!

It was not a "unicorn that swims" (aka:  a seahorse) nor was it a submarine.  It was.....a mitten!!

 We quickly sat down to enjoy the book, "The Mitten" by Jan Brett. 

This story leads itself to many discussions. 

WHY did grandma worry that Nicki would lose his WHITE mitten in the WHITE snow?
WHAT happens to the mitten when animals crawl inside?
WHAT else can stretch like a mitten?

By the time we were finished I realized that I had forgotten to buy some stretchy mittens like I had PLANNED on doing.  So instead of seeing how many toys we could fit into a mitten, we sat there a second when all of the sudden, it hit me......... a BALLOON!  We could see how many toys we can fit in a balloon!!

Of course the boys and girls thought that was an awesome idea, and they quickly went to work gathering toys they thought would fit.  We started with the smallest first (their idea, since that's how the book goes).

After each item was added (teamwork between myself and the children) I blew up the balloon.  The children were enthralled with the changes that happened.

The first time I blew up the balloon, and then let go of it, it flew across the room.  The second time, it dropped to the ground, then zoomed across the carpet.  By the third toy, it was no longer able to scoot at all, but it did a fair share of flopping.

The fun thing about spontaneity is I was learning and discovering for the first time too!  This was SO exciting for everyone involved!!

 As the ballon became fuller and fuller, we had to choose more wisely.  We couldn't put toys inside that were sharp, for they would certainly put a hole in the balloon.

Each time we added something new, I thought for sure there was no way we would get it to fit -- BUT, through teamwork, we prevailed!!  I stretched open the balloon, while little hands stuffed it full!

 

 

After the 6th item was added, we decided it was time to find out one more thing:  what will happen when we POP the balloon?!!!!  Since I was experiencing this for the first time as well, I was equally excited for the results!

The children LOVED to see the contents of the balloon when I would hold it up to the light.

 

 After a brief reminder that the only scary part about popping a balloon is the sound that it makes, and taking extra safety precautions just in case everything really flew far (hands over heads).  We counted to three and then.......POP!!!! 

Undoubtedly, the two best parts of the story, "The Mitten" imagining all those animals squeezing themselves into a mitten...and then, the bear's great big sneeze that causes everyone to out of the mitten.  Well...the results of popping the balloon were similar!  All of the contents flew and scattered about.  It was a most grand moment!!

I guarantee we will be doing this again....and again....and again....and, yes...again!!!

Got spontaneity?
When is the last time you let spontaneity happen, and the experience was as exciting for you as it was for the children in your program? 

Sometimes we get so stuck in our plans, that we by-pass spontaneity in order to put a check mark beside a core standard.   Set down the checklist and your plans, and take advantage of the moment.  Be spontaneous!

Time Launches Learning

It's winter here in sunny South Dakota.  We have nothing but TIME on our side, so choosing a quality plop, then giving children the TIME they need to launch their own learning is the key to winter survival!  Also...out of 100 children surveyed...100 said it is their preferred method of learning!! :) 

(side note:  I did not actually survey any children...this would require paperwork, and time away from play...I am severely allergic to both)

Time launches curiosity and provides ownership of discoveries.
It requires GREAT effort and TIME....but letting children own discoveries is worth the effort it takes to be quiet and resist the urge to SHOW.

What was it?  No one knew for sure, and...I wasn't about to tell them!

 I am a firm believer in giving children ownership of discovery.  This sometimes requires GREAT restraint on my part (trust me, my mouth prefers to be talking and my hands love to show)...but I have learned that the results of letting children own discoveries  are ALWAYS worth it!

Time launches vocabulary.

After much debate, it was determined that the purpose of this strange contraption was to launch things.  Already the vocabulary benefits of plopping something unknown into a young child's environment were apparent. 

"Look!  It moves!"
"Whoa!  It's stretchy!"
"It's so smooth"
"Hey!  I think its for launching stuff!"
"YES!  You are right!  It's a "canipult"!"

After a quick look around the room, a ball was grabbed and the launching began!

It didn't take long for us to realize that the balls seemed to fly a bit too easily, and a bit too far and hard.  So, we quickly did a search for softer items to launch.  We agreed that the "Stuff Approved for Launching" or S.A.F.L's would be fluffy pom poms (not the cheerleader type), foam blocks and three lucky stuffed mice (I am certain I saw a look of fear in these little bugger's eyes as I snagged them from their safe haven in the coveted "Nita's Closet" :)

Time launches opportunity to fail and succeed. 
Great skill is required to have a successful launch.  Failure happens, but launching is motivating, and so perseverance happens too.  Giving children TIME to learn through trial and error as well as ALLOWING them to fail are vital to a child's development.  If we never permit children to fail, how will they ever learn to handle failure in the future?  Let's face it, failing is inevitable.   Resist the urge to help and show....let failure happen.

Time allows trust to happen.
The catapult is scary at first.  It is noisy, and until the children were confident in what they knew about the catapulting process, all were a bit nervous each time someone executed a launch.

Time launches practice.
Notice Jack's eyes?  They are practicing for reading someday. 
Tracking the launched object with his eyes is preparing Jack for reading.  He is also comprehending distance and watching to see if his object flies as far as other objects have hurled through space.  He is also prepared to step aside for the next child to have a turn, even though he would LOVE to continue launching the S.A.F.L himself!

Time encourages innovation. 
It took about 45 minutes of launching one object at a time before Erik placed a handful of pom poms onto the launching pad.  WOW!  The results were amazing!  To you and I , this is a no-brainer...of course launching multiple items would be far more awe-inspiring..but to a young child, this moment was thrilling and boosted pride!

Time launches scenarios and story telling. 
About 15 minutes into the launching fun, stories were being told, and "objects" were no longer being just randomly launched with no purpose.  Sound effects were added and children were getting lost in their imaginations.

Time launches problems.  Problems launch problem solvers.
When several children are launching stuff around the room, there is eventually going to be a problem (no more SAFL to launch because all the stuff is on the floor!).  Solving problems empowers young children and gives them the confidence they need to tackle other challenging tasks like reading and writing.  Just as important as owning discoveries, let children solve problems too.  Encourage them to use tools, ask for what they need and work together.

Time launches creative organization.
Chins come in handy to free up hands to help a friend.

Time launches our inner scientist.
Children are natural scientists.  Never satisfied with the results of one try.  They test results and theories again...and again...and again.  It was determined that the pool noodles were not very flight friendly!

Time launches cause and effect.
  Erik had devised some form of technique for each object that was launched.  The foam blocks flew better from half way down, while the mice flew the best being launched from the lowest point possible!

Time launches bravery.
Some children need to observe for quite a while and weigh out the options in their own mind.  Without time, little Trillian would have never had the opportunity to say "I DID IT!!" 

This fantastic morning was inhanced with a  MYSTERY WORD. The key requirement of a mystery word is that it be PERTINENT in the lives of the young children in your program. Today, right now....LAUNCH was a very pertinent word that had the potential for LOTS of meaningful, hands-on learning!

During all that child-led exploration of the catapult, the children were also finding the letters for the days' mystery word (recall:  "launch").  I am proud to say they figured out what the word was.  Did they sound it out?  Not totally.  What they did was gathered clues.  They knew the mystery word began with the letter "L" and enough of the children know the sound "L" makes.  They also knew we had been spending the morning launching stuff.  They put those clues together and were over the top excited to tell me that the mystery word was "LAUNCH!!!"

Brainstorming and "show and pride" began as we explored OTHER methods of launching.

We were launching the SAFL (stuff approved for launching) in DIFFERENT ways!

1.  We launched with our feet!

2.  We launched with our shirts!

Time provides opportunities for cleverness.
Again, time gave the children the opporunity to color outside the lines and try new things.  Gavin cleverly put more then one item in his shirt to launch.

Time launches motivation.
The results of Gavin's cleverness motivated the children to help him set up for another launch!  My  crew know the benefits of working together ( a life-long skill)

Time is rewarding!
Time and teamwork created this VERY exciting moment!

3.  We launched with a bedroom sheet!

Time allows children to organize themselves.
It is a grand thing to watch children organize themselves into one cohesive force.

Give children TIME.  The content of this blog occured over a 3 hour period -- plenty of TIME was given for all sorts of learning to be launched!!

Do you think the children in your program would benefit from the addition of a catapult?  If so....you can purchase them from Jeff A. Johnson at Explorations Early Learning.  Jeff handcrafts each one especially to be used for lots and lots of play!  Here is the link:  I WANT A CATAPULT!! enter the code:  "Denita Sent Me" for a 15% discount!!

Give the children in your program time to launch their own learning!!  PLAY COUNTS!!!