Crayon Melting... (Week 1)

The crayons were spilling

out of the container

chubby...

skinny...

broken...

used...

donated...

restaurant collected...

You name it

We were up to our elbows in crayons,

(but instead of throwing them out)

I had several activities in mind...

Crayon Bundles

What I did:

I grabbed a crayon from each "color family",

grabbed a small rubber band, and made crayon bundles. 

(Language and Literacy, Visual and Performing Arts, Physical Development)

What they did:

They picked up the crayon bundles and began coloring! 

Since I was working with a mixed age group it was very

interesting to see the children's various "scribbling stages".

Lesson Reinforced:

Scribbling is an essential part of a child's fine motor development. 

In fact, there are actually "20 basic scribbles"

children must master before the formal writing stage

Rhoda Kellogg- "20 Basic Scribbles"

Helpful Tip: 

Keep your children's developmental age/ 

stage in mind when planning activities. 

Supervise and know your children.

Crayon Melting

What I did:

I kept seeing different variations of this idea on Pinterest

so I decided to try to make a crayon masterpiece of my own  

I grabbed a piece of canvas that the children had tossed to the side

tore up some painter's tape to spell out my name

hot-glued some crayons

grabbed my hair dryer

and quickly realized that...

I should have left the wrappers on the crayons!

"It may not turn out how you

expect, but that's art for you"



(Click here to see more crayon activities)

Resting On the Back of Something Bigger!!

What I witnessed today was...

intriguing

amazing

enlightening

and caused me to stop and consider...

success

support

life

Today as the Space Shuttle Endeavor was flown across the country

"on the back" of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft,

the pictures alone left me in awe.

And I realized that no matter...

how big you are

how brilliant you are

or

how far you've come

(even if it's to the moon and back!)

when you reach your final destination,

you will find that you have only arrived safely 

because you found rest on the back of something bigger!

Are you resting? 

(Matthew 11:28)

 Photo courtesy of NASA

Life is Like a Box of... Crayons?

I began sorting our

"big box of crayons"

into color categories...

Blue/Green 

Yellow/Orange

Red/Purple/Pink 

Gray/Earth Toned 

crayons of

-every shape and size

-some still new, others used

-some with paper, others bare

Many were... 

broken, but useful

and when my son saw what I was doing,

he was eager to help,

so together

we began peeling the papers off of the

crayons and setting them to the side

He noted that some wrappers were

easy to remove, but others fought back!

 

Since my intention was to...

melt them for a purpose

I wanted them to blend together

So, the ones that...

refused to surrender

were tossed into the trash

I also soon discovered that not all were what they initially appeared to be 

(some of the purple were not really purple, they were more blue)

The wrapper had been misleading...

causing us to sort it into the wrong pile

and also that once all of the wrappers were removed

it was much harder to distinguish

the dark blue

from the purple

from the black

They almost all looked the same without their "label"

but their true colors could be revealed..

by simply applying pressure

showing that life is like a box of crayons!

God using each of our differing...

lives

abilities

talents

styles

to color His world 

as He daily... 

sorts

peels

tests

melts

us

to make something new!

(Click the links below to follow the crayon activities)

Crayon Melting

Muffin Tin Crayons

Survey Says... FAMILY is the #1 answer!

Okay, so here's the part that you didn't get to see...

Our journey began on a "Taco Tuesday" family night as us first cousins (Jamilla, Cherrell, Eileen, Marlies and Tondra) had just finished "grubbing" on tacos, chips, homemade guacamole, sweet tea, and red velvet cupcakes.

As we were sitting around laughing, someone mentioned how much fun it would be to go on the Family Feud game show.

Well I have since learned that you should never say anything of front of Jamilla Harris unless you are absolutely serious because that girl knows how to make things happen!

I received a text a few weeks later... "Family Feud tryouts next weekend in Texas.  Let's fly down for a girl's weekend.  Call u later".

The idea in itself seemed very exciting, but after pricing airline tickets we decided the timing wasn't right.  But I have also since learned that when something is meant to be... it WILL be, and just a few weeks later Jamilla called to inform me that Family Feud tryouts were coming to us!!!  The auditions were to be held at a location less than 3 miles from my home. 

We were all super excited and screamed our heads off when they announced that the season would be taping out of Atlanta, GA!  Family Feud would be picking up the tab for roundtrip ground/air transportation, meals, and hotel accommodations... all they asked of us was for excitement to make for good television.  We could do THAT! 

The very following week Jamilla, Cherrell, and Marlies called me screaming "Congratulations, your family has been selected for Family Feud!"  I could barely make out what they were saying, but I started screaming too!  The next few months consisted of many "Taco Tuesday/Family Feud" study and practice sessions to ensure that we were ready when our time arrived. 

When the day finally arrived, we boarded the plane and headed out to Atlanta.  That evening we ate at "The Waffle House" across the street from our hotel.  I was so excited when I looked up to see my cousin Shonn walking through the door!  Although Shonn is a first cousin on my mom's side of the family, my Harris cousins adopted her as their cousin too.  Having her there made our night, and I realized that family has a way of making you feel at "home" no matter how far away you are from familiar surroundings!

The next day we arrived at the studio for taping and we had an amazing experience.  Everyone was so friendly, and all of the other families were super excited, as well.  When Jamilla introduced our family we surprised Mr. Steve Harvey with a song that I had written.

singing*

Guess who's here today... It's the Harris Family!

Look who's here today... It's the Harris Family!

We flew all the way to the ATL, to just say hi
"HI Steve"
Win the game, and take home the money!

Steve looked at us and smiled saying, "Any song with my name in it, is a hit!"

Jamilla, Cherrell, Steve Harvey, Eileen, Marlies, and ME!



Then the game was ON, and we gave it our all.  We took a round, they took a round... back and forth all the way up to sudden death!  At this point it all rested on my shoulders, and I quickly learned why it is termed sudden death. (Because that's exactly what it feels like when you buzz in first with the WRONG answer)  It is in a fact a "sudden death" that you keep playing over and over again in your mind...only in slow motion.  So we lost the game and were bid farewell with a parting statement of "you have a great family, maybe we'll have you back again some time" (If you're reading this and want to write to Family Feud on our behalf... that will not be necessary).

We headed back to the hotel and had our own "in room" party.  The girls kept trying to encourage me, but I felt like such a huge disappointment.  They ordered pizza and chicken and wouldn't let me chip in on the bill.  They reminded me that all we needed was Jesus and each other, and began to list all the ways in which we were winners.  During our conversation, Jamilla's phone rang and she stepped out of the room to take the call.  When she came back in she was wearing a huge smile as she informed Cherrell that they had gotten a call back from the ABC Network Show "The Revolution" which would be the beginning of other good things! 

(read the special post for that...here)

The following day our cousin Anita (another first cousin) and her 2 kids drove down to our hotel to see us.  I was delighted because this was my first time meeting the kids.  It was a mini family reunion!  We decided to walk across the street to get something to eat, and as we munched on chips and cheese and slurped our sweet tea, I realized that this was all beginning to feel a bit familiar.  I thought about it as I watched Cherrell reading from her menu...and it hit me.  TACOS! 

This whole saga had begun on a family Taco Tuesday night, and here we were at the culmination of our trip sitting with family that we hadn't seen in 20 years, and eating TACOS!  I finally started to see it.  Even though we had lost the game, it felt like such a win at that moment.    I love how God has a way of bringing everything back into perspective and reminding us of what really matters.

Even though it didn't work out quite the way that we had hoped, I learned that no matter what...

FAMILY is and always will be the #1 answer!!



Cornmeal and Shaving Cream... (Week 4)

Well today is the day...

"A Place For Little Hands" has officially closed

as a Licensed Family Child Care Home

It is bittersweet, and I am tired

Earlier today...

we were all running around barefoot

while enjoying our last day together

so after lunch I grabbed

a towel

a box of baby wipes and

a shallow pan of warm water

so that I could wash the children's feet 

When my mother called to see how the day

was going, I laughed as I told her that I was

washing the children's feet

She reminded me that the Lord performed this humble

service for his disciples right before He was offered up. 

I stopped laughing

grateful for the amazing journey,

and the time now come for

"A Place For Little Hands"

to be offered up...

__________________________________________

Here are the final activities

from our "spilled cornmeal"

(click here to go back)

 Cornmeal Letter Search

What I did:  

Hid letters in a bowl of cornmeal... 

(Social-Emotional Development, Language

and Literacy, Physical Development).

What they did:

The children paired themselves up (1 older child/ 1 younger child)

and played a game they made up.  The younger child pulled a

letter and challenged the older child to name something

(food, animal, color, person's name, etc... ) that began with the letter. 

This game was a lot of fun and helped the younger children

make the connection that letters represent sound.

Cornmeal Play Dough Pie

What I did: 

Put play dough in a large bowl w/ beans, unpopped popcorn,

rice, and bird seed to enhance the sensory experience. 

(Social- Emotional Development, Visual

and Performing Arts, Physical Development).

Helpful Tip:

Keep your children's age and developmental stage in mind

when planning your activities.  Some things may be inappropriate

for the little ones in your care.  Closely supervise your kiddos!

Cornmeal Goop

What I did:

Added water and glue to the cornmeal

and began stirring to make "goop" 

(Social- Emotional Development, Language and

Literacy, Mathematics, Visual and Performing Arts).

What they did:

This activity was an epic FAIL! 

The children hated everything about it... they said that it

smelled funny, it was runny, and was definitely NOT goop!

Cornmeal and Shaving Cream

What I did:

Added brushes, paint, dry cornmeal, and

shaving cream for children to mix on their own. 

(Mathematics, Visual and Performing Arts, Physical Development).

What they did:

They love, love, LOVED this activity so much

they were actually singing "shaving creeeam"!

(watch the video)

Helpful Tip:

The use of shaving cream is controversial

and in some programs is NOT ALLOWED.

Please check with your State licensing entity for guidelines.  

Cornmeal Play Dough (Week 3)

Adults suffer from childhood amnesia... 

our responsibilities to overwhelm us

and we stop

-playing in the mud

-running barefoot through the grass

-making up silly songs and singing them out loud

but working with children

has allowed me to

stay young

stay in the moment 

while learning to see more

Click here for the beginning...

Cornmeal Play Dough

What I did:

I found a homemade cornmeal play dough recipe,

set out rolling pins, cookie cutters, and play dough

scissors for the kids to finally open their bake shop!  

(Social- Emotional Development, Language and Literacy,

Mathematics, Visual and Performing Arts, Physical Development)

What they did:

To my surprise, no one showed up for the activity.  NO ONE!

I called out, "We have play dough!  Who wants play dough?"

"Not now" they answered.  What were they doing instead? 

Two of the older girls had set up a nail spa with a foot soak tub,

towels, and the promise of pretty polish!  Even the one little guy in

my care was waiting in line to soak his feet in the warm, soapy water!

Lesson Learned:

Don't anticipate... live in the

moment, and follow their lead.

Helpful Tip:

Homemade play dough that is properly stored (in a sealed

container, in a dry/cool location) can last quite a while.

Cornmeal Foot Scrub

What I did:

Followed their lead and made a cornmeal foot scrub

(oil, powder, tiny amount of dry cornmeal) for the

nail spa customers!!  Not only did the kids LOVE it, they

said it left their feet silky smooth and smelled great too. 

(Social-Emotional Development, Language and

Literacy, Visual and Performing Arts, Health)

I see more:

Go with the flow. Meet the children where they are. 

If they want a manicure/pedicure party, then party it is.

Join them and supplement THEIR ideas!

Build upon what they are interested in and support their vision. 

Cornmeal Play Dough (Cheerios)

What I did:

Put out the play dough again with a variety of play dough tools. 

(Mathematics, Visual and Performing Arts, Physical Development, Health).

What they did:

Used items to cut and poke the play dough.  We ended up

with something that looked very similar to Cheerios.

Lesson Learned:

Revisit activities.  Although the children rejected

the play dough on Monday, they enjoyed it every day thereafter.

Part of "going with the flow" is knowing when to try again!

Cornmeal Play Dough (Necklaces)

What we did:

The night before I baked the cornmeal "cheerios" in the

oven and let them cool/harden overnight.  The following day 

I set out paint and brushes and let the children paint them. 

After drying we used them for stringing. 

(Visual and Performing Arts, Physical Development)

Helpful Tip:

Make sure your children are mature enough

to comprehend that these are not for eating!  

Play Dough and Paint Dotters

What we did:

Spread a thin layer of cornmeal play dough onto a

tray, gave them paint dotters, and let them at it!

(Language and Literacy, Mathematics, Visual

and Performing Arts, Physical Development)

(Click here to see Week 4 activities)

Cornmeal Music Shakers... (Week 2)

If you have been following the cornmeal journey,

you may be wondering...

"Tondra Denise, is that the SAME cornmeal

you spilled on the floor over a month ago?" 

My answer to you is

"Why yes it is, and thanks for asking." 

We have had so much fun with it, and still have

3 more weeks of activities to share with you! 

I'm so glad I didn't throw this stuff away!! 

(told you I saw more) 

Click here to go back to the beginning

---------------------

Week 2 activities included... 

Cornmeal Maracas

 

What we did:

Set out cornmeal, beans, and empty paper towel rolls. 

Folded and staple the end of the paper towel rolls, filled

them up and stapled the top. We wrapped ours inside of the

children's artwork to prevent leakage.  Stylish, yet functional! 

(Mathematics, Visual and Performing Arts, Health).

Helpful Tip:

Recycle, repurpose, reuse
what you already have on hand. 

Cornmeal and Rainbow Rice

What I did:

Put cornmeal and Rainbow Rice in

separate bowls inside of our red sensory table. 

(Social- Emotional Development, Language and

Literacy, Mathematics, Visual and Performing Arts).

Helpful Tip:

Keep the rules simple and consistent. Each person must wash

their hands before and after the activity, sift through the

cornmeal after use, and store in a sealed container.

Following these tips allowed us to use

our same cornmeal for over a month!

Cornmeal Textured Painting

What I did:

Mixed cornmeal together with paint

and put it into a repurposed egg carton

(Visual and Performing Arts, Social-Emotional

Development, Language and Literacy).

What they did:

The children used their fingers to explore

the texture of the paint, and dip out onto paper.

Blindfold Sensory Game

What I did:

Separated items (birdseed, feathers, cotton balls, string,

rice, cooked noodles, beans, and cornmeal), asking

children to identify using only their sense of touch. 

(Social-Emotional Development, Language

and Literacy, Visual and Performing Arts).

I see more:

We later read the legend of "The Blind Men and the Elephant"

in which each man (sight impaired), uses only his hands to

explore an elephant.  And as each felt a different part, each

was led to a different conclusion; the elephant is a spear,

a wall, a snake, a tree, a fan, and a rope...

"And so these men of Indostan disputed loud and long,

Each in his own opinion exceeding stiff and strong,

Though each was partly in the right, and all were in the wrong!"

Reinforced Lesson:

The children were so excited about this activity, they invited

their parents to play at pick up time.  Research has shown that learning

is extended when adults get involved and show interest in children's

play as builds communication, teaches them their ideas are important,

and promotes a love for future learning activities.  It was so 

AWESOME to have dads that came in at the end of a LONG DAY,

willing to let their children blindfold them for a 4 minute game! 

The cost of that?...Priceless!!!

Cornmeal Sand Castles

What we did:

Mixed sand, cornmeal, water, added trays, and utensils

to assist in building the perfect homemade sand castles!

Helpful Tip:

Get the most from the cornmeal, do all of

the dry activities first.  Once you add water to

your cornmeal, it must be tossed within 24 hours.

(Click here to see Week 3 activities)