Eggcellent Egg Dying for Egg Tapping

I love Easter!

At Easter time I particularly love egg tapping, a traditional Greek Easter game where 2 players hold a hard boiled egg and tap the tip of the eggs together. The first egg to crack is unfortunately out of the game and the uncracked egg is victorious! Egg tapping is played with eggs that have been dyed red, so the preparation for this game is as much fun as playing it. Even though I’m not Greek I played this game quite a bit as a kid and I absolutely loved it!

Now I’m about to make an admission that would make any Yaya shake a finger of disapproval at me… I love dying and decorating eggs for tapping that AREN'T red. I know it’s breaking tradition but colourful egg dying and decorating is lots of fun and I know your kids will love doing it too.

If you and your kiddos want to give it a try here’s what to do…

1. Hard boil your eggs first (very important! You don’t want raw egg flying around during egg tapping!) Then, allow them too cool.

2. If your kids want patterns or pictures on your eggs, carefully draw them on with crayons or wax pastels. When the eggs are dying, the wax in the crayon or pastel will resist the dye making the patterns stand out. You can also wrap rubber bands around the eggs to make funny lines.

3. In a mug, mix about 20 drops of natural food colouring with 1 tablespoon of vinegar then add 1/2 cup of water. Place your egg in the dye until it’s the depth of colour you desire.

4. Repeat these steps with different eggs to make as many colours as you like. Then for a bit of extra fun use small stickers to make the eggs eggstra eggcellent!

Happy Egg Tapping,

Emma

Educational Toys + Kids = Learning Part 1

What is an Educational Toy?

Many people ask me what constitutes an educational toy. Most people assume that academic based toys like those related to alphabet, spelling, numbers and mathematics are the extent of educational toys, however the spectrum of educational toys is much broader than just academics.

What do children need to learn?

Educational toys, simply put, are those that inspire learning. We are all aware that learning is so much more than academics. During early childhood children learn in many areas. They learn to communicate effectively, interact and socialise, express and cope with feelings, problem solve efficiently, be creative, use and coordinate their body, use their imagination, concentrate and bring all of these things together to be a fully functioning and contributing person within society.

Le Toy Van Excalibur Castle From The Play Hive

So how do children learn all of these things?

Research tells us that play is the way that children learn. Play is essential for growth, development, learning, intelligence and wellbeing. It is the ‘work’ of children and although it may look simple from the outside looking in, complex and sophisticated life skills and competencies are being learned and constructed.

Le Toy Van Honey Bake Baking Set

Where do Educational toys fit within learning?

Children use educational toys in their play as props or, an educational toy can even become the focus of play. An educational toy is one that encourages good quality play by inspiring learning, imagination, creativity, problem solving, thinking and a range of developmental skills. Educational toys also build confidence and foster a healthy self–esteem by sending positive messages to children about body image, appropriate and respectful behaviour and equal opportunity. Educational toys can be structured ie. only one outcome or one way of using it, such as puzzles or board games. Or they can be open-ended ie. used in many ways with a multitude of outcomes, such as wooden blocks, figurines, etc.  

3D Puzzle and Construction 

For a list of the best educational toys please stay tuned for my next post.

Happy playing,

Emma

Teacher's Top 10 Activities for Fine Motor Development

  As a pre-school teacher I provide educational toys and activities everyday to strengthen and encourage my student’s fine motor development. Their little hands develop so much over the course of a year– strength, coordination, control, dexterity, bi-lateral integration (both hands working together) and finger isolation. The educational toys and activities I provide are all based around fun and enjoyment. It’s really just a bonus that they are all so great for their fine motor development.  

My Teacher's Top 10 Toys and activities aren’t rated from 10 to 1. They are all of equal value and compliment each other. The best thing about them is that they are extremely easy to set up at home and are a lot of fun for the whole family. So without further ado, here’s my Teacher’s Top 10. 

 

1. Threading Toys - Beads, Lacing, Sewing

Children practice:

• Eye hand coordination
• Finger control and dexterity
• Pincer grasp to hold string and small beads (using index finger and thumb to pick up or hold objects). This grasp assists with the development of an efficient pencil grasp- the tripod grasp.
• Bilateral Integration– using both hands together to coordinate the string and bead (threading) or the fabric/card and thread (sewing/lacing)
•  

2. Drawing

Children practice:

• Skills using crayons, pastel, pencils, markers, charcoal, pens, etc. Thicker widths are easy for younger children with limited drawing experience. Thinner widths are a little harder and suit older children with more experience. Chunky crayons are perfect for older babies and toddlers.
• Pencil grasp- progression through different grasps to finally achieving the most efficient and mature grasp, the tripod grasp.
• Control and coordination of fingers and of drawing tool 

3. Play Dough and Clay

Children practice:

• Strengthening their hands by squeezing, breaking, molding, pounding
• Control of the small muscles in the hands
• Finger coordination and the ability to isolate the movement of each finger
• Strengthening their arms and assists with shoulder stability (important for all fine motor activity)
• Twisting movements of the wrist when molding or breaking play dough/clay

4. Puzzles and Jigsaws for kids

Children practice:

• Manipulating pieces to fit into holes- twisting, flipping, turning
• Finger coordination and the ability to isolate the movement of each finger to join interlocking pieces
• Eye-hand coordination

Melissa and Doug Pirate Adventure Puzzle

5. Painting with kids or Pasting

Children practice:

• Holding a rod like tool and having to control it. Even though a brush should be held in the same way as a pencil (tripod grasp), the sensation of using a brush is different. This is because the paint/glue will feel different as it is applied to a surface and the technique for application is also different
• All sorts of hand application techniques such as stroking, dabbing, flicking, twisting, twirling, etc
• Eye hand coordination
• Control and dexterity of small muscle groups in the hand 

6. Construction Sets and Building Toys for kids
Children practice:

• Manipulating small objects to snap together, pull apart or balance
• Strengthening fingers
• Eye-hand coordination
• Bilateral integration

Blue Ribbon Arabian Block Set

7. Collage with Paste or Sticky Tape

Children practice:

• Motor planning- having to plan movements mentally to achieve an outcome ie. Picking up paste brush, applying paste to back of collage piece, turning the piece over, finding best place to stick it, pressing it down onto the paper.
• Eye- hand coordination
• Control, coordination and dexterity of fingers and hands
• If sticky tape is used, the dispenser is great for employing delicate finger movements so the tape doesn’t stick together when handled
• Bilateral integration to dispense, hold and stick tape in the appropriate place or to use paste and paste pot together.

8. Scissors

Children practice:

• Open and close motion of the hand
• Steering the scissors
• Bilateral integration- the ability to coordinate both sides of the body to work together. In this case coordinating the cutting hand and paper grasping hand
• Finger coordination and the ability to isolate the movement of each finger
• Eye hand coordination
• Motor planning- having to mentally plan movements to achieve an outcome
• Strengthening the hands

9. Finger Painting

Children practice:

• Gaining sensory feedback and responding physically to what they are feeling
• Using the whole body to move the paint (if they are standing up). Great for upper body and arm strength which in turn benefits their fine motor skills
• Finger work- isolating finger movements
• Bilateral integration if both hands are used to paint

10. Hammering Toys

Children practice:

• Gaining sensory feedback from the vibration of the hammering and using this to control the force employed
• Eye-hand coordination
• Arm and wrist strength that support fine motor activity
• If tacks or nails are being used, eye hand coordination to place tacks in the right spot and bilateral integration to hold tack and hammer carefully at the same time

Peg Hammering Bench

So, would it be breaking the rules to add one more activity? It probably would, but let’s go for it anyway! Lucky last…

   

 11. Peg Boards   

Children practice:

• Pincer grasp (using index finger and thumb to pick up objects)
• Eye-hand coordination
• Isolating movements of the fingers
• Control and coordination of the muscle groups in the fingers and hands

Happy playing,

Emma Butler

http://playhivetoys.com.au/