JULY 2020
beach
adventures!
HAPPY
FOURTH OF
JULY!
recipe:
beach pudding cups PLAYWORKSFUN.COM / PLAYHOUSE
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THIS MONTH AT
Playworks
JULY HAS ARRIVED
and we have completed our first month of summer programming at Playworks. The students are enjoying gardening, outdoor activities, art, clubs, and the splash pad. They are also taking advantage of the park system and nature walks around the SMSC. Between pep rallies, movie days, community service, buddy days in the classrooms, and much more, the students have enjoyed plenty of opportunities to grow and learn through their experiences—even
as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Rest assured that the health and safety of the children in our care is always our number one priority, and we will continue to make decisions in their best interest. In other news, Playworks implemented a new communication app with its families in June—MyKidzDay. The app provides real-time communication to families on students’ daily activities. It also provides details and photographs of activities, rest time, and other important information so
Now that we have entered summer and sunny days, the gardens are blooming! The students are enjoying weeding and taking care of the plants that we received from Wozupi Tribal Gardens. Students will also be harvesting some of the fresh vegetables that we are growing at Playworks. This month is full of outdoor learning activities that are safe and healthy for the mind, body, and soul.
important datES
Suggested Reading
xtreme summer camp has begun!
JULY 4 Happy Fourth of July—Playworks Closed
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
There has been a tremendous amount of excitement going on around here as campers are engaging in learning and fun with their peers.
Little Critters: Exploring the Great Outdoors by Mercer Mayer Charlie & Mouse Outdoors by Laurel Snyder
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you can stay in the know with what your child has been up to all day.
PLAYHOUSE / JULY 2020
and they’re off!
SUMMER CAMP KICKED OFF June 8
X
treme Summer Camp 2020 kicked off on Monday, June 8, with eager campers and excited guides ready to embark on a summer of fun and learning! Although Playworks staff are enforcing newly implemented social distancing guidelines and camp is now structured a bit different than in previous years, there is still an abundance of air-fives, laughs, and smiles to get us through the summer—not to mention, most importantly, memories to last a lifetime.
BASECAMP STRUCTURE MODEL Students are grouped into basecamps (for smaller group sizes and planning purposes) and are in these groups for activities and field trips. For the duration of camp, they will spend their time with the same peers and teachers so that they can develop meaningful relationships and work on team building.
I LOVE YOU RITUAL:
TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR PREPARATION AND INSTRUCTIONS:
Position yourself at the same height as the child by kneeling or sitting. Hold the child’s hands, raising them slightly above your heads while saying/ singing, “Twinkle, twinkle, little star.” Wiggle your fingers together to represent the “twinkle” of stars. SAY THE VERSE:
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, What a wonderful child you are! With bright eyes and Nice round cheeks, Talented person from head to feet. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, What a wonderful child you are!
PLAYWORKSFUN.COM / PLAYHOUSE
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Craft:
popsicle stick flag
Show your patriotism and celebrate Independence Day with a homemade, kid-friendly craft—fun for all ages!
MATERIALS:
EDUCARE EARLY LEARNING CLASSROOMS: CREATIVE CURRICULUM
EXPLORING
sand and rocks
Sand and rocks provide students with both sensory stimulation and great opportunities to explore and experiment. Learning about themselves and others:
When you interact with children as they play with sand, they rely on trust in you as a secure base from which to explore the materials. Children will also take interest in, and imitate how other students explore sand.
DIRECTIONS: 1. Paint three popsicle sticks red, two white, and two blue. Allow them to dry completely. 2. Start creating the flag with the painted popsicle sticks by alternating the red and white sticks. You will need one plain, thin stick to serve as your flagpole.
Learning about moving:
3. Cut the blue sticks in half. You will need three halves.
Students strengthen muscles when they carry a bucket of sand from one side of the yard to the other. Hand-eye coordination also improves as they practice keeping the bucket level to avoid spilling sand.
4. Glue the blue sticks to the upper left corner of your flag.
Learning about the world:
Children make exciting discoveries as they experiment with sand and water. They find out that they can hide things in the sand, but not the water. They also see how sand moves when sifted, raked, and shoveled. Learning about communicating:
As children experiment with sand and rocks, they ask and answer questions during their play. Sand play also supports the development of pretend-play, which encourages communication. 4
• Popsicle sticks • Red, white, and blue paint • Paintbrush or sponge • White decorative stars (stickers or paper star punch) • Thin stick • Glue
PLAYHOUSE / JULY 2020
5. Add or glue white stars to the blue section in the upper left corner. You can use stickers or a paper star punch on white paper. 6. Glue the thin flagpole stick to the back of the flag for a handle. 7. Allow to dry completely before using.
H OURT F Y HAPPF JULY! O
sand is
beachy keen!
What has billions of grains of sand, water, sunshine, and smiles? An adventure to your local swimming beach! There’s no better summertime rite of passage than a beach day. Here is a list of beachy fun and games that are sure to keep kids happy and entertained—and covered in sand! 1
PLAY A SANDY VERSION OF TIC-TAC-TOE.
1
Using a stick or your finger, draw a tic-tac-toe board in the sand. Gather some rocks or shells for your X’s and O’s and start playing!
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4
Turn on some tunes and toss around a beach ball, while someone controls the music and pauses the song at random. The person caught holding the ball has to sit out—the last person in the circle wins! 5
conjure up some sand animals. Move over sandcastle—it’s time to make sand animals! Encourage your child to use their creativity to build a spooky sea monster, an exotic mermaid, or anything else they can imagine.
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play beach ball hot potato!
Collect some rocks and shells to bring home! After your day at the beach, have your little one put on their artist cap, and add their own flair to the rocks and shells you collected together by painting or coloring funky designs and symbols.
go on a rock scavenger hunt. Give the kids a pail and see how many different types of rocks they can find on the beach. Then have a show-and-tell session and talk about all of the rocks’ neat colors, shapes, and sizes!
While some beaches and parks may be open, it is important to follow COVID-19 social distancing rules.
Source: redtri.com
STAFF SPOTLIGHT:
alexandria kruschke
How long have you worked at Playworks?
Describe yourself in one word:
Four months
Quirky
What is your position at Playworks?
Favorite board game:
Preschool Teacher
The Game of Life Favorite food:
Favorite part of working at Playworks:
Mexican
Seeing the students’ smiles every day
Favorite color:
Favorite children’s book:
The Dinky Donkey by Craig Smith
Orange Favorite animal:
Giraffe
PLAYWORKSFUN.COM / PLAYHOUSE
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HIGHLIGHTED LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
exploring outdoors with others
S
tudents learn to play together when they take turns using toys such as a pail and shovel, share a ride in a wagon, and chase each other around the playground. Through direct, hands-on experiences, young children learn to be gentle with each other and other living things. WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE:
• Riding in a wagon together, making decisions about who rides in the wagon, and who pulls it.
• Playing in the sandbox, using shovels to dig in the sand and scoop it into buckets. • Engaging in interactive games outdoors, such as hide-and-seek in a park, hiding behind trees, bushes, etc. found in nature. WAYS PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS CAN HELP ENHANCE THESE SKILLS:
• Explore different parks and outdoor venues that provide a variety of sensory experiences—a sandy beach, flower garden, or a pond/lake. • Ask your child open-ended questions about what they are making and building when using natural mediums in play.
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PLAYHOUSE / JULY 2020
FOCUSED EXPERIENCE:
going outdoors
G
oing outdoors provides children an entirely different environment to explore. While outside, they can stretch their large muscles, breathe fresh air, take in the sunshine (or the rain or the snow), and enjoy the freedom of open space. They can marvel at the creatures they find on the playground, watch the wind blow the leaves on trees, or collect seeds and stones. This is why Playworks staff strive to take our students outside every day—we know how important it is for their overall development and learning! WHEN YOUR CHILD…
YOUR CHILD IS LEARNING…
Crawls through the grass
To explore with all of their senses
Climbs over a tree stump
To use gross-motor skills
Picks up pinecones to put in a bucket
To group and organize objects
Rolls a ball to another child
Social skills
FAMILY-FRIENDLY LITTLE STAR
events
JULY 4
FILL UP ON FRESH
fourth of july fireworks 10pm (Watzl’s Beach/Lakefront Park, Prior Lake)
The city of Prior Lake invites you to their annual fireworks display on Saturday, July 4, beginning at 10pm. The display will take place near Watzl’s Beach in Lakefront Park and is free to attend.
Quick and healthy food options, featuring items made by our neighbor Mazopiya, a natural food market. Now that’s simple. Available at Shakopee Dakota Convenience Store #1
952.445.5520 • SDCSTORES.COM SDCS #1 | 15035 MYSTIC LAKE DR, PRIOR LAKE, MN
Sparkler safety FOR KIDS
H
elp your children enjoy sparklers safely this Fourth of July by following these tips from the National Council on Fireworks Safety:
NEVER LIGHT MORE THAN ONE. With little arms, one sparkler is enough responsibility. KEEP A BUCKET OF WATER NEARBY. Even after a sparkler fizzles out, it remains hot. Used sparklers should be placed in water for a few hours before discarding. WEAR APPROPRIATE FOOTWEAR. Avoid burns on little feet by choosing closed-toe shoes. CLOSELY SUPERVISE KIDS. Keep a close eye on children with a sparkler, making sure they are kept at arm’s length, stay at least six feet from others, and don’t run with, throw, or hand their sparkler to a pal. CONSIDER USING GLOW STICKS INSTEAD. For a flame-free way to light up the night, consider picking up a few glow sticks in lieu of sparklers. Source: consumeraffairs.com 952.233.5533 • GOlFTHEMEADOWS.com 2400 mystic lake blvd, PRIOR LAKE, MN
Recipe:
beach pudding cups
Beachy and delicious, this summer treat will have you feeling happy as a clam!
INGREDIENTS/SUPPLIES: • Vanilla instant pudding • Mini umbrellas • Graham crackers • Teddy bear snacks • Clear blue or green plastic cups • Peanut M&M’s
DIRECTIONS: 1. Prepare pudding according to the package instructions. 2. Place graham crackers in blender and blend into crumbs (consistency will look like sand!). 3. Alternate layers of pudding and graham crackers in each cup, being sure to have a layer of graham cracker “sand” as the top layer. 4. Decorate with an umbrella, teddy bear snacks, and a peanut M&M “beach ball.” 5. Chill in fridge for one hour.
enjoy!
Mix blue food coloring into the pudding to create an extra-blue water effect!
• Playtime • Family Play • Groups & Parties
Learn Play PLAY HERE. Party PLAY TODAY! here.
Playworks is the best place to PLAY. We offer a variety of hourly child care services, family play, and more. Our child care is both flexible and fun for children 6 weeks to 12 years of age.
2200 Trail Of Dreams, Prior Lake, MN 952.445.PLAY (7529) • playworksfun.com