5/27/2017 9:32:12 PM
View from a Bridge
This summer, greet your young visitors with a museum in your home. It is enjoyable to organize and fun to observe smiling faces that move independently without creating chaos.
A Museum at Home
It is summer and children will need to find entertainment at home or on excursions while visiting friends and relatives. Most adults don’t plan for the onslaught of vacationing children and as much as they look forward to their company, they also dread it. With a bit of preplanning, however, much can be done to make time spent at home (or at a family gathering) special. It is possible to organize household space to permit creative activities to occur without worry about cherished possessions being destroyed.
Why not create a hands-on museum in your home. . .one that will go beyond computers and videos to stimulate curiosity and engage the attention of active children? It is a good way to occupy energetic pre-schoolers and elementary school youth. By thinking like a museum director, opportunities can be provided for housebound youngsters to enjoy creative, educational and thoughtful pursuits. For instance, it is common in hot weather for kids to spend hours outside splashing in water play in order to keep cool.
With a bit of cleaver planning by adults, during play children can learn simple principles of physics and hydraulics. They might choose to have fun by dressing in period costumes (studying culture and history), constructing forts and buildings (practicing engineering and architecture), putting together 3-D puzzles (fine tune spacial abilities and logic), coordinating puppet plays (developing imagination and writing abilities), making art (sharpening visual and small motor skills), and other activities involving physical movement and mental challenges. By providing educational opportunities during the summer, parents also have a chance to test their own ingenuity and creativity. The process will call on ingenuity while providing a great deal of enjoyment.
When my children were young I was a frequent visitor to children’s museums and noted that the way they were organized permitted kids to roam freely in safe environments packed full of learning materials designed for their age level. According to The American Association of Children’s Museums, “A children’s museum is defined as an institution committed to serving the needs and interests of children by providing exhibits and programs that stimulate curiosity and motivate learning.” They encourage parents to interact with their children while in the museum in order to make the experience more meaningful. That definition fits my family to a “T” so, when I moved to a community without a hands-on museum, I decided that I would turn my home into one.
Maria Montessori was a great influence. She was a 19th century physician turned educator who became involved in designing Casa dei Bambini, a school for low-income children. As she experimented with curriculum and classroom design, “she began to see independence as the aim of education and the role of the teacher as an observer and director of children’s innate psychological development.” When my children were preschoolers I enrolled them in Montessori schools which I quickly realized were simply classrooms set up as mini-museums. They were organized spaces that permitted students to access materials when they wanted to do so. Manipulative were designed for problem solving, mastery, and use in surprisingly creative ways.
Montessori believed that young children were sensitive to order, enjoyed doing activities repetitively and were happiest doing practical things. She even taught two year olds how to peel carrots. Her environment was kid-size with materials that could be easily reached and put away when completed. Over time very sophisticated components were developed for schools run by teachers specially trained in her methodology.
With Montessori’s approach in mind, I started my own in-home museum to be assembled on a shoe-string. Taking time to develop an organizational plan is part of the challenge that will eventually let children roam freely. I began by selecting a dedicated area for my grand experiment. It was a place devoid of objects that could be accidentally destroyed but could be filled with materials, supplies and educational toys to promote hands-on creativity and imaginative play. I wanted the children to be able to use all of their senses.
I added shelving and assigned different locations to hold games, art supplies, and science toys. There were construction areas, a place with math manipulatives, a reading area with pillows and a rug, a craft station, and a puppet stage. Shelves were dedicated to puzzles and a variety of educational toys with a dress-up bin and mirror nearby. I also built a music tree with clips to hold percussion instruments that the entire family enjoyed grabbing during musical gatherings.
Before entering the play area children were given instructions for its use. The toys are not jumbled one on top of another as they would be in a toy box and are within easy reach. Children were told they could take whatever toys or supplies wanted but had to return them to their original location before selecting a new item. Training them to put toys away is not difficult if the rules are explained and there is consistent follow-up. Keeping the area clear for future projects not only makes a parent’s job easier but it makes the child’s space more accessible.
When an item was new, I took the time to demonstrate its use, exiting the scene as soon as it was evident that the toy was mastered and they could continue with their own creations. When there were lots of little parts I put them on a tray that the child could take to a table or the floor. This made the clean-up cycle easier.
Part of the secret of a successful home museum is to introduce toys (activities) one at a time. Once my child knew how to use the toy in its intended way, she or he was free to create variations in the way they played with it. The goals were for my children to master the activity, become inventive when possible, and be independent of my interference. I wanted them to gain satisfaction from their successes, not worry about failures, and become motivated for the next challenge.
A home-museum environment does take careful planning, but once operational the task becomes more routine because the child selects his/her own activity, enjoys the challenge, and moves progressively from one skill level to the next. Older children will often help younger ones. Again, independence is the goal.
One last thought—a child of about two and a half years old is ready for your home-museum. At first it is best not to have too many toys available so the child will not be faced with choices of items he does not know how to operate. When the manipulative is successfully mastered then the next challenge can be introduced. if several children use the space, each needs to understand which items they have earned the right to use. This system provides motivation and works well for older children as well as preschoolers. It often encourages older children to teach younger ones.
When I became a grandparent, I did not have a playroom available but I still wanted my grandchildren to enjoy a degree of freedom when visiting and of course, I wanted them to be engaged in meaningful pursuits. I used a large buffet in my dining area for it contained shelving and doors. It was perfect for storage and when the doors were open, shelves held a neat, organized arrangement of fun filled opportunities. Toys and supplies were well positioned at child height with areas for books, puzzles, art supplies, construction materials, etc. A separate box holding legos served as a plant base when the children were not there. Between meals, the dining table was covered with a protective cloth to avoid paint and clay spills. a wood floor permitted buildings to be constructed and small wheeled vehicles to be assembled from parts. Even after my grandchildren graduated to more sophisticated electronic toys and computers, the cabinet was kept ready for visiting youngsters. I wanted to be prepared and not worried about them getting bored while I spent time talking to their parents.
Yes, children’s museums are fun because they are centered on the individual and permit freedom of movement. Exhibits are designed to allow learning to take place and are built to withstand use. Since a mob of children are not your concern, there are hundreds of toys on the market that will serve your purpose. If you do decide to set up a museum in your home, I would love to hear back from you to hear about your success. What toys did you select? What problems have you encountered?
Art is always for sale. Contact me at [email protected]. View from a Bridge
3-D image, Mixed-media, 32” by 22”, gold frame,$599. .________________________________________________________________________________
CELEBRATE! and learn about hands-on learning and the growth of art and science museums by naive but passionate directors from throughout the country. Laugh and cry with them as you read their stories of trying to navigate the quagmire of running a non-profit organization.
Upcoming Book Talks
Lake Oswego Library - June 20, 2017
High Desert Museum, Bend - October 5, 2017
Available for $19.95 Powells Books, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Broadway Books, U. of Oregon Book Store, MAC Emporium, Kindle
For signed copy contact the author.
5/19/2017 3:55:07 PM
TV Diva
TV Diva
40”by 30”/ Acrylic on Canvas/ Gold Frame/ $ 499
Gossip is more entertaining than a truthful presentation of complex current events. It is easier to say, “oh my, oh my, how awful!” than “what should we do to make things better for all?”
Watching the Soaps
A friend recently mentioned that she has a difficult time staying away from the news. She admits to being addicted to minute by minute accountings of the latest outrages emanating from Washington and Wall Street. Her husband tells her that she is wasting her time. Even acknowledging that he may be right, that she does not need an hourly accounting to be informed, she can't stay away from clicking on the news app.
"May you live in interesting times," says the old Chinese curse. It took me many years before I understood why this was a negative comment rather than a wish for fun and adventure. Each day reports arrive with surprise horrors more shocking than those told the day before. How can anyone not want to follow the saga? It is the ultimate soap box story.
Media in its many forms, fill electronic highways with exciting programs never heard before. Up to date real time events mixed with talking head pundits and internet bloggers offer opinions that run the gamut from pending disasters to future elation. There are enough news outlets to accommodate everyone's mood and preconceived biases.
To insure that their programs are entertaining and emotional, reporters focus on personalities more than they do issues, knowing that viewers rarely investigate what they are told. Unfortunately, the facts are difficult to uncover and even when correctly presented, new information is often labeled as "false or alternative" when it does not support previous understandings.
Because so many newscasters try to shock their audience rather than present difficult issues with proposed solutions, we remain utterly confused. The advice I was always given was to follow the money when seeking the truth. This search starts with the media itself. High ratings are needed to satisfy advertisers who support networks and so newscasters entertain rather than present trustworthy news. The public does not receive understandable information that promotes debate and consensus. Instead, we are set up with double talk that makes us spin in circles. It is difficult to know who and what to believe.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to have all news sources present an accurate cost/benefit accounting comparing single payer, private insurance companies, and pay as you go health systems? In addition, lets hear the truth about costs incurred and profits received by pharmaceutical companies so we can find out why drugs are so much more expensive in the U.S. than abroad. Armed with trustworthy information, a debate could occur that embraces economic and humanistic philosophies. A solution based on compromise might move successfully forward.
I was once a public appointee to the board of Michigan's State Health Coordinating Council and I saw up close how vested interests work effectively against the common good. The financial interests of pharmaceutical companies, insurers, medical workers, hospitals, unions, and advertisers kept the common person in the dark and the group struggling to make rational decisions. I remember a union representative who did not want insurance premiums to include alcohol and drug addiction services even though they were known to reduce medical costs because his union wanted these services io be negotiated items in labor contracts.
Each time a cost cutting decision was suggested, the losing organization, found ways of going against the group's decision . For example, since expensive imaging devices in hospitals were not utilized at 100 percent capacity our committee recommended sharing equipment between facilities. When we turned down a hospital's request for a new CAT machine, the hospital went around us and found a political decision to their liking.
There are vested interests on every side of every issue that need to be brought to the forefront. It is our right to know what they are.
The constant stream of chatter about political personalities would be laughable if serious consequences were not attached. When watching the soaps, if a sponge is left inside a body by an inebriated surgeon, it doesn't really matter. The patient will rise once to walk away the scene is complete. Unfortunately, what happens in Washington does make a difference. I don't enjoy feeling like a pawn caught in their drama.
Many news junkies tell me that there is little to be done but sit back in horror watching politicians lie, freedoms erode, the world become poisoned, our country lose respect, and the underclass of homeless, unemployable people expand. Foreign countries view us as a laughable, unpredictable, untrustworthy, manipulative nation that no longer travels the high road. The moral ground we used to dwell on has eroded.
"NOT SO!" say I. Many of us have strong ethical values and we do have a voice that can be heard. Let's use the freedom our country offers to make things better.
1. Use your time wisely. Instead of being addicted to up to the minute happenings, do a bit of in depth research on the subject you are interested in. Get many points of view, not just those that reinforce your preconceived ideas and fears. Double check sources and find out who benefits by the way news is presented.
2. Call your legislators. They do response to their constituents. Many voices can change the way they vote.
3. News addicts can not afford to sit back and do nothing. The addiction is not healthy. It leads to fear, paralysis , and feelings of helplessness. It causes complaining and whining which does little more than make friends unhappy . I noticed that news addicts, tend to be wonderfully sensitive individuals. News addicts seem to be more agitated than those who put time and effort into their cause.
4. Select an issue and get more deeply involved. Are you concerned about the homeless, as I am? about the economy? the environment,? women’s issues,? wildlife? security? education? the unemployed and underemployed? Whatever your interest, join with others and work for your cause?
5/6/2017 8:31:37 PM
True Gold, (Sold)
If you were a bird you would never be told that you are overeating. A medium sized bird like a Cooper’s Hawk will eat 12 percent of its body weight. In human terms, that means that a 150 pound person could eat18 pounds a day or about six extra-large pizzas. It gets even better if you are a little chickadee for then you could devour 35 percent of your weight or if an adult, enjoy 600 granola bars each day. How lucky!
Eating Well
Yumm! I love ice cream sundaes, smothered in hot fudge, topped with walnuts, whipped cream and a red cherry on top. I also adore Eggs Florentine, with lots of hollandaise sauce. Thankfully, I don’t indulge very often, for I know that what I like is not always good for me. Eating well is a trade off that keeps me from getting diabetes, hypertension or clogged arteries. When I do crave sweets and creamed sauces, I take a bite, never denying myself completely. The rest of the time it is fruits and veggies of all types. Did I neglect to say that I like beet salad as well as any sweet? I am addicted to feta cheese mixed in.
As a child growing up in Philadelphia, I was happy when grandma took me to Horn and Hardart's for lunch. In those days, you put a quarter in a slot next to a glass covered cubby hole that displayed an enticing dish of food. Everything was made fresh by women who filled rows of empty cubbies with a wide variety of treats. I took my time going from widow to window to find the best looking dishes. Vegetables were my food of choice with a fresh fruit cup for desert. My mouth salivates at the memory.
What I find strange, is that last week healthy food suddenly became a political issue. How could that happen? The obesity epidemic is worse than ever with 38 percent of adults obese as well as 17 percent of teenagers. Childhood obesity has tripled since the 1970s with one in five school-aged children affected. One of the best things Michelle Obama did was make the nation aware that we are raising a country of fat kids.
According the the Centers for Disease control there are many reasons for obesity including:
- genetics
- metabolism—how the body changes food and oxygen into usable energy
- eating and physical activity
- environmental factors
- Social and individual psychology
However, the most prominent reason, according the Center for Disease Control, is a result of consuming more energy from foods and beverages than the body needs to function well. Foods high in sugars and saturated fats spill over to become tubby rolls around midriffs. The ramifications for obese children of indulging in a poor diet are many. They miss more days of school compared to those with of normal weight, are often bullied, and find it more difficult to perform academically. And, the extra pounds make it difficult to engage in the second most import factor in reducing weight—exercise.
Scientists—yes, that recently maligned breed—studied the results of the reformed school meal program and found it to be effective in stemming obesity. With 31 million students enrolled in this federally assisted meal program, quite a bit of data was generated. The Pew Research Center confirms that healthier school lunches had a noticeable effect on reducing obesity in elementary and middle schools. Teens who grew up under the old system still have a way to go.
Why change a program that appears to be working? Is the goal to have more children visit health care providers with preventable diseases? I thought our politicians were looking for ways to reduce medical expenses? Healthier children is a good beginning.
Unfortunately, last week’s executive order allows schools to opt out of whole grain-rich requirements. Sodium restrictions were postponed and they can go back to serving flavored milk with a higher fat content. In other words, schools can return to cooking with flour, water, and salt, the formula for making paste. The Heart Association is not very happy with the changes. Thankfully, students will still be offered fruits and vegetables, though some want to get rid of them as well.
Since it is not easy to take off weight, wouldn’t it be smarter to start children on the right path so they will not have to struggle to take pounds off as they age? Certainly, kids like salt and chocolate and sugary carbonated drinks, but so what? Adults are supposed to be the educators who set the standards. I say, nonsense to the argument about children not making good choices. If they are hungry they will select food from the options before them. If they are filling up on junk food at home, then they must be getting money from somewhere to purchase it. Why pay for them to be part of the school meal program if they eat bad food that ruins their appetite? Parents need to bear some responsibility for setting a good example.
Yes, socioeconomic factors are involved, for those with lower income and education are disproportionately more likely to be obese. Some communities have limited access to supermarkets so frozen meals, crackers , chips and cookies are foods of choice. It would be good to do something about choices in small markets as well, but since we can not tackle everything at once, lets continue with something we can do— provide children nutritious choices in school.
You, who follow my blog, most likely are healthy souls so I risk preaching to the converted. But, all of us should be concerned about the rest of our nation’s children. We have been feeding poor students since 1946, so why not do unto them as you would do unto your own family?
Turning healthy nutritional options in school lunch programs into a political issue is a disgrace! Don’t let this happen in your community.
References:
- Bird Note, 2017, How Much Do Birds Eat? http://birdnote.org/show/how-much-do-birds-eat
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Childhood Obesity Facts, https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/obesity/facts.htm
- Black, Jessica, Pew Charitable Trust Analysis, Healthy School Lunches Can Reduce Childhood Obesity and Diabetes, 2016,http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/analysis/2016/04/06/healthy-school-lunches-can-reduce-childhood-obesity-and-diabetes
- National School Lunch Program, https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/NSLPFactSheet.pdf
- Jalonick, Mary Clare, Associated Press, 2017, Government relaxes nutrition standards for school lunches, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/government-relaxes-nutrition-standards-school-lunches/
- Mayo Clinic Staff, Childhood obesity, 2017, http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/childhood-obesity/symptoms-causes/dxc-20268891
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I look forward to your comments on my blog site .
Art is always for sale. Contact me at [email protected]
_____________________________
CELEBRATE! and learn about hands-on learning and the growth of art and science museums by naive but passionate directors from throughout the country. Laugh and cry with them as you read their stories of trying to navigate the quagmire of running a non-profit organization.
Upcoming Book Talks
Museum of Natural and Cultural History, University of Oregon, 5:30 PM
Eugene - May 23, 2017
League of Women’s Voters, Clackamas County, 11:30 AM
Red Fox Hills Club House, Lake Oswego, June 10, 2017
Lake Oswego Library - June 20, 2017
High Desert Museum, Bend - October 5, 2017
Available for $19.95 Powells Books, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Broadway Books, MAC Emporium, Also on Kindle
for signed copy contact the author.
_____________________________
CELEBRATE! and learn about hands-on learning and the growth of art and science museums by naive but passionate directors from throughout the country. Laugh and cry with them as you read their stories of trying to navigate the quagmire of running a non-profit organization.
Upcoming Book Talks
Museum of Natural and Cultural History, University of Oregon,
Eugene - May 23, 2017
Lake Oswego Library - June 20, 2017
High Desert Museum, Bend - October 5, 2017
Available for $19.95 Powells Books, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Broadway Books, MAC Emporium, Also on Kindle
for signed copy contact the author.
