"Designing the Play Oasis has been a unique opportunity to provide a place of wonder for our community. What a delight it is to visit throughout the day, and see families discovering the oasis!

It is the kind of space we like to call “ the space between” – a free space that we use between more structured parts of our day. The “spaces between” connect our busy days, as we go from school, to work, to home. We use them to get places and to rest between commitments, and as space to explore new ideas. Imagine your favorite bench, a path or a sunny restful patio.

What’s unique about these kinds of places is that we aren’t expected to do anything particular there. You can chill, dream and discover. No one is expecting a report back! Try that twirl that you’ve been thinking about but didn’t have room for at home, or lay back on the stage and watch the leaves rustle under the warmth of the sun. These moments and places can change our whole day.

The spaces between are the glue that holds things together. Dream. Twirl. Stroll.

Mary-Ann Agresti, AIA,

The Design Initiative, Inc.

Bilingual Story & Playtime @Outdoor Play Oasis

November 5th

Co-facilitated by Sue Gubbins & Fabi Gardner

Portuguese & English celebrating Brazilian author Anna Crespo & book “The Sock Thief” and making soccer balls from "loose parts". 

I saw so many great things! I loved when kids would make a ball, go test it out and decide that it was too heavy, too small...and go back and make improvements! That's what science is all about! I saw kids putting tape around the balloons to make them heavier, kids testing the bounce with different sized pieces of model magic. Kids connecting, making up games and playing with kids that they hadn't met before. Kids sharing their language. Kids making improvises to their soccer games to accommodate a friend with crutches and babies who were joining the mix. Kids used the hollowed out log to pass their balls through, creating their own games with their own rules.

I look forward to providing many more opportunities to welcome in our Portuguese speaking friends.

Sue Gubbins

"Be A Rock Star!"

@ Toy Library

October 21

Facilitated by Bonnie Campbell-Runyon

"Be a Rock Star" gave children opportunities to explore sizes, shapes, colors, textures, weights of different kinds of rocks. They sorted, measured, experimented, constructed and created designs with rocks. They figured out what would work or not work when they constructed with rocks. They observed rocks in water, discovered magnetism in sand and talked about their discoveries with other children and adults. The "Rock Star" book was used as a reference to find out more information about rocks and each family received a copy of "Rock Star" donated by Author Kelly Darling and Illustrator Ginger McEachern.

Fabulous Fall

@ Outdoor Play Oasis

October 19

Facilitated by Mary Wilson

"Fabulous Fall" provided lots of opportunities for children to explore leaves, pumpkins and seeds and more with magnifying glasses and other tools. Exploring worms gave children a chance to touch, observe, talk about and learn about worms from their first hand experience sparking their curiosity to learn more from pictures and books.

Nature Art

@ Outdoor Play Oasis

October 25 & 26

Facilitated by Mary Wilson

"Nature Art" provided a variety of opportunities to explore creativity with mixed media materials such as acorns, stones, chestnuts, pine cones, cinnamon sticks, tree cookies, tiles, herbs, play dough and more. There were invitations to follow patterns or make their own, paint with feathers, pine needles, and sticks, mix fresh herbs with play dough and more. So much learning as they explored, used materials, and made discoveries through their child-led play!

Halloween Kids Yoga

@ Toy Library

October 29

Facilitated by Emilie & Nathan Cataldo

"Halloween Kids Yoga" gave children lots of ways to develop their balance, coordination and strength as well as body awareness and self-regulation by breathing and holding poses. Kids enjoyed yoga stretches and movements - being a bat (standing forward bend), crooked tree (tree pose), witch on a broom (chair pose), pumpkin squats and more. A 2-year old observed his mom and imitated the poses and tried out the obstacle course afterwards.

Check out "Kids Yoga with Bari Koral" You Tube & KidsYogaStories.com to incorporate yoga poses and movement into story reading.

Sensational Storytime

@ Outdoor Play Oasis

November 1 & 8

Facilitated by Mary Wilson

"Sensational Storytime" provided sensory bins with tools (scoops, funnels, tongs, scissor graspers, pretend bugs and bones) & sensory media (thistle birdseed). Math, science, physics, language, color concepts, problem solving, imagination and fine motor skill building were all part of the play experience.

The birdseed migrated to the outdoor kitchen space and became strawberry cake, chocolate cake with frosting, and cookies. Negotiation, cooperation, language, turn taking and making new friends were all part of the experience. The children narrated what they were making and offered to add different ingredients to each other's creations. They negotiated and traded cooking tools using seeds, leaves and sticks.

Mary Wilson

Pitter Patter Programs