October News from Especially for Children

OCTOBER 2022

Greetings!

OCTOBER HAPPENINGS

We have a very busy month planned for the children in October. It is hard to believe it is autumn already! As the leaves start falling and the temperatures are dropping, it is important that your child has warmer clothing for outdoor play. Remember that it is often significantly colder in the morning hours when we go outside to play. Please make sure to label all clothing items as many children have the same type/brand/color of clothes.

CENTER HAPPENINGS

COSTUME DAY

The children may come to school dressed in their costumes on Monday, October 31! Please make sure it is a comfortable costume that they can wear and play in all day and please do not bring extra accessories. The children will have a costume parade with their own class that day as well!

SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS

We have begun offering scholastic books again! Flyers for orders will be available on the parent counter along with a drop off box for your order form and check. You can also do your order online! Our school earns new books for our classrooms with this program!

PARENT REMINDERS

FALL CONFERENCES

Conferences will be held in November. Each class will have a sign-up sheet on the parent counter. If none of the available times work for you, please see Linda to make other arrangements.

LOOKING AHEAD

Especially for Children will be closed on Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25 for the Thanksgiving holiday.

STAR WELLNESS

"FRANKENMUFFINS"

These spooky muffins get their green color from spinach and their sweetness from a banana!

Heat oven to 350 degrees and coat 16 muffin cups with cooking spray. Whisk together:

1 cup each all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp cinnamon

In blender, puree:

¼ cup canola oil
¾ cup milk
9oz (6 cups packed) fresh baby spinach until smooth.
Add 1 large banana and 2 tsp vanilla.

Fold liquid mixture into the dry ingredients. Fill each prepared muffin tin two-thirds full and bake for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS

LOOSE PARTS IN AUTUMN NATURE

By Angie Williams

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”

― Lauren DeStefano, Wither

Fall in Minnesota is spectacular. Cool, crisp air greets us in the morning, the days are generally sunny, and when the leaves turn, warm colors abound.

As nature prepares for what comes next (even as many of us push away all thoughts of winter!), autumn offers many elements that can help children learn in the form of fallen loose parts.

Loose parts are used in early childhood education to inspire child-directed play and help support creativity as well as an understanding of mathematical concepts. They are materials that can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up, and taken apart and put back together in multiple ways. (Better Kid Care). While we have written in previous communications about the importance of loose parts (https://especiallyforchildren.com/2022/04/15/loose_parts/), fall presents yet another opportunity to highlight the ways in which loose parts help children learn. The following article from Community Playthings describes how autumn’s natural elements support children’s cognitive development in mathematical concepts:

“We are approaching the time of year in which nature generously replenishes its available loose parts. Leaves fall, acorns drop, seed pods form, and there is no end to the natural materials you can collect for free just in your backyard.

‘One area of early learning particularly suited for the use of these materials is math,’ writes Dorie Ranheim. ‘There is a myriad of questions that can be asked to guide children’s thinking. For example, What did we find the most of? Tell me about your stick. Can you find something longer? Which rock is heavier? Through these playful interactions, rich math language flows and becomes part of the child’s vocabulary.’

’You can also use loose parts to model mathematical skills like how to count acorns using one-to-one correspondence, how to create a pattern with fall leaves, or how to measure by comparing two feathers. All the foundational areas of early math can be explored in a playful way using natural loose parts.’”

https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/2020/Math-Play-with-Loose-Parts

As you are out and about this fall, take note of the loose parts all around you and see what your child has in store for them!