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I personally rate Sensory Play rates as the most preferred form of play in the early years. As children my siblings and I had access to every thing in the house other than those which were hazardous or unsafe. It was okay to go and get your hands dirty in the mud, to splash in a puddle minus rainboots, get wet and then run home dripping to change into yet another set of clothes. Many afternoons were spent making sand castles, putting and patting sand over our foot to build caves, gluing pieces of wrappers together to create magical shiny structures, using potters clay to make garden creatures and small furniture for the castles. On days when we decided to be super sleuths, we would make telephones out of paper cups. There are many more in the list. Focusing on sensory play as my own children were growing up was an obvious choice. During my teaching years too, I would incline more towards sensory play and activities. I would always have an array of activities to keep the young minds and hands engaged. These did not cost me a pay cheque; however, they required my planning mode to be at its best. My house rule was- all recyclable cardboard, cartons, jars, lids, old pots and pans can all find a place in my classroom play zone provided they meet the safety specifications. In this post I am sharing a few tips and few of my personal favorites along with links to other websites that have numerous ideas for both parents and teachers to incorporate in the day-to-day life. However, do remember the key to success will lie in your planning. Setting the tone for successful Sensory Play Be it a home environment or the classroom, these tips are going to make setting up for Sensory Play an easy task for you. These are some practical, tried and tested tips that should encourage you to provide for Sensory Play for your child, Each day and every day. 1. Be an observer and follow child’s interest- Remember to watch your child play to understand which materials interest and attract the child. You will know if your child is totally engaged and immersed in the play or is it just surface level involvement. Don’t let the flops disappoint you. Use them as a teachable moment and introduce materials and activities that attracts the child. I have had my daughter enjoy playing with the sand but only if she had a stool or a mat to sit on while playing. I wanted her to enjoy the play and moved sand play to a big bin which provided her the opportunity but respected her desire to keep away the sand from her body and clothes. I have seen children who could not care less and would jump into the sandpit and sit and play in it for hours. Each his own! 2. Be a collector- Nothing that can hold material, can be bent, can be taken apart and put back again, glued easily, makes noise, can float, can roll, and perform any function that aids use of senses can go into your “For Sensory Play” bin. Just make sure it is child safe and appropriate. You do not really have to visit a store to set up a sensory play activity for your child. There is always something at home which can be integrated easily to provide the experiences. Kitchen towel/ aluminum foil rolls are extremely versatile as one can use them to make things from Rain Sticks to a maze for sorting-coloured pompoms/ different grains/ nuts/ bottle lids. This can be taped to a door. Kitchen music with tins and simple containers is an instant hit with children. Not only does it save you money, it also helps us support our Earth by reusing what we can. 3. Keep it simple and age appropriate-The simpler the task the higher the enjoyment for all involved. Increase the complexity level as the child progress and is up for another challenge. Too easy and children loose interest, too tough leads to disappointment. Make sure it is just right and age appropriate. Remember it does not define your child’s intelligence but is more about the child’s sensory requirement. 4. Repetition leads to mastery- Quick gratification and the over eagerness for new often leads us to appreciate what repetition is capable of doing to our human brain. The same rule applies to tasks and activities that we introduce to children. Remind yourself and your child the importance of repeating an activity. Be an informed observer to check for boredom setting in as a result of either too easy or being too many times. Your child might want to come back to the same activity that they rejected some time back, make sure to provide for the rekindled interest. 5. Expect it to get messy- Anything that involves little hands at work can tend to get messy. Make sure you cover the surfaces where you set up the activity to catch for spills and mess. Teach children the steps to working on the activity and also how to clean up in case of a mess. 6. Involve your child in both-setting up and clean up – As children become participants in the process they learn to enjoy and respect the work more. A sense of empowerment sets in and they know they are as capable as they come. It gives you a helping hand. The conversations lead to beautiful moments where you can appreciate what your child can do and your child learns to appreciate the effort you put in. Soon the older sibling can lead setting up the activity and the younger sibling/ friend lends a helping hand. Make sure you explain and demonstrate exactly what is required. 7. Join the fun- Remember its play and paly is for everybody, not just children. You will be amazed at how relaxed and calm playing with your child makes you feel. The key is to schedule the play time well in advance and stick to it no matter what. It takes just 21 days to form a habit. Make it a habit and enjoy the smiles and squeals as you join the fun with your child, not competing but playing alongside. https://www.namritakrathee.com/post/learning-while-playing https://youtu.be/fa-7SZo90YY

Little Avni and Kyla are busy making sandcastles in the playground sandpit while inside the kitchen of a house close by Mihir and Aiden take on the make-believe role of the chef and sous chef while their four friends are the guests in a birthday party. In another household Chris and Steven are running about in the living room throwing and catching cushions (not the best indoor play). In the playground outside Christine and her friends are racing to the swings to be the first one to get a turn on the swings. What they all have in common is the smiles, joy and complete involvement of all the children, irrespective of the space or kind of play. Such is the Magical Power of play. At large educators and parents have experienced its magic as children but somehow miss out on its importance when raising their own children. Structured family routines around classes for activities, for academic success is leaving families with little time for unstructured free play. Lack of suitable safe spaces in and around the child’s home, traffic and unsuitable or outdated play equipment in parks, lack of understanding in adults regarding the benefits of unstructured play over structured plans can be common reasons why children world over are getting lesser opportunities to play. That does not diminish the awareness that has been generated through government and private personal groups and agencies to promote free unstructured paly in children. Developing an understanding of certain key aspects of play is the first step a parent, an educator and any advocate of unstructured play. Next comes promoting and providing opportunities for free play through tiny actionable steps. Image credit: Canva.com Play is not just mindless engagement but the highest form of opportunity to grow that we can provide to our children. It does not have to be expensive in terms of money but needs investment of thought and time from adults. Let us provide our children with what matters most-PLAY! https://www.namritakrathee.com/post/enabling-life-long-lerning-at-home-creating-supportive-learning-spaces

Our mindsets will be what will define how we go about in our lives. The bitter truth-the more we grow in age the less adaptable and more rigid we get. It’s the constant connect with self that will help us find our zen space and nobody but we ourselves can help our self. What others can do is provide tools, share strategies and guide but the work is ours to do. Sharing a few links which are full of nuggets of wisdom. There are many more links on the internet that you can refer to, these are the ones that I enjoyed and gained immensely from, Jay Shetty being one of my favourite inspiring speaker. 1. Connect with your inner self https://happiful.com/jay-shetty-on-how-to-transform-your-mindset/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTH7lA7Th78&ab_channel=DrRanganChatterjee https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2017/02/28/8-science-based-tricks-for-quieting-the-monkey-mind/?sh=3b1475ee1af6 https://www.mid-day.com/articles/how-to-beat-the-monkey-mind/22986243 https://www.controlchaos.org/productivity/new-blog/2017/1/15/3-ways-to-tame-the-monkey-mind#:~:text=SYMPTOMS,issues%2C%20and%20inability%20to%20focus https://hackspirit.com/10-powerful-zen-master-rules-will-help-live-better-life/ 2. Identify, acknowledge and accept your feelings: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-empowerment-diary/202002/what-is-centering-what-is-grounding https://www.mindful.org/how-to-meditate/ https://zenhabits.net/meditation-guide/ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition 3. Read Up, Listen Up or Watch- Stay on top of things https://www.coursera.org/ https://www.futurelearn.com/ https://www.edx.org/ 4. Reclaim your Power https://medium.com/kaizen-habits/understanding-is-more-important-than-love-argues-a-psychologist-with-over-30-years-of-experience-de94129c91e7 https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/toxic-relationships 5. Journal https://dailystoic.com/journaling/ https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentID=4552&ContentTypeID=1 https://medium.com/thrive-global/start-journaling-54ea2edb104 https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-journal/ 6. Tree of Life https://richardstep.com/creativity/passion-interests-new-fruit-root-tree-brainstorming-method/

In my previous post I spoke about finding your purpose and got requests for sharing universal tools that can be used to help us find our bigger purpose in life. The tools I share are ones that I discovered as I researched for finding tested and tried tools to help ME pin my purpose. This doesn’t mean that there are no other tools available, it’s just that each tool has helped me at various instances. So, use what works for you and own it for your self-growth. Use the tools as you start your journey and keep visiting them time and again as you feel you need direction. Most of all do share it with somebody you know will be able to utilize them for personal growth. After all collective change creates a far bigger and sustainable result than individual success. 1. Connect with your inner self: Find that me time and just calm your Monkey Mind. It is easier said than done, since humans do tend to believe that they are infallible and they do not possess anything but the best mind, hence do not need to work on the Monkey Mind. That we are all calm and settled is but a fallacy, since humans are dynamic living beings, unless and until one is a zen master. There is constant chatter around us -both in thoughts and action which leads to millions of cells being activated and being in a state of constant motion. Recognizing the fact that we need a few moments of total inactivity and achieving those moments in our day is the biggest service that we can do to self. So snatch those moments in the day. Figure out which time of the day and what works best for you, do you have to request partners or families to not disturb you in those moments, do you need a cozy rug or pillow or chair or are you comfortable in the outdoors. There is no fixed rule, just take that first step to spend time with your thoughts, watch them as they move in and out of the Monkey Mind . There are endless videos, websites that can help you quieten your mind. My first step was to just focus on my breathing as it moved in and out and of course actually talking to my monkey mind and asking it to park the thoughts that came in, for a later time of the day. Simple yoga breathing exercise -pranayama and its various forms have helped me immensely. It is a practice I started following as a high school kid under the guidance of my late grandfather and later my father. Learning from experience of elders has been an add on benefit to this life scheme called Self Help. Just follow your breath and sit in absolute calm. Try doing this before sunrise each day and witness how you can grab the day. 2. Identify, acknowledge and accept your feelings: It is absolutely natural to have feelings that make us happy and feelings that pull us down. If COVID 19 has taught me something it is to be able to identify and honour my feelings—positive or negative. The positive is easy to come but the negative needs a lot of soul searching. For someone who was travelling every fortnight and was away from home for work and enjoys visiting new places, the fact that being able to travel was not a possibility, was catastrophic. Not being able to meet loved ones and friends, not being able to visit schools and work with stakeholders was the biggest setback that I had to tackle and it took me a while to accept that the calm and ever composed me, too could get anxious . The moment I identified that I was unable to deal with uncertainty, things started changing for better as I could address the cause that bothered my monkey mind. A friend has started talking to an online counsellor to help her give closure to life’s setbacks. Another young woman has started following a youtube channel to learn meditation. Whatever you wish to do , whether it is talking to yourself each day or talking to someone who is professionally trained ,do it and just identify, acknowledge and respect your feelings. It is the toughest thing to do but the biggest game changer in life. 3. Read Up, Listen Up or Watch- Stay on top of things : The biggest boon to the society is the internet, giving us unlimited access to content and enabling learning, enabling sessions with the world’s best minds, allowing us the privilege to be able to read case studies, to hear about personal stories and to stay inspired on this journey called life. COVID 19 has brought in lot of misery but at the same time taught human race to stand up as one and support like never before. We have the brightest minds offering free online sessions through webinars, institutes and companies promoting good practices on online platforms, and lots of e-books readily available for those who wish to save on paper. Make use of whatever spare time you can, use your smart phones and tablets for purposes other than just social connect and entertainment. Get into the learner mode and use your time well. I generally read three books at a time-one that connects with my profession or talks about and discusses the world at large, one that nourishes my mind and soul and the third is just a fun light read. It keeps my mind well engaged and gives me food for thought as I try connecting the dots. If you do not enjoy e-books then order online, request friends or visit a library if it's open but do read. There will be no stopping when you find it worthwhile, and if you do not enjoy reading then you’ll always have excuses to not read. If you are not into reading, build up the habit by taking baby steps and start with short blogs and news articles and gradually invest in the book. Take your time but do read up. Do not miss out on great learning if you are not an avid reader, go ahead and listen to podcasts or watch videos to help you grow. Once you set your mind to it, there is no stopping. After the COVID 19 travel ban , I have attended at least one great webinar each week, enrolled myself into courses I might have never had time to do earlier( some free of cost), listen to a podcast each day as a routine. Every time I listen to a podcast of a person I admire or a cause I believe in, I witness exponential personal and professional growth in myself. The inspiration to contribute lights up once more. 4. Reclaim your Power: There will always be chatter around you, cluttering your mind and thoughts. Learn to press that invisible button that helps you switch off from the chatter, build your shields and don’t let the chatter bother you. Everybody goes through an emotional upheaval which might or might not be COVID 19 related. It is your job to not let the emotional garbage of others be dumped on your self-care territory. Press the pause button and wait for a couple of minutes before you reply to that verbal garbage, email garbage or slandering. Figure out if it is worth your time and energy, stand up for yourself by all means but from a place of strength and courage and not by reacting to acts that count toward emotional garbage. Be on the lookout for toxic relationships, identify them and deal with them the way you would deal with a toxic life- threatening situation. If you are unable to do so seek professional help to enable you to understand where to draw the line. Set boundaries not just for others but yourself too. And claim your power back. 5. Journal- Since time immemorial journaling has been used as a wonderful and simple tool for the writer to share thoughts, record ideas and empty the emotional baggage. Just be careful not to get caught in slandering and outbursts. It is best to stay focused on self and not get too attached to writing what others are saying or doing, after all you do want to cut down the chatter. I have found keeping a gratitude Journal as a strong tool that helped me realize when to say no to a job, to identify my fears and to appreciate and be thankful for what I already have. It has been a magical tool that has helped me track feelings and action plan my next steps-big or small. Practice that attitude of gratitude and the act of kindness and compassion, for there is nothing more courageous than a thank you for what might be a way of life for you but a privilege for another. 6. Tree of Life- Though I am listing it last, it is not the least important one but a highly recommended first step if you have managed to cut the chatter and are in a positive balanced frame of mind. Dig deep within those tiny little areas of your soul and figure out what are your strengths and what is it that pulls you down. Work on the strong inheritance that has been passed down to you through your genes. There is no stopping you, be the unstoppable you, figure out what drives you and go for it with a heart full of peace , a mind full of fresh ideas and a killer instinct-the world is yours to take over for you will be what you believe. My next posts will have suggested links and samples , so stay tuned.

The last few months have not been easy on each one of us, yet we have hung on in the hope that this too shall pass and during the process we have all emerged as better versions of ourselves. Well what choice did we have rather then press the pause button on the frivolous and focus on what matters. Last few months had me weigh options, figure out the way ahead and put the plan into action. In midst of all this I misplaced that little inspiration that I had-to write, to share, All I wanted to do was to learn and introspect--learn as I went about observing this new world, observing how each one of us dealt with this uncertain time and to introspect on my own journey. This was my perfect getaway time from the mad mad world into a cocoon where I could just lie low, calm and peaceful. These series are but an assimilation of thoughts and tools that have worked for me and I hope they will work for you too. I have yet to accomplish it all, but Yes, the journey has been worthwhile. Inspiration comes from the Purpose: Walking along the river bank, I wondered what is it that gets me going every time I dip, or every time I start afresh, was it money, the fame or the desire to bring about a change. Well it varied at each instance, sometimes it was money, sometimes the impact and sometimes just the excitement and joy that comes from learning something new. When colleagues, friends or young people reach out and ask what should they do, or say that they are demotivated and if I could help them out, all that I can think of is “ How do they trust me so much, that they are willing to lay open their deepest fears and believe that I can guide them?” I guess I do manage to restore some peace and calm and that’s why they reach out. So here is my mantra to keep moving inspite of life’s ups and downs—Stay Inspired, find that inspiration in tiny things in life, and YOU have to do it-no one can do it for you. If you really need a buddy to help you stay inspired-look hard at nature and you will find ample inspiration in it. Nature’s purpose was to maintain harmony and beauty and help us all survive. The Theory of Evolution is evidence for us to get into the scientific bit, for the soul we have to just be calm and look around. The lonely flower, blooming in midst of the grass, not bothering if it is the only one of its kind on the turf; the tree that loses its leaves in winters and then gets a new set every year; the beauty of the dew drop on the fallen leaves, there is so much magic around us. All we need to do is pause and take out time just to be thankful and joyous about it. Life will throw its brickbats and golden awards, those are just tiny stops in the journey, the entire journey is something else-mysterious , magical and magnificent. Don’t let the lows hold you down, shake yourself up , go for that walk or just sit out for a few minutes doing nothing but absorbing the free of cost nature’s beauty -where so ever you live-there is always a sunset or sunrise to watch, clouds to look for shapes and stories, raindrops to dampen your palm and the breeze to caress your face. Feel it all, absorb it all and then ask yourself about what is your purpose. It is your purpose, best know to you, don’t let the world define that for you. It is this recognition of your purpose that will drive you to wake up each morning, jump out of bed full of joy and positivity. Nothing and absolutely nothing will deter you from working towards that purpose. Once you define your purpose, figure out how it contributes towards making the world a better place-and don’t let anybody tell you that you are too tiny a piece in the world puzzle. You might be tiny but you complete the puzzle. So go ahead, take the first step, identify your purpose and see how it connects to the larger good that we should all be contributing to keeping this world a beautiful place. Just Stay Inspired! Write your own story!

As schools across the world gear up to open their classrooms to staff and children, a well balanced Action Plan that contains best practices to support staff and children will be the key to success. Focus on SEL should be a major component of the Action Plan, this will enable schools and families to bounce back and start functioning as smoothly as possible. Will we go back to what school was before COVID-19? Not in the near future, which is both sad and also a scope for new reforms, new approaches which address the whole child leading to school being not just the provider of academic skills but also contributing in nurturing the key elements of peace, joy and compassion in all. Sharing suggested Action Plans for Students and Teachers, once school reopens.

“In my little tent we play In and out the whole day. You and I get our meals, to sit cozy and dine, Mom, dad, sister and brother in the tiny ray of light we shine. Get me a sheet, get me a scarf, get me two shirts or get me swirly skirts, Help me with little kick knacks to make my tent look like a tower, for today I am the queen and you are summoned into my watch tower. Tomorrow you shall see what a gorgeous reading library my tent can be, Day after you might find some little animal friends join me, in my little lion den that my tent will be. But for today help me pull the strings and tie the knots, for my tent is my make-believe haven of sorts.” --NR THE TENT continues to be one of my favourite and highly recommended activity. It works well for the parent who wants to teach and for the parent who wants to laze around. Every time the child wins!! As child, I found it to be my cozy little place where I could snuggle in with a book and read undisturbed for hours together. My tent was a simple bed sheet pitched over the dining table. As a parent, I was always looking for creative ways to keep my children and their friends engaged ,specially during the summer break. At times our tent had a simple bedsheet, other times it would be made from sheer curtains. Sometimes, it housed just one and sometimes it catered to all of us, sometimes it was simple as it can be and sometimes it had bead curtains, plants and ribbons to add colour. There is no dearth of learning that goes on when setting up the tent and then maintaining the space. Children get real life lessons on collaboration, creativity, problem solving (where do we pitch our tent so that it is safe and fun? What materials do we use today? How do we hold it together?). You can easily build in concepts of Literacy and Numeracy as well as sense of Community. Just use your creative sense and stretch it as much as you can. This activity is one of the many that cater to the whole child development. But before getting caught in the teaching learning--just go and have fun with your child and bring out the child in you too. If you need to know the steps to " A perfect way to make a tent"check out the link below https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Blanket-Fort

It is amazing the way educators around the globe are extending themselves and creating novel solutions to ensure student engagement along with addressing the preferred learning modes of their students. This blog shares some simple doable ideas from around the globe to enhance the online learning practice across schools. The key is to keep it simple to avoid burnout. Sharing content in multiple formats: Share content in editable format for students to annotate , and add reference links. These could be word/ or editable pdf/ or Powerpoints. Videos and podcasts enhance the impact of the content and complement the written content. A few practical tips for creating videos: You don’t have to be a tech expert or have done a course in videography for this. All you need to do is keep a few simple do’s and don’ts in mind. 1. Ensure your voice is neither too soft nor too loud, practice the pace of narration. Keep the narration as comfortable as you would in a in person class, ensuring that the pauses are just enough to give a minute break but not too long for students to wonder if there is more. 2. Do not put all content in one video-make bite sized videos and chunk them under the main topic. This is a great example of how an art teacher created simple videos for her students https://twitter.com/i/status/1244654735996657665 . 3. Narrated Powerpoints- If you want to create a video with written text, go for a simple PPt, convert it into a video and share. 4. Keep the video lively, but not too chatty. 5. Practise the script over and over again, always go over the first cut to get a sense of what needs to be refined further. 6. Believe in your abilities but do watch videos of s few top performers to understand how you can continuously better your craft. Ideas Worth Sharing Here is a list of websites that offer simple doable ideas to refer to for taking teaching a notch higher Ice Breakers- https://sites.google.com/site/onlineteachingstrategies/resources-1/organizations http://www.mrswillyerd.com/2015/08/10-back-to-school-ice-breakers-your.html Engaging online Learning https://www.dexway.com/how-to-build-strong-student-engagement-in-a-virtual-classroom/ Group work https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/best-student-collaboration-tools Safe platforms for online collaboration http://web.ccsd.k12.wy.us/sectechcurr/sectechcurr/Online_Collaboration.html

By now, either through an intentional practice or through hit and trial schools have realized that online teaching cannot replicate school and it cannot be a syllabus completion task. Students have demonstrated that they by far, have higher competencies when it comes to finding innovative excuses to escape from teaching. This could range from giving a poor rating to a teaching app to lead it to be removed from play store, or name themselves "reconnecting" or sync screens to bounce DVD logo all over the screen to confuse the teacher. Sadly there have been cases of students using profanities and abusing teachers. Cases of teachers and students suffering from burnout, parents grappling with issues of shared devices for dividing time between working on their own tasks and their children’s learning. In this post I share a few suggestions through the magical A3E formula to keep teaching enjoyable and learning engaging and empowering. Approach: Your approach will define why, what and how of the task that you do. Whether you wish to get over with a chore and tick off the number of lessons covered or whether you want your children to engage in authentic learning experiences. The key is to opening these locks lies in the approach you take as an educator. You should not try to replicate the school timetable or teaching but prioritize what needs to be taught now and focus on deep student engagements on key topics. Keep your content and sharing CCP (Clear Crisp and Precise). A3E-The 4 ESSENTIALS to ADD SPARKLE to ONLINE TEACHING These 4 simple steps will not just add sparkle to the online teaching but give you a breather too. These are applicable in all scenarios and for all age groups, ranging from K-12 schools up to adult learning. The first step however will always be deciding on the key topics that cannot be missed out as they are an important step of the learning ladder and connect to what will be taught next. 1.Access---We have our preferred mode of accessing information---some enjoy reading, some prefer listening and some prefer visuals. For all learners to enjoy and learn in the way they learn best, you can design and share the content in a readable pdf or word document, a video or a PowerPoint with voice recording or a podcast.This will help all your learners to access content across devices. It might seem a huge task to you at first, but then there is no gain without pain. Take small steps and build up this repository around the most important topics. Sift the topics and work on the ones that are connected to the next stages learning . 2.Engage—Keep your audience engaged let the share their learning by using various tech tools. Let them use different paths to showcase their learning. Use a variety of methods to gather responses, ranging from chats, polls and whiteboards to students creating podcasts, making videos or sharing by writing on blogs, forums. This is the best time to bring in various modes of expression. 3.Enrich—Do not let either the GSP’s or the field trips stop. Invite friends or parents to share expertise with children, let the children go on a virtual field trip. Make virtual connects with students of other schools across borders-within your country and globally. This is the best time to have children and adults connect virtually and collaborate, share projects. 4. Empower—get the collaboration back and don’t fall into becoming the sage on the stage . Let the students take the lead and try to build in experiences for Authentic Group Work --- Divide tasks and let each one have a role in the teaching process . Let them be the experts—so design the roles in the group—Communications manager, Subject Expert, The Social Worker, The Digital Expert, The PR agent. Just keep it simple, get creative , play around with the tech tools available, ask peers who are more tech savvy and updated to help you out. Don't forget to trim the syllabus--stay as fun loving and creative as you are in the in person teaching scenario in the physical classrooms. You can access my video explaining the A3E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPaTLjaed6o&t=722s Sharing an infographic that I found on Canva. Good suggestions should be shared with all.

Children need spaces that fulfil their intrinsic need to explore, build, create and use what they have built. As adults in their lives, it is our responsibility to provide them with not just opportunities to build but also support their learning through authentic experiences. Why do we need to provide for these spaces and experiences? Is the teaching of the 3Rs through hands on activities not enough? Young parents and teachers have asked this question time and again. It would do good if we understand that this requirement is not originating from any teaching philosophy but rather from the inherent requirements of young children. As adults we might have to push ourselves a little bit to provide for the children, also remember it pays to join in and enjoy this provision by becoming partners and yet staying a provider in these activities. A little understanding of the Child Development here would enable the adults-teachers and parents/ families alike. Jean Piaget’s theory and Stages of Cognitive Development have guided my professional and personal approaches and given me the scaffolding as I designed my personal philosophy of teaching and learning based on my experiences in the Montessori, Reggio and Playway approaches. The three main components to Piaget’s theory are: 1. Understanding of Stages of Cognitive Development in children 2. Understanding of the Adaptation processes that enable transition from one stage to another 3. Understanding of Schemas. This youtube link will help you understand the Stages of Cognitive Development. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhcgYgx7aAA The third component-Understanding of Schema- helps me design near perfect opportunities for learning for children. Understanding and supporting some of the common Schema in play will help adults provide for powerful play opportunities to young children. The common Schemas are: 1. Trajectory 2. Rotation 3. Enclosing 4. Enveloping 5. Transporting 6. Connecting 7. Positioning 8. Orientation 1. Trajectory Exhibited through-Kicking, putting things in and out of containers, waving arms up and down, throwing, pulling, pushing, pointing, rocking, climbing or stepping up and down Resources to support-kites, bubbles, balls, wet sponges, pully systems, water / air pumps, yoyos, car tracks, safe areas to climb, areas with provision for stepping up and down on steps 2. Rotation Exhibited through-Twisting, turning, rolling Resources to support-locks and keys, winding up toys, construction toys, paint rollers, tools, wheels, tyres. 3. Enclosing Exhibited through-Building fences or wall Resources to support-fabrics, cardboard boxes, tunnels, parachutes, shoe boxes, clay, simple baskets, lidded pots, ladles,spoons, construction. 4. Enveloping Exhibited through-Fillings bags, making dens Resources to support-socks, pillow cases, Russian dolls, tins, boxes, suitcases, bags, purses, wallets, wrapping paper, blankets, scarves, dupattas, sarees, fabrics 5. Transporting Exhibited through--Moving objects from place to place with hands, buckets, trolleys, wheelbarrows, bags Resources to support-Child friendly tools for digging, tractors, wheelbarrows, pebbles, natural objects, loose parts, scoops, spades, spoons, baskets, buckets, sorting trays, ice cube trays, medicine boxes, masala boxes. 6. Connecting Exhibited through-Tying things together, building chains, fastening fabrics Resources to support-Child friendly material to thread and string beads, buttons, etc strings, weaving frames, toy train tracks, construction blocks, junk modelling, clothes with fastenings. 7.Positioning Exhibited through-Ordering, arranging objects Resources to support-Stacking toys-cups, dolls, boxes. Peg boards, balancing scales, loose parts. 8. Orientation Exhibited through-Hanging upside down, looking through legs, building ramps, re-positioning Resources to support-posting boxes, magnifying glasses, binoculars, mirrors These are simple materials which can be provided for in all settings-homes and schools. Keeping activities simple with the key points laid out in the first post will help parents provide for activities that allow children to construct meaning in whatever activity they are doing. Opening and closing containers and stacking can be carried out in any kitchen. Start with providing for these resources and then move to simple self-help activities that involve cooking without fire. Add a few basic circuitry tools and if you can then tech tools and you have your Home Maker Lab all set up-there is no stopping to bringing out the maker not just in your child but you too. The design of your lab can vary from Lab in a Box to A Maker Room. Go with what you have. this framework will support you in providing Learning spaces at home. Making does not require elaborate setups but just a maker mindset. Hoping each child and each parent will enjoy the magical years and grow together as Makers. Adding a simple list to help to assemble parts for your makerlab-be it a Lab in a Box or a Maker Room.

The children , who have been thrown into a totally new world are the strong warriors, proving that they are capable of adaptation and resilience. The change has not been easy on them not just in terms of learning but also in way of their access to the physical world, playgrounds, companionship and in some cases safety and security from volatile home situations. Recommendations to prevent and respond to violence against children in all learning environments from Safe to Learn. hashtag#childrenarethefuturehashtag#socialemotionalhashtag#parentingadvicehashtag#schoolculturehashtag#schoolleadershiphashtag#safeguardinghashtag#keepchildrensafe

Children need spaces that fulfill their intrinsic need to explore, build, create and use what they have built. As adults in their lives, it is our responsibility to provide them with not just opportunities to build but also support their learning through authentic experiences. The limitations of available space that one has should in no way be a deterrent to providing children with experiences that are rightfully theirs—experiences that bring with them satisfaction of creation and the joy of learning. Supportive Spaces full of Joy, Care and Creativity “The supportive spaces have distinct features both in terms of physical and the Socio Emotional context. The latter being the backbone and foundation of a strong character. In the desire to provide for a well-designed physical learning space parents should not ignore the importance of comfort, trust and voice of the child.” Growing up in various parts of the country, thanks to my dad’s transferable job, one thing that remained a constant was my desire to make and my brother’s desire to make as well as break, the latter being stronger. I would make dolls, simple houses, pencil holders while he was known to rip apart any new gadget that was bought, toys-specially the battery operated one. We have also spent many a wonderful evening watching mothers, aunts and elder sisters making macramé pot holders, thread work table cloths and knitting. These were the 70 and 80’s. Many a utility items were made at home with whatever resources were available. As a layman we never realized the impact of these activities till researchers and psychologists came up with theories of the way these making and breaking activities influenced minds and hearts. The impact ranges from developing executive functioning skills, to building in resilience and creativity. Providing children with Playful Investigations and Supportive Learning spaces that provide them opportunities to break, build and create do not necessarily mean investing huge amounts of money in purchases of any kind. Start with what is available and trust me when you will look around a whole lot is available. The space can be created in a one room house inhabited by a family as well as in a privileged home. What one will be able to offer in those spaces will vary in design and raw material, and kinds of experiences that are offered. However, it will not be a case of being unable to offer at all. After all something is better than nothing at all. Few basic suggestions and guidelines for creating Supportive Learning Spaces at home are: 1. Child’s Voice and Choice---This tops the list. Ask them to suggest which space would they like to use. In case of a shared space draw up protocols for all users to follow. 2. Structure—Build in structure for space usage with time slots and clean up procedure. 3. Define—Define and demonstrate clean up procedure and expectations for housekeeping and safety. Ensure all are looking at the same picture. 4. Display—In case of products other than eatables create space for displaying the work in progress and the finished product. This is both in terms of physical space and space in everybody’s daily routine to pause and appreciate the product. Eatables will deserve a space that is apt to their shelf life and usage. 5. Appreciate—Understand it is not about the end product but about the entire process from planning to creating which holds the key to powerful engagement of the mind. Appreciate meaningfully with citation of what did you like and not just a generic well done! 6. Get involved—These activities impact not just the children, but also parents who benefit in many ways. The biggest challenge that parents might face would be letting go and not creating for the child but being a supporter on the side. The various areas around which you can build in making, creating and breaking experiences as a parent are: 1. The Kitchen 2. Simple Circuitry 3. Using reusable materials 4. Gardening 5. Light and Shadow 6. Technology 7. Needle and Thread All of these promote STEAM in an unimaginable way , and the impact of the process is much deeper and complex than end product.