Updates for 2017!

Since 2011, Natural Wonders Play Studio has taken on many forms: Summer classes in the park, birthday parties, summer camps, preschool classes, etc. 6 years later, I am feeling a renewed drive and passion to branch out and make it more. For the last 3 years I have worked with combat-wounded veterans part-time, and Natural Wonders has taken a back seat. But it's always there, simmering in the back of my mind. I LOVE this part of my life. It brings me energy and joy. It's time for me to reach out to other business owners in the Charlotte community who share my passion for children and play. People I can partner with and who can help me grow. I would love to make my dream of having my own permanent space come true! If anyone reading this is interested in talking through ideas with me, please call me! I am looking for an appropriate space but need it to be multi-use so it is more affordable! I welcome any ideas and chances to meet like-minded individuals! 704-287-0343.

Grow Together Thursdays!

I am excited to partner with Kids' Yoga Instructor Kim Bogert, and artist Lindsey Crisp, for Grow Together Thursdays at "The Barn," located behind Pure Pizza in Plaza-Midwood.

6 fun mornings will be filled with creativity in the form of art, yoga and sensory play!

Please click the link for more info.: Grow Together Thursdays

Summer Camp!

Grow, Play, Create, Pray! Our first summer camp, a collaboration between Natural Wonders Play Studio and Kids' Holy Yoga, was even more fun that we anticipated it would be! We had 18 awesome kids for one week, learning yoga, collaborating, creating, exploring, listening to bible stories, and being valued and loved. I had the pleasure of working with Sarah Henderson, Kids' Holy Yoga instructor. We both feel that Natural Wonders and Holy Yoga go together perfectly! We are looking forward to more collaborations, including another summer camp next year, and possibly a winter camp. Stay tuned!

Birthday Parties!

Natural Wonders birthday parties are unique and relaxed events that are fun for all ages! Each party is customized to the age of the child, the setting, and the party theme. Take-home nature crafts are an option, and can be given to guests as party favors. Parties can take place in your own home, at a park or recreation center, or any other appropriate setting.

Natural Wonders parties start at $100 for up to ten children, and $10 per additional child. Take-home crafts are an additional $25. This price includes set-up, facilitation for a 1.5 hour party, and thorough clean-up. This is considerably less than other children's party venues in Charlotte.

Please email me at naturalwondersplay@gmail.com, or call me at 704-287-0343, to schedule your child's next party!

The Class Experience

As soon as children arrive at my indoor or outdoor space, they will see, feel, and hear the beauty and tranquility of nature. Soft harp and flute music plays, while children explore tiny treasures, soft dough, silky seeds and grains, and high quality wooden blocks, utensils, and boxes. Scents of cinnamon or jasmine fill the air. Beautiful cups and bowls are arranged neatly around spices, rice, and cornstarch. The purposeful arrangement of materials will spark little imaginations. Soon, children will be feeding tiny play animals, making pizzas and cakes, finding hideouts and crevices for toy bugs, scooping, pouring, feeling, and pounding. Throughout all of this, they will be cooperating and sharing.

This type of open-ended, sensory play is important for developing brains. Engaging the senses in a relaxed, calm environment helps children to focus. From there, they can begin to learn about their world through play. It is very common for me to see children sorting, weighing, and counting. They also make sense of the adult world they see through pretend play.

The role of the facilitator throughout this experience is to be an active listener, to model and encourage sharing and cooperation, and to engage children who may be having trouble following through on their ideas. It is also essential to communicate to the children that there is no right or wrong, and that their ideas are valued. The facilitator also sets limits, and lets the children know that the materials are to be respected and handled carefully.

Article on the importance of play

If you have the time and interest, I would highly recommend this article: http://www2.aap.org/pressroom/playfinal.pdf
You will have to copy and paste it into your browser.

Updates

I am so excited to announce that Natural Wonders Playgroup is now Natural Wonders Play Studio, LLC. I am in the process of planning for summer classes and I have lots of new ideas and materials to work with. I can't wait to see what the children will do with it all!


I have been working with the children at Hawthorne Lane Preschool recently, and am enjoying every moment of it. The teachers have been reporting to me that they feel calm and relaxed during the class, which is exactly what I wanted for them! They deserve it! I like to whisper to the children while I talk to them, in order to make things even more soothing. Lots of them even whisper back!


I hope to see LOTS of you beginning in June! Please "like" me on Facebook: Natural Wonders Playgroup

Class at The Speech Garden!

Click here to see what The Speech Garden Preschool had to say about my class.

You can also click here to view a slideshow they created of the class!

Why I Started the Playgroup:

"Undirected play allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to resolve conflicts, and to learn self-advocacy skills. When play is allowed to be child driven, children practice decision-making skills, move at their own pace, discover their own areas of interest, and ultimately engage fully in the passions they wish to pursue. Ideally, much of play involves adults, but when play is controlled by adults, children acquiesce to adult rules and concerns and lose some of the benefits play offers them, particularly in developing creativity, leadership, and group skills. In contrast to passive entertainment, play builds active, healthy bodies. In fact, it has been suggested that encouraging unstructured play may be an exceptional way to increase physical activity levels in children, which is one important strategy in the resolution of the obesity epidemic. Perhaps above all, play is a simple joy that is a cherished part of childhood."

By Kenneth R. Ginsburg, MD, MSEd

From PEDIATRICS Vol. 119 No. 1 January 2007

Drop-In Classes Oct. 11th and 25th

On Tuesday, October 11th and Tuesday, October 25th, I will be having drop-in classes at 10:30 a.m. These classes will be open to anyone and donations will be accepted, but not required. Please stay tuned for the location at Freedom Park. I'm hoping to get our old spot back when Festival in the Park is over.

Try out a class for free!

If you are unsure of whether or not this playgroup is right for your child, come try out a class for free! Check the post below for days and times. We would love to have you!

Fall classes

Fall classes will run for 8 weeks, beginning on September 6th and running through October 27th.

-I will have 3 class times per week to choose from:

1. Tuesdays from 10:30-11:30
2. Wednesdays from 10:30-11:30
3. Thursdays from 2:30-3:30

-The cost will be $90 for 8 weeks (one class per week), with a 10% discount for siblings. The cost will include:

*A new sensory item each week (something messy that you may not want to do at home).
*A few new items to play with each week.
*A new setup each week that encourages open-ended play.
*Frequent handouts about activities you can do at home.
*A magnet with a picture of your child playing on the last day of class.
*A 25% discount if you schedule a birthday party with me.

Please email me if you would like to sign up. Class size will be limited to 10, so in order to reserve your spot I will need $20 by the end of August, and the remaining amount by the first day of class. If you would like to send it to me by mail, let me know and I will send you my address.

Thanks! Tell your friends!

Week 2

During this second week of the playgroup, I have met so many new and interesting people. I have gotten great ideas and help from friends and family, and everyone seems excited! I feel lots of momentum to move forward and grow.

The children have been very engaged in making flower bouquets, birthday cakes, spider webs, turtles, and much more! I love hearing them tell me about what they are doing. Part of my role as the facilitator is to be an active listener, and the children usually have lots to say about what they are doing after just a few questions are asked.

I am truly blessed to have the opportunity to do what I love.

Thank you.

Joy!

The first official week of the playgroup was, in my opinion, a great success. I say that because I was overwhelmed with joy! I saw the beginning of a dream coming true. Watching all of the children explore, create, build, and become entirely engaged made me happier than anyone can imagine.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you out there who brought, or will bring, your children to me. I love them all and their creativity amazes me! I want to thank those of you who have supported me, encouraged me, believed in me. It means more than you can imagine.

So...onto thinking about next week! Your donations allowed me to buy more items worth exploring and creating with. My children helped me pick them out, so they are kid-approved. We have a ball made out of twigs, colorful glass containers, tiny wood blocks, and dinosaur skulls ("for the boys," Jack said), to name a few.

I hope you will bring your children back and invite some friends!

Tomorrow's class- 8/2

Please note: I have changed the location of the class for tomorrow. We will meet at the end of Freedom Park near the black train engine (and playground). You will have to enter the park from East Blvd. From the parking lot, go across the creek on the bridge and immediately turn right. You will see us there.

Stone Soup

Yesterday, a group of us met at Freedom Park for a session to make "stone soup", and to explore some rice mixed with crystals, rocks, and a few geodes. The group was larger than I had expected. I was thrilled that so many children came. On the other hand, it made me realize that I need to set a cap on the number of children attending since I'm limited in the amount of materials I can bring to the park.

As always, the children fascinated me. They seemed to really enjoy dumping their soup ingredients into the pot and stirring it all up. They crowded around the rice bin and were quiet as they scooped and poured and discovered the hidden gems.

I am really looking forward to the next session on Tuesday the 2nd, when I will bring so much more for the children to discover, including butterflies, flowers, crystals, glass containers, wood, sparkling balls, and more!

Information about August classes

The first class in August will take place on Tuesday, August 2nd at 10:00 a.m. We will meet at the lake side of Freedom Park, closest to Princeton Ave. Parents are encouraged to attend classes with their children, but can simply observe and relax (or even go for a walk or jog around the lake for some free time)! You do not have to sign up for a particular number of classes. You can drop-in to any or all classes.

We will also be meeting in the same location on Tuesday, July 26th at 3:00 p.m. to make "Stone Soup." We will take a short hike down the nature trail to collect ingredients for the "soup." Anyone is welcome to join us! Please feel free to call me with any questions.

Please email me at kimaprill@hotmail.com if you plan to attend. I will need to know the age(s) and number of children attending, and also contact information for all parents, in case of rain or emergency.

Trial class

Yesterday a few of my children's friends were gathered together for a trial class. I made homemade play dough scented with cinnamon and brought the materials to make oobleck, a mixture of water and cornstarch that is both a liquid and a solid. Playing with oobleck is one of my children's favorite things to do. It is also great for children with sensory integration disorders, or texture issues. When squeezed, it becomes hard and feels manageable and satisfying. When released, it oozes over your hand slowly, as if massaging it. Okay, the point is, it is very therapeutic to play with. I provided cookie cutters, spoons, ladles, clear marbles, pine cones and tiny bowls for the children to use. They then decided on their own to mix the play dough in. That created a different type of substance that was also very appealing to touch. Some of the children dripped the substance all over their bodies. Luckily it washes off in seconds with just a little water! They were entranced. I loved watching it all!

About the Playgroup

I believe that play is a child's work and that open-ended, or non-directed, play is essential to brain development. In my playgroup, children will be able to explore with all 5 senses and choose the activities that interest them most. The materials that I will have available to explore include sand and water, rice, shells and crystals, scarves, homemade play dough, rocks, natural wood blocks, and paints. The children will be able to listen to different types of music and explore rhythms and sounds. Some of the materials will be scented with cinnamon or lavender. We will explore nature and use materials from the natural world as play objects. It is amazing to see what children will create with a variety of materials and no specific instructions. Often, the children become so focused that the play space is actually quiet! Come and observe for yourself!