Ruth(playworkeatrepeat), Author at PLAYWORKEATREPEAT

This Weeks Favourites

My goodness, it’s been a long time between Friday favourites for me. But I’m happy to be back again. Really hope you are all well and thanks so much for stopping by to have a read at some of this week’s favourites! As usual, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for today’s fun post! #1 Let’s kick off with favourite number one!…….. I’ve decided to paint the house!! I started off by painting what used to be my dear mum’s room. It was a grey colour with a slight blueish tint. I desperately need to keep busy to stop my mind from wandering to sad places. My husband thinks I may be a bit nutty to want to take on this task as I already work full time. He wanted to pay for the house to be painted professionally. But after he realised how keen I was and how well the room I painted turned out, he was happy to give me the gig! Haha!! Our house is not huge and I will take my time painting it. But I’m super pumped that I will have an ongoing project for a while. At the moment the house is painted in a colour called “Grand Piano” But I’m thinking I might continue with the white. I’m a huge fan of neutral colours and you can’t get more neutral than white. But seriously who knew there could be so many shades of white!!! #2 I went to visit a very dear friend who lives at Avoca beach. It’s a beautiful part of the central coast region of NSW. Luckily the weather was beautiful when I visited last Saturday, it’s been absolutely miserable lately with endless days and days of rain in Sydney. I went by train because I’m too chicken to drive so far. But I really enjoyed the relaxing train ride and I even had a bit of a snooze on the way home. It was a two-hour train ride but as I got further and further towards the coast, the views were really quite lovely. My friend made a delicious lunch. We enjoyed ravioli, salad and a glass or two of Pinot Noir! We then went for a walk, it was just so nice to catch up with her. I had the best day and the time just flew by so fast. My friend has invited me to stay the night next time I visit and I think I will take her up on that offer. #3 Have you tried this delicious Taramasalata dip? It’s a Greek dip made of fish roe, as I type this it doesn’t sound great but trust me. It really and truly is yummy!! I was at Costco with my Aunty the other day and I picked up this large tub which lasted about five minutes at my house. It’s my son who especially can’t stop eating it and it’s most definitely a huge family favourite! I went to have some the other day and found this in the fridge… Seriously! does anybody else have a teenager who does this?! It reminded me of how my oldest son used to change the toilet paper when he was a teenager and living at home! I took this photo in 2013 because I walked into the bathroom and couldn’t believe it. Makes me laugh now but not so much back then! #4 Speaking of Costco, I love going to Costco! This amazing superstore only came to Sydney in 2012 I think. I am not a member because our closest store is still too far from where I live. But my aunty is a member and so is my cousin. While I was off from work last term, I enjoyed a few trips to Costco with them. I picked up this huge container of peanut butter pretzels. Soooo good!! The thing with Costco as you probably know is that everything is HUGE, and we just don’t have the pantry or fridge space in our house. So I’m careful with the number of things I buy and limit myself to things that I wouldn’t normally find in my local supermarket. These peanut butter pretzels are one of them. I also love the hot dogs we ate after our shopping trip. Hmmm diced onions, relish and tomato sauce!! Ha! I’m sure most of the world is used to Costco and it’s not a big deal but for me, it’s a novelty and a fun day out! #5 This is a favourite from last month, but I thought I would share it anyway because I haven’t posted in a while. Last year we got some tickets to see Crowded House for March of this year. When we got the tickets I couldn’t ever have imagined how my world was going to be turned upside down this year! Anyway, my husband and I went along and it was such a welcome relief to do something fun together. The concert was amazing and we had such a great time. I loved that we knew most of the songs and I felt like an eighties teenager again for a couple of hours as we sang along. #6 My lovely kind sweet friend bought me this gorgeous climbing plant that flowers the most beautiful red flowers. It had been sitting in its original pot for a while. So a few weekends ago I planted it in the front garden. Looks so pretty, doesn’t it? I can’t wait until it wraps itself around the verandah and flowers more. #7 I’ve joined a bible study! Our church actually calls them Gospel Teams and they run a whole heap of them on Wednesday and Thursday nights in different homes. I never had the time to commit to one. I tried to in the past but always ended up having to give it up because I just had too much going on. There are about 13 of us in the Gospel Team I have joined. I’ve been

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I’m Back

26 Comments / Hello Monday

Hi friends Wow, this is a hard post to write. Firstly I have to start by saying that I have really missed you guys and I am starting to feel better about slowly getting back to blogging. It feels like I’ve been in limbo and the last few months have been so hard. I have missed joining the regular fun link-ups and writing some of my other articles. Please know that I always love and appreciate you stopping by for a read and your comments always encourage me so much. Sad News My beautiful mum passed away on the 19th of March. Only three weeks after she was first diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer. This was so unexpected as she had initially gone into hospital as a result of a nasty fall. She recovered from the fall like a champ! But while she was in the hospital the doctors ran a whole bunch of tests and made this horrible discovery. As a family, we spent every possible moment with her and we were all with her when she took her last breath. I wish you could have met my mum. She was very funny and extremely cheeky! Although she didn’t have an easy life I have to say that she always liked to be happy and was up for a chat with everyone and anyone. She often spoke Spanglish and was sometimes hard to understand. Her ability to mispronounce words often had us both in stitches. She loved bright colours, fashion, Fuschia lipstick, and disco music. She lived with us for eight years and I really miss her. Back To My New Normal After taking most of the first Term off from work I have now gone back. Initially, it was really tough getting used to my new daily routine without my mum. But it’s been good to be back at preschool with my lovely work colleagues who have been so kind, supportive, and very understanding. Extra Thankful I am also extra thankful to be back at work with my little preschool children. I really missed them while I was away! It’s interesting how after going through such a great loss I find myself appreciating EVERYTHING so much more. I am also beyond grateful to have many really wonderful friends and family! So many reached out via phone calls, texts, messages, and visits. I had flowers, care packages, and dinners delivered to my house. My friends and family were there for me on the days I was a blubbering mess and could barely put one foot in front of the other. I have also reconnected with many old friends too and I am determined to keep these connections ongoing because hey, life is so short! Faith As a Christian, I know that I will see my mum again as I have hope in eternal life through Christ’s death and resurrection. I know that she is in Heaven with God, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I would much rather have her here with me. A New Normal Some days are better than others. Getting used to life without my Mum is going to take time. I know that I will never stop missing her but I also know that there is healing and eventually my heart will stop feeling so desperately sad. “After the rain, the sun will reappear. There is life. After the pain, the joy will still be here” Walt Disney

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Update

22 Comments / Hello Monday

Hi everyone I just wanted to stop by very quickly to update you on a couple of things. Firstly thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog and write some very lovely comments. I really have grown to love this encouraging blogging community and I appreciate every single one of you. Secondly, as much as I want this blog to always be a happy place. Unfortunately and realistically this is not always possible. On Tuesday of last week, we received some devastating news in regards to my mama’s health. So I will be taking time off both from my regular job at preschool and from blogging so I can spend as much time as I can with her. Sadly, according to the doctors, she doesn’t have much time left and I am beyond heartbroken. If you can, please keep us in your prayers. Sending you much love

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25 Things You Don’t Know About Me

12 Comments / Hello Monday

Happy Monday! It was my birthday the other day and I thought I might do a list of things you don’t know about me. Then I was contemplating whether or not to do a point for every birthday year. But I then thought that might be waaaaay too long. So instead I just stuck to 25 things you don’t know about me. So here goes…… I love salt and I will usually always add it to my food whenever I am eating. My mum always cringes when she sees me doing this and warns me about the possible state of my kidneys. My nose always runs whenever I eat, I googled it one day, and apparently, it’s called gustatory rhinitis. Maths terrifies me and I am afraid of numbers in general. My brain just seizes up whenever I have to work out anything to do with numbers and I don’t have enough fingers to count with. I have never won a trophy or any kind of award because I am the least sporty person in the whole universe. I did win a packet of plasticine in Year 2 for a spelling contest. I dodged three security guards and a long line of fans so that I could get to meet Ricky Martin. I love McDonald’s but only eat it rarely. My go-to order is always a big mac, large fries, and a strawberry thick shake or coke. I love watching my favourite movies over and over. My family can’t understand this but I think this is perfectly normal. The beach is my least favourite place to go because there’s so much sand, sun, and water. My cousin won tickets to a meet and greet with Keith Urban as well as front row tickets to his concert. She took me along and I had a great time. Although I am sure he is a very talented man I am not a fan and I did not know a single one of his songs. I had to wear a special pass sticker for the meet and greet. When I went to the ladies’ room a Keith Urban fan noticed it. She asked me if I had met him. When I said yes she asked me if she could touch my arm because I had been so close to Keith. Luckily I didn’t mention that I got to give him a peck on the cheek and a quick cuddle! I want to be an early riser but I just can’t, probably because I stay up way too late. Whenever I get a coffee at Starbucks or wherever I always say my name is Sam. It’s just easier. On the topic of names, the kids at preschool all think my name is either Roof or Woof and I have even been called Bruce. This cracks me up! When I was young I really disliked being the centre of attention. I only just managed to cope with my friends and family singing me happy birthday. I shook like a leaf and thought I was going to be sick when I walked down the aisle on my wedding day. I’m much better now though and would probably cartwheel down the aisle. That is if I knew how to cartwheel. I had my oldest son in a public hospital which means you get seen by any doctor on duty at the time. I had a gazillion stitches so I remembered the doctor’s face really well. A couple of years later I was at my friend’s wedding and when we were seated at the reception table. I looked up and the same doctor was sitting directly opposite me. Of course, he didn’t recognise my face because it was probably the only part of me he hadn’t seen when I was lying there on the hospital bed. I dislike chocolate cake, ugh. I love chocolate bars with nuts or other fillings but not cake! I went to an all-girls private school from kindy to year 12. So I was super shy around boys. I speak fluent Spanish but I’m stuck on 1970s Spanish slang because that’s what my parents spoke when they migrated to Australia. Whenever I talk to a visiting relative they think this is hilarious and I can hardly understand what they are saying because I am not familiar with their current slang. If I’m anxious or stressed I can’t eat, my appetite just leaves me completely. I don’t have any brothers or sisters and I wish that I did. I cry really easily Growing up my favourite book was “One Child” by Torey L. Hayden. I read it over and over and it inspired me to work with children. I love stationery. Pens, pencils, notebooks, notepads, sticky notes etc all bring me joy. I have an amazing sense of smell. This is both good and bad. I can’t eat spicy hot food. I panic and think I am going to choke and die in front of everyone. I am a pretty good whistler and I can whistle Mozart’s Serenade No.13 in G major. Happy Monday Friends, thanks so much for stopping by and I really hope you have the best week! My cousin and I at the Keith Urban meet and greet. It was a fun time and he was very friendly. Linking up With Holly and Sarah for today’s Hello Monday post

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Welcome Back Friday

4 Comments / Home

Hi everyone and welcome back Friday, so nice to see you again! Can you believe that it is nearly the end of February already? I usually feel sad to see the end of summer, but I feel differently about it this year. In all honesty, the weather this summer has been pretty blah! So for the first time ever I am actually happy to see the end of it. While we are on the topic of the weather I guess my first favourite for this week has been Listening to the rain in the evening! My goodness, it has been bucketing down for the last few days. While I am not a fan of wet weather during the day, I do love the soothing sound of it at night. Wet preschool days are definitely more challenging. Being stuck inside all day with about 40 kids is not ideal at all. This was what our playground looked like. I snapped these photos around pick-up time. Why does it always seem to pour down with so much rain during school pick-up time? The poor parents were getting saturated, even the ones with huge umbrellas! Some Pretty Red Roses I stepped outside my door to have a peek at the rain and I saw this pretty rose blooming in my front garden. Roses are my favourite flower and the other day when I was chatting to my lovely friend outside my place as she was leaving after a visit. I mentioned how I needed another rose bush as there was a gap where one had died. So when I saw her on Thursday. Look at what she surprised me with! Lovely groundcover roses, perfect for that big gap in my front garden. She is such a kind and thoughtful friend! A Cosy Candle I lit a candle that I got from the supermarket recently. I love the soft glow of a nice scented candle on a rainy evening. Most definitely a huge favourite! My Favourite Headphones I have decided that these are my favourite headphones! I bought some Jabra Bluetooth earpods last year and I wasn’t a fan. They hurt my ears and then only one earpod would reach full charge and the other one wouldn’t. It just annoyed me! I have had these Sony headphones for many years and they were a birthday present from my oldest son. They are so comfortable and the sound is great. I wore them the other day to listen to music while I was folding the washing (not a favourite chore). Fun 80’s Music Listening to music while doing any kind of housework is a favourite because it makes things way more fun. It does take me a bit longer to get the job done though because sometimes I can’t help but dance! While doing all my folding I was listening to some of my favourite 80’s music like I know, I know my boys can’t believe that this song is probably one of my favourites. This one is another favourite too and this I could go on and on. Just love 80’s music Comfy Summer Slides I bought these cute pink slides from a shop called Miniso. They sell all sorts of nick-nacks, gadgets and a variety of small storage solutions. I think the store originates from Japan. Anyway, these slides were only $10 and they are super comfortable and perfect for this hot weather. The little spot bump things on the inside of the slides stop my feet from feeling sticky. Previously I had a pair of Superga slides that cost way more than that. Unfortunately, they fell apart really fast and they were not nearly as comfortable as these ones. Playdough We are always running out of playdough at preschool so we have to make it constantly. I made some Autumn inspired colours! This playdough recipe I follow makes the softest play dough ever. If you are interested in making some for your little ones, you should really try it. Playdough has so many fantastic educational benefits too. You can find the recipe here. I guess that’s about it for this week’s favourites. I’m excited for a quiet weekend at home. It’s supposed to be stormy until the end of next week. Happy Friday friends, I really hope you all have a great weekend! Linking up with Andrea and Erika for today’s post

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February 2022

2 Comments / Family Life

Hi everyone, wow how quick does time fly!!! I am excited to be back here linking up with Shay and Sheaffer for another What’s Up Wednesday post where I am sharing a little of what’s been going on this February 2022. So let’s dive right in! What We’re Eating This Week I am really excited that I have stuck to my meal planning. I know, I know it’s only the end of February but so far so good. Baby steps right? I have to say though, meal planning makes life so much easier. I write out my plan usually on Sunday and then do an online grocery shop. So far I have saved so much time because I no longer go to the shops after work like I used to. I don’t have to worry about thinking of what to cook every day and if I am really stuck then I have some backup meals in the freezer, compliments of “The Dinner Ladies”. So far this week we have had Chilli Quiche and Mediterranean chicken What I’m Reminiscing About The long summer break. I am really missing the carefree days of staying up late and not having to stick to schedules! What I’m Loving This delicious hazelnut coffee syrup. I bought this from Aldi ages ago and I really love it. I use it sparingly as a treat because it has so much sugar. So it has lasted me quite a while. I hardly go into Aldi anymore and they only sell this syrup occasionally. So I was lucky to find it when I ran in to grab something for work at the end of January. What We’ve Been Up To We have all been getting back into the swing of things after the long holiday break. I have been busy at work meeting new families and children. I’m still learning names and getting to know the kids in my class. What I’m Dreading I have been really stressed about my mum’s upcoming hospital stay. She is going in for a few days to help with her mobility issues. I know it’s for the best but hospitals really make me so anxious. What I’m Working On Mindfulness!! My Apple Watch is helping me to remember to stop, breathe and reflect! What I’m Excited About After my mum’s dreadful fall earlier this month. We were all left really shaken and realised that as a family we need to spend more time together. Because friends, life is short!! So my sweet cousin and I have decided that on the first Friday of every month we are going to get together as a whole family for dinner. Now, we know that because life is busy it means that not everyone will always be able to make it. But that’s ok. As long as we have a set date then whoever can come, will come. What I’m Watching I have started watching Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime Video, starring the lovely John Krasinski. It’s a great series and I am really loving all the action as well as the great storyline. I have also really been enjoying Benita Larsson on Youtube. She is a minimalist from Sweden and she shares about her daily life. She has such a soothing voice and so many great tips that sometimes I watch her videos in bed just before I am about to fall asleep and I find them so relaxing. What I’m Listening To I have started listening to a great podcast series called “Every Little Thing”. So, listeners call in with questions and they find the answers! So far I have learned all about how the Ta-dum sound on Netflix came to be, Why do we shake hands, and How a Super Bowl Ref works the game. This podcast is right down my alley because it answers so many random questions! Really recommend it!! What I’m Wearing I have just been excited to be wearing my preschool capsule wardrobe. Earlier this year I bought three neutral coloured T-shirts from a cool shop called Muji. I have then made up a simple capsule wardrobe based around them. It means that getting dressed in the morning is so easy. I just mix and match them with shorts, skirts, or pants that are part of this capsule wardrobe.I love all things fashion but working with children means that I need to have a separate work wardrobe. And I can’t be too precious about what I wear to work because hey….paint!! What I’m Doing This Weekend So far this weekend looks pretty chilled! I am happy to be staying home and finishing the book that I am reading, and then getting ready for the week ahead. What I’m Looking Forward To This Next Month I think that I am excited about cooler weather. Yep if you know me then you know that this is highly unusual. I love summer and all the heat. But, something has happened to me and I seem to be having trouble regulating my body temperature( hello hot flashes) and so I am done with feeling so hot!! I am ready to embrace Autumn and get cosy. That’s all for now, thank you so much for stopping by today. I really hope that you have a great rest of the week!

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A Fun Birthday Weekend

16 Comments / Hello Monday

Happy Monday!! I’m back here linking up with Holly and Sarah for today’s Hello Monday post. It was such a fun birthday weekend for me full of surprises from so many of my favourite people. I’m not really big on birthday celebrations for myself. I hadn’t planned anything special yet I had one of the nicest birthdays ever and I was really spoilt and shown so much love!! Friday I was off from work on Friday which was the day of my actual birthday. I’ve taken some days off to be with my mum as she recovers. It was strange being home on my birthday as that rarely happens unless my birthday falls on a weekend. If I was at preschool all the kids and staff would have sung happy birthday and I would have blown out the candles on this cake. Years ago, whenever any of the preschool staff had a birthday. We used to also get birthday claps from the children. You know, one clap for each year. Mercifully that no longer happens! It was getting rather traumatic for the staff to count out so many years/claps. And I’m sure the poor kids were having trouble counting to such ridiculously high numbers, on top of that their poor hands were probably sore at the end of the whole process!! Some Lovely Flowers My husband went out for his morning swim at the local pool and when he came home he surprised me with a lovely bunch of flowers. A card and my favourite block of chocolate! Oh yes, he also cleaned the bathrooms for me. I have this cleaning routine that I stick to for my own sanity. Where I do the main bathroom and ensuite every day except on the weekends. I don’t go crazy deep cleaning them. All it takes is a quick clean and it means they are nice and fresh every day. I then leave the deep cleaning for when they need it. Anyway, Steve did them for me on my birthday. He knows the way to my heart!! Lunch While Watching The Office I was craving Red Rooster so Steve and I ordered some for lunch. While we ate we watched a few episodes of “The Office”. So funny!! Messina Ice Cream Steve went to work and then, later on, there was a knock on the door and I was surprised with a delivery of ice cream and spreads from Messina. A birthday present from my sweet cousin! Friday was a really hot day, yet the ice cream was still frozen when it arrived. I never even knew that you could get ice cream delivered. My cousin had picked all my favourite flavours for me. Hazelnut, strawberry, coffee and chocolate. Hmmm, they were so delicious! I had never tried ice cream from Messina before but had heard that it was good. Indeed it was!! Surprise Visits! Around 4 pm there was another knock on my door and it was my lovely bestie surprising me with a visit after work. It was so good to see her! She gave me a yummy box of nougat chocolates. How did she know I love nougat? I love my sweet friend. A couple of hours later I heard yet another knock on my door and there was my lovely friend and her two most gorgeous children. I was blown away and so excited to see them. They gave me some beautiful presents along with a birthday balloon and a plant. My friend’s beautiful daughter was in my class at preschool a couple of years ago. Now this year I am lucky enough to have her little son in my class. I just love them so much!! When Sam got home from school he gave me a lovely card and a candle. I love this Yankee candle, the scent is subtle but really nice. I lit it and had it burning all Friday evening and Saturday. Another fantastic surprise happened later in the evening when my oldest son Luke came over. We didn’t get to see his lovely fianceé as she was away for the weekend with her sister. Steve got home from work around midnight. So we all stayed up super late to watch a movie. We wanted to find a movie that was interesting yet none of us had seen before. No easy task and in the end we watched a movie with Nicholas Cage called “Pig” I know right! weird name and I hadn’t ever heard of it. None of us loved the movie but it wasn’t terrible either. We were all just excited that none of us fell asleep watching it! Luke lives about 45 minutes drive away so he ended up sleeping over. I was one happy mama!! Birthday Cake I forgot to take a picture of my whole birthday cake. which we ate at around 1 am!! But I got a quick pic of a slice. I like to keep things simple so I just ordered a white chocolate mud cake from Woolworths along with my usual shopping order the previous day. Luckily I remembered to check the size this time. I learnt from last years mistake when I ordered my husbands birthday cake and this is what I got! A Cheesy Bagel Saturday morning another lovely friend dropped in and gave me a cheesy bagel she had bought at the farmers market. Oh my goodness, I love anything with cheese and this bagel was delicious! She stayed for a quick visit and then when she left it was around 10 am. This is when my appetite usually kicks in so I ate my bagel. I meant to share it with Sam and Steve but I couldn’t stop, so I ate it all myself. A Good Book For lunch, I had some leftover chicken soup and read some more of “The Sister” by Sally Hepworth. Oooooh, I am really enjoying this book but I am getting a bit stressed that things

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Fun Things For Friday

2 Comments / Friday Favourites

Hi everyone, hope you are all well and have had a really great week! It’s nice to be back again for today’s Friday favourites. I’m excited to share with you some fun things for Friday! Thanks so much for stopping by! #1 My little friends at preschool. I just love seeing their busy hands at work. Here they are getting a good fine motor workout by playing with the colourful pegs and pegboards. Lots of fun block building Exercising their brains by working on some tricky puzzles. Making endless cups of coffee for me. And generously serving me some delicious sponge cakes. #2 My Apple watch is such a huge favourite. I am loving the Mindfulness app and I try to use it throughout the day. I’m really bad at remembering to take deep breaths. So the guided breathing feature is so good. I am one of these constant shallow breathers. Not good! I also like to use the reflect feature to help me focus and relax. All part of self-care! #3 We celebrated Valentine’s Day on Tuesday night because Steve was off work. We had our usual wine and cheese. Then we ordered dessert from Oliver Brown. They do the best hot chocolates that I have ever tasted from anywhere. Their chocolate is my favourite for sure!!! It’s not hot chocolate weather here in Sydney at all. In fact, it’s been boiling hot but I still ordered one anyway. So good!!!! I also got the churros with strawberries and delicious creamy chocolate sauce. Steve ordered the Nutella ricotta cake and Sam chose the baked New York cheesecake. They both agreed that next time they will be ordering the churros!! #4 My neighbours went on holidays for a week and they asked me to feed their cat. She was very friendly and would follow me to the door every time I went to leave after I had fed her. So I think she must have been feeling lonely. #5 Look at this beautiful sunset, I was on my way to pick up Sam from the station when I spotted it. So I decided to stop the car and take a quick photo. I was so glad that I did because it disappeared really fast. Sunsets like this one are my favourite. I guess that’s about it for this weeks quick Friday favourites. It’s actually my birthday today and I have been really spoiled with so many lovely unexpected surprises!! I look forward to sharing all of these with you on Monday. Happy Friday friends! Linking up with Andrea and Erika for today’s Friday Favorites post

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creative outlets and free time post-dramatic play pizza oven

The Benefits Of Dramatic Play In Early Childhood Education

1 Comment / Insights Into Early Childhood Education

The benefits of dramatic play in early childhood education are really quite amazing. Some of these benefits include language development, promoting problem-solving skills, encouraging physical development, as well as creativity and imagination. What Is Dramatic Play Dramatic play is where a child pretends to be someone else. They will take on the role of that other person or character. When kids are involved in fun dramatic play they will typically copy actions or speech and act out scenarios. These scenarios may come from real-life experiences or they may be inspired by fantasy. Some Examples Of Dramatic Play Pretending to be a parent and looking after dolls in the home corner A child who pretends to be a baker and makes cakes in the sandpit. When a child pretends to be a superhero and runs around pretending to fly. When children use a workbench and tools and pretend to be builders Types of Dramatic Play Structured play Structured play has definite guidelines where children are given a fixed scenario for them to play. For example, an educator may set up a hospital or restaurant within the dramatic play area of a classroom. They will then provide specific props, dress-ups, and provocations for the children. Then it is up to the children to decide what roles they are going to choose and delegate within this dramatic play setup. Unstructured Play Unstructured play is when children freely choose or create their own play scenarios. They will then use any resources they find to create their own settings. The Importance Of Dramatic Play Dramatic play may just seem like playing but it is an incredibly important learning process that helps children’s development. It helps parents and educators to connect with children in new ways. Dramatic play gives children the opportunity to think symbolically During dramatic play Children can take the lead and parents or educators can follow the child’s interest. The Benefits Of Dramatic Play In Early Childhood Education Improves Language And Communication Skills Dramatic play fosters language development. It inspires children to communicate their ideas and suggestions to their peers. In addition, it may expose children to new words that they may not come across daily. Furthermore, dramatic play can also be a safe and non-threatening inviting experience for shy children. Children who are more reserved may really benefit from fun dramatic play experiences. Eventually, they may feel comfortable enough to express themselves verbally as they join in group play. Promotes Thinking, Learning, And Problem-Solving Skills During dramatic play, children will have the opportunity to express their thoughts and ideas. As well as learn to listen to the ideas and suggestions their peers have to offer. In addition through dramatic play, children will learn important negotiation skills when things don’t go their way. Children will also be challenged with abstract concepts when they are involved in dramatic play. This is because children will learn to use symbols and different objects to represent different meanings. Dramatic Play Encourages Physical Development Children will tend to move about more when they are engaged in dramatic play. They may pretend to run around and fly like a superhero or they may crawl around pretending to be a dog or a cat. When children are busy playing in the sandpit pretending to be builders. They will be giving their muscles a good workout as they dig and empty out heavy buckets of sand. Encourages Imagination And Creativity Children create stories, act out roles and use their imaginations during dramatic play. They will also substitute objects to represent other things. For example, during sandpit play children may use small twigs or leaves to represent candles for a birthday cake that has been made out of the sand. Supports Emotional Stress Dramatic play can also provide children the opportunity to sort out feelings of stress or anxiety. At times children may find events in their lives scary or difficult to understand. They may use dramatic play to re-enact these real-life events. This can help educators or parents have some awareness of what the child may be experiencing or feeling. They can then offer much-needed help and support. How To Encourage Dramatic Play The benefits of dramatic play in early childhood education are very important. Therefore children should be encouraged to participate in dramatic play whenever possible. It has so many wonderful learning benefits and opportunities as well as being great fun for them! It is quite easy to set up some really inviting dramatic play setups either at home or in early childhood centres. Get Creative! Early childhood centres will have a variety of resources that educators can use to set up many different kinds of inviting dramatic play scenarios. Parents can also get creative at home and provide fantastic dramatic play opportunities. Sofa cushions can become caves, or cubby houses by adding a few blankets. You can use a big cardboard box and turn it into a spaceship. Turn the box upside down and you have a stove. Just add a few small pots, pans, and wooden spoons for the kids to become chefs in a restaurant! Get Involved In Play Dramatic play is a perfect time when you can really get involved in lots of fun imaginary play with children. You can be a customer in a cafe or a patient in a doctor’s surgery. Children will have the best time when adults get down to their level and become a playmate. Don’t Lead The Play When you are joining in children’s dramatic play don’t be tempted to direct. Instead, follow their lead. By not interfering you will be encouraging their ideas and creativity! Give Children Room To Play In an early childhood centre, children will have plenty of space for lots of fun dramatic play. Try and be flexible at home and give children the space they need to be creative. If they are using furniture, cushions, and blankets for their dramatic play. Remember that all of this can be tidied away at the end. Provide

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A Few Fun Valentine’s Day Facts

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Hello Monday and hello friends. Hope you are all well and were able to enjoy a really great weekend. In honour of this special day when we celebrate all things love. I thought I would share with you a few fun Valentine’s Day Facts. Who was St Valentine? Well, apparently there is a whole bunch of historical confusion about who deserves the honour of having Valentine’s Day named after them. This is because there were two equally deserving men named Valentine. And either one of them could have been the reason behind Valentine’s Day. One was a priest way back in third-century Rome. The other Valentine was an early Christian martyr. Valentine’s Day Was An Ancient Pagan Festival Like almost all holidays we celebrate today. Valentine’s Day also has Pagan roots. Some scholars believe that St Valentine’s Day was in fact originally a pagan fertility festival. Pagans celebrated the day by sacrificing animals. Then interestingly in order to encourage fertility. Women were slapped with animal hides! When Did Valentine’s Day Become Associated With Love In the fifth century, Pope Gelasius ended the pagan fertility festival. And then the Catholic Church declared the 14th February to be a day when the martyred St Valentine was to be celebrated. Valentine’s Day finally became linked with love and romance in the Middle Ages. Where did Cupid Come From? The story goes that Eros was a handsome Greek god who had the ability to make a mortal fall in love with the power of his magical arrows. The Romans then reinvented Eros into Cupid during the 4th century. However, Cupid didn’t earn his title as the face of Valentine’s Day until the 19th century. Where did Valentine’s Day Cards Come From? Esther A. Rowlands from the United States began making pretty cards in the 1840’s. These soon skyrocketed into a major commercial success and made a whopping $100,00 a year. That was a whole lot of money back in those days! Before this, people were celebrating Valentine’s Day by handing out cute little handwritten notes to each other. Valentine’s Day And Chocolates Clever Richard Cadbury the son of the Cadbury chocolate manufacturer. He was the one who first brought chocolates and Valentine’s Day together. He came up with the brilliant idea of packaging Cadbury chocolates in heart-shaped boxes. Go, Richard!! Flowers and Valentine’s Day It was all the way back in the 17th Century when flowers became associated with Valentine’s Day. Venus the goddess of love must have had excellent taste because she chose roses as her favourite flower. Over time people gradually began giving flowers to their loved ones. Then in the Victorian era men began giving flowers to the women they were seeking to win over, woo or date as we now say. Valentine’s Day Isn’t Just For Couples Valentine’s gifts and treats are for everyone and not just for your romantic partner anymore. Nowadays it is quite common for parents to give their children Valentine’s Day presents. Furry friends are also happily enjoying Valentine’s Day treats too! Although this is much more popular in America than in countries like Australia. A Few Fun Quotes! Although Valentine’s Day is not crazy popular here in Australia, I think it’s still a good time to reflect on the gift of love. We can stop and appreciate our families, human friends, or furry friends who we love and who love us back unconditionally through thick and thin. Even if they do make us crazy sometimes!! So now along with a few fun Valentine’s Day facts I will also leave you with some quotes on this Valentine’s Day and hope that you have a most wonderful day!! Linking up with Holly and Sarah for today’s Hello Monday post Also linking up with

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