What a simple yet fantastic idea!

The other day I stumbled upon a Facebook page called 'Homemade Rainbows' that two women have put together to showcase their creations. The creations consist (Homemade Rainbow play sets) of 'recycled, repurposed and homemade materials that encourage and inspire play as well as promoting children's natural sense of wonder'.

The sets have been carefully designed and materials meticulously selected to harmonise with each other, to give opportunity for open-ended play experiences with lots of sensory objects to investigate and possible ideas for children to explore.

Sets range from $50 to $90 with some having a slight theme for added fun. What I like about the materials used in each set is how the women have selected pieces that complement each other and have used a combination of natural material and plastic objects. I have also found that some of the individual pieces are intriguing just in themselves, which will offer children the opportunity to question and ask about the individual object, allowing for extensions of play in other areas such as storytime, painting or craft.



The following photos are some of the sets that the two ladies have put together and have been sold by customers who were delighted with their new inspirations.

(Images: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Melbourne-Australia/Homemade-Rainbows/121571971225043)

I hope that the play sets inspire teachers and parents to look further into play experiences and the positive benefits of play experiences such as Homemade Rainbows rather than store purchased toys.

Dragon's Blood Tree and Socotran Fig Tree

The following photos are of the Dragon's Blood Tree found in Socotia Island.

(All Images: Travel-to 2008).

 

This is a photo of the Socotran Fig Tree (Dorstenia gigas), also found on the island. Looks very much like one of our Australian native plants, the Bottle Tree, with out the pink flowers.

Dragon's Blood Tree (Dracaena Cinnabari)

I was going through some photos on a travel website and found some information on Socotra Island.

Socotra is a small Yemeni archipelago of four islands and islets in the Indian Ocean off the coast of the Horn of Africa, about 350 kilometers south of the Arabian peninsula.

Socotra is one of the most isolated landforms on Earth of continental origin.

The archipelago features narrow coastal plains, a limestone plateau with caves, and mountains which rise to 1,525 meters above sea level.

Like the Galapagos Islands, this island is teeming with 700 extremely rare species of flora and fauna, a full 1/3 of which are endemic, i.e. found nowhere else on Earth

(Travel-to 2008).


What grabbed my attention was the amazing trees, how much fun would these species be for a child? Beautiful and devine!


Reference:
http://www.travel-to.info/2008/09/socotra-island-the-most-bizzare-place-on-earth

~ Second Passion ~

That all children need attention from teachers, especially children who struggle with academics. As a teacher, you are not 'teaching' children, you are giving them the skills to learn. Children, who often struggle, are children who don't fit into the preferred teaching style their teacher so happens to be using at the time or the most common method or philosophy of that school. These children need to be given the skills to master on, how to turn a learning situation around to suit their style of learning. This does mean (OMG) teachers have to work harder to understand the child; however, the positive outcomes and future possibilities of the children when they transform into teenagers and young adults would be greatly beneficial from acquiring these skills at a tender age.
I will post more on types of learning styles in the future.

~ First Passion ~

Children need more opportunities to immerse themselves in the natural environment, letting the great outdoors become their classroom and for children to be given the skills and pleasure in getting their hands dirty. We need to utilise what God and Mother Nature have given us, an inspiring tool for children to learn about the world around them, its beauty and teachings.
Why do we have too, at Christmas time, run down to the local toy shop and buy our children a store brought cubby house, when you can go to your local hardware/plant store and buy plants. Plants like bamboo or a wild and gift giving bush can be designed and arranged to give opportunities for children to create their own cubby house amongst the branches and twigs. Branches become shelves, the leaves and flowers become pretend food, the high branches become the roof and the enclosed atmosphere becomes the walls. The next day that same space can become a little child's fantasy of a dark gloomy cave or a shop, selling animals...