The Makings of a Turtle Shell- Calm Down Strategies

Over the course of the past two weeks, the school friends at Harmony's House have been helping to make a "Turtle Shell."  At first, they did not know what it was for, or what it would become.  They were just helping Ms. Harmony paint a large box green and then glue shapes all over it.

Later, Ms. Harmony taught them the real purpose of the box as a calm-down space, how, and when to use it.  In Circle Time, we read the story When Sophie Gets Angry-- Really, Really Angry... by Molly Bang.  In the story, Sophie gets very upset when her turn is over with the gorilla, and she trips and falls down.  She erupts like a red hot volcano and runs outside where the sights and sounds of nature soothe her.  Ms. Harmony explained that everyone, even grown ups, feel big feelings like being angry, sad, frustrated, or lonely.  Going outside can be a great way to calm down, but when we are at school at Ms. Harmony's House, we can't run away outside.  The teacher needs to be able to see and hear you.  That's why we have a "turtle shell."

Using the turtle shell finger puppet, Ms. Harmony explained that Turtle used to get very very upset too.  He would scream and shout.  Sometimes he would kick and stomp.  But then he learned to use his turtle shell as a safe place.  When he noticed his body getting angry, he would go into his shell and do these steps:

1. STOP (stop screaming and crying so he could hear his thoughts)
2. Take three deep breaths.
3.  Say, "I can calm down." (tells himself something positive and giving himself control)
4.  Count to five.
5.  Problem solve.  (when he leaves his turtle shell he has an idea of how to solve a problem, like asking for help, taking turns, asking for an apology, etc.)

The school friends helped turtle review each step and taped the cards in order inside the turtle shell.  Then we each practiced climbing inside.  Turtle has a friend Hedgehog who is there to help him if he wants someone else to talk to during his calm-down routine.  The school friends understood that anyone can go to the turtle shell when they need a safe place to calm down; it is not a place where you are in trouble.

The school friends picked a corner in the kitchen to be where they could always find the turtle shell.  We moved it there at the end of Circle Time, and that's where it is every time they come to school.  Since implementing the turtle shell, no one has yet needed it, although Friend "K" did go to check on turtle and help him get tucked into his shell for a nap.  Sometimes, just knowing you have friends that care and a safe place to go when you are upset is all you need to have to regulate feelings.  But when big big feelings come, Harmony's House DOES have a real place available to use.

*This technique is not unique.  Ms. Harmony has used this in other classes previously, and when doing research for college papers, she found that social emotional curricula for preschool (like The Incredible Years- Dinosaur School, or Conscious Discipline) often include creating a safe, comfortable place for children to calm down.  It is important to teach the calm-down strategies in addition to creating the space.*

Noodles, Fuzzy Sticks, Colanders and Fun!

The new Explore Table is so fun!  We have a variety of dry pasta, some are long and straight, some are ridged, and some are curvy.  We use the pasta and fuzzy sticks to make all kinds of noodley creations!

Art, with a Little Help from our Friends

Today we did an art project for Small Group that we couldn't do alone!  We needed friends to make this possible, and we had to communicate with each other during the process.  First we put paint in bowls and dipped an assortment of sensory balls in each color.

After tossing all the balls into the swimming pool covered with paper, we stood up and made the balls roll around, and even bounce like popcorn.  We decided who was going high, low, and when to shake it or jump up and down.  We put it down together to add more paint to the balls, and picked it up at the same time in a team lift.  This was super fun!

Old Friends, New Friends

We are welcoming back old friends and new at the beginning of the Fall Session.  :)  For this Small Group activity we worked on hearing beginning sounds of friends' names, and matching up the correct letter link.  Ms. Harmony printed the names and letter links separately, and reused this idea later as a Planning tool.  This activity was a great way to practice reading and saying our friends' names and developing phonemic awareness.

Another way we talked about friendship this week was through finger painting and storytelling.  Here, Ms. Harmony presented the idea by talking about "Red Friend" who liked to play alone.  She had a great ideas and really liked working on her own plans.  Another friend at school, "Blue Friend," also liked to play alone.  That's why we have an Alone Table.  Sometimes that's a great place to choose.  But one day, Red Friend and Blue Friend started working together.  They SHARED their ideas by working on the same plan at the same time!  When they worked together, they got something new!  "Purple ideas!"  When we work with other friends, we also get to play in new ways and hear new ideas.  Sharing a plan is fun!

Then the school friends were given their own opportunity to tell a story about Blue Friend and Red Friend.  We talked about whether the friends were playing alone, next to each other, or if they were playing WITH each other.  

(Friend "K" prefers not to put her fingers in the paint.  She solved her problem by getting paintbrushes from the art easel so that she could still participate in the activity.  Good thinking "K!")

Then when friends moved into Work Time, we could use the same language that we had just practiced in Small Group.  When we work together on the same plan at the same time it's called "sharing."

We can also choose to work alone and that's a great way to hear and practice doing our own ideas!  Friend "S" was celebrating her birthday and used the monkey peg board to make a birthday cake!  Happy Birthday, Friend "S."  You are going to have a great time being FOUR!  Wow!  :-O

Supporting the Play

 

You know you are in the right job, when you finish up your day feeling energized!  Helping the school friends work on their plans, work together, develop language, solve problems, and feel satisfied with their work is the best thing ever.  Here are some of the plans that the school friends have worked on recently:

  

Blocks, blankets, and Littlest Pet Shop animals!  The children used lots of language about shapes, naming animals, sorting into pets into animal families,  explaining how to wrap up animals to make beds, and where to place what in the building.

Working Alone:  The school friends have all learned to respect the Alone Table as somewhere safe and fun to go to when they want a break from everyone else.  Here Friend "K" finds the correct shape buttons to complete the picture, counts the buttons, and finds the corresponding number.  She has risen to the challenge of finding and distinguishing pentagons, hexagons, and octagons to fill in the giraffe picture.

Recreating Real Life:  Friend "B" and Friend "S" have often worked together to go grocery shopping or make a doctor's office for babies and pet dogs.  They load up purses and bags with "food" or "medical supplies" to take the best care of their patients.  They demonstrate kindness and empathy as they bring aspects from their lives into the playroom.

 


Friend "K" traveled by plane to visit far-away family this summer.  This is the part of her life that she has recently brought to play.  She sets up the Little People homes far away from one another, loads her people onto the plane, includes a "driver for the airplane," and takes the family to visit.  Once the plane lands, they get a "new car" to drive while they are visiting.

 
























Playing Pretend:  Today, Friend "K" invited her school friends to dress up and go to the hair salon.  We each took turns wearing the styling cape and having our hair combed and styled.  We were FANCY.  ;)

Friend "B" did most of the work as the stylist.  She knows about doing hair!  ;)

"I'm not making anything; I'm just doing art!"

The most wonderful thing about early childhood art is that it's all about the process of creation.  When you watch the artist create, you can really get a glimpse into who s/he is as a person.  You can see the scientist, fearless investigator, engineer, and inventor.  You can watch discovery in process.  You can see the internal motivation to make an idea successful.  And, the result of this self-determination, exploration, artistic process is unique and beautiful.  It is wonderful that these children don't start with an end goal in mind of "what to make," or "what it is."   After teaching the children how to use materials, they can open new doors and unleash that inherent creative person they've got inside!

*Baby "K" is completely fascinated by her big school friends.  You can see how she has to be right there in the middle of things to try to do all that her friends are doing!  In the Art Area this week, Friend "S" poked beads into play-doh which inspired Kyra to do the same.  It was a great fine motor work out for Baby "K."  

It's Scissor Time!

(Friend "S" demonstrates expert scissor skills!)

With the help of a little smiley face on our thumbs, we practiced holding scissors the right way and keeping our thumbs up!  Sometimes preschoolers will turn their hands around when cutting and try to cut upside down, which isn't the safest or the most coordinated way to use scissors.  

One of our favorite things to cut was the play-doh roll!

We also gave "Tree Man" a hair cut.  We talked about how school friends do not use scissors to cut their own hair, but we can cut work from the Art Area.  "Tree Man" came from the tube box in the Art Area, so we could give his hair a trim.

Friend "S" really enjoyed cutting the straw because the pieces would bounce away with every snip!  Friend "K" used her little straw pieces to poke into her play-doh once she had cut them all.








No matter how you look at it, practicing with scissors is tons of fun!