Playworks Playhouse July 2021

JULY 2021

e

p reci

EDIBLE S K C O R E G D FU

sand, rocks, and water NATIONAL PARK PARK NATIONAL AND RECREATION RECREATION AND MONTH MONTH

THIS MONTH AT

Playworks B

ring on summer sunshine, barbecues, and beach days—the month of July is all about getting outside and enjoying time with family and friends!

This month is a busy one for Playworks, as we have many exciting events and activities planned for the students.

On July 9, we invite our students to join us for lunch and snuggles with their fuzzy friends during our annual Teddy Bear Picnic. Similar to last year, we will be keeping our

group size limited and only allowing students to attend. We hope to invite parents and loved ones back next year!

As always, we thank our families for being a part of Playworks and allowing us to provide high-quality education and care to your family. We hope you all have a wonderful and safe July.

important dates Suggested Reading dakota value Wóohoda Respect We all need to have respect for ourselves, our families, our communities, and all life forms!

A Rock Can Be…

by Laura Purdie Salas If You Find a Rock

by Peggy Christian

PLAYHOUSE / JULY 2021

JULY 9 Teddy Bear Picnic

Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth, and Rough

by Natalie Myra Rosinsky Scribble Stones

by Diane Alber

2

JULY 4 Independence Day

JULY IS NATIONAL PARK AND RECREATION MONTH!

EDUCARE EARLY LEARNING CLASSROOMS: CREATIVE CURRICULUM

CONSCIOUS DISCIPLINE FOCUS:

power of unity and the skill of encouragement

T

his month, Playworks’ Conscious Discipline focus is on the power of unity—the belief that we are all in this together, and we are all connected.

We will work on building compassionate classrooms and seeing the call for help.

When we learn this power, we can access the skill of encouragement—to encourage children, each other, and ourselves.

sand, rocks, and and water

The skill of encouragement and the power of unity is helpful in the practice to encourage ourselves and rid our minds of negative messages. What we offer to others, we strengthen in ourselves. The skill of encouragement can be put into practice by noticing helpful acts where students feel of service and letting them know that what they did was kind, helpful, and caring.

S

and and water are soothing, sensory stimulating, and jampacked with opportunities to explore and experiment.

Learning about themselves and others: When you interact with children as they play with sand and water, they rely on trust in you as a secure base from which to explore the materials. Children will also start to take interest in what others are doing and start to imitate how other students explore sand and water.

Learning about moving: Students strengthen muscles when they chase bubbles and carry a bucket of sand from one side of the yard to the other. Hand-eye coordination also improves as they practice keeping the bucket level to avoid spilling sand.

Learning about the world: Children make exciting discoveries as they experiment with sand and water. They find out that they can hide things in the sand but not the water. They also see how sand moves when sifted, raked, and shoveled, and how water can be poured and splashed.

Learning about communicating: As children experiment with sand and water, they ask and answer questions during their play. Sand and water also support the development of pretend-play, which involves using increasingly complex conversion.

To learn more about Dr. Becky Bailey’s methods and research related to the Conscious Discipline methodology, visit consciousdiscipline.com.

PLAYWORKSFUN.COM / PLAYHOUSE

3

all about sand!

EXPLORING ONE OF THE WORLD’S SMALLEST PARTICLES Scientists often say that every grain of sand tells a story—ranging from the very top of a rocky mountain all the way to the very bottom of the ocean floor. Sand is the result of Mother Nature at work, such as the erosion of boulders into smaller rocks (over millions of years!), weathered volcanic material, and even parrotfish poop.

Because grains of sand are so small and lightweight, wind and water can carry sand far away from the place where it first formed. Often starting thousands of miles from the ocean, rocks inch their way down rivers and streams, slowly breaking down along the way. Once they reach the ocean, the constant motion of the water and waves continues to break down the rocks until they are small, fine particles. This is the most common kind of sand.

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN HAWAII’S WHITE SAND BEACHES? THAT’S PARROTFISH POOP! WHEW I'M POOPED!

Sand can also contain decomposition—or the remains—of living things, such as clams and coral. After the animal dies, the ocean gradually wears down its skeleton or shell, forming tiny particles. This type of sand is common on tropical beaches—and sometimes, these beaches are pink because of the skeletons and shells!

Where do you typically see sand? Do lakes, rivers, and beaches come to mind? Or perhaps a school’s playground or in your backyard sandbox? The truth is, sand can be found all over the world! In some deserts, the wind blows sand into large hills called dunes. Sometimes, sand gathers at the openings of deep canyons. Sand has even been found on the surface of Mars.

So the next time you are squishing sand between your toes or letting it trickle through your fingers, think about the millions of years it took for that sand to be made. Was it once a rock on a cliff side? Did it come from a large boulder in the Mississippi River? Or maybe it’s leftover fish poop!

Sources: kids.britannica.com and oceanservice.noaa.gov

4

PLAYHOUSE / JULY 2021

VOLCANIC LAVA AND BASALT ROCKS CAN FORM BLACK SAND (LIKE THE MIDDLE PHOTO ABOVE).

h AND safety IMPORTANT healt

REMINDERS

Over the past year, Playworks has been working closely with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s Tribal Public Health team to devise and implement protocols for the health and safety of our students and their families. Please do your part to keep us all safe by following the guidelines below.

To limit the number of people entering classrooms and other areas at Playworks, safety measures and precautions will remain in place for the foreseeable future. Although no longer required, face coverings are recommended while at Playworks. Upon entering Playworks, all adults (staff, parents, caregivers, vendors, etc.) and school-age children must: • Practice social distancing and remain six feet away from each other • Wash or sanitize hands • Remain at home if anyone in the household is sick

Temperature Policy: If a student’s temperature reads 100.4°F or higher, he/she will not be allowed entry at Playworks until he/she has gone 24 hours fever-free without the aid of fever-reducing medication. In addition, any other persons that live in the same household must remain at home for the same time frame. Playworks requires a doctor or medical provider’s note clearing all persons to return to Playworks. Staff will work with SMSC Tribal Public Health to determine protocol for each situation that arises.

Child Drop-Off (Arrival Only): For toddlers and older, Playworks staff will contact the child’s classroom and have a greeter or teacher meet the child and parent/guardian in the lobby. The child and teacher will then proceed to the classroom. For infants, parents/guardians can bring their child to the classroom.

Child Pickup (Departure Only): For toddlers and older, Playworks staff will contact the child’s classroom, and a teacher will bring the child to the lobby to meet the adult. Adults will remain in the lobby, except for infant pickup. No visitors or pets are allowed at Playworks during this time.

In addition to our health and safety policies, Playworks has implemented the following: • Staff members are screened daily before they are able to work.

• Staff are remaining six feet apart from each other, and students are encouraged (with staff assistance) to remain socially distanced and utilize small groups when necessary.

• No more than 10 children are allowed in a group setting. As more children safely return to Playworks, group sizes will be increased based on the age of the children.

• All students and staff must wash their hands upon entering classrooms. Hand-washing is required every 15 minutes for staff and students. Staff and students must also wash their hands during every transition or use hand sanitizer if hand-washing is not available.

• Individual activities are provided to students, and Playworks is spreading students out as much as possible. When a child leaves an activity, that activity is removed until sanitized.

Sensory tables are closed. If students play with play dough or other sensory items, they will be kept in individually labeled bags with their names on them or thrown away after each use.

• Sanitizing is conducted every hour. Toys are rotated throughout the day so that they can be cleaned after each use.

These measures are in no way meant to be punitive. The continued health and safety of our Playworks family is our top priority, and our goal is to ensure that all children, staff, and families stay healthy. Our hours of operation are Monday–Friday, 6:30am-6:30pm (closed on weekends).

CRAFT

CUPCAKE LINER

Fireworks OOH, AHH—JULY MEANS THERE WILL BE FIREWORKS IN THE AIR! MAKE YOUR OWN COLORFUL FIREWORKS THAT WILL BURST OFF THE PAGE, ALL WITH JUST A FEW SIMPLE HOUSEHOLD SUPPLIES. MATERIALS:

• Paper cupcake liners in a variety of colors (or colored with markers as shown above) • Scissors • Glue stick • Construction paper DIRECTIONS:

1. Flatten several cupcake liners.

2. Make 1-inch, fringe-like cuts on the ribbed portion of the liners.

3. Carefully bend or crumple the fringes outward to resemble firework bursts.

4. Glue your fireworks to a piece of construction paper and allow to dry.

PLAYWORKSFUN.COM / PLAYHOUSE

5

JULY IS

D D N N A A K K R R A A P P H T N O M N O I T A E R C RE l Park and brated Nationa le ce ve ha s an e importance of 1985, Americ to recognize th ly Ju r of Each year since th on m quality of life fo th during the aintaining the m d tal an Recreation Mon en ng nm hi ro is d envi tion in establ al, economic, an ic ys ph parks and recrea e th to d contributing individuals, an mmunities. well-being of co siting parks memories of vi nd fo be it er th lo trips to park story, whe tranquility in so d an ce Everyone has a la so ng the great friends, findi opportunities in se ci er ex with family and or s ie ere’s no better oring new hobb l-being, and th el w d an nature, or expl th al protecting open is vital to our he n facilities. From tio ea cr outdoors. Play re d an for all walks of an local parks ness programs fit g in place to play th id ov pr es. ral resources to our communiti space and natu ide are vital for ov pr s rk pa at th life, the services l parks, and ide, explore loca ts ou g t ge to ild er camp, signin courage your ch ating in summ ip ic rt , pa nd s This month, en it’ ou gr er th play activities. Whe friends on the enjoy outdoor a trail, meeting g in n have the or tio pl ea ex cr , re ue leag Parks and ! ay pl d up for a sports an e id ts d protect the nature—get ou thy lifestyles, an al he te ea or discovering cr , es cal parks and then communiti visiting your lo by e or m d power to streng an s National Park ce these benefit pecially during es d an , ar future. Experien ye e th ers any time of pa.org. recreation cent e by visiting nr or m n ar Le . th Mon and Recreation

IGHT: STAFF SPOTL

m o r t s d e h H y r r e t T How long have you worked at Playworks?

21 years What is your position at Playworks?

6

PLAYHOUSE / JULY 2021

Describe yourself in one word:

Caring Favorite board game:

The Game of Life

Educare Teacher

Favorite food:

Favorite part of working at Playworks:

Favorite color:

Potato skins

Seeing the students grow and learn.

Blue

Favorite children’s book:

Favorite animal:

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

Dogs

FAMILY-FRIENDLY

Full- & part-time

events

OPTIONS

availAble

JULY 2, 9, 16, 23, AND 30

21

DOWNTOWN SHAKOPEE FARMERS MARKET 2-6pm | Free River City Center Parking Lot (205 First Avenue E, Shakopee)

Stop by and see some of Minnesota’s best local vendors for fresh produce, homemade gifts, crafts, and so much more. The Downtown Shakopee Farmers Market is every Friday, 2-6pm, through October 29.

JULY 9 BEACH PARTY 11am-2pm | Free Sand Point Beach Park (14349 Crest Avenue NE, Prior Lake)

Kids of all ages are invited to the Beach Party on July 9 at Sand Point Beach Park! Activities will include face painting, wacky hair coloring, crafts, and musical entertainment by Kidsdance. Be sure to bring your swimsuit, towel, and sunscreen.

JULY 16

There’s still space available! educational programs

FIELD Trips

hands-on experiences

atrium play Daily meals included

REgister Today!

No Enrollment Fee for community members, smsc employees, or team members

restrictions apply

COIN CARNIVAL 4-7pm | Free Lakefront Park (5000 Kop Parkway SE, Prior Lake)

Bring your coins to the kids' Coin Carnival at Lakefront Park on July 16 for a chance to win carnival prizes. Games will include a hi-striker, duck pond, plinko, inflatables, and more. Play any game, for any coin.

HIGHLIGHTED LEARNING OBJECTIVE

DEMONSTRATES PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS

2200 TRAIL OF DREAMS | PRIOR LAKE

MAKE YOUR NEXT TEE TIME

FAMILY TIME!

Before children learn to read, they need to become aware of how the sounds in words work. Phonological awareness is a critical early literacy skill that helps kids recognize and work with the sounds of spoken language, such as being able to identify words that rhyme or counting the number of syllables in a word.

WAYS PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS CAN HELP ENHANCE THESE SKILLS: 1. Collect several items related to the study and put them in a small basket. Cover the basket with a piece of fabric or cloth.

2. Peek under the fabric and say, “One, two, three, what do I see?”

3. Begin to say the name of the item emphasizing the initial sound.

4. Invite the children to guess the name of the item. If they guess correctly, reveal the item. If they guess incorrectly, slowly reveal a small part of the item.

5. Have the group say the word together after revealing the item.

GOLFTHEMEADOWS.COM 952.233.5533 | PRIOR LAKE, MN ENTERPRISES OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY

PLAYWORKSFUN.COM / PLAYHOUSE

7

e

p reci

EDIBLE S K C O R E G FUD

What do you get when you combine food and earth science? Edible rocks! Try your hand at forming rocks (that you can eat!) with this easy recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• 24 ounces white chocolate chips • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk • ½ teaspoon salt • ⅔ cup crumbled chocolate sandwich cookies • ½ teaspoon cocoa powder (optional) DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and salt on low heat until about halfway melted. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

2. Add ¼ cup of cookie crumbles and stir until combined.

3. Divide the batter into three bowls. Add varying amounts of remaining cookie crumbles, cocoa powder, and drops of food coloring to the bowls to make different colors and textures of rocks.

4. Press plastic wrap onto the fudge in each bowl, and allow to rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

5. Break off various-size pieces of fudge, and roll into rock-shaped balls. Set rocks on a piece of parchment paper to allow to firm up. Store in an airtight container up to two weeks.

enjoy!

Serious about

PiZZa

ORDER TODAY! 2200 Trail Of Dreams, Prior Lake, MN 952.445.PLAY (7529) • playworksfun.com