Kyle and I signed up to participate in a six-week (free!) "play" workshop through the local library and this morning was our first session. There were various stations throughout the room with different types of activities for the kids, and they were free to roam about and explore their interests. A few library staff were there to help out and share tips on how to incorporate play and learning into our daily lives.
There were toys, books, puzzles, tunnels, cars & trucks, baby dolls, arts & crafts, little bikes to ride and big blocks to climb on. When we first arrived, I thought Kyle would run straight to the cars and bikes, but I was surprised that he stopped first at the toy station to stack some shapes. Then he decided he wanted to run around for a bit, until he discovered the arts & crafts station. For most of the hour, Kyle sat down and used the "bingo blotter" type of marker to make dots on his paper. He would unscrew the cap himself (see below), do one or two dots, and then screw the cap back on and go to the next color. We spent about 20 minutes out of the hour here, and he probably would have stayed longer if I didn't encourage him to try something else.
What shocked me the most from this workshop was much interest Kyle showed for the baby dolls. He sat there for a bit and fed them bottles, pointed to their eyes and ears and gave them a couple of hugs, which melted my heart! I was also a little surprised by how much he wanted me to pick him up and hold him. He usually loves running around and playing, but he woke up extra early today (5:50 a.m., really dude???) so I think by the middle of the workshop he was ready for a nap, and he knocked out hard on the way home.
I'm excited to go back each week and see what types of activities he's drawn to, and the different things he'll learn!
