What I learned from the Ooey Gooey lady

If you haven’t heard of the Ooey Gooey lady then let me introduce you to her. Last weekend I had the opportunity to meet her and attend her workshop at our local Indiana state early childhood conference…

Lisa (the Ooey Gooey Lady) is know for her fun, fresh, hands-on activities that can be used in the classroom or at home when working with young children.  I had a great time learning new ideas and I wanted to share just a few of them here with you…

The session was split into two parts and after the first part we took a break and came back to the room filled with activities spread all over the floors and tables that provide great sensory play for children of all ages…

Some of my favorite activities she had displayed were the ones with clear contact paper. On the table above she had the clear contact paper taped to the table – sticky side up – and little pompoms stuck to them. Great fun for texture and rearranging the pompoms on the sticky paper.  She also had a large strip of clear contact paper taped to the floor with the sticky side up again…

She had placed the contact paper on the floor right inside the entry door so as people walked in they were caught by surprise when their feet stuck to the ground. It was fun just standing back and watching the reactions as the teachers looked down to see what their feet had just stepped on. She also had bubble wrap taped to the floor which immediately started popping as the teachers ran over to jump on it. Another great idea for sensory, sound, and play…

Many of the activities she displayed during the latter half of her session were intended for use in an infant room but I could see the ideas being just as fun for preschool age children too. Another fun idea was this zig zag tape line she had running down the middle of the floor…

Lisa suggested that the kids follow the line going forwards, backwards and then switch it up and try hopping. Great for balance and large motor control…

There were other tips too like cutting a plastic bottle in half then putting a skein of yarn inside with the end of the yarn coming out of the neck of the bottle. This way kids can get their own yarn out of the bottle!

My notes

When I attend any conference or workshop, I try to write down highlights of what the speaker had to say and here are some notes I wrote down from Lisa’s workshop to share with you…

When planning for your classroom….

“Be Intentional! Know what your doing, why your doing it, and who you are doing it for!”

Are your choices “relevant and meaningful or are they just cute!”

Build a foundation to work from when planning for your classroom. Use these seven areas as your foundation for learning…

1. Create

2. Move

3. Sing

4. Discuss

5. Observe

6. Read

7. Play

Use a spring board to kick off the learning in your classroom then see where it leads…

A spring board might be anything from a flannel board activity to a special box of items you bring it to the classroom. The spring board leads to discussion, questions, and ultimately the emergent ideas of your students coming to life in your classroom.

Plan for the Bones…

Lisa talked about planning for the bones of your classroom. What are the bones of your classroom? The bones include your centers such as reading, writing, easels, manipulatives, and sensory. No matter what you do make sure that everyday you have the bones open and available for children to engage in. Modify the bones as you go along but always have the bones!  When the bones are something that you have available everyday then you can say…

“My mood does not dictate whether it is open or not – it is always out!”

Working with Babies

Lisa says that when planning for babies to first know that “Babies need to fall in love with you!”  “Don’t make it harder than in needs to be.” and “Talk to infants and sing to them”

Lisa goes on to say that infant activities need to be “Sensory Driven” and “About Bonding” and “About Building Trust.”

Just the Highlights

These notes were just a few of the highlights of what Lisa shared at her workshop. She introduced music, games, nursery rhymes, activities, and the list goes on.

You can learn more about Ooey Gooey by checking out Lisa’s site!

Check out who tried this too..

My Sticky from Couturier Mommy

Deborah J Stewart

Deborah J Stewart

Every time I think I know everything I need to know about teaching young children, God says, "Hold on a minute!" and gives me a new challenge.

Let me tell ya...

With each new challenge that you overcome, you will find yourself better equipped and more passionate about teaching young children.

God didn't call wimps to lead, teach, or care for His children. Nope, he has high expectations, so get ready. You will have to give your very best but after teaching for over 30 years, I can tell you that it is a wonderful and rewarding journey.

Whenever your calling feels hard, just remember, 'He who began a good work in you (and in the children you serve) will be faithful to complete it.'

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