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Hello Muskoka Early Years Professionals!
As summer fades and we embrace the new school year, let’s explore a theme that is part of our life in everyway and can also spark curiosity for young learners: Energy!
This month, we’ll delve into understanding personal energy, recognizing children’s energy levels, and integrating energy as an engaging topic in our early childhood education practices.
Our personal energy levels play a crucial role in how we interact with children and conduct our classroom activities. As early childhood educators, it's essential to recognize and manage our own energy to create a vibrant learning environment.
Tips for Managing Personal Energy:
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Self-Care: Prioritize your well-being by incorporating regular breaks, healthy meals, and adequate rest into your routine.
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Mindfulness: Practice mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing or short meditations, to recharge during the day and maintain a positive and calm demeanor.
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Passion Projects: Engage in activities that inspire you outside the classroom. This passion will reflect positively in your energy while working with children.
Children’s energy is boundless and can be channeled to enhance learning experiences and foster a positive classroom atmosphere.
Strategies to Channel Children’s Energy:
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Active Learning: Incorporate movement into learning activities. For example, use games that involve jumping or dancing to teach concepts like shapes or numbers.
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Breaks and Transitions: Provide regular breaks and transition activities to help children manage and talk about their energy levels.
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Outdoor Play: Encourage outdoor activities that allow children to expend energy while exploring nature. Integrating the term “energy” into your curriculum can spark excitement and curiosity in young learners.
Here are some creative ways to explore the concept of energy with children:
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Sunlight and Shadows: Use simple experiments with flashlights and objects to show how sunlight creates shadows. Discuss the concept of light energy.
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Wind Power: Create pinwheels or kites to demonstrate how wind energy can make things move.
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Water Movement: Set up activity with moving water wheels, cups and loose parts.
The possibilities are endless; just like children’s energy! I would love to hear from you. Let me know what types of energy concepts you are focusing on. Whether it is personal energy, your own children’s energy, or programming concepts about energy, send me an email and let me know if this topic resonates with you and be entered to win an ENERGETIC PRIZE!
Warm regards,
Corinna Krocker
Children's Services Community Facilitator
Email: corinna.krocker@muskoka.on.ca
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