The Millvale Makers @millvalemakers-blog - Tumblr Blog

Second and last day in California. Missing Pittsburgh already, but learning lots with @makeredinitiative about #openportfolios. #paloalto #westcoast #conference (at Gordon And Betty Moore Foundation)

#conference #paloalto #westcoast #openportfolios

Back at Nora's house, Thisbe is really soaking in what it means to live with a Millvale Maker. #artteacherlife #holidaydecorations #bringingworkhome

#holidaydecorations #artteacherlife #bringingworkhome

Ya heard it here first. #MCL #makerwednesdays #makered #advertising #madebyakid

#makerwednesdays #madebyakid #mcl #makered #advertising

Candle making mania! 🕯#millvalemakers #makerwednesday #handmadeholiday

#millvalemakers #makerwednesday #handmadeholiday

Strike a pose #handmadeholidays #millvalemakers #makerwednesday #winterdiy #upcycle #MCL

#makerwednesday #mcl #upcycle #handmadeholidays #millvalemakers #winterdiy

No mini makers showed up today, but that meant I had time to make a brand new program flyer. Extended hours 11-1! Fun sensory projects! Good experience for all the small humans in your life! Spread the word! #earlyed #minimakers #MCL

#mcl #minimakers #earlyed

"I'm a serious knitter" #kidswhoknit #millvalemakers #MCL #makerwednesdays

#makerwednesdays #millvalemakers #kidswhoknit #mcl

We have some super knitters here in Millvale. #makerwednesdays #MCL #millvalemakers #kidswhoknit

#makerwednesdays #millvalemakers #kidswhoknit #mcl

View this post on Instagram

Mini maker working with some kinetic sand. It's very serious stuff. #makerwednesdays #minimakers #sensoryplay #whysoserious #MCL

#makerwednesdays #sensoryplay #mcl #minimakers #whysoserious

We're calling it creative knitting. #kidswhoknit #professional #only8 #millvalemakers #MCL #knitvember

#knitvember #mcl #kidswhoknit #millvalemakers #professional #only8

Siblings who knit together stay together, that's what I always say. #kidswhoknit #makerwednesdays #knitvember #millvalemakers #MCL

#makerwednesdays #knitvember #kidswhoknit #mcl #millvalemakers

Rachel is back!!! And she learned to cast on! #professionalknitter #learningtoreadapattern #makerwednesdays #kidswhoknit #MCL #millvalemakers

#mcl #kidswhoknit #millvalemakers #makerwednesdays #professionalknitter #learningtoreadapattern

I convinced Dane, finally. Boys who knit are the best. #boyswhoknit #kidswhoknit #MCL #makerwednesdays

#boyswhoknit #makerwednesdays #kidswhoknit #mcl

We had a few impromptu mini makers today! Watercolors+salt make an awesome explosion of color! #minimakers #MCL #makerwednesdays #watercolors #kidswhoart

#makerwednesdays #mcl #minimakers #kidswhoart #watercolors

Mini Makers... Developing Skills for Becoming a Big Kid

While the Mini Makers program is still in it’s early stages of becoming a fully-functioning library program, once a week for an hour, we have at least one mini coming in to take advantage. This program should be a time for our smallest patrons to get messy, build some social skills, and learn a few things before kindergarten.

Coming up with projects that are interesting and useful can be a challenge. Thinking about the skills that need to be developed in 3 and 4 year olds... hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, can be disguised in play dough, coloring pages, and cut and paste crafts.

After working with kindergarteners, who consider themselves big kids in all ways except for size, arriving on the first day of kindergarten with fine motor skills in the bag is a huge advantage.

Having a technical backbone to the program helps me develop projects as well as talk to parents about legitimate benefits to bringing their children to Mini Makers. I’ve found some easy ways to incorporate skill building movements into almost any project, based on materials. -Pinching clothespins encourages bilateral skills as well as strengthens small hand and finger muscles. -Tearing pieces of paper teaches different ways to use fingers together in coordination to complete a task. -Eye droppers can be used with color or paint to practice fine motor skills. -Practicing with scissors teaches finger separation and develops the ability to move fingers independently of each other.

Considering the number of small skills our little humans have to master to grow into well-adjusted big kids can be overwhelming... But using fun projects to disguise this learning is an easy way to get your mini maker kindergarten ready!

imwithlizzie

Mandy and Orion enjoying the Halloween festivities. A very serious little viking. #halloween #MCL

#mcl #halloween

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

The Millvale Makers