Ideas are not proposed by the adults, they are born from the experimentation according to the didactic principle: “Not to say whether to do but as.”
The method founds him on to do so that his/her children can freely express him without the interference of the adults, becoming independent and learning to resolve alone the problems. “Help to do me from me” it is also the witticism of Maria Montessori

The laboratory is therefore a place of creativeness and knowledge, of experimentation, discovery and autoapprendimento through the game: it is the privileged place of the to do for understanding, where he does “mental gymnastics” and the is built to know. And’ also a place of educational meeting, formation and collaboration. A space whether to develop the ability to observe with the eyes and with the hands to learn to look at the reality with all the senses and to know more, whether to stimulate the creativeness and the “thought creative progettuale” since the infancy.

What can we do with our children, nephews, students and small friends to stimulate their curiosity, to arouse affairs – even creating the bases for future “passions” – and to promote their desire to understand and to know?

We learn to observe together with his/her children the world that surrounds us, to discover as they are made the things: we caress with the “light touch”; we look and we listen with eyes and careful ears; we use the hands… this way we can sharpen and to develop their perceptions sensoriali and to preserve ours.

 I just make a base line schedule for project.  At first, i intended to make a detailed schedule according to RUP. But i changed my mind, becuase the short period of project time and the comments about project schedule from Renzo and Stefano of today’s meeting. 

 Give the attention for blue color schedule that it should be separate to each team member’s assignment.   Changes will be added.

You can see full image when click the image.

http://www.esserini.it/  –> The site that Stefano mentioned before during today’s meeting.

Aspen subject is a very sensitive person, straight with a skin in less in comparison to the greatest part of the people, for which it is very near to the esoterismo, to all of this that concerns the aldilà and the spiritual sphere. .E’ as if these subjects were accompanied not by a well defined uneasiness and from a black and heavy cloud that flutters above of them and it never abandons them.

It deals with people that at night you/they are attacked by the strangest fears, from the perception of who knows what catastrophes; it is as if they had a small spar that makes to gain them the various disasters that happen in the world: wars, violences, illnesses. They work a lot of imagination with thoughts of death and deadly premonitions. .Have fear of the ghosts, fear of the snakes, fear of the thieves, has manias of persecution fearing to continually be attacked.

Aspen is a flower typical of his/her children.  Aspen children are those that at night pretend the light always turned on, to sleep together with some adult because in the dark there could be strange ready characters to attack them. They are afraid of the thieves, of the monsters, they are afraid to be alone in the house because they immediately feel noises and strange rustles. They are often children that talk to the imaginary friend and at night they are somnambulant.

The state Aspen negative door to weaken the solar plesso and it behaves therefore a whole series of physical troubles to level of the stomach that you/they are manifested with pains, contractions, nausea, acidity. The subject Aspen in the moments of great tension often has the sweaty hands. .been positive, Aspen helps not to be afraid of the unknown one anymore to walk in the dark. It helps us to listen to our internal guide, making us more calms.

 

I thought “My Sweet Lim Orange Tree” will be our good reference novel because the relationship between Zeze and Minguinho. 

Below is short description about this novel. 

When he is grown up, Zézé wants to be “a poet with a bow tie…” For the moment, he is a small five-year-old Brazilian who is discovering what life is. At home, he is a true imp who makes silly things on silly things and receives terrible smacking. At school, on the contrary, José is an “angel” with the heart of gold and with the wild imagination which makes his teacher so happy as much as he is gifted and intelligent. However, even for a merry and mischievous child, the life is sometimes difficult in a poor Brazilian family. Then, when he is sad, Zézé takes refuge at his friend, Minguinho, a small foot of sweet oranges, to which he entrusts all his secrecies. My Sweet Orange Tree is an autobiographical novel in which José Mauro de Vasconcelos tells with nostalgia and emotion his Brazilian childhood.

What are toys supposed to do?

( Are toys designed merely to entertain?

Are they the original “baby-sitter”? )

The reason is “stimulus”

Toys stimulate the child’s imagination that is not yet so encumbered with “real” things.

(They can imagine that a stuffed animal is “alive” and a wooden train is really hauling an entire circus to the next town.)

The toy has to be the center of attention and lend itself to diversity without many limitations.

Therefore, “toys” are made to bridge the practical to the imagination.

How Do Toys Stimulate and Why?

Color is the most obvious stimulus in a toy.

A variety of colors create excitement, however, certain colors

stimulate the brain to associate colors with certain objects at an early stage in development.

( Most parents pretend that it is okay as “artistic or self expression” for children to color grass pink or cows purple. )

The second most observed stimulus is size and touch

( Toys give the child the opportunity to experience the behaviors of real-world objects. )

Their perception of toys is that these items can really perform their intended functions. In a kid’s hand, a wooden cow can really eat grass, fire engines can race to the fire, little firemen can really climb the ladders to rescue people from a certain, horrible fate and wooden trains can truly deliver the goods racing through old western terrain amid hails of arrows and bandits.

The child’s physical acts of performing scenarios with toys bring these actions and perceptions to life, which emphasize the functions and attributes of each item or living creature.

Why Are Physical Toys Better Than Electronic Toys?

While it is true that colors are no longer lacking in today’s electronic barrage of games…..

the visual perception and depth of field still creates a barrier between “practical” and “imagination”.

Though educational software has evolved tremendously, but by what standards? Is the child’s involvement with educational game ware the result of curiosity or is it the result of misplaced competitiveness? Is the process of learning and being intelligent always supposed to end up with some type of reward or punishment? This is the basic premise of electronic game learning.

Children are stimulated by sound and color with the goal of a reward in mind. Electronic game toys have invaded the basic structure of our children’s learning processes with a “reward factor” being the goal instead of focusing on the fundamental elements of the activity at hand.

If you will imagine for a moment an electronic toy with wooden blocks displayed on the screen to teach counting. Then imagine a child in a room with actual wooden blocks to count with, build with, haul in trucks, or form letters with. The limitations of electronic toys are obvious when one has the opportunity to observe fundamental play principles in action.

Analysis:

Toys as a strong effort toward preservation of fundamental learning processes based on real-life items. They must provide:

visual stimulation,

curiosity,

expansion of imaginative play,

versatility,

and most of all he true reward of personal satisfaction and enjoyment.

Old-fashioned retro toys, such as red rubber balls, simple building blocks, clay and crayons, that don’t cost so much and are usually hidden in the back shelves are usually much healthier for children than the electronic educational toys that have fancier boxes.

The overarching principle is that children are creative problem-solvers; they’re discoverers; they’re active

The child gets to build his or her imagination around these simpler toys; the toys must not command what your child does, but your child must command what the toys do.

Golinkoff adds that “kids are not like empty vessels to be filled. If they play with toys that allow them to be explorers, they are more likely to learn important lessons about how to master their world.”

Make a toy that is 10 percent toy and 90 percent child

“A lot of these toys direct the play activity of our children by talking to them, singing to them, asking them to press buttons and levers. But our children like to figure out what is going on by themselves. The toy must not command the child, but let the child command it.”

Toys are meant to be platforms for play – “Toys should be props for a child’s playing, not engineering or directing the child’s play,” Golinkoff adds. “Toys must awaken the child’s imagination and uniqueness.”

 “I look for something that they can take apart and remake or reassemble into something different, which builds their imagination. Toys like these give your child opportunities to ‘make their own worlds.”

The toy must encourage social interaction — “It is fine for your child to have alone time, but it is great for them to be with others,” says Golinkoff. “I always look to see if more than one child can play with the toy at the same time because that’s when kids learn the negotiation skills they need to be successful in life.”

As your child grows, his play styles and tastes change drastically. From his first steps to his first day of preschool, it’s important that the changes he experiences in himself and his surroundings are reinforced through play. Here are guidelines for what to expect at each developmental stage, and suggestions for appropriate activities your child can enjoy.

Infants 

-Use their bodies as the primary avenue to explore the world.

-Learn to participate in and control simple social interactions with caregivers.

-Learn to recognize, explore, and control objects, sights, sounds, textures, and tastes.

-Explore, master, and learn to use their body parts.

-Learn how to get desired reactions from people and objects.

Examples of appropriate infant toys: mobiles, rattles, toys with wheels, stacking and nesting toys, unbreakable mirrors, washable stuffed animals and dolls, cloth and heavy cardboard books. (Try to avoid electronic toys that do things infants can’t understand or control.)

Toddlers 

-Enjoy the physical activity that comes from their new mobility in the environment.

-Explore relationships between objects and how to control them.

-Expand their understanding of object permanence–e.g., hide-and-seek activities.

-Start to see themselves as part of the community and develop skills to participate, especially language.

-Work on using symbols and make-believe in play.

Examples of appropriate toddler toys: pull-push toys; blocks; an assortment of balls; Play Doh with simple tools (craft sticks and wooden rollers); picture books; containers, scoops, sifters, and other objects for sand and water play; toys and props for dramatic play like scarves, hats, a toy telephone, stuffed animals, and generic baby dolls; large pegged-top puzzles; a small climbing structure (a changeable structure is most versatile).

Preschoolers 

-Develop friendships and skills for playing with other children.

-Learn to use symbols in more complex ways and in two-dimensional form.

-Expand their ability to attach language to actions and ideas.

-Explore relationships between objects and how parts and wholes fit together (as in making constructions).

-Experiment with how to make desired effects happen with objects and people.

-Develop increasingly complex large and small motor skills.

-Learn how to plan ahead.

Examples of appropriate preschoolers’ toys: Construction toys with interlocking pieces; new dramatic play items–props to recreate real life (gas station, post office, store) and puppets; art materials such as markers, paint, scissors, glue, and an assortment of blank paper of various colors and textures; simple musical instruments and noisemakers, including shakers and rhythm sticks; wheel toys (ride-on equipment such as bikes and wagons); outdoor play materials (balls, bats, bubble blowers and liquid soap, and giant chalk pieces); and natural outdoor materials, (rocks, sticks, and leaves).

School-Age Children (Up to Age Eight) 

-Learn group skills, including cooperation and conflict resolution.

-Follow rules designed by others (as in board games and sports), as well as create their own rules to follow with peers.

-Use new skills to organize objects, ideas, and skills in logical and interconnected ways (as in collections and magic tricks).

-Incorporate a growing ability to symbolize using letters and numbers. Draw them into everyday activities and games (as in magic tricks).

-Develop special interests, skills, and hobbies.

Examples of appropriate school-age toys: construction tools; board and other games involving rules, skill (jacks), and strategy (checkers); science equipment (magnets and a magnifying glass); modeling and craft materials (self-hardening clay, weaving kits, and miniature models to build); secret codes and magic tricks; items for “collections” (stamps, coins, shells, and sports cards); materials for creating small worlds like doll houses and castles; tools for dramatic performances and storytelling (blank books, materials for making props, and a costume box).  

Information about the target:

-Over 60% of children between the ages of three and seven will have at least one of these friends.

-Boys and girls are as equally likely to conjure imaginary pals.

Facts about imaginary friends:

-It was once thought children will outgrow their imaginary friends by age five but newer studies have shown that this is not true. Children as old as seven and eight can have imaginary friends.

- It can be a quite natural and useful growing tool for your child. The emergence of this type of companion can often coincide with the bloom of your child’s imagination.

- Similarly, psychologists report that children often give their imaginary friends personality traits that they themselves lack and make their imaginary friends into ideal versions of themselves: shy children often describe their imaginary friends as playful and outgoing jokesters who are always making them laugh and who are very popular.

Characteristics:

-Imaginary friends come in many shapes and sizes.

Pirates, dinosaurs, parrots, tigers and astronauts are just a few examples.

-Quite often imaginary friends can change form, age or even species.

-Sometimes these friends live in your home with your child while others simply pop by once in a while for a visit.

-These friends can have complex lives and personalities.

-Some children develop secret languages with their imaginary friends.

-They can also become very mischievous and take the blame for your child’s mistakes.

Purpose:

These friendships have a lot of positive effects on a child.

-They help children explore a strange world that may sometimes seem frightening.

-This allows them to explore the different aspects of their personality and face fears or misconceptions.

-Children can take on the roll of authority with their imaginary friend. They may act as the dentist, doctor, mother, father or teacher. This play can also help a child master and understand discipline, impulse control and the art of being truthful and kind.

-These companions quite often help a child deal with stressful situations.

Eg: They may need a constant pal to help them through the first day of school, a trip to the doctor or walking past the scary house down the street.

-Imaginary friends also can create a safe atmosphere for a child to learn problem solving, social skills and relationship skills.

- Quite often an imaginary friend is there to explore the world with your child.

-Imaginary play can be a stimulating and life enhancing activity for your child.

-We can often learn a lot about the child if we observe them interacting with their imaginary friend. Conversations between the child and the friend can give you vital information about things that may be bothering the child.

Listen carefully to what the child is saying about their friend. They are often telling you something about themselves. If your child says their friend is scared of the dark then it is most likely your child’s own fear. This can give you important clues as to the state of their emotions.

There is no need to discourage the child from playing and interacting with their imaginary companion. If they want a place for them at the dinner table then you can go ahead and set one. Don’t over encourage them though. If they are blaming their accidents and misdeeds on their friend remind them of the rules and help your child clean up the mess or suggest they make the proper apologies. However, there is a situation that may signal a potential problem. If your child spends a majority of their time with the imaginary pal and refuses to relate with real children, they may have a problem that needs addressed. Encourage the child to have real friends and introduce them to social situations.

Some popular imaginary friends: (just might help us visualize some monsters)

Koosi, Dee-Dee‘s imaginary friend from Dexter’s lab

Tyler Durden from the novel and film Fight Club

Calvin and Hobbes

Hide and Seek

Wilson the Volleyball from the movie Cast Away

Mr. Hat and Mr. Twig from South Park

Gummy, bubble buddy, and mini squid from Sponge Bob Squarepants.

Rachel Cohen, Lisa Simpson‘s Jewish imaginary friend from The Simpsons.

“Bogey” (a manifestation of Humphrey Bogart) from Woody Allen‘s play and movie, Play it Again, Sam.