fandomhigh | Child Development- 1st Period- Class #8

When the students walked in today, they'd find the Danger Shop looking a little larger than usual. Due to the small plastic playground on one end of the playroom they usually found themselves in.

"How are we all doing?" Lily asked. "I know it's Monday for some of you, and it's early, and you don't want to be here. Well, suck it up because you're gonna be active today.

"Today we're going to be learning about play," she went on, passing down the handouts. "Yeah, I know, it's fun, but it serves developmental and educational purposes, too. The other week we were talking about fine and gross motor skills. Running and jumping and ~~climbing trees~~ walking, things like that, work the bigger muscles. Smaller things, like block, puzzle pieces, those work the fine motor skills. And beyond physical development, there are educational toys. The old Speak and Says- don't tell me you don't know what those are, I will feel old- the Leap Frog things, they're a way for kids to learn. Because even now, wouldn't you prefer to learn while you're actually having fun? You've got to keep their interest somehow. There's also the social aspect. Play is where a lot of kids learn simple things like sharing. I mean, I'm going to set you guys off to play, and let's face it, you're all going to probably pair up and talk the whole time.

"Hey, that's a great segue there, really. On one side of the playroom you have the playground setting. On the other you have have puzzles and games and dolls. Don't act like you're too cool for it, everyone needs to get a little silly now and then. Just think about what a kid would be learning doing whatever activity you pick. Is it something where you can involve yourself with other people? Do you need to work at problem solving? By the end of class you can just write a quick ~~handwavy~~ paragraph on what you think. And hopefully this will wake you up for the rest of your day, and if it doesn't... well, I tried."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

For lack of a better name! These are activities for the kindergarten crowd, completely moddable. Think Magna Doodles, Barbies, puzzles, etc.

Peyton was all about the magna doodles and crayons. Not that her topics were terribly kid-like, but hey!

Jen camped out in a corner with some puzzles.

She was a little frustrated that they were so easy.

What, this is a surprise?

"Is there a point to this, do you think?" Triela grumbled as she settled down near Jen.

"Other than making me want to never have kids, ever?" asked Jen, poking at a puzzle piece.

"I'm glad I don't have to worry about that," Triela snorted in amusement.

"If I stay away from alcohol for the rest of my life," Jen muttered darkly, turning another puzzle piece over in her hands, "it won't be a problem."

"Another problem I don't have to worry about," Triela nodded. "I don't understand the allure of drinking something that inevitably makes people stupid."

Poor puzzle. It didn't deserve to have that piece slammed into place so hard.

"Don't remind me."

Triela snorted in uncharitable amusement. "But even though everyone knows that's what it does, they drink the stuff anyway."

Jen gave her an aggrieved look. "Everyone keeps telling me I should loosen up, so I finally do, and things like this happen. Why do I bother again?"

She didn't know how much Triela actually knew about the incident in question, and didn't care.

[OOC: Wow, self, login fail.]

Triela didn't know anything about the incident in question. But her disdain for alcohol was universal. "Beats me," Triela shrugged. "I never touch the stuff myself."

Even if that were for entirely different reasons.

[This is why only having one character makes things so much easier!]

Re: Other side

time-flyer-5.livejournal.com - 2009-03-03 18:33 (UTC) - Expand

sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com - 2009-03-03 18:35 (UTC) - Expand

time-flyer-5.livejournal.com - 2009-03-03 19:11 (UTC) - Expand

sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com - 2009-03-03 19:36 (UTC) - Expand

time-flyer-5.livejournal.com - 2009-03-03 20:10 (UTC) - Expand

sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com - 2009-03-03 21:04 (UTC) - Expand

There was a Look. Just saying.

There was a Whole Lot of Ignoring going on behind those Spy Oakleys. So much Ignoring you could practically hear it.

Just saying.

Barbies! With the Dream House, oh em gee! And way more clothes than Francine had ever had for hers.

Francine set about making a lovely home for mom, dad, two adorable babies and an oversized pink poodle.

"Ooh, Barbies!" Claudia squealed. "Mind if I play, too?"

"Sure!" Francine moved the Big Box O' Dolls over towards her. "There's lots of clothes too." She might have been spending more time making the house nice for them than picking out outfits. Except for the babies. OMG weetiny PJ's with bunny ears!

"Eeeeee!" Claudia said, diving for the box. "All of my Barbies when I was a kid had no hair. And most of them had tattoos. Well, stickers."

Francine made a face. "Those would be the ones my brother got hold of."

"I was trying to give them haircuts," Claudia said with a grin. "It didn't work."

"Ohhh," Francine answered, placing a crib in one corner of an upstairs room. "I tried that once, but then I felt so bad about how ugly she looked, I made my mom find me a Barbie wig for her. It was pink with purple streaks."

"I have a wig like that!" Claudia said. Of course she did. "I totally drew inspiration from what Barbie was wearing, too. Like that business suit that was reversible? Hot."

"I didn't have that one. I had the Happy family Kitchen, though. With the sparkly aprons and chef hats?" Of course she did.

"Ooooh," Claudia said. "And I totally planned a ton of weddings, except I didn't have a Ken doll because you couldn't do his hair? So my Barbies were really progressive."

thatsamilkshake - 2009-03-03 22:39 (UTC) - Expand

gudspellr-claud.livejournal.com - 2009-03-03 22:42 (UTC) - Expand

thatsamilkshake - 2009-03-04 05:44 (UTC) - Expand

Drawing in a deep breath and closing his eyes as if that would help get the pounding out of his head, Chad had a crayon (which, although brand new, looked like a stub in his giant hand), but wasn't doing much with it yet.