Appliance Play

It's always been my philosophy that we live in a world full of electrical outlets, tables with sharp corners, and non-padded areas - so I was going to teach my child to navigate the world he lives in safely.  It's a personal choice, and one I will never regret.  For me, it meant no baby proofing - no covering outlets, no putting away fragile or breakable items throughout the house, no hiding chemicals, etc.  It's definitely not the "right" way for some....but it was for our family.  This meant I spent a lot of time - during the crawling years - following his lead, exploring with him, talking to him about safety, allowing him to touch and pick up things in his environment, etc. 

Things have not changed.  I embrace opportunities to teach him about his world - and that includes things like kitchen appliances - which he LOVES!  

Yesterday he got out the air popper and wanted to pop some popcorn - sensory style.  We were out of kernels, it was raining ALL DAY, and quite frankly - my hormones were telling me I just didn't have the energy for it.  I assured him that we would get some the next day - and I'm a Mommy of my word - it makes for a trusting relationship.  :)  So I set up this invitation today.  I think he played with it for a total of 3 hours - with a trip to the playground in between.  It may seem like a pointless activity to some, but there are so many opportunities for learning during ALL play.....and in the meantime he felt happy, confident, competent, and trustworthy.

The invitation

He added a measuring cup and bowls

He decided he needed to use the blender.  Yum.  LOL

CLEAN UP

ALL CLEAN

And then we made homemade ice cream.  

- AK (MESE, MECD)