Holistic Development Social Emotional Development Positive experiences as infants and toddlers provide a foundation for children to develop more advanced self regulation and social skills.

Exploring materials with peers builds positive relationships.

Providing authentic materials for exploration demonstrates respect for children as competent and capable.

Learning to respect living things. (baby chicks)

This infant is learning to self regulate behaviour and not reach into the fish tank or bang on the glass. Caring for other living things is important in the development of learning to care for peers and fosters positive social interactions with others.

Go to the child With infants you may have to take the invitation to them

Be sensitive to children’s cues to know how close to get and when to back off if children are unsure or over stimulated

Sometimes children need to be told it’s okay to touch or to see the educator model some possibilities. Can I touch it?

Just like in the adult world…sometimes there are spills or accidents. View them as an opportunity. Have the children help clean up.

How do you tell if the invitation was successful? Observe the children.

Use materials that you already have Presenting materials that you already have in a new way can stimulate new interest and exploration for the children.

An invitation for learning to care for self and others

Prepare a block structure for children to explore, take apart or add to with other materials such as animals, cars or people.

Add fabric to the light table.

Add bubbles to the water table.

Borrow materials from other age groups.

Observing a child’s interest in music can be the motivation for the intentional planning of an invitation to explore musical instruments in a safe and supervised way.

Use real materials Children are interested in using the same materials that they see their parents and care givers use daily.Children are interested in using the same materials that they see their parents and care givers use daily. Children are interested in using the same materials that they see their parents and care givers use daily.

The beginnings of more complex peer interactions involve playing side by side with a shared interest. The second infant was attracted to the activity after observing the first child.

What are the possibilities? Initially a fine motor activity, this soon became a language rich activity. The child requested real flour to make cookies. How could this activity be extended?

Where do I put an invitation? Somewhere the children can see it such as a low table, shelf, windowsill or for infants, the floor is often the most appropriate space It can be helpful to define the area with a blanket or piece of fabric Inside or outside

Consider the perspective of infants. What can they see? Reflect on where your materials are currently and whether they could be more effective.

Plexi-glass on the floor allows the infants to look closely at pictures, photos or even art work they have created.

Playing on the windowsill adds a different perspective than playing on the floor or table.

A small pool may be just the right size for children to climb into an invitation.

Invitations come in many forms.

How can you include opportunities for literacy and language development?

Books the children enjoy can be the inspiration for an invitation.

“Babies are born explorers… They belong outside in the grass and dirt. They belong on the floor with materials that will engage their senses and minds - stimulating them but not over stimulating them the way too many of today’s “educational” toys tend to. They belong in the loving arms of calm, happy, focused caregivers who are in tune with children’s needs.” Jeff A Johnson, Babies in the Rain, 2010