Slightly off topic

Ok, this isn't about learning, unless it's about educating yourself.... I have just become a contributor to a local news website here in Windsor.  Here is my first article about face painting safety, I hope you like it.  Feel free to comment on that website.

http://www.ourwindsor.ca/2011/03/quick-tips-about-face-painting-for-parents/

Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD

(AKA Erin)

The power of laughter

Let's take a minute to bow to the wonderful power of laughter!  As a clown, I am exhilarated by being able to share laughter with everyone that I reach out to.... even putting a smile on someone's face just by walking by them in clown is such a joy.  My four year old said something truly marvelous the other day.... "If we could make everyone in the world happy, then we could have a big party and everybody could do the things they like." .... although she was a little worried about how they would all find our house for the party. ;)

Take a minute or two today and watch some Bugs Bunny, Three Stooges or well, whatever makes you laugh and just enjoy the wonderful power that laughter can bring into your life.  Like what?  Check out these links...
http://www.helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm
http://www.holisticonline.com/humor_therapy/humor_therapy_benefits.htm
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/8-health-benefits-of-laughter.html#
http://www.personal-development.com/chuck/laughter.htm

Laugh like you just don't care!

Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD

(AKA Erin)

Circle Games

Playing games in a circle is great for all ages.  No one feels terribly centered out (except for the occasional time that someone goes in the middle, but that's usually either taking turns or they'll be joined by everyone else shortly), there aren't usually winners or losers in circle games, everyone can see and everyone can participate.  It's not that there's a problem with occasionally losing a game or race, but it's really important (especially in a learning environment) that everyone has a chance to participate and feel comfortable.  Even when there doesn't seem to be a "teaching" aspect to the game, they are still learning to participate in a group, take turns, follow directions and behave politely.

One of my favourite circle games is called Purple Stew.  I can't think of another song with the same melody at the moment, but there are a few versions on youtube (with variations on the lyrics).  You only need to start with one person in the middle (I usually pick the birthday child when at a party) and with each repeat of the song, the number of people in the middle grows exponentially, so it never takes too long for everyone to be right in the middle of it all.

Here are the lyrics that I use:
We're making a purple stew, (stir in the circle with an imaginary spoon)
Whip! Whip! Whip! Whip! (shake your hips)
Making a purple stew, (stirring)
Scooby-Dooby-Doo (shimmy down and up)
With purple potatoes and purple tomatoes (pretend to throw them into the circle)
And YOU! (people in the centre pick someone on the outside)
Fancy meeting YOU in a purple stew! (Shaking hands with the person they picked and pull them into the stew)
REPEAT until everyone is in the stew.
If the kids aren't too little to worry about them getting hurt, you can make the people in the middle getting stirred spin around as you sing.  Sometimes I only do this for the last one or two singings so we aren't all falling on the floor.

Here are some more circle games you can play:
http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/site/camp-activities/circle-games.page-1.html
http://www.youthwork-practice.com/games/circle-games.html
http://www.games4youthgroups.com/circle-games.html

Have Fun!!
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
(AKA Erin)

Parachute Play

Parachutes are something that people of all ages can have fun with.  They are bright, colourful, flowing, and dramatic.  It is best to try to match the number of handles on your parachute to the number of people participating.  You can put a few people in between handles here and there, but you don't really want twice as many people as you have handles for and if you have a lot less people than the number of handles, you won't get a nice even "mushroom" shape to your billows.  I have both a 6 ft. and a 12 ft parachute.  The 6 ft. is best for small groups of little children as it won't  carry them away or be so big that it frightens the timid ones.  The 12 ft. one is good for groups of 10 to 15 kids (I have used it with up to 20, but it gets crowded) of pretty much all ages.  You'll want to have a few extra feet on all sides so that no one bumps into anything or crashes into any walls during some of the games.

There are a lot of games out there for parachutes, but here are a couple that I like to do:

1. Popcorn - You'll need ping pong balls or similarly sized balls (I like to use the nerf balls for the guns, they are the same size as ping pong balls, but they don't hurt when they hit you and they are florescent so they're easy to find).  Throw them all into the middle of the parachute and start shaking!  Variation: half the kids shake the parachute while the other half gather the balls and throw them back on the parachute... just be sure to switch jobs at some point.  Some kids actually prefer to chase the balls all over.

2. Flying Duck - You'll need a rubber duck, stuffed animal or beach ball.  This puts just one item into the middle of the parachute at a time.  The goal is to try and keep it in the parachute while getting it flying as high as you can and bouncing as many times in a row as possible.

3. Calling Colours - As the parachute is moved up and down slowly, call one of the colours on the parachute and anyone holding onto that colour lets go of the parachute and runs underneath it to find a handle on the other side.

You can find more parachute games here:

http://www.funandgames.org/games/GameParachute.htm

http://www.youthwork-practice.com/games/parachute-games.html

http://www.preschooleducation.com/gparachute.shtml

Have FUN!!!

Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD

(AKA Erin Hawkins)

Benefits of Play

I'm sure all parents realize that children play.  But not all may realize just how important play is to their child's development.  It's not just a useful teaching tool, but it creates better learners.  It encourages brain development and growth, improves language and problem solving abilities and so much more.  I've collected a short list of links that you might find interesting on this subject.
http://www.parentingscience.com/benefits-of-play.html
http://www.child-development-guide.com/child-development-play.html
http://www.anxiety-and-depression-solutions.com/articles/health_and_wellness/010605_benefitsofplay.php

For my next blog entry, I'll collect some fun and educational games that you can play with your kids, your class or with a group of kids that you play with.  Don't forget, play is important for grown-ups too.

Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
(AKA Erin Hawkins) :oD

Perry Noia - March 2011

Music and Movement

Something that I have experience with, is of course music. Music is a fantastic teaching tool for so many reasons, I can't even scratch the surface by saying that it helps with memory, thinking, mathematics, movement and the list just goes on and on. Check out this article for more information http://www.suite101.com/content/preschool-music-and-movement-a29893

Some of my favourite songs come from musicians like Raffi or Sharon, Lois & Bram, but you can also find some great stuff from the Wiggles, Imagination Movers and other more recent artists. You can sing these with the kids yourself or play recordings and sing and dance together. Don't just put the music on and ignore it, play with your kids. It's fun, it's good exercise and it engages them in the music.

If you're looking for some music activities that are more directly teaching skills, there are those a plenty as well. I own a couple of these books http://www.amazon.ca/Music-Movement-Prek-K-Steven-Traugh/dp/1574717456 They are nice books. They come with written instructions as well as a CD with music. The activities teach everything from music skills to mathematics and are simple enough for everyone to learn the games quickly. Another source for some ideas is here http://fun.familyeducation.com/toddler/music/37371.html

As a clown, I like to use action songs or songs that play a game. I'm Being Eaten by a Boaconstrictor is always a favourite at my parties and stage shows (I think the parents just like seeing all of us wiggling around on the ground). I also like playing Purple Stew because it is a game, but it involves everyone without naming winners and losers.

Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown

AKA Erin :oD

An introduction to me and my blog

Welcome to my blog! I am Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown, but I'm also known as Erin Hawkins (nee Goodchild). I plan to focus on topics related to learning through play, but I should probably start with a bit of my own background story.

I was born and still live in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.  At the age of 5, I saw a man named Itzhak Perlman on Sesame Street playing violin with a little girl.  I asked my mom if I could learn to play the violin and so began my musical journey. I had several regular private violin students in high school and when it came to University, I eventually finished a Bachelor of Musical Arts in Vocal Music (how I ended up in voice is a long story) and a Bachelor of Education in Junior/Intermediate Vocal Music.

During my time at the University of Windsor, I was a member of the University Singers and the University of Windsor Chamber Choir (the more elite group) and even joined them on a trip to New York where we performed as part of a collaborative choir at Carnegie Hall.

After completing all of these studies, I found myself working as a substitute teacher. I discovered rather quickly that it takes a very special kind of teacher to be a supply... And I'm not one of them.  I'm not an intimidating figure in any way and the kids were walking all over me.  Since I was pregnant at the end of that school year, it seemed a good time to leave that behind.

As a stay at home mom of two beautiful girls, I went through several home business attempts. I taught baby sign language classes, made chocolates, tried a few network marketing sales things... And as the children got a little older, I tried to get myself a "real job." After four years though of being out of the normal workforce, most employers looked at my resume and laughed or due to my degrees claimed that I was "over qualified."  However, with two kids at home, my husband's income alone was not quite covering all the bills.

After having hired the marvellous Trixie the Clown for both of my girls' second birthdays, I started to think...... I could do that.  With a little help from Trixie and a lot of online self-study, I got myself started on the path to being a professional clown. I have since continued my clowning education, but this at least gives you a bit of a background on me and my love of educating children. I use a lot of the activities and techniques learned in teaching music when I am clowning and in that way, try to bring value to my interactions with children.

It is my sincere hope that you will find the discussions and information shared in this blog interesting and valuable in your life. Please share your feedback with me and pass on links to others so that we can all continue our lifelong learning.

Perry Noia

AKA Erin :oD