blog

Manipulatives

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:30:19 +0000

A variety of manipulative materials in the classroom provide children the experience of different textures, smells, and physical properties. Parents often overlook the importance of these experiences and thus it is up to teachers and care providers to present children with interactive, hopefully messy hands on play experiences with many different materials. We have found three materials we feel give a good starting point for exploration into manipulatives. Jurassic Sand, Clay and our new offering Coconut Husk. We advocate for a permanent installation of sand and clay so the children can play in either at any time. Coconut husk is a different story. It is compressed into a very hard dry block which expands slowly in water to be about 3 or 4 times its size. It becomes a dark, soft and squishy pulp that absorbs water and feels great between the fingers. Smoosh it, stack it, strain it out. Once the kids are finished toss it out in the grass or garden or better yet plant seeds in it and start a whole new project.

Spring is in the air

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:04:49 +0000

Its springtime! Here in Colorado the birds are just beginning to visit the feeders and the seeds in the garden have just been planted. Adults and kids alike feel the energy in the air as the sun becomes more intense and the out of doors begins to call. This energy has kicked our minds into outdoor product development. Very soon we will have a new water pump product and more Slurry Chute components to keep those kids outside exploring and discovering. For those of you who have our Discovery Boards, take them outside! Send the kids on missions to find bugs then examine the bug bellies from underneath. Use them to dry leaves or squish dandelions.

Introducing Kodo Clay!

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:33:55 +0000

As many of you may have read in prior posts, I attended Bev Bos' Good Stuff for Kids conference last year in California. It was an incredible three days during which time I learned (and played) a ton! One of my favorite things at Roseville Community Preschool was the massive 350 pound ball of clay. I could have immersed myself in the clay for days, but unfortunately had to return to reality. When I returned, I made a quick post and put up a picture of the clay. Since then, I have had dozens of people ask me if we sell clay. After saying no far too many times, we thought...why in the world don't we sell clay? Kids absolutely love it! So, without further ado, we are now offering Kodo Clay. Kodo Clay is a natural clay which is incredibly soft and pliable. With proper storage, it will stay that way for quite a long time. It is a white-gray color so that it will not stain or mark surfaces or clothes like dark red clay. And because we are true believers in letting kids get as messy as possible, we thought this was a pretty necessary element! Check it out! We sell it in 25 lb increments and typically recommend 50 lbs for most classrooms. We will be posting activity ideas soon!

Happy New Year

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:20:14 +0000

2010 will be a big year for Kodo Kids. We have several new product launches planned and will be expanding on some of our current products. Our first addition will be to our wildly popular Slurry Chute line. We are developing new accessories that will keep those kids active and engaged even longer. Water will be a focal point in some of our designs as will basic physics incorporating pendulums and levers. Our designers have many, many ideas that are currently being tested and refined. Time will tell which ones make it as Kodo Kids products.
Kodo Kids also has exciting plans to partner with a well known early childhood guru to bring some of her wonderfully creative ideas to market. I can’t reveal the identity of the guru at this point, but you will not be disappointed at the results of our collaboration!
We are excited to begin this year with so many opportunities and with such optimism! We will do our best to keep you informed of new developments. Sign up for our newsletter, we only send emails once very few months and would never sell you info. Please remember, we do what we do because we love making great things for kids. So if you have a great idea give us a call and we will help bring that idea to life. Keep them playing, keep them learning!
Sincerely,
Chris Hume