B2 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday February 26, 2003 mt 1: r ii br eak Children learn through play March Break craft fun! (N A PSA )- W o rk is work and play is play, right? Actually, for most young children nothing could be further from the truth. B y engaging in play, children can express them selves, develop new ideas, and test their abilities while learning about the world and their place in it. Just like a carpen ter or a doctor or an engineer, ch il dren have tools o f the trade. The most important of which is their imagination. Child development experts have long held that learning is intim ately connected to the im agination. Children are constantly faced with unfam iliar situations that require creative and im aginative solutions. That's why playful learning is so important. Playfu l learning experi ences motivate children to learn based on personal interests and allow them to bend reality so that taking the risks inherent in learning is actually fun and exciting. Parents sometimes don't realize that their children are actually learning when they play. Experts in the field of child development such as Dorothy Singer. Senior Research Scientist in the department of psy chology and child study centre at Yale U niversity, are disappointed to hear that many Am erican parents still think that play and education are two vastly different things. " Parents have to understand that children learn from play," says Singer. " E a rly im aginative play leads to greater creativity in later life. The simple act of transforming an ordinary object like a couch into a haunted house is an important sk ill." Frank Lloyd W right, the father of modern architecture, said in his autobiography that he learned about forms and shapes from playing with building blocks as a child. George Bernard Shaw, the noted novelist and playw right, had a pup pet theater in his childhood home. M itchel Resnick believes ch il dren are born with a natural impulse to explore and experiment, and that society needs to help them develop it further. Some o f the best learning, says Resnick, takes place in kinder gartens. B y using simple toys like blocks, finger paint, and sticks, youngsters build houses and create pictures, learning about numbers, shapes, and colours in the process. (NC)-- Searching for ways to keep the kids busy over the March Break? Crafts are a sure-fire way to beat mid-week boredom or liven up any dreary afternoon. If it's overcast outside why not make your own Star Sun Catcher? Here's how: 1 . Cut stained glass craft paper, tissue paper or coloured paper into 5 squares. Any size square will work. Try 5-7.5 cm (2-3" ) squares. 2. Lay one square on a table with one comer facing you. Fold in half from left to right so that it is folded vertically from comer to comer. Open it up. Fold in both bottom edges to the center crease so it looks like a kite. You now have one point of your star. 3. Fold the remaining four squares in the same way so you end up with five points. Arrange each of the five points in a star shape and tape in place using ' transparent tape. Experiment with different angles, paper and sizes to make your stars unique. 4. For added adornment, cut an 1 8 cm (7") length of beading wire and tape one end to the top of the star. Bend the wire in curves and curlicues and add a few beads. Tie a length of thread onto the top of the wire and hang in front of a window. March Break lull? Take this idea for a spin! (N C )- If you are looking to keep idle hands busy this March Break, put them to use building fun and colour ful crafts. For example, this Cool Spinner is iruly a winner. To build it you w ill need a stubby pencil (2" or 5 cm long). 4-8 paper clips, small sheet of cardboard and markers or gel pens. 1. Cut a 12.5 cm (5 ") square out of the cardboard. 2. To find Ihe exact centre of the square, use a ruler to draw a straight line from corner to corner. Draw a second line from opposite corners. Poke a hole through the intersection of the two lines. 3. Now cut off the corners of the square so it becomes a circle. 4. Insert the stubby pencil through the centre hole. M ARCH BR E A K YO U TH PRO G RA M S! Additional Courses and Dates Available - Call for more information! W h a t Every Babysitter Should Know (ages 11 to 14) Babysitting. Leadership and First Aid Skills presented in a fun and informative way. Junior Safety Day (ages 8 to I I ) First A id and Fun! * Activity safety tips * * First aid skills * * Games, activities & crafts $55.00 (T ax induded) * Topics Include: * Caring for infants and older children * Questions to ask parents * W h a t to do in emergencies * H ow to give first aid Includes Workbook, Certificate and Babysitter's Kit! March 10 March 1 1 One day only 9:00a.m. - 4:00 p.m. March 12 March 14 March 13 March 30 One day only 9:00a.m . - 4:00 p.m . March 11 or March 13 Make your own 5. Give your top a test spin! To make its' spin last longer, fasten paper clips around the outside edge. Spin again and notice the difference. 6. Now that your Spinner w'orks, personalize it with your favourite designs, stickers or drawings. St. john irstA id Kit! M arch 12 9:00-4:00 O N L Y $55.00 (Tax induded) (ages 1 1 to 15) * More in-depth instruction on first aid and C PR for babysitters wishing to enhance their skills. Lifesaver for Babysitters There's a whole new world out there... discover it today. TALENT CONTEST M A Y 2**® & 3 rd, 2 0 0 3 R D IN T E R N A T IO N A L C E N TR E , MISSISSAUGA F o re v e r Y ou ng is p le a se d t o p re s e n t T o ro n to 's s e c o n d ann ual 50+ T a len t C o n te s t.T h is c o n te s t is o p e n to a m a te u r p e rfo rm e rs o v e r th e age o f 50 .T h e re a re 2 d ivision s: G ro u p s an d Sin g les -- an d A c a te g o rie s in ea ch d ivision : In stru m e n ta l, V o cal, D a n c e and O t h e r (m agician s, co m e d ian s, etc."). A m ax im u m o f 8 e n tra n ts w ill b e a c c e p te d p e r c a te g o ry . C o n te s ta n ts w ill h ave a _ ___ _ _ __ _ m axim u m o f 5 m in u tes to p e rfo rm o n o u r m ain 2 0 'x 2 8 ' sta g e w ith R A . s ys te m Nam e includ ing 4 m ic ro p h o n e s , ta p e d e c k and C D changer. Jud g ing w ill b e d o n e b y a Address p an el o f p ro fe ssio n als fro m th e m usic C ity To enter, complete the registration form (right) and submit along with $ I 5 registration fee by April I, 2003. Phone C A T E G O R Y : (check one) D IV IS IO N : (check one) I 1 Group Q Single Vocal Dance O th e r in d u s try and c o n te s t sp o n so rs. First, se co n d and th ird p rizes w ill b e a w a rd e d in e a ch c a te g o ry as w e ll as o n e G ra n d p rize a w a rd e d to th e m o s t o rig in a l p e rfo rm a n c e o v e ra ll. A ll e n tra n ts w ill re c e iv e re co g n itio n and w in n e rs w ill b e fe a tu re d in an u p co m in g e d itio n o f F o re v e r Y o u n g N e w sm a g a z in e . 3 R E G IS T R i Age Prov Email Postal Code In s tru m en tal C re d it C a rd p a y m e n t o p t io n : T Y P E I 1 A m e r i c a n E x p r e s s 1 I V IS A |__| M a s t e r c a r d E X P IR Y D A T E CATEGORIES: S IN G LE D IV IS IO N # Instrum ental # Vocal # Dance # O th e r G R O U P D IV IS IO N # Instrum ental # Vocal # Dance # O th e r C R E D IT C A R D # S ig n a t u r e R U L E S & R E G U L A T IO N S : · Registration form must be sent to ForeverYoung with the appropriate registration and category fees · Registration fees is $ I 5 · Each additional category after the first category is $5 · There will be no refunds for missed performances or any other reason · Prizes may alter without prior notice · ForeverYoung is not responsible for any lost registration forms · Registrations will not be accepted at time of talent contest, and must be submitted by April 1 . 2003 · Participants registered with a talent agency, and or with agency representation in their chosen category, are not eligible to participate in the talent contest · Photocopies and faxes of registration forms will N O T be accepted. Authentic signatures are mandatory · Registration deadline is April 1 . 2003. · P e rfo rm e rs t o p r o v id e p r e -r e c o r d e d b a c k -u p m usic. · Piano will be available, performer to provide accompanist. amnuiaimaumi. I H E R E B Y A U T H O R IZ E A N D A G R E E T O T H E U SE O F M Y N A M E A N D P H O TO G R A P H FO R A D V E R TIS IN G /P R O M O TIO N P UR PO SES IN T H E FO R EV E R Y O U N G 5 0 + T A L E N T C O N T E S T . I C LA IM N O C O M P E N S A TIO N IN R ES P E C T OF SU C H U S E . OR FOR A N Y DAM AGES A R ISING T H E R E F R O M . I A LS O A G R E E T O T H E R ULES A N D R E G U L A TIO N S S TA TE D A B O V E . JU D G E S D E C IS IO N S ARE FIN A L A N D B IN D IN G . S IG N A T U R E D A TE M ail co m pleted registration fo rm w ith credit card info rm ation o r money o rd er to: ( D O N O T A A A IL C A S H ) 50+ Talent Contest, c/o Prem ier Consumer Shows. 467 Speers Road. Oakville. O N L6K 3S4 For more information call 905-815-0017 ext. 305 or log onto www.haltonsearch.com e a ltliy L ife s ty le A n d T ravel S l i ow