Wild, Wise and Rad: Tea Party Time

Healthy Environmental Family Fun

Alice in Wonderland's tea party three minute scene depicts silliness, imagination, wit and and a deep sense of humor. It is indeed a most curious event when children are in the midst of playing—magic happens—adventure is created.

Understand the desperate need for children to create worlds of their own, bubbles of make-believe play that are building blocks for their self-confidence, and comprehension of the real world they live in.

What children deserve from us is respect. We owe them a full and complete—like in 100%—level playing field. Respect: a reverence, a deep admiration. No less.

Wildini: Ceramic Mugs for Young Children

A local entrepreneur, Heather Alvis,  has created a line of animal themed ceramic mugs that elicit the essence of regard for children. She has gone a step further by incorporating her personal environmental sensitivity, which she wishes to pass down to her daughter and son.

"I've identified my top 3 core values as excellence, harmony and sustainability, in that order.  I love the idea that it is possible to exist symbiotically with the environment.   We have an astonishing amount of evidence of the side-effects plasticizers (like BPA) have when they come in contact with food and the food chain.  Plus, even a small bit of research on "Plastic Pollution" gives copious images and videos of the extreme volume of discarded plastic that is harming our oceans and wildlife.  This is mostly in the name of 'convenience'.  And although the USA is not the biggest contributor, we are a major factor in the production of plastic, because we BUY almost everything in and of plastic.  We can all make a difference in how we live day-to-day by giving up  some conveniences we take for granted.  Plastic is a substance we have lived without for thousands of years, and now, in only 100 years, it has become ubiquitous, incredibly useful in some ways, and devastatingly problematic in other ways.   So, I'm committed to having less unnecessary conveniences in order to becoming plastic free and have less personal impact on the earth.  I hope this inspires people around me to be aware and make changes where they can too." 

Here is an article that speaks specifically to this, which gives several resources and a bit more depth:  Wildini: products for kids that promote independence & inspire love for the natural world, Getting to Plastic Free.

Go Heather ! And the best place to start this message is with our young children, after all it is their world to inherit, to pass along to following generations. Heather's seven year old daughter is an environmental activist at her first grade school trying to reduce use of straws and other plastic disposables. Her four year old son attends a Montessori school in which the environment is respectful of all equally.

The little 2 1/2 to 6 year old children in Montessori schools have a tidy tradition of holding tea parties with real china. Thanks Marnie for these tips:

• Fine Motor Skills: three year olds take such care in pouring tea... slow and steady.

• Grace, Courtesy, and Sequence: Practice social skills. Serve your guests first, then yourself. Refill your guests tea cups if their cups are low. Beginning around 2.5-3 years old children are ripe for this sort of learning.

• Pretend Play: Children have the capacity to understand a lot and to be able to exercise this understanding and to see this greater world through pretend play is great for their development.

Dr. Maria Montessori in The Absorbent Mind: ‘It is true that in all these activities, the child may be said to be playing. But this kind of play is effortful, and it leads him to acquire the new powers which will be needed for his future.’ 

Time for a cup of tea, 

Papa Green Bean