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Puppet Play in Child Development—Thursday, October 2, 2008, 7:00 p.m.
Join registered, board-certified art therapist Matthew Bernier as he explores the benefits of puppet play in child development. “Children use free play to learn about themselves and others and to make sense of their world,” says Bernier. “The inclusion of the arts (and specifically puppets) in play exercises the brain in terms of language development, imagination, and learning.” The lecture will include hands-on demonstrations to show parents and educators how to use puppetry to help children work out everyday emotional conflicts, fears, or problems. Participants will learn how spontaneous puppet play happens; how to honor and respect play; how to facilitate and encourage puppet play; and what happens when adults don’t respect a child’s need for free play. Suggestions for creating puppets will also be provided.
Matthew Bernier, MCAT, ATR-BC is a full-time faculty member in the Graduate Art Therapy Program at Eastern Virginia Medical School and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He has presented locally, nationally, and abroad on a variety of topics including domestic violence and therapeutic puppetry. He is the co-editor of Puppetry in Education and Therapy: Unlocking Doors to the Mind and Heart (2005).
Understanding Rough and Tumble Play—Thursday November 6, 2008, 7:00 p.m.
Rough-and-tumble play is critical in the development of all children, yet adults often get it confused with aggression. According to Stephen Demanchick, Assistant Professor for the Creative Arts Therapy Department at Nazareth College, “Chasing, tackling, and wrestling done in the spirit of fun is a healthy way for kids to get rid of pent up energy, role-play, and learn social cues about what’s acceptable and unacceptable behavior.” Demanchak will examine rough-and-tumble play through social, cultural, developmental, and gender-based lenses; and he will offer techniques to identify, support, and respond to such play including how to set limits, if needed, in a child-centered way.
Stephen Demanchick received his M.S.Ed from SUNY Brockport's Counselor Education Department and his Ph.D. in counseling from the University of Rochester. Demanchick is also an NIRE certified child-centered play therapist.
11. EDUCATORS’ OPEN HOUSES OCTOBER 7 & JANUARY 28
Strong National Museum of Play offers educators a wealth of support services, orientation sessions, and workshops to assist them in the classroom. Area educators are invited to acquaint themselves with the museum’s many teaching resources at two FREE Educators’ Open Houses Tuesday, October 7, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. (featuring a tour of the Curious George exhibit) and Wednesday, January 28, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. (featuring a tour of the Mr. Potato Head exhibit).
Museum educators will be on hand to provide an overview of new programs and quality learning experiences available for students in Pre-K through Grade 8 this school year. Attendees can enter a drawing for a FREE lesson for their students. This is a great opportunity for school administrators, classroom teachers, curriculum coordinators, and resource teachers to see the many educational services Strong provides. -- www.museumofplay.org
Posted October 1st, 2008 by ruzik_tuzik
