Announcing Outdoor Innovations Awards... 

Are you feeling inspired to create great experiences for children outdoors? We are looking for examples of centers that have done something outdoors that meets some or all of the following criteria:

• Is unusual, creative & fun
• Is low cost
• Incorporates nature in interesting ways
• Helps expand curriculum to the outdoors in new & innovative ways

Submit your story and photos anytime between now and December 31, 2012 to clarson@lisc.org and you could win a $500.00 grant to be used towards materials for the children's playground and will be featured in an edition of our ENews! The competition is open to non-profit organizations or to for-profit child care centers whose enrollment consists of more than 30% DHS subsidized children.

THE FIRST AWARD GOES TO: Sunshine Child Development Center in North Kingstown for their MUD DAY!! 

Did you know that June 29th was International Mud Day? Sunshine did and they celebrated in messy (and fun!) style. Learn more about International Mud Day here.  

The many benefits of mud play are becoming better known and as a result early care and education centers are looking for creative ways to incorporate it into their curriculum. And don't forget rule number one, Children are Washable! Here are two great articles and resources on incorporating mud in early care and education settings:

Community Playthings - Dramatic Play Mud Center  

It's Almost Back to School Time - Are you stocking up on supplies?   

If so don't forget that there are options out there for free and very low cost materials. And best of all sometimes you can get the most creative, open ended items from these types of settings. Two to be sure to visit are the RRIEC and FLEXcon. 

You can buy supplies for just 40 cents per pound at the Resources (Recycling) for Rhode Island Education Center (RRIEC)! Recycling for RI Education is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational and environmental organization. Its vision is to encourage self-discovery by active participation in teaching and learning through creative experiences. RRIE has as its mission to encourage preservation of the environment by diverting clean non-toxic reusable excess inventory from the business community to educators and community organizations. You can visit the RRIEC website to learn more.

FLEXcon's School Stock program provides local non-profit groups with thousands of dollars in free supplies every year. They donate outer wraps, end rolls and aged sample stock of their self-adhesive material (contact paper) through this program to teachers and other individuals from not-for-profit organizations. This keeps large amounts of material from being needlessly incinerated each year. Various colors and styles of material are available on a first come first served basis. Visit FLEXcon's website to learn more.