Maps and guts
As Rowan gets older, it’s fun to watch him discover new things and really fascinating to see what gets him excited. For the most part, he’s a typical boy. He loves garbage trucks and construction vehicles, building tall towers with blocks and then immediately knocking them over, and digging in the dirt. But, there’s this other side of him, a curious and inquisitive nature I’m sure he inherited from his dad, which has manifested itself into a love for geography and anatomy.
In the last few months, Rowan has learned that we live on the planet Earth, and more specifically, in “S’attle,” as he pronounces the name of our fair city. Ages ago, I’d ordered an artistic rendering of the United States map to hang in his room, but hadn’t gotten around to hammering it up. Rowan recently found it and was immediately interested in learning more — where do we live? where does GrammaLo live? what about Beppe?
We’ve got a lot of travel coming up this summer, down to California for a friend’s wedding in June, and then all the way across the country to Florida for a family reunion in July. Additionally, I’m headed to New York and San Diego for work this summer, too. Because of this and Rowan’s newfound desire to know where he and everyone he loves lives, I decided to get him a larger, more accurate map of the United States. I found this one from The Land of Nod.
I love that the map includes symbols of each state’s industry and agriculture as well as landmarks and mottos. It’s very colorful, comes with stickers to label where people live and where he’s been, AND it’s laminated.
Rowan now asks us every day if it’s time to go to Florida. Obviously, we’re still working on the concept of time. Couple more months, buddy.
***
For a while now, Rowan has been really into human anatomy. He often tells me how digestion works. “The juice goes in the throat, down the pipes, and then it comes out as pee!” OK, so his understanding of this bodily process has been simplified quite a bit, but that’s basically the gist of it, yes? Better start saving for medical school.
We talk a lot about body parts and internal organs at our house. Rowan knows he’s got a brain in his head and “hot, hot” blood flowing through his veins. He likes to point out where he thinks his heart is — “right here,” he says as he rubs his belly. Ever since one of his daycare buddies broke BOTH HIS ARMS (!), we talk about bones, and how he needs to be careful so he doesn’t break any of his bones or else “then we’ll have to go to the hopstable,” he says.
So, when I saw these anatomy jammies on Pinterest, I knew I had to get them for our little budding doctor.
Source: oldnavy.gap.com via Jen on Pinterest
They’re not entirely accurate, what with the lower intestines labeled “toot factory,” but they’re still pretty cute. At first, Rowan was scared to wear them, and who can blame him? Guts! Gore! But, he’s since come around, and these jammies are now in regular rotation.
I also found an awesome iPhone app called Toca Doctor, made by a Swedish company called Toca Boca. Rowan LOVES this app, and he would play it for hours if I let him have my phone that long.
Again, the anatomy featured in the game is not exactly correct (well, who’s to say we don’t have gears turning round and round in our heads? or bugs in our teeth?), but it’s a perfect introduction to the human body for a 3-year-old. Also, all the apps by this company — Toca Robot Lab, Toca Kitchen — are just adorable. Well worth the buck or two each one costs to download. And the “lite” version of Toca Doctor is free. Whee!
Posted on April 6, 2012 | Category: Uncategorized | 3 Comments
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- And then your child accidentally bites his own finger when eating fries. #Mensa #ohthehumanity #FiveGuys
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Love his curiosity about all things wonderful. and love him and you two, too.
April 6th, 2012 @ 4:35 pmWhat a cool map and pajamas!It’s so fun to see what their interested in as they grow up. Finn is super into birds and can name all kinds of them.
April 8th, 2012 @ 9:03 amThat map is darling. I’m not in any hurry for Henry to grow up, but I do wonder often what his “thing” will be when he’s Rowan’s age. It’s so fun to see little personalities/preferences develop!
April 11th, 2012 @ 8:13 am