PLAY is the WAY children learn during the early childhood years. How fortunate that is for parents, caregivers and/or their teachers! Because when PLAY is the basis for learning activities it makes learning not only fun, but something that happens naturally. Plus, as an added bonus, it also creates a desire to continue to want to learn! Focus on the Senses: Provide as many opportunities for your kiddos to engage their senses—and if they use more than one for the same activity all the better! … [Read more...]
Why Pretend Play is Important
What's one of the best ways to guarantee your child will thrive? By carefully tending to their creative spirit and infusing a sense of PLAYfulness to their learning. And guess what? Creativity and PLAYfulness come together naturally in pretend PLAY! What is Pretend PLAY? • Starts around 2 to 3 years of age • Scenes and people from family life, school and/or daycare all act as inspiration • It revolves around the acting out of stories. Stories' themes let kids: · explore multiple … [Read more...]
Give Gifts, a Sensory Activity for Gratitude
It is better to give than receive. You've heard it--we’ve all heard it and, of course, it’s true! I know my heart fills with delight in seeing others truly happy with something I’ve done for or given them. Letting children experience this helps them to develop a sense of gratitude. Giving can be done in many ways: ---------------------------------------------------helping around the house -----------------------------------------------------choosing a special gift; … [Read more...]
Learning Opportunities Knock—Don’t Miss ‘Em
Through the course of a typical day there’re many chances to share activities with your kiddo that will help them grow and develop. Every day Life presents learning opportunities. Even chores like setting the table provide learning opportunities! Find another idea here. Of course, if you’re trying to work from home per coronavirus in addition to raising your children sharing learning opportunities just need to be … [Read more...]
Toddlers with One Track Minds–The 2 Year Old Experts
If you're anything like me you've been amazed at many 2 year old experts and their apparent breadth of knowledge on a topic. A variety of different things might interest young children, toddlers and/or preschoolers. However, their brains are hard-wired to focus on only a few items of interest. This will change later on as their brains continue to develop to allow for a wider range of topics. Besides that physiological reason, fixating on one interest gives children a sense of control. They … [Read more...]