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...]
What’s cooking? PLAY & Learning in the Kitchen
For young children, PLAY & learning occur simultaneously—one cannot be separated from the other. What a brilliant construct! PLAYING makes learning self-initiated and self-directed! PLAY & learning can occur in a variety of settings; one of them being your kitchen! Kitchen as the Classroom: Baking is a fantastic activity to do with children because it is an activity that engages and uses their senses. Additionally, baking is an activity that can touch on all developmental domains! … [Read more...]
Playdough–the All-Around Ideal Material
If I was to suggest having one sensory material on hand I think it would have to be playdough. Playdough is the all-around ideal material that helps children learn and grow in all developmental areas: Physical, Cognitive, Social and Emotional. Emotional Sense... Playdough is tactile play at its core. It's just waiting for your kidlet to squash it or squeeze, roll, or pound it out flat. It can be chopped, cut, scored, punctured, poked or even shredded! Even saying all of those actions can't you … [Read more...]
Why It’s Important to Create Vertically
Standing at the chalkboard, drawing huge panoramas is something out of my early school years; not so much now for kids. And that's too bad because standing, drawing vertically, offers benefits to kidlets that might not be obvious at first glance. . I remember when I went to pick up this chalkboard for the preschool. I’m sure it’d be considered vintage seeing as how it was old-fashioned and out-of-date even back then, being replaced with white boards in public schools. But you know what? The … [Read more...]
Reach Out & Touch: The Importance of Our Sense of Touch
The skin is our body’s largest ‘organ’ – These truths have been reinforced in me with the recent births of my grandsons. I jumped at any and every opportunity to nuzzle my grandsons and feel their perfectly, unblemished skin—and inhale their wonderful newborn smell! I could (and DID) let minutes, hours go by just staring at these wondrous beings! Using our senses—touching, tasting, seeing, hearing, and smelling—is how we first gather information about the world around us. Our sense of touch is … [Read more...]