Who wants to make magic potions with me?” asks five-year-old Katie. “Do you really know how to do that? Annika asks, hopping off of her swing to see what adventures Katie's magic potion proposition might bring. “You mix things up, like potions or recipes," Katie explains. "Sometimes things change colors or the mixture gets really […]
"AUGH!!! Worms! Look, look! They're everywhere!" Eleanor is jumping up and down hysterically. Nothing will summon our crew faster than a good worm sighting. Oh, how we love worms! Last spring, we witnessed an unusual natural phenomenon as a mass of earthworms wiggled out of their subterranean community in the soil and squirmed onto the […]
If you struggle with the mess that seems to be an inescapable part of early childhood painting projects, I am right there with you! After years of dutifully setting up easels and wiping down paint-smeared hands, faces, shoes and surfaces in the messy aftermath of our creative endeavors, I finally had to face reality: The […]
“Noa, what are you doing?” questions Jose. “I’m giving this rock a swing!” giggles Noa as she embarks on her latest investigation into force and motion. “Are you sure that will work?" James asks. “I think the rock will fall off!” We all stop what we are doing to observe as Noa cautiously pulls the swing back a few feet and […]
Two-year-old Elizabeth screams with delight, “I made a ball, I made a ball!” Ah, it’s another magical moment with clay. Making shapes, discussing length, adding loose parts or subtracting pieces of clay to share with a friend. There's a whole lot of math, science and engineering in that ball of clay! Clay allows children to […]
“AUGGGHHHH!” I hear screams, a crash and giggles galore. The joy of Magna-Tiles® has returned to our ever-popular window-stacking play. When these colorful magnetic tile mosaics come crashing down from the window frame, the children respond with laughter and joy. By contrast, the collapse of three-dimensional block formations often elicits groans and tears. Something about […]
“How can children be ready for kindergarten if they spend their days playing outside?” As nature-based early childhood educators, we are often asked questions like this one by concerned parents who want to give their children the best start in life. It's important that parents understand the vast amount of learning that can take place […]