I learned a lot about caring for my own children by watching their teachers in the classroom. I was lucky. As a member of a parent cooperative, we had consistent opportunities to be in the classroom as parent volunteers, to help out on field trips, and to accompany the children to the playground. It was […]
Have you ever considered making a really fun indoor obstacle course in your classroom or gross motor space so that the children can try something new and different and that challenges them physically and cognitively? When I was little, my big sister set up the basement so we had to follow an obstacle course that kept […]
Did you know that there is a searchable database for children’s books created by the folks at National Public Radio? Click here to read a short article about the site and click here to search the database. Enjoy!
Hopscotch is one of those games that grows up with children. They start out jumping on two feet from square to square, simply trying to get from one end to the other, and eventually learn a much more sophisticated game that includes one-footed tricks, spinning around, and tossing rocks into very small spaces. I’ve written […]
There is a good chance that today marks the beginning of a new year in your program. I realize that many of you only had Friday off to celebrate New Year’s Day and it isn’t a whole lot of time to hunker down and make plans for big changes in your classroom, but it is […]
This week we usher in a new year, a new beginning, and a new, exciting chapter of all of our lives. Have you ever played the game where you go back and try to remember where you were on New Year’s Day (or Eve) year after year until you can’t remember anymore? It’s much more difficult […]
My favorite game – completely made up by the fabulous teachers at my former preschool- was called “Steal the Jewels.” The premise is simple. Take a whole bunch of shiny strings of beads (the New Orleans Mardi Gras kind work really well) and make a pile of them in one area of your indoor gross […]
Balances and scales are rich with opportunities for children to consider weight and size. The Bucket Balance, pictured below is made for the classroom and it encourages children to weigh objects “relatively” to a standard weight or “relatively” to another object. Through trial and error, they can see if an object is lighter or heavier than another object […]
I have no idea if there is a real game called People to People or if I learned of it at one of my previous positions, but this is a great one that you should know too. People to People is a gross motor game that is fun and engaging and children love it. It is […]
At the beginning of each semester, I ask my student teachers to observe their classrooms, requesting that they simply look for play; what does it look like?, how frequent is it?, what materials and spaces are available for the children to play with and in?, etc. Each semester, it amazes me what classrooms, teachers, and programs […]