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 […]
As the weather turns colder and outdoor time becomes shorter, indoor gross motor time becomes a much more important part of the early childhood curriculum. If you are lucky enough to have a large indoor space that allows for running and climbing, jumping and riding, then count yourself among the lucky. Children (all children, not just […]
Sometimes I dread meetings. Honestly, I dread most meetings but this past week I attended the annual Board Meeting for the Chicago Children’s Museum (since I am on the Advisory Board of the Tinkering Lab and we were invited to the BIG meeting) and it was exceptionally fun and entertaining. Once the voting was over and […]
This blog focuses solely on the business of child care. Tom writes about tax preparation, hiring and firing, the law, advocacy, and a host of other topics that are applicable to our work. What I love about this Blog is that he will write about things that you are thinking about. He responds to all posted questions with […]
This article from Quartz.com, describes a method of math learning from Singapore that encourages “productive failure.” Children are presented with problems and are then asked to try to solve them without direct instruction or the help of their teachers. As they fail, they learn from their mistakes and try again. Although the article focuses on […]
Last year I posted a list of 10 Things to be Thankful for this Thanksgiving – the Early Childhood Edition so I challenged myself to think of 10 new things to be thankful for this year. That makes 20 things to focus on as we move into this holiday season. 10. Everyday small, chubby, soft […]
Did you know that there is an excellent resource on the PBS website specifically designed for teachers of young children? You can choose the age group you work with and then choose from a drop-down list to see specific areas you want to investigate further. The categories are: The Arts, Health and Fitness, Math, Reading […]