Open-Ended Play: Its Value and Characteristics Open-ended play “Go play!” Have you ever spoken these words to your child? Turns out you’re not being selfish – indeed, by urging your child toward open-ended play, you are looking out for his best interest. According to Jean Piaget, “Play is the work of childhood.” Swiss scientist and […]
Best Outdoor Toys for Kids The sun is finally shining where I live and I couldn’t be more pumped. Yes, my kids go outside in all types of weather but it’s certainly easier to get them to stay outside without me for extended periods of time when the weather is more mild, the birds are […]
The Importance of Play We take for granted the power that play has on our children’s growth and development. Often times parents are so focused on early academics, scheduling play dates, setting up Pinterest worthy crafts, enrolling their kids in organized sports, and entertaining them with flashy “educational” toys. It makes sense that many parents […]
Outdoor Play is Important Research shows that the average American kid only spend 4-7 minutes outside playing vs the 7 plus hours of time spent a day in front of a screen. This lack of time outside in unstructured play (no, organized sports don’t count…) is detrimental to our kids. To their health, their happiness, their […]
How to Keep Kids Busy Do your kids constantly complain about being bored? Do they always need you to play with them? With everything kids have access to nowadays, how could they possibly be bored? How could a child with every hot new toy under the sun have trouble playing? Parents seem to be dealing […]
The Importance of Mixed-Age Play Children playing only with others of their own age is a relatively new concept. This idea of separating children by age has been made increasingly stark through our current (yet completely outdated) education system. Throughout most of human history, children played with other children in multi-age groups. Our society has […]
Spaces Designed for Independent Play One of the biggest issues parents are experiencing right now is trying to keep kids entertained and busy while also working from home. The best recommendation is to think about it in terms of “how can I encourage independent play or learning” and NOT “how can I keep my kids […]
Block Schedule to Create a Daily Rhythm Having a daily schedule for your family is important as it sets up a predictable routine for your kids. Kids thrive on structure but that doesn’t mean that you need to have an hour by hour schedule with explicit activities booked for every minute of the day. In […]
We’re all overwhelmed right now and can use some tips for distance learning. As teachers, we’ve been thrown a curveball. You are no longer a teacher within a building with resources and live people, you’re an online teacher. Some of your learners may not even have internet or digital access to “see” you. As parents, […]
Self-Directed Learning What is self-directed learning? The process by which the student takes the initiative about what, how and when to learn. This includes: Figuring out your own learning strengths and weaknesses Setting goals Deciding on and planning activities that support your learning Searching for resources to support you in your journey Use this planner […]
