Pandemic Impact on Young Children

Pandemic Impact on Young Children: A Survival Guide The impact this pandemic has afflicted onto families and their young children is extraordinary. With minimal social interaction and peer support, children are experiencing heightened loneliness and isolation. But don’t fear! This … READ MORE

Take Art Outside! Hunt for Textures

In art classes, students experiment with different mediums and textures. They can use markers, pens, crayons, paint, glue, paper, and chalk to create something new. A great way to help preschoolers explore texture is to take art outside for a … READ MORE

Learning Outdoors: Words of the Woods

“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.” ― Henry David Thoreau, Walden Henry David Thoreau had a deep connection to nature that permeated his … READ MORE

How to Create a More Accessible Garden

Gardening creates so many opportunities for inquiring minds, and all children can benefit from working and learning in the garden. While there are many things to consider when planting a garden, one important aspect of your planning should include its … READ MORE

5 Life Skills Children Learn Through Gardening

Working in the garden creates a unique opportunity to introduce new or emerging life skills. Children are naturally curious about how the world works, and the garden is a perfect place to explore those curiosities. Help children get their hands … READ MORE

How to Learn and Relax with Chalk Art

Fun & Learning with Chalk Art As I sit down to write this blog, we are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone, including our children, have been cooped up, house bound and are dealing with major cabin fever. … READ MORE

The Patterns of Nature

Mathematics is the science of patterns, and nature exploits just about every pattern that there is. — Ian Stewart   This profound quote illustrates the connection between math and nature. Nature supplies us with wondrous examples of math: the hexagon of … READ MORE

How Families Impact Educational Success

The most important teachers in a child’s life are their families at home. Although children spend a large amount of their time at school, it is not a replacement for the learning, love, encouragement, and reinforcement they receive from family … READ MORE

Outside Time: Friend or Foe?

I have one question to ask: As an early education teacher, do you see outside time as a friend or foe? Wrangling coats, hats, gloves, and other articles of clothing for winter outdoor play takes half of the scheduled time … READ MORE

The Need to Move: Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence

The perfect pirouette of a ballerina, the art of a sculpture, or the gravity defying layup of a basketball player. What do these three people have in common? They all possess bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.   Howard Gardner defines bodily-kinesthetic intelligence as … READ MORE