Seed Bombs

In the fall, many plants start dropping their seeds, so now is a great time to head outside to collect and prepare seeds for growing in the spring. Take a bucket or bag with you on nature walks, and have … READ MORE

Little Pumpkin Hide and Seek

Who doesn’t like hide and seek? Little Pumpkin likes hide and seek! Hide a little pumpkin somewhere on the playground. Have the children turn around and face the other way, because closing their eyes and not peeking may be just … READ MORE

What to do with Leftover Jack O’ Lanterns?

Are you soon going to be wondering what to do with leftover pumpkins?  After October 31st, all those carved pumpkins have to just be thrown away, right? Wrong! You can head outside and work together to turn jack o’lanterns into … READ MORE

Unbe-leaf-able Leaf Activities

With Fall now being in full swing, there are plenty of leaves to go around. To take advantage of the numerous leaves that are now starting to fall to the ground, there are many leaf activities that the children can … READ MORE

Colorful Streamers All Around

When we take children out to play our goal is to get them to move around and get some of their wiggles out. Encouraging them to play and move around can sometimes be difficult. Getting some children to move around … READ MORE

Nature’s Fidget Spinner

Even if you don’t have one, you’d be hard pressed to not know about the fidget spinner craze. But instead of running out the door, jumping in your car, and speeding off to the nearest store selling them, encourage children … READ MORE

The Sandbox, Part 2

In part one of The Sandbox I reflected on how open-ended sand is.  Because of this, the type of materials offered, and the way the materials are presented will set the stage for sand exploration.  Traditional sand toys typically include … READ MORE

Rain, Please Don’t Go Away!

As educators, a rainy day is not always a good thing. We feel like we can’t take the children outside and let them play or explore. The things that come to mind are wet children, puddles, mud, wet playgrounds. Why … READ MORE

The Sandbox, Part 1

If you have ever been to the beach then you have witnessed the allure of sand.  People young and old are digging, building and playing in the sand. Sand is naturally intriguing due to its open-ended qualities.  Every grain of … READ MORE

Summer Playground Safety

The sun is shining and children cannot wait to get outside and play! Even beautiful weather can create a few hazards, however, so it is a good idea to make sure everything is looked over. As the temperatures increase, playground … READ MORE