There is a park near our home that has a spectacular public sandbox. Public sandboxes are fun places to play and learn because the high quantity of children and sand-toys present many opportunities for preschoolers to develop life-long social skills. As parents, we sometimes forget that our children are not born with social skills. Children […]
How to Make Cloud Dough
July 15, 2013 by
Summer is a great time to get outside and play in the sand and water, but those aren’t the only sensory activity opportunities! The warm weather makes it easy to take a variety of activities outside, and that typically means less mess and more fun! So today we’re sharing a video tutorial on how to […]
How to Make Colored Shadows
July 10, 2013 by
Sometimes summer plans don’t go as we wanted them to, especially if we end up with rainy days! Last week, we ended up being stuck in the house when we really wanted to be enjoying the sunshine. We pulled out a few lamps and created our own shadows. To our surprise, shadows don’t always have […]
Around the Web: Exploring Nature with Kids
July 7, 2013 by
This week we’ve shared a fun fossil finding activity at a creek and five tips for exploring nature with kids, but we don’t want the sharing to end there! We’ve gathered 10 inspiring posts from around the web that are sure to get your kids playing and learning outside. 1. Make a nature study kit […]
5 Tips for Exploring Nature with Kids
July 6, 2013 by
It’s important for children to be encouraged to connect with nature, but what if you are a little timid when it comes to exploring the outdoors? Whether you identify yourself as an “indoors” person or you just don’t know where to start, here are a few things you can do to make the transition a […]
Fossil Hunting at the Creek
July 5, 2013 by
Summer is hot and the water in the creek is cold! We had fun cooling our toes while hunting for fossils! The rocks in the creek we visited were predominantly shale and limestone. Mixed into the bunch were some incredible fossils! I explained to the boys that fossils were impressions of the remains of creatures […]
5 Must Follow Pinterest Boards for Summer Learning
July 2, 2013 by
Are you on Pinterest? Looking for some inspiring boards to follow for plenty of Summer learning activity ideas? Here are five of our all-time favorite Pinterest boards you’ll want to add to your “must follow” list to help foster your child’s love of learning throughout the Summer months and beyond! 1. Inner Child Learning — Educational crafts […]
Bubble Science
June 26, 2013 by
Every kid has a fascination with bubbles. There’s just something enticing about them. We recently spent an afternoon playing with a bottle of bubbles, which led to lots of discovery about the science behind bubbles. Here’s a few of the fun concepts we learned as we explored bubbles. Does wand shape effect the bubble? […]
Around the Web: Sidewalk Chalk
June 23, 2013 by
There are so many ways to learn and play with sidewalk chalk. It’s great for play prompts, open-ended play, and educational activities. This makes it a must-have in the summer, and we know you’ve been stocking up! Are you looking for creative ways to use your stash? If so, you’ll want to stockpile these 10 […]
Learning in an Instant- Letter Sounds Hopscotch
June 22, 2013 by
We’ve been talking about fun ways to play and learn with sidewalk chalk, and today we have another playful idea to share. Letter Sounds Hopscotch! Encourage your kids to practice letter sounds and their gross motor skills with this simple game. Instead of drawing numbers in your hopscotch grid, draw objects beginning with the letter […]
5 Ways to Learn with Chalk
June 20, 2013 by
Truth? I have never intentionally planned a “learning activity” for my children using chalk (bad blogger mom Melissa!). To me, chalk is simply an inexpensive medium used to create driveway art or something to occupy the boys’ hands and minds while I page a magazine and chat with an old friend on the phone. However, […]
Exploring Nature with Books
June 12, 2013 by
The best part about summer for me is getting outside with my children! I love watching their eyes light up when they pop a wild berry into their mouths or find a snail along a forest trail. We spend hours and hours outside each day, sometimes doing more formal learning such as species identification and […]
Around the Web: Homemade Learning Manipulatives
June 3, 2013 by
There’s a lot of learning potential in the simple items you can either find around your home or make yourself with a little creativity. There are many benefits to making your own learning manipulatives. It can be a fun, rewarding experience that allows you to save some money and perfectly tailor the end product to […]
Learning in an Instant: Simple Letter Writing Activity
May 31, 2013 by
For a super quick and mess-free letter writing activity for the kids, remove the label stamp from a zipper freezer bag using a paper towel and a bit of rubbing alcohol. The label will wipe right off leaving you with a completely clear bag! Next, fill the bag with some clear hair gel (from the […]
Learning with Ordinary Household Items
May 28, 2013 by
Learning manipulatives (items that are used to engage a child in hands-on learning) are used for problem solving and to help increase understanding of a concept, such as counting. There are literally thousands of incredible learning manipulatives available for purchase through education websites and catalogs; making a choice can be very overwhelming! But did you […]
How to Create a Wildlife-Friendly Backyard
May 23, 2013 by
Kids love to look at and examine animals. But we don’t always have a backyard that encourages animals to come to us. So, how can you promote animals in your backyard? First you have to know what kind of animals you are wanting to attract. Are you wanting a variety of birds? What about insects? […]
Using Blocks to Teach Your Child About Tints, Shades, and Mixing Colors
May 15, 2013 by
What I love about simple wooden blocks is their versatility. A child can use blocks to create a zoo . . . a school . . . a road! (Or, a road through a zoo that leads to school!) Blocks deliciously challenge a child’s fine and gross motor skills as they practice balancing and building, […]
Becoming a Chicken Mama
May 8, 2013 by
Raising baby chickens is a rewarding task that leaves us with entertainment, wonderful learning opportunities, and of course, amazing eggs. If you have ever thought about raising your own chickens for eggs now is the time to consider giving your children the rare experience of having their very own backyard flock! My daughter is […]
