Games with rules are the third of the four types of play outlined by Sara Smilansky, a developmental psychologist who studied how play develops in young children. The rest of the series is here: What are games with rules? When you think of games with rules, what comes to mind? Cricket? Snakes and Ladders? These […]
How many languages does your child speak? Just one? Maybe two? Educators in Reggio Emilia, Italy, believe that they have one hundred. Not spoken languages, of course, but ways of expressing themselves.Dance, art and music, sculpture, construction and song. Your child can speak in many ways. It’s tempting to measure our children’s capabilities by what
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Snap! I win! You lose! You might be surprised to know that card games aren’t just for passing the time or for family fun nights—they are excellent tools to boost the development of your preschooler in many ways. Here’s why you should consider incorporating card games into your child’s activities and which ones are best
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Sorting is the most important activity your child will ever do. Without it, no other kinds of play are possible. And done right it’s a superpower. In this simple guide we’ll explore different sorting activities and how best to introduce them. What is sorting and why is it important? Sorting is simple. Just group things
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It’s tempting to think of dance as a talent, or a natural gift that some children can do and others can’t. But dance is something all children can enjoy, regardless of their ability. It can also feed into and cement many aspects of learning and development. The developmental benefits of dance for preschoolers Dance offers
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Do you cook with your child? If so, why do you think she finds it so interesting? Children love to join in with grown-up activities. So much of play is about rehearsing for ‘real life’ but there is something else going on here. Cooking is fun and interesting. You mix things together and a change
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Listening activities for young children are an important part of early childhood development. From story time to music appreciation, these top listening activities provide a foundation for learning and social skills that will last throughout their lives. In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of these activities, the different types of materials available, strategies
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Do you have a home corner? Does it sound a little old fashioned? A play kitchen, some pretend food and a couple of baskets? At school and in the nursery, it’s always one of the most popular areas of the classroom for one simple reason: children are driven to copy adults and what adults do.
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What do you do when your pre-schooler develops an all-consuming passion, like volcanoes, ponies or whip spiders? Buy them a book? Show them a video on YouTube? Make a small-world scene in a builder’s tray? All of the above are great jumping-off points. But if you believe in inquiry-based learning, this is only the beginning.
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Constructive play is the second of four types of play outlined by Sara Smilansky, a developmental psychologist who studied how play develops in young children. The rest of the series is here: What is constructive play? Constructive play is not just construction play – blocks and Lego – but any kind of play where materials