The typical day at our house includes outdoor play after nap time…and outdoor play after dinner time…and, well, outdoor play in the mornings after breakfast, and just about anywhere in between all of the _____ (fill in the blank) times. My kiddies always want to play outside. In fact, I’m fairly convinced that my kids…
Pasta Sort Three Ways
Despite the fact that most states do not have specific standards that support preschool algebra, many educators and parents are providing their students and children with basic math activities that fall under the umbrella of algebraic reasoning. Sorting is a common and well used preschool math activity, and for good reason. It supports the analytical…
Stacking Fruit Loops and How It Develops Fine Motor Skills
The term “fine motor skills” seems sometimes to be used lightly without much thought to its actual meaning. Fine motor skills involve the small muscle control in the fingers, hands, and wrists. Development begins in infancy, when a baby grasps for her mother’s finger, clutches a toy, passes a stuffed animal from one hand to…
Clanking Can Wind Chimes
For about nine months I have been saving up food cans. Not for any particular reason except that on occasion I’ll go through a phase where I keep things like cans just in case I see a project that requires them. I also keep tissue boxes, cardboard tubes, fancy cookie cans with lids and plastic…
Gardening Activities for Toddlers
In early April the wind still blows relentlessly and the rain drizzles non-stop. William peers out the sliding door saying, “When it stops raining maybe we go outside,” and Corinne crawls over to sit next to him and pounds on the glass. (Check out my post here about indoor rainy day activities that are physically…
Letter Recognition Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten
Alphabetic recognition is sometimes called letter recognition or letter identification, but all three terms have the same meaning. Letter recognition activities refer to the ability to visually recognize letters of the alphabet through hands-on learning. This includes the ability to name each letter and match that letter name with its written form, both upper and…
Pretend Play and How It Creates Critical Thinkers
One of my favorite things as a parent is to listen to my toddler jabber while he plays independently. I love hearing the dialogue that takes place between he and his toys, I love listening to conflicts and resolution, and I love watching the way he manipulates his play space to meet the needs of…
Dice and Beanbag Toss Game
When I think about William, this is what comes to mind: active, energetic, athletic, lively, high-spirited… I know, I know, all the above descriptors are ways to describe a very busy little boy, so I know better than to put William at the kitchen table to do math work. He has the discipline to sit…
