A child’s learning environment can significantly affect everything from performance and well-being to their ability to process information and achieve academic success. Gen A. refers to Generation Alpha. This age group starts with children born in 2012 and will continue through those born till about 2025. (This constitutes approximately 48 million children in More…
Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O’Dell, was published in 1960 and has inspired many children to build a fort. Can you imagine what it must have been like to be a 12-year-old girl stranded alone on a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean? Reading books is a More…
There is a magical world of fort building happening all over the world. Whether built indoors or out, experts say kids love constructing forts and their growth and development benefits during the process. It all starts with a little imagination and the tools needed to get started. The Whatsit™ More…
Have you ever noticed when you play a sport or engage in any activity with someone who is slightly more skilled, it often stimulates and motivates you to up your game? This principle is universal and applies to people of all ages and skill levels. Learning from others is More…
Classrooms designed with stimulation, individuality and naturalness in mind often have a positive impact on learning. According to research conducted by Peter Barrett, PhD, DSc, Faye Davies, PhD, Yufan Zhang, PhD, and Lucinda Barrett, PhD, naturalness accounts for about 50% of the impact whereas individuality and stimulation account for More…
There is no disputing COVID fundamentally changed classrooms. Yet, school design was already experiencing a paradigm shift before the pandemic. Regardless of how we design classrooms, the importance of creating a low-stress environment for children during back-to-school cannot be understated. Clear (But Temporary) Advantages The pandemic made everyone in More…
The Great Playroom Revolution If you were to ask anyone over the age of 25 if they had a playroom in their home as a child, most likely you would find 80% of people say no. Today, if you were to poll the average elementary, middle, or high school More…
Everyone has probably struggled to fill an awkward corner in their home at some point. Filling those corners in daycares and preschools can be even more challenging. Utilizing dead space in your classroom is a perfect opportunity to amp up the fun-quotient children experience throughout the day. It also More…
With back-to-school just around the corner, kids are not the only ones who commonly experience the feeling, “Summer is almost over, and it seems like it just started!” Parents, teachers, and caregivers often feel it too. If your goal is to take your classroom from good to great this More…
Goodbye, 2020! Hello, 2021… Let’s take a look at some amazing trends for this year and how you can implement them in your classroom or home. The one thing we know for sure about 2021 is, no matter where your child is learning, it definitely looks different than More…