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…
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…
Do littles have stress in their lives? It probably comes as no surprise the answer is yes. Children experience stress over small things like whether their jeans look cool, but they also worry about more important issues. Children who have anxiety over their ability to learn, whether their parents More…
Fine Motor & Bilateral Coordination Skills Arts and crafts projects build fine motor and bilateral coordination skills as children are asked to use the small muscles in their hands and fingers during projects. Activities such as grasping paintbrushes, using scissors, and manipulating arts and crafts materials improve hand dexterity. More…
Have you ever been asked if you see the glass as half-full or half-empty? Regardless of our perception, the glass is actually 100% full. Whether it has air or water in it, there is always something filling the glass. Imagine what we could accomplish if every person on Earth More…
Winning the Battle with Boredom Put any child in a room with just a few random objects and nothing else for entertainment and they will automatically begin using those items to play. Commonly, they will lose themselves in a make-believe world inspired by just those few random objects. Children More…
Every child can benefit from sensory play activities. It stimulates the brain and builds neural pathways that improve sensory processing systems. Many sensory activities are also used to encourage social play and pretend play. Engaging 2-3 of your child’s senses during any one activity is usually considered a job More…
Wikipedia: “Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design, and management of public spaces. Placemaking capitalizes on a local community’s assets, inspiration, and potential, with the intention of creating public spaces that promote people’s health, happiness, and well-being.” When city planners started using placemaking to create social and fun communities, it wasn’t surprising More…
Toddlers love to learn. That being said, youngsters will choose playtime over learning any day of the week. Knowing this to be true, tech companies have incorporated the principles that make playing games fun into their learning programs. It’s called gamification. Pew Research Center describes gamification in the following More…
Autumn is upon us. Yet, “Christmas stuff” will likely start showing up in retail stores any day. It’s the big holiday’s way of squeezing out the smaller holidays by showing up earlier and earlier each year. With folks longing for 2020’s COVID nightmare to fade away, it’s tempting to More…