GUEST POST At Children’s Factory, we love to see customers using our play equipment and furniture in “outside-the-box” ways. TinkerWonderPlay does a great job by showing us how The Whatsit™ can be used as a holiday wrapping station. The Whatsit™ is our kids’ couch that was designed to double More…
Life would be a utopian dream if every classroom had oodles of space for every single flex-space a teacher or student could conceptualize. The reality is most classrooms don’t have enough space for everything on our wish lists. Remove Unnecessary Furniture Remove large items you don’t use every day. More…
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…
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…
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…