Play-Based Learning Blog

Block play is such an important part of the early childhood classroom. It provides potent opportunities for creativity, imagination, problem-solving, […]

I remember my first preschool classroom. I had spent the summer getting centers and their materials ready. I had visited […]

The atelier (art studio) is one of my favorite spaces to set up when getting the third teacher ready. But, […]

Are you seeking a captivating and enriching way to foster the development of infants and toddlers in your care? Imagine […]

To get the most out of loose parts play, it’s helpful to understand the different phases of play that children […]

As an early years educator, it’s not uncommon to face comments from parents who may not understand or appreciate your […]

The explore stage is something we need to keep talking about. In a previous post, I talked about the explore […]

How many times have you jumped directly to the “create and make” stage when introducing a new material? Yet it’s […]

My favorite! Between going on walks with your children to find these treasures to watching how children reconnect with nature, […]

“The child, making use of all that he finds around him, shapes himself for the future.” Maria Montessori Plastic is […]

Ceramic and Glass Loose Parts are those unique materials that don’t often get into the hands of children enough. From […]

Fabric Based Loose Parts add such an artistic dynamic to explorations and creations with children. From fort building in construction […]

Wood Reuse Loose Parts are used all around the classroom. From using big old chair legs as ramps to balancing […]

Packaging Loose Parts are typically known as recyclable parts. They tend to be FREE! Cardboard boxes, paper towel rolls, and […]

Metal Loose Parts! If there’s one Loose Part that really engages every child through building, creating, inventing, exploring, and more, […]

Loose parts and authentic play experiences for children are two vitally important initiatives for Wunderled™. But many administrators and supervisors […]

Loose parts play can be a valuable addition to any early years program or daily routine. Not only does it […]

In this how-to guide, you’ll discover a process for designing and creating highly effective play invitations that include: Introduction Take […]

During a FREE Live Webinar, Loose Parts! Provocations! Oh My!, I noticed a lot of questions about how to store […]

As an early years educator, I know how passionate you are about creating engaging and stimulating learning environments for your […]

The Play-Activated Learning™ model is made up of five different phases: Foundation, Environment, Observation, Prompting, and Validation. This framework was […]

There’s so much research linking early exposure to STEM skills and vocabulary with academic success later down the road, that […]

Heart-centred educators lead with heart and from heart. Our heart is the compass that guides us. This ‘plays out’ differently […]

It’s not easy to operate a mixed-age daycare. I know, because that’s what I do each day. I’m a home […]

I’m a public elementary school teacher and I teach entirely outdoors in an outdoor classroom and garden. The number one […]

By now, every caring parent knows how much learning and growth goes on in the outdoors without sophisticated equipment or […]

Are Your Children In Sync? Do they… Do they find it easy to… Are they… The more boxes checks you […]

We have all heard the term ‘mud play’ and many of us might even remember puddle jumping or mud pie […]

In this insightful article by Dr. Stuart Brown, we’ll delve deep into the world of rough and tumble play and […]

Recently, I have been thinking about how teachers (including myself) sometimes refer to children’s work or play spaces as “a […]

Have you ever looked at your environment with fresh eyes?Have you ever got down on your knees and viewed it […]

For children, inquiry – their quest to understand how the world works – takes place through play (and we know […]

An advertisement from an electric power company dropped through my mail slot today, shouting, BLACKOUT: Could It Happen Again? It […]

When my oldest daughter was about three years old, I was out for an afternoon with friends and my husband […]

How long could you sit crisscross-applesauce before you needed to move? For me, the answer is: about 20 seconds max! […]

One of the greatest contributions of puppetry for this age is bringing the rhythm of the year to children with […]

When I was a kindergarten teacher, I had a list of academic skills that my school system declared essential before […]

Over the years, so many people have asked to learn more about the theorists and scientists I have studied. So […]