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6 Steps to Set Up an Inviting Block Play Shelf
Setting up an organized, inviting block shelf is essential to facilitating meaningful play for children. By organizing blocks by shape and size on an open...
A Head Taller: Let Children Play on Their Own Terms
“In play, a child always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behavior in play it is as though he were a head taller...
For young children, play is about experiencing the world: about getting their hands on and into all the things that spark their curiosity. Kids want...
Learning with Nature: Finding Creative Inspiration
Learning with nature means not just learning in or about nature, but learning in an environment where the natural world becomes another teacher. Good teachers of course help their students learn facts and ways...
What is play exactly? Why do we play? Why do children play? Why do animals play? When you see dogs playfully roughhousing or dolphins joyously...
Outdoor Preschool During a Pandemic: Creating an Urban Forest School
So there we were last spring: in the middle of a global pandemic. School, childcare, everything, shutdown! Then all summer we wondered: Yes, school? No,...
Ok, I admit it—it’s difficult for me when my kids go back to school in the fall. I’m one of those adults who has a...
It was the most healing thing I’d seen during this whole COVID time: children playing together—finally. After how long? Too long. My two sons, 8 and...
Learning with Nature: The Science of Mud
Play, especially messy play, is often under appreciated in children’s learning. This is particularly true when it comes to playing with mud. Adults focus on the...
Learning with Nature: Animals and Empathy
“Look a worm. We should make it a home!” If you’ve spent any time with young children, you’ve likely heard a phrase similar to this...
Learning with Nature: Math of Plants
Bursts of sunflowers, spirals of a cucumber tendrils, different leaf shapes of the sassafras tree, and the large number of acorns during an oak mast...
Learning with Nature: Moments of Serendipity
The memory of my grandmother’s voice and joy as she declared, “Serendipity!” came flooding back to me last week. I was spending the day with...
Learning with Nature: The Power of Silence
The world is so noisy! There are dings of email alerts, cars, air conditioners running, lawnmowers, garbage trucks—the list goes on. Metaphorically we’re also surrounded...
Learning with Nature: Language and Literacy in Context
“But how will they learn to read and write outside?” I often hear this question from parents considering a nature-based preschool. Honestly, the answer is...
Learning with Nature: Awaking a Sense of Wonder
Exploring nature is a surefire way to spark young children’s learning. Children inherently want to learn which is why they’re constantly asking questions. They’re full...
Everyday Materials Have the Capacity to be Playful
The world is a naturally playful place. Children don’t need to be in a playroom or at a park to explore playfully. In fact, they’re...
Enhance Block Play at Home with Three-Dimensional Lines and Shapes
“A simple geometric shape could become any number of things to a child. It could be a truck or a boat or the car of...
How to Incorporate Light and Shadow Exploration into Playtime
Light and shadow are all around us: you don’t need to look far to find natural or artificial light making spaces more interesting. In the...
There are a few approaches to offering materials to children for play and exploration. There are toys and materials that are accessible to kids in...
Everywhere Materials: Play is Possible All Around Us
We know that children are going to play, no matter what: through good days and bad days, celebrating their interests and digging deep into the...
What Do the Grown-Ups Do During Child-Driven Play?
When we start to embrace child-driven, play-based learning, we have to ask: what are the adults supposed to do? If we are offering children open-ended materials and letting...
Unique Holiday Toys and Gifts for the Young Builders in Your Life
If you are looking for unique Hanukkah or Christmas gift inspiration for the little builders in your life, you’ve come to the right place! Guidecraft...
Mud Play = The Perfect Screen Break – Lauren’s Learning Lab Featuring Rusty Keeler
In this episode of Lauren’s Learning Lab, mom, architect and teacher, Lauren Magee is joined by author, educator and natural playscape designer, Rusty Keeler. Together, they work to design...
Guidecraft®, celebrating 50 years of developing innovative educational and home learning environments, is teaming up with Martha Stewart and Marquee Brands to launch the Martha Stewart™...
