Toddlers are in a word “busy.” They have busy minds and busy bodies. Keeping them engaged and entertained all day—especially when preschools, libraries, and your other go-to places are closed—can be exhausting for parents and caregivers. By now, you probably feel like you’ve exhausted all the resources in your toolbox for keeping your little […]
The Power of Play For You and Baby
Babies are born with a unique desire to play. It’s how they learn about the world, problem-solve, and work through their emotions, not to mention build muscles and resilience. To quote Fred Rogers: “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really […]
Preschool Readiness and The Importance of Play-Based Learning
When working with parents, I am often asked: “Is my toddler ‘ready’ for a preschool?” The next question that follows is: “Will it help or hurt my child in any way?” Every child is different, but research into early childhood shows that even a few hours a week in an intentionally prepared environment with age-based […]
Encouraging Independent Play
Preschoolers and their parents lead busy lives. There are pretend cakes to bake; dolls and stuffies with “boo boos” that need mending; and grocery shopping to do for the play kitchen. As fun as these games are for kids, there are very real tasks that all parents need to get done during the day—and it’s […]
Hands-on Fun: Fall STEAM Activities
As parents, many of us strive to provide our children with well-rounded experiences that, hopefully, aid them in their learning and understanding of the world. Following the STEAM model of education is a practical way of giving your preschooler (and older children) opportunities to learn a variety of skills across multiple platforms of education. These […]
In The Moment: Being a More Present Parent
Our children are connected and attached to us! Sometimes that attachment is overwhelming and it seems like they just want our attention all the time. Whether it’s an infant’s cry, your older son endlessly talking about Minecraft, or your toddler needing extra snuggles at the end of a long day, it’s built into their DNA—and […]
The Lazy—and Learning—Days of Summer
August has always been my favorite part of summer—first as child and then as a teacher. For many of us, the school-year calendar dictates our schedules and time available to relax and play in the summer sun. My family moved to Eugene 21 years ago from a small town on coastal Maine. Our first summer […]
The Importance of Toddler Routines
The Importance of Toddler Routines School’s out and summer is here! Many parents want to soak up as much of the summer sun as possible and fill their days with trips to the swimming pool, impromptu stops at the playground, or a late picnic dinner in the park. All these activities are enjoyable ways for […]
Children Are Important – Ways To Show Them
Children Are Important – Ways To Show Them As parents, we can all agree that our children are important. But when the day is filled with school drop-off and pick-up, trips to the store, soccer practice, play dates, cleaning, mealtime, and loads more, it can sometimes feel like a challenge to be mindful in our […]
Helping Hands: Teach Your Preschooler to Help Clean Up
Helping Hands: Teach Your Preschooler to Help Clean Up This scene is all too familiar: You’ve spent the morning cleaning while you’re child is at preschool. But the minute they come home, all your hard work is dismantled within a matter of minutes. This blog post will challenge you to look at an alternative perspective. […]