I love when I find an activity that works for all ages. With the right amount of help even the littlest hands can manage this simple project. It is easy to do and materials are inexpensive. Benefits: The sponge should be held between the thumb, pointer and middle fingers. This strengthens the muscles used for […]
When beauty meet utility we have a perfect creation! There are so many great things going on (developmentally speaking) as a child “creates” this work of art. Introduce concepts of science and you have a block buster learning experience! For example: Collecting specimens on nature walks Learning the concepts of “natural dyes) […]
Ever wonder why every preschool, kindergarten and first grade have a myriad of cut and paste projects? There are so many integrating skills that develop when using scissors. In a perfect world, early childhood programs would throw away all the pencils and have the students cut out strips of paper and combine to form all […]
Long ago I was an “Itinerant Therapist.” This meant that I traveled to children’s homes to work with them, lugging all my equipment and bag of trick with me. I will always be exceedingly grateful to the many families who opened their homes week after week for me to”play” with their children. The forbearance and […]
I am a big fan of finding the least expensive way to approach a task. I always love a bargain. Purchasing stamps, I make an exception and don’t compromise. Wooden stamps have an incredible number of fine and visual motor benefits, but if using the less expensive, small plastic stamps, the hand strengthening benefits are […]
I recently moved and this necessitated a major purging of 30 years. As I tunneled into my children’s closets, it broke my heart to toss the piles of Montessori “Push Pin” maps of the world, the continents and all the states in the US of A. I still marvel at the brilliance of Maria Montessori, […]
I am very lucky to be able to visit many extraordinary early childhood programs. I am always collecting new ideas from the talented educators I meet along the way. On one of my visits to The Children’s School in Stamford, CT, the art teacher dazzled me with this amazing project! This beautiful creation builds muscle […]