There is nothing quite like the anticipation of a child waiting for a holiday to begin or a significant celebration date (who am I kidding, it can be pretty exciting for adults too – especially the vacation option!) In our house such anticipation manifests itself as lots of discussion and research about the destination or […]
Incorporating Numbers into Everyday Life
This post is by regular contributor Ali Wright of At Home with Ali. My 4 year old daughter is interested in pretty much everything except numbers. She absolutely refuses to play any sort of number recognition or maths based game. Even asking her to name the number on a letterbox can make her annoyed and […]
A Recipe for Learning
In a large mixing bowl combine… A whole cup of CURIOSITY (I am a child, I am naturally curious) A dash or three of RELEVANCE (I learn best when what I am learning is meaningful to my own experiences in the physical world) A pint of INTEREST (I am most motivated to learn when I […]
Silly Games: Self Directed Playful Learning
This post is by regular contributor, Cath Oehlman of SquiggleMum. “Mum, we are playing a game called Chilly-Chally and you should reeeeallly blog about this because it’s a great game and we made it up ALL by ourselves!” I laughed, partly because the game was ridiculous, and partly because my five and three year old […]
Playopedia Picks: Hands On Science
Loving these hands on science ideas from Playopedia! Learning while playing, it’s the way it should be… Push me, pulley you! Storm in a Saucer Lego Science! Float or Sink Fizz! Bubble! Pop! Making Moon Craters Create an Optical Illusion 5 Sensory Tubs for Bubs Chasing Shadows Check out the latest updates at Playopedia today! […]
Early Learning: Following a Child’s Lead
Immy wanted to make a city (like ‘Daddy’s city’ – where Dad 101 works) with a bridge. Will involve lots of active listening. Listen to their vision, their requests, their questions and their theories, The city needed buildings and elevators and a park with trees. And the city was good. Quite a bit of questioning […]
Elements for Creating Play Scenes & Invitations to Play
One way to immerse a child in exploring an interest is to create an interesting play scene as an invitation to play, perfect for playful learning. I have posted before about how and why invitations to play work and you can read more in these posts; What Happens When You Follow A Child’s Interest? Emergent […]
Everyday Learning at Home
If you watch and listen carefully you will find lots of spontaneous opportunities for everyday learning all around your home. Like rainbows in the vegetable patch. Or delicious fresh corn that you grew yourself. Not to mention the plethora of creatures who reside there with you. And these everyday learning opportunities lead to lots of […]
