Play Based Learning is an approach to teaching that focuses on children’s natural curiosity and desire to explore their world. It is a way of thinking about education that promotes the importance of play and discovery. In this blog post you'll get some tips on how to start with play based teaching.
30+ hands-on, playful and fun kindergarten activities. Check out this amazing list of learning activities for kids 5 to 7 years old.
This printable matching socks game is the perfect activity to keep your toddler entertained and learning through play. Download it for FREE!
These crossing midline activities support development of crossing the midline plays in functional tasks like learning and self care.
In my play based classroom there are 10 essential learning areas. I cannot do without them. The provocations and resources offered in these areas change throughout the year dependent on children's interests and the curriculum intent. The placement of these 10 areas within the classroom is thoughtf
FUN shape activity for preschoolers using printable road shape mats and hotwheels for learning shapes with a car activity for toddlers.
Our school has an Outdoor Learning Committee that I am a part of. We all feel very strongly that the environment where the children play outside is just as important as the environment inside our school. We have worked hard to make our playground an area where the kids can run, exercise explore and yes...learn! Outside play plays an important role in children's development! They are working gross motor muscles and getting must needed exercise. They learn how to solve problems such as when social disagreements arise. They learn empathy as they help friends who get hurt. They learn to take risks and see where their limits are and feel empowered as they take those risks and succeed. They create games and role play. They learn science concepts as they discover things in nature and learn to look closer and ask questions about what they see as they discover new things. They learn kindness as they try to save an insect in danger or nurture a plant. They are literally learning about life and life skills as they play outside, so we knew the environment needed to support that. We had an area that we were having some problems with in the middle of our asphalt area. We wanted to turn it into something all of the kids could explore and benefit from and decided to create a Barefoot Sensory Path. We came up with a design and my husband figured out how to make it so that it would be sturdy and last. Our amazing PTO gave us funds to purchase the materials and we had fun shopping at Lowes for items that would provide the sensory experiences we were hoping for. Our team came in on a Saturday and went to work. Our maintenance team had dug the area down four inches so that it would be even with the asphalt. We put down a layer of paver sand, and then the 4x4's. We glued some materials to 2x2 pieces of plywood. The sections were all 2x2. We filled the sections with paver base and tamped it solid. My son even came and helped! Here is the finished frame. Of course, we had to test it out! Here is the finished path!! We were so excited for the kids to try it! It was a huge success!! The kids absolutely loved walking on it with bare feet, crawling on it and feeling with their hands and even laying in it enjoying the warmth radiating from it from being in the sun. Another new area we created was an area to create roads, ramps, etc. using scrap wood, cars, signs and other loose parts. This lovely lady below had the vision for this area! We also added an area to really work those gross motor muscles. Mr. Doyle created a boundary to keep it all contained to one area. We filled it with stumps, logs, and large branches. The kids have created obstacle courses and love lifting these up to show how strong they are! They jump, balance and create here. They collaborate and problem solve. They use both critical and creative thinking skills. This is a great area to develop 21st Century Learning Skills as they play! For our nature lovers, we have an area with plants for them to explore and observe. Some are edible such as peppermint and fennel. We have cone flowers, milkweed, irises, sunflowers and more. This area is a great place to explore and observe insects also! Here are some other things on our playground where they can let lose and have fun! Our playground is still a work in progress! We have many more ideas that we want to implement some day! One step at a time!
Add elements of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell to your preschool centers to integrate science and play while students explore their senses.
FREE printable Paper Hats that kids can color and wear when learning about community helpers, occupations, or when doing dramatic and pretend play. Great for preschool and kindergarten!
Use sensory bags in your classroom for mess-free learning and fun. Your kids will love learning and playing with hands-on sensory bags!
Free X-Ray Themed Printables
Handy free printable leif erikson for kids worksheet and coloring pages to make into readers to learn about famous early explorer!
Bass chords can be tough for beginners. Thus, to make them easier to learn I have made a bass chord chart that you can use as a cheat-sheet.
This visual directory of non-food sensory bin ideas for preschoolers will help teachers plan the bin filler, accessories, and learning objectives.
Grab some playdough and make some people with these free printable people play dough mats. There are bodies and faces to print, make and decorate.
The Fishbowl Game is a fun-filled memory game that combines Charades, Password, and Taboo. It is easy to learn and perfect for large groups, which means
Free family play dough mats for young children to use to talk about family members. Great for a family theme for preschool.
Activities that develop early math skills are our favourites! We love working on our number recognition, counting skills, subitising and 1:1 correspondence. This “Build a City” activity…
Learn how to make pretend snow with only 2 simple ingredients. The perfect winter sensory play idea.
Looking for a fun way to introduce the writing process to your students? What about using playdough? Come grab a fun & hands on lesson for your classroom!
These assessment forms for Pre-K can be used to record children's progress as you work with them during learning activities or observing them through
Your child will be entertained for hours with these free pretend play printables.
This resource covers information on the proprioceptive sense and includes proprioception sensory activities for kids.
DIY Sensory Rooms: Have you ever thought about creating a sensory room or space for your child, but thought it would be too expensive or you would need to dedicate an entire room? We know that sensory rooms have a huge calming effect on our children, so, we challenged a couple of moms (and two behav
Here are some great ideas about things to teach your 2 year old. Most skills can be achieved through these learning activities for two year olds
Homemade cloud dough is sure to please and you only need 2 ingredients from the kitchen for this recipe. Enjoy hands-on sensory play!
Sometimes it is fabulous to have a trick or two up your sleeve for when you need a quick craft or activity to save the day. My ULTIMATE, Easy, No Cook Playdough Recipe is definitely one trick that needs to be up there friends. Five minutes to make, and lasts for 6 months! I am
Want to learn piano? These 8 apps offer the best online piano lessons for adults, whether you have no experience or want to relearn an old skill.rn
Come play to learn with a fun (and safe) BUBBLY FIRE experiment for preschoolers! Great addition for fire safety week or a community helpers theme.
Welcome to a new kind of homeschool preschool! Playing Preschool, by Busy Toddler, is an affordable, hands-on approach to at-home learning.
It's apple-picking time, so bring that fun fall experience into the classroom by changing the dramatic play center into an Apple Orchard Dramatic Play area! Paint your orchard, use pom poms for apples, make a few DIY props, and you will be ready to go. Plus, it's super easy to embed a ton of math, literacy, and fine motor into their play at the Apple Orchard Dramatic Play. Keep reading, and I'll share all my secrets with you on how you can make an Apple Orchard in your classroom!
Easy forest school activities, done-for-you forest school lesson plans and ready-made nature curriculum: save time and teach better!
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Learning to play a musical instrument isn't easy! Fortunately, these free apps will help you learn to play guitar.
Looking for the best preschool activities?! This list is full of hands-on preschool STEM, art, and literacy activities with no worksheets.
Celebrate the scents of the season with this Apple Pie Play Dough. This perfectly moldable play dough is easy to make and lasts for a long time.
Sun prints are so easy, fun, and exciting to make with kids. They are also called cyanotypes and can be made on fabric as well as paper.
Pipe cleaners are a versatile craft material easily obtainable if not already in your craft supplies at home. Kids can make all sorts of pipe cleaner crafts, and they're also perfect for learning activities such as STEM projects or fine motor activities. Kids can even make little toys to play with using pipe cleaners! Below
Sensory squish bags provide the perfect mess-free quiet time sensory activity. Besides the mess-free sensory play, squish bags encourage hands-on exploration and make for great learning tools to spark conversations and build vocabulary with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.
