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Tag Archives: play
The Benefits of Messy Time
By Elizabeth Verdick, author of Messy Time When my daughter Olivia was a toddler, her best friend was Will, the two-year-old down the street. Will didn’t say much, so Olivia talked for both of them. He adored trains—his “choo-choos.” All … Continue reading
Posted in Early Childhood
Tagged early childhood development, Free Spirit author, play
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Rough-and-Tumble Play in Early Childhood Education
By Molly Breen How do you feel about wrestling? I mean it. How does it feel in your body when children in your group begin wrestling or play fighting? Does it stimulate your flight, fight, or freeze response? Can you … Continue reading
Posted in Early Childhood
Tagged early childhood education, play, preschool, social and emotional learning
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Purposeful Play: Connecting Play and Learning in Preschool
By Molly Breen “Play is serious learning,” quipped Fred Rogers famously. Vivian Gussin Paley devoted a lifetime of teaching and writing to the power of play, describing play as the work of childhood in recognition of its central role in … Continue reading
When the Weather Outside Is Frightful, Indoor Recess Can Be Delightful!
By Shannon Anderson, author of Penelope Perfect: A Tale of Perfectionism Gone Wild Many of us are already experiencing the cold, rain, and snow this time of year brings. And you know what that means . . . indoor recess! … Continue reading
Helping Children Practice Empathy
By Molly Breen Every day we engage in activities that require an assumed social contract or boundary: we stop (mostly) at stop signs, we wait in line at the supermarket, we allow people to walk out of the door before … Continue reading