The development of fine motor skills becomes increasingly important as your child begins their journey into the world of print. These skills involve coordinating small muscle movements, usually synchronising the hands and fingers with the eyes. They are essential for everyday tasks such as buttoning clothes, tying shoelaces, and writing. In handwriting, fine motor skills […]
Fine motor skills for handwriting Read More »
Have you ever been into an Early Years classroom? If the teachers have got it right, the children are calmly engaged in meaningful tasks. They are engrossed in their activities and you get a real sense of deep learning. But what is going on? How have the teachers woven this magic? When I was on
The magic of paper folding activities Read More »
Printmaking is a wonderful artistic technique that offers endless opportunities for your preschooler to explore her creativity, develop fine motor skills, and discover the beauty of textures and patterns. In this article, we will guide you through the exciting process of introducing printmaking to your child, using materials readily available at home. So, roll up
Printmaking with children: Exploring patterns Read More »
What’s so special about playing with doll’s houses? And what’s the secret to their enduring appeal? In this guide we’ll examine the psychology behind children’s play and how it determines which doll’s houses are best. Discover the psychology of doll’s house play and learn more about why it matters in this guide. Table of contents
Doll’s house play and why it matters Read More »
Paper mache (papier-mâché) makes for a great craft, and homemade paper mache recipes couldn’t be easier. What is paper mache? Paper mache refers to using a mixture of glue and water or water and flour to adhere strips of paper to surfaces. You dip paper into the mixture, squeeze out the excess, attach it, and
DIY Paper Mache Recipe Read More »
Your baby sits at a basket. She is holding a toy. She tries to put the toy inside. Will it fit? She doesn’t know. A squash and a squeeze. A twist and a shove. A furrowed brow. All of a sudden, with a final push, it drops in. Success! A few months later, now a
The Containing Schema Read More »
Here you are, as a toddler, playing with your toy farm. Too old to put the wooden animals in your mouth and give them a chew; too young for small world play, for giving them personalities and telling a story. You are at the age of experimentation, of trial and error. You are learning about
Spatial Reasoning | The Secret Superpower Read More »
Up, up, up. Your child is building a tower, one block at a time. Higher and higher she goes, the delight evident on her face as she meets each new challenge. It’s now so tall she can’t add any more blocks. So what next? Crash! Cue squeals of laughter. Down it all tumbles, the tower
The connecting schema Read More »
Your child is painting a picture. She mixes some paint, pouring red into yellow. As she swirls her brush the colours combine. At first, the colours form discrete streaks but they soon interminigle and she has a beautiful pot of vibrant orange. But something is going on. The paint is not transferred to the page.
Transformation schema Read More »
Your child is lining things up. She takes her collection of cars and lines them up in order of length. Or perhaps she arranges coloured blocks from darkest to lightest. These seemingly simple acts are powerful indicators of a cognitive skill known as seriation – the ability to order objects based on specific attributes such
Seriation: Putting things in order Read More »