Two of the most popular posts on this blog in recent years were written by a pediatric occupational therapist on the importance of play and the consequences of not allowing children to get up and move during their school day….
We know we’re not supposed to yell at our children. But parents are very stressed at the moment, and frustration and anger are inevitable. Overwhelmed with everything you’ve been asked to do, you find yourself losing your temper at kids…
Government-subsidized preschools, 480 days paid maternity leave, neighborhood rec centers, ample recess, forest kindergartens, drop-in after school programs (aka fritids), outdoor classrooms, public access to private lands, and open-air napping. These are just some of the perks of raising kids…
Saying “be careful” all the time can confuse kids, instill fear, and lower their self-confidence. If you’ve ever watched your not-so-sure-footed kids ascend a tall—very tall—rope climbing structure at the playground, or hoist themselves atop a large, wobbly log in…
You may be thinking, “I can barely get my child into clothes – how am I supposed to dress my child for cold, wet, and snow?” Most of each day, Apple Orchard learners are outside, so dressing for the weather…
“Mommy, who is that?” My preschooler asked me this last May when he noticed me staring at Ahmaud Arbery’s headshot in my Instagram feed. I froze up. I thought, how do I even begin to explain to him that this…
Playing through the greenery and litter of a mini forest’s undergrowth for just one month may be enough to change a child’s immune system, according to an experiment in Finland. When daycare workers rolled out a lawn, planted forest undergrowth…
New research shows that the biggest effect of early education isn’t on children’s test scores but on their resilience as teenagers and adults Does preschool help children become more successful adults? Twenty-five years ago, I thought that there wouldn’t be…
For some time now we’ve seen the school work that used to be done by first and even second graders now given to kindergartners — and even preschoolers are doing academic work instead of learning through play. One of the…
It was front and center in a slide show of other people’s beautiful kitchen renovations: one of those artsy wooden “House Rules” signs. Rule Number 7, showcased in the biggest script of all and sandwiched between “Show compassion” and “Love…
“My kid has outgrown picture books.” I hear this often when enthusing about a new picture book and offering to pass one along to a friend. It’s the kind of thing parents will say with a certain amount of pride…
BOSTON (AP) — Six Dr. Seuss books — including “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” and “If I Ran the Zoo” — will stop being published because of racist and insensitive imagery, the business that preserves…