We’ve talked in previous posts about the importance of play and how to support/expand the play with a child (see examples here and here). What happens when you are playing with a child and they make an ooops? Maybe they fill their pretend car with juice rather than gas,…
So you’ve been letting your child take the lead, and drive the play. He’s coming up with a few creative ideas but they tend to be the same ideas again and again. What do you do if you’re getting bored? Sometimes we can all feel a bit stuck…
When you are sprawled across the floor playing trains or sitting at a too-small table sipping tea out of a plastic cup, have you ever stopped to think… Wait a second, exactly who is in charge of the play right now? Playtime is one of the few (if not…
We have been hearing a lot of buzz about play-based learning in Ontario and, personally, I am quite thrilled about this. Current research has found play to be an essential vehicle for the development of children’s social, emotional, cognitive, physical and communicative development. It’s all well and good that…
Whether it is pretending to be a princess, dragon, or teacher, children love to play pretend. Psychologist Lev Vygotsky said “the child always behaves above his average age, and above his daily behaviour; in play it is as though he were a head taller than himself”. (Alright, maybe 20…
Every memory that I have of school is of sitting; cross-legged on the floor at circle time, in front of neatly lined-up desks, and squished in narrow lecture hall seats. Based on my experience, sitting certainly did seem to equal learning — it is where I took tests, read…
In preschools everywhere, we see caring and well-intentioned educators encouraging young children to share toys. We’ve all seen these situations: Jonny is playing with the car. Billy sees the car and tries to take it away from Jonny. An adult intervenes and maybe after a minute or two, takes…
Hmm… so many colours to choose from. Which one do we use for the ‘rouge test’? Do you ever wonder if your babies recognize their reflection in the mirror? This is a question my husband frequently asks. He’s worried we might be raising a vain baby because of all the…
“Good.” “Fine.” These are probably the most frequent responses parents hear about a child’s school day. As a group, parents are understandably curious and eager to find out exactly what happened during their child’s day, from the moment they were dropped off until the moment they are picked up….
play plā/ verb engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose. “the children were playing outside” Synonyms: amuse oneself, entertain oneself, enjoy oneself, have fun Play allows us to explore, negotiate, create meaning of the world and take risks within a safe environment….
Eunice Lee
Fay McGill
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Amanda Binns