Erin DelRegno Evans “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” Fred Rogers  Who doesn’t remember playing when they were young? Coming up with your own games, playing outside almost every day whether sunny, snowy,...Read More

Lisa Mulliken Piaget is a well-known name in the early childhood world. Piaget was a Swiss psychologist who created theories of cognitive development. Piaget’s theories included the concept of schemas. In simple terms, a play schema can be thought of as a group of instructions or repeated behaviors that children use during play. Children use...Read More

Kelli Harris National Friendship Day was originally founded by Hallmark in 1919. It was intended to be a day for people to celebrate their friendships by sending each other cards. By 1940, the market had dried up and the holiday fizzled. It was first proposed in Paraguay in 1958. In 1998, Winnie the Pooh was...Read More

By Jada Avery   Handprints, sculptures, target practice, roads, and even kitchens; it is incredible just how many things one can create using mud. After reading one of NAEYC’s Teaching Young Children magazines, I became obsessed with the idea of mud play. I even learned that there is a National Mud Day on June 29th!Read More

By: Pam Schaffner The Program Quality Assessment team in PA is often asked if they have any tips to make meeting quality standards easier. Since they have experience visiting many programs in their professional careers, they have seen many programs employ strategies to make things easier, more efficient, and more effective. Implementing quality can be...Read More

Bobbi Philson You think you’re ready to move from the ECERS-R to the ECERS-3 for your preschool classroom, but you might still feel confused about play areas and interest centers? Read on, this one is for you.Read More

Erin DelRegno I don’t know about you, but much of my time as a child was spent playing outdoors. For example, I climbed trees, jumped in rain puddles, rode my bike, and played hide-and-seek. I stayed outside until dinner time, but that isn’t something that happens anymore. So much natural learning takes place outdoors. Wouldn’t...Read More

Natalie Grebe If you have ever been in a toddler classroom, you can picture the scene. A room full of many toys and a lot of little people meandering around with those toys. It’s as if they’re in their own little world. A world full of pretending, imagining and play. The stuff in their eyes...Read More

By Bobbi Philson Is it an interest center? Is it a play area? Is it both? Does it matter? A play area needs: Play materials Space An interest center needs: Clear definition Materials for a particular kind of play Materials organized by type and accessible to children Furniture if needed Appropriate space for the type...Read More

Kelli Harris My two-year-old nephew came for a visit recently to see my chickens. He is fascinated by them and loves when I open up their pen so he can chase them in the backyard. After an hour, I was exhausted trying to keep up with him, so I suggested we go inside. Read More