Tag Archives: loose parts theory

Play Grows Brains.

When you hear that play helps with brain development, what kind of play do you imagine? I would define play as self-directed, freely chosen, and intrinsically motivated activities. Makers of electronic toys would have us believe that we need these educational toys to ‘teach’ our children something. And yet the research has shown that theContinue reading “Play Grows Brains.”

Reflecting on the Hundred Ways of Thinking Conference: Philosophy with Children

Imagine a community of learners where children are teaching each other in collaboration. Imagine the idea of supporting individuals AND the group. How do we bring children to be able to collaborate with one another? A starting point is to begin to understand that what I see/feel is not the same as what you see/feel.Continue reading “Reflecting on the Hundred Ways of Thinking Conference: Philosophy with Children”

Reflecting on the Hundred Ways of Thinking Conference

Inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach, Suzanne Axelsson, from Sweden, shared her ways of approaching early learning with a group of 250 Early Childhood Educators from various parts of British Columbia. The conference organizer, Marayam Nadaaf, was passionate about finding ways to allow people to travel to the conference and thanks to the travel bursary,Continue reading “Reflecting on the Hundred Ways of Thinking Conference”

Play Grows Brains.

When you hear that play helps with brain development, what kind of play do you imagine? I would define play as self-directed, freely chosen, and intrinsically motivated activities. Makers of electronic toys would have us believe that we need these educational toys to ‘teach’ our children something. And yet the research has shown that theContinue reading “Play Grows Brains.”

Collections

Katie Shaeffer would just love this tray of miscellaneous items!   It always amazes me how a simple collection of items can be so inspiring for a child.  My group of preschoolers can do amazing things with the most random objects. “Katie assembled and constructed; she glued and she taped; she stacked and she hammered, until finallyContinue reading “Collections”

Getting Inspiration

For me, inspiration comes from a variety of sources. Katie Shaeffer, Pancake Maker was inspired in part by the book Loose Parts , Inspiring Play in Young Children written by Lisa Daly and Miriam Beloglovsky. The book is full of beautiful photographs of loose parts arranged to inspire play in young children.  Here are a fewContinue reading “Getting Inspiration”