top 10: materials to build a fort

Here is a list of my top ten favorite items to use for fort building with the little people.


1.  large cardboard boxes
2.  unneeded two by fours
3.  branches
4.  foam boards
5.  egg cartons
6.  sheets
7.  pvc pipes
9.  paper bags
10. wire that is easy to bend

What items do you like to use for fort building?

top 10: tools to use with clay

Here is a list of my top ten favorite (non cookie cutter) tools to explore clay.


1.  wire
2.  potato masher
3.  butter knife
4.  wooden rolling pin
5.  beads
6.  bottle caps
7.  cars with interesting tire treads
8.  sticks
9.  forks
10. sand paper squares

What interesting tools or object do you like to introduce with clay?

top 10: alphabet books

Here is a list of my top 10 favorite alphabet books to share with little people.


1.  Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
2.  Alphabet Under Construction by Denise Fleming
3.  Museum ABC by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art
4.  A is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet by Stephen Johnson
5.  Gone Wild by McLimans
6.  A Child's Day: An Alphabet of Play by Ida Pearle
7.  Discovering Nature's Alphabet by Krystina Castella
8.  Calavera Abecedario: A Day of the Dead Alphabet Book by Jeanette Winter
9.  The Human Alphabet by Pilobolus and John Kane
10. ABC in Chicago by Robin Segal

What is your favorite alphabet book to share with little people?

developmentally appropriate practice

There's been a lot of talk about the need for developmentally appropriate practice and more talk about our youngest learners not meeting standards in the content areas.  The problem then becomes that many people take the need to meet content standards to the level of pushing down academics into preschool learning environments.  This then creates environments in which play (and therefore developmentally appropriate practice) gets lost in the effort to "prepare children for school".

What actually happens is the opposite of the intended effect.  Rather than having little people who are socially prepared to interact with peers and teachers, think creatively, problem solve, express themselves, and enjoy learning, we end up with little people who are stressed, socially delayed, and do not love discovering.  Yes, they may be able to recite information, but they aren't really prepared.

Instead, there needs to be a balance between what is expected in the content areas and what is appropriate for little people.  This is where early childhood teacher (and administrator) preparation is necessary.  The youngest learners need the best adults working with them as they learn about themselves and the world.  More than that, teachers need to be observant of what is happening with their little people and be prepared to use the children's interests and skill level to create learning opportunities through play.

Here is an example.  The young preschooler in my care is fascinated with cars and trucks and gets frustrated when his parents try to use flashcards with him.  (I would too, flashcards are annoying.)  Yesterday we drew a city on butcher paper for the cars to interact upon.   At the corner of the paper I drew a parking lot by creating several rows and columns.  I then challenged the little person to park the cars at clean up time, with the caveat that only one car could be in each parking spot to keep them safe.  As he started to park the cars, he realized that he had more cars than parking spots.  I reminded him of the challenge of one car per spot and so he used a crayon to draw the 2 extra parking spots that were needed before parking the final two cars.  During this activity he was exploring the concept of one to one correspondence, problem solving, creative thinking, and was using his fine motor control.  All this was done without interrupting his agenda and in a natural and playful way.

In the end, he will remember the concept of matching objects one to one in a more meaningful way than he will any of the things trying to be forced on him through direct instruction.

top 10: collections

Here is a list of my top 10 favorite items to create collections that the little people can then use for sorting, patterning, counting, and creating.


1.  stones
2.  carpet samples
3.  telephone cords
4.  bottle caps
5.  wine bottle corks
6.  dried flower petals
7.  buttons
8.  seeds
9.  discarded keys
10.  nuts and bolts


What types of things do you like to use to create collections in place of plastic-store bought manipulatives?

top 10: tools to paint with

Here is a list of my top ten favorite tools to use with paint!


1.  leaves and flowers
2.  trucks
3.  sponges
4.  fingers
5.  forks
6.  marbles
7.  string
8.  rolling pins
9.  cotton balls
10.  spray bottles

What are your favorite non-traditional tools to encourage creativity with paint?

top 10: sensory items

Here is a list of my top ten favorite items to encourage sensory play!


1.  shaving cream with rakes
2.  soapy water with whisks, bubble wands, and sponges
3.  colored water with pvc pipes and other other tubing materials, funnels, and cups
4.  a mixture of rice and beans with sieves, funnels, and scoops
5.  mud with sticks, leaves, and rocks
6.  dry sand with spoons and bowls
7.  dried corn with empty bottles and cans
8.  a collection of leaves, flower petals, and twigs with heavy rocks (or a mortar and pedestal)
9.  a tub lined with butcher paper, marbles, and squirt bottles of paint
10.  ice cubes

What are your favorite materials that encourage little people to dig in and explore in the sensory table?