Shadows are science! And they are great for conducting experiments. Shadows appear when an object blocks the light. Kids can make shadows with their bodies and with...
5 Ways to Raise Curious Kids
Curiosity is incredibly important for learning. Curious kids get to know their world, the people in it, and themselves! Try these simple methods to encourage your kids’...
Projecting Positive Energy
So much of what parents say and do and how we act affects our kids. Even the energy we project has an effect. While it’s impossible to be positive all of the time, being...
Teaching Kids to be Kind Friends
“There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.”- Mr. Rogers Try these four strategies to...
Gentle Parenting, Explained
During the first years of life, when kids’ brains are growing and changing so much every day, how adults interact with them has a huge impact. When done well, gentle...
Teaching Compassion to Young Kids
Compassion is tied to empathy, but it’s bigger than simply having the ability to imagine another person’s feelings. Compassion includes the desire to help and to prevent...
Managing Meltdowns
Meltdowns happen, it’s a fact of life with kids. And while they can be emotionally draining - for you and for them - with the right approach, you all can handle the hard...
Play Builds Confidence
When kids play, they use their bodies, brains, and emotions. Because play is joyful, it positively affects kids’ physical and mental health, which in turn helps build their...
Why It’s Important to Communicate with Your Kids
A good foundation of communication between you and your kids is important for developing positive, healthy relationships, and it will create a safe space for you to talk as...
Self-Love & Young Kids
Self-love means appreciating yourself and treating yourself with kindness and understanding. Self-love means accepting yourself for who you are.You can download this...
3 Things Parents and Caregivers Can Do to Strengthen Social Connections
Parents and caregivers play an important role in shaping the experience of social connection. Recognizing that strong, secure attachments are protective and a good...
3 Vital Components of Social Connections
Social connections are the interactions, relationships, roles, and sense of connection that humans experience. Social connection is dynamic - it changes over time - and...
4 Simple Rules for Healthy Interactions & Relationships
Kids learn about relationships and how to interact with others from the adults in their lives – adults are their most powerful models. Use these four simple rules to...
Supporting Kids in Transition Times
Transitions are hard. For young kids, feelings of anxiety or worry that pop up during transition times can lead to whining and stalling, tantrums and meltdowns – behaviors...
Foundations for Developing Self-Identity & Relationships
Relationships that are tied to family, culture, and community help kids develop a sense of belonging, and once kids have a sense of their own identity, they can also...
Foundations for Emotional Intelligence
Self-confidence and self-awareness are key signs of emotional intelligence – the ability to perceive, interpret, demonstrate, control, evaluate, and use emotions to...
Language Skills & Reading with Under-Threes
Why should reading and sharing stories with your babies and toddlers find a place in your day-to-day routine?
The Benefits of Letting Kids Choose What to Read
Let your kids choose to read books that are interesting to them, even if it’s not something you would have read when you were little. Here’s why:
Social Communities Strengthen Families
Parents have a lot on their minds. We are literally influencing the architecture of our kids’ developing brains, so it’s no wonder we pour our physical, mental, and...
Relaxation Techniques for Kids
Taking a few minutes to engage in simple, everyday relaxation techniques can help sustain your energy throughout your day. Even kids can relax and focus if you use movement,...
Self-Help Skills for Kindergarten Readiness
Many people focus on the basics of letter and number recognition or reading skills when they think of kindergarten readiness, but being “ready” for kindergarten is a lot...
Language for Validating Feelings
Careful listening helps kids feel heard. Language that communicates careful listening when kids have strong emotions is similar to paraphrasing, but in a way that signals...
Interpreting Baby’s Body Language
Your baby’s body language can tell you how they are feeling and what they may need. Responding to their body language helps your baby feel safe and seen, which also supports...
Exploratory Learning Experiences
Exploratory learning experiences are all about curiosity! They engage kids in hands-on investigation of materials, ideas, and concepts. During these experiences, kids get to...
Receptive and Expressive Language
Language is an important part of development, and it’s not just about the ability to say words. Expressive and receptive language skills are both required for effective...
Meaningful Learning Experiences
Learning new things is easier for kids when the new part connects to something they already know a little bit about. When kids can connect their own experiences and...
Benefits of Family Style Meals and Snacks
You can download this infographic HERE.“Family style” is when kids and adults sit together for a meal or snack. Food and drinks are served from shared plates, pitchers, etc....
Supporting Kids Who Are Slow To Warm Up
You can download this infographic HERE.Many kids are “slow to warm up,” meaning they are uneasy or cautious in new situations or with unfamiliar people. As babies,...
Facilitating Learning Experiences
You can download this infographic HERE.Learning experiences build on existing knowledge (something familiar) and invite children to extend their thinking in a way that...
Reciprocal Relationships
In a reciprocal relationship, each person is equally respected and valued. The relationship is balanced so that both people feel seen and heard. When you engage in a...
Curiosity Leads to Confidence
Confidence comes from who we believe and know ourselves to be, and what we believe and know we can do. This belief and this knowledge come from having experiences, and by...
Responsive Interactions
When you give kids what they need in the moment – like a smile, a hug, or some help – you are responding to their actions and words in a positive and respectful way....
Raising Humane Humans
You can download this infographic HERE.Learning to recognize the emotions they are feeling will help your kids understand how to handle them – within themselves and with...
Helping Big Kids Adjust to a New Baby
You can download this infographic HERE.Bringing a baby home is a huge transition for an older sibling. Before your baby is born, read books together about new babies,...
Transitioning Home With A New Baby
You can download this infographic HERE.Don’t be surprised if you have mixed emotions about bringing your baby home. It’s OK to be nervous, and normal to feel uncertain...
Building Authentic Relationships
You can download this infographic HERE.Children learn about relationships from the adults who care for them. Being genuine in what you say and do creates honest, authentic...