Insights, stories, and gentle guidance on early childhood learning and life at Sprouts.
One key question all young children will ask themselves is whether they can trust the world and if it’s a safe place. That means if a young child learns to trust their mother and other caregivers now, they will likely also be able to trust others in the future. If children, on the other hand,…
The Reggio Emilia approach is an educational philosophy for preschools and kindergarten. It is a pedagogy that is student-centered, constructivist and project-based. The following overview will help you understand the Reggio Emilia approach in case you choose to send your child to a Reggio Emilia kindergarten or a Reggio Emilia school. The History of Reggio Emila In response…
For this activity, you will need some ribbon and your favorite song. You can also use a scarf, string, or shoelaces if you don’t have any ribbon. Try to move the ribbon to match the beat of the music. Add a new challenge by pausing the music and freezing like a statue to practice patience…
Waldorf education, also known as Steiner education, strives to develop children’s intellectual, artistic, and practical skills in a holistic manner. The cultivation of imagination and creativity is the central focus. The following overview will hopefully help you understand Waldorf Education in case you choose to enroll your child in a kindergarten or school that follows…
For this activity you will need to choose some objects with interesting shapes and use a marker to draw around them on a large piece of paper to create an outline matching puzzle.Tape the paper to the floor and try to place all of the items inside the correct outline. How fast can you match…
For this activity you will need groups of different coloured objects (blue, red, yellow, toys, fruits, clothes). Mix your items together and allow your child to sort through them and group similar colours together. This activity can be extended by asking them to retrieve a new item of a certain colour. For example, you can ask…
For this activity you can use items such as leaves, twigs, or rocks. If you have a garden or outdoor area for your children to safely explore they can help to collect these items. If not, let them explore indoors and try to find the parts of nature we already keep in our homes such…
For this activity you will need a light source (flash light, lamp, iPhone torch) and objects to create interesting shadows (toys, fruits, cutlery, a wicker basket, fingers). Make sure to involve your child with the preparation as well as the activity to encourage their independence. Let them choose the objects, turn off the lights, and…
You can use a wide range of items and objects to facilitate role play and pretend play. At school some of the most popular stations are the toy kitchen for making som tam and running a restaurant, the dress up box for transforming into a superhero or firefighter, and the tea set for hosting tea…
