Activities

With new activities and explorations, tips and information to help you understand how to support the littlest learners, and research nuggets to enhance your own professional knowledge, the Encyclopedia of Infant and Toddler Activities, revised, will be your go-to resource! Activities will help you support curiosity, play, exploration, persistence, emerging foundations in literacy and math, problem solving, and so much more! Paperback. 288 pages.

Play is learning! But play in the early years is endangered by the emphasis on push-down academics, mounting parental expectations, and pressures on early childhood teachers to prepare young children for the rigors of kindergarten and beyond. With all of that, gains made by play experiences, including readiness skills and social-emotional development, have fallen away. Young children learn best through play. This book helps educators understand the different types of play and the rich opportunities… More »

Perfect for children ages 3 to 6, these fun-filled introductions feature easy-to-follow instructions and easy-to-find materials that will help children develop many important life skills. Books included are: "The Budding Gardener", "The Budding Chef", "The Budding Artist", "The Budding Scientist", and "The Budding Builder". Books have 72 pages each. Paperback.

With the help of the stories and activities in this book, take the time to watch, wonder, ask questions, talk about, and explore the world of science with your child. Use favorite children's books to investigate animals and insects, learn how plants grow and change, and discover how shadows grow and shrink. With four chapters that cover a multitude of themes, it's never been easier to deepen your child's understanding of important science and reading concepts at the same time! 144 pages. Paperback.

Engage children with meaningful constructive play! This book provides educators of young children with guidance in how to create early childhood environments that support children's natural need to play. It includes strategies for creating and scaffolding the block play experience, recommends children's books that support the learning, and outlines ways to match behaviors, content, and concepts to learning standards. Lesson plans include: Thanksgiving -- sharing and giving; our families and ourselves;… More »

"L is for Lion" helps children learn letters easily and entertains them with the fun activities in this book. Each letter of the alphabet has two full pages of activities and ideas, including: foods to enjoy that begin with the letter, games or activities that reinforce the shape or sound of the letter, a song, poem, or tongue twister featuring the letter, and suggestions of books to read. Paperback. 80 pages.

This new book features 100 activities all about shapes! Contributed by teachers, these activities are organized by curriculum area and offer fresh ideas that provide hours of engaging activities. Complete with learning objectives, related children's books, and an assessment component, teachers will find everything they need to teach children ages 3-6 all about shapes. 128 pages.

This book features classroom activities from teachers around the globe, all focused on topics that teachers use every day. Organized by curriculum area, Learn Every Day™ About Colors has 100 activities for children ages 3-6, providing teachers with innovative and fun ways to introduce and reinforce learning about colors. Each activity features learning objectives, related vocabulary, related children's books, materials needed, directions for preparation, instructions for each activity, and… More »

Thinking BIG, Learning BIG is filled with BIG activities. The chapters are organized by topic, with activities which build science, math, literacy and language skills, to form a solid foundation for future learning. The BIG Connections section presents ways to integrate the topic throughout the curriculum in sensory experiences, art, music, dramatic play, and gross motor skills. Paperback. 312 pages.

Counting is the foundation for future math learning. Pairing and sorting objects, understanding numbers and quantity, and counting can all be introduced with simple activities. 30 Fun Ways to Learn About Counting brings these skills into the classroom with fun and engaging games and activities! 80 pages. Paperback.

Toddlers explore the world using their senses with over 400 exciting hands-on activities. The suggested activities help children develop cognitive skills, language, sensory awareness, gross and fine motor skills, self-image, sociability, imagination, and more. 168 pages.

When a story comes to the end -- it does not have to be the end of the story. Instead, teachers can continue the learning with activities and experiences to promote conversation about that story. Story Play encourages even the most inexperienced teacher, librarian, child care professional, or family member to become a storyteller with ideas for expanding stories into meaningful learning experiences. With stories, poems, songs, chants, and fingerplays, as well as ideas for working with puppets and… More »

Time and money are challenging, abstract concepts with concrete everyday importance. Using role-playing, games, songs, and dramatic play, 30 Fun Ways to Learn About Time and Money explores these difficult concepts through props, real-life scenarios, and imaginative play. 80 pages. Paperback.

30 Fun Ways to Learn with Blocks and Boxes is full of small group and individual activities that explore construction, collaborative play, and basic math concepts. From building basic models and mazes to constructing complex stairs and bridges, these activities ignite children's imaginations and engage their creativity and critical thinking. 80 pages. Paperback.

Music does more than teach children to sing or play an instrument. The music and movement activities in 30 Fun Ways to Learn About Music build children's development in other areas, like literacy, math, physical fitness, and coordination. These activities also help children develop concentration, build confidence, and help children's creative and social development. 80 pages. Paperback.

Use the games in 30 Fun Ways to Learn About Writing to make early writing in the classroom exciting and fun! Whether labeling objects, making lists, or writing notes, children will be engaged and active with these creative activities that stimulate curiosity and imagination. 80 pages. Paperback.

Children love getting their hands dirty. Putting their fingers into clay and other squishy stuff gives them a chance to create and have fun while strengthening important developmental skills. From wet clay to paper pulp, sawdust to shaving cream, these open-ended activities focus on the process of creation, not the final product, and allow imagination to flourish. 80 pages. Paperback.

There is nothing that children love more than a good story. Story S-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-r-s for the Primary Grades, Revised connects 90 of the best children's books to early learning centers, stretching each story five ways with lively and entertaining activities that heighten reading readiness, sharpen comprehension skills, and expand the excitement of story time. Pulling the best stories from the original books, this new edition also features new children's books as well as old favorites, refreshed… More »

Early childhood educators are responsible for the health and safety of the children they care for. From preventing harm from known safety risks to promoting children's medical, nutritional, oral, and mental health, educators and program directors act as children's daily protection and support. This easy-to-use manual provides educators with the information they need to ensure that the children in their care are safe, while they learn the best practices to stay healthy for life. With suggestions,… More »

More than 300 theme activities written by teachers for teachers! Actively engage children's imaginations with more than 300 activities for young children organized into a variety of popular themes -- from the alphabet to the weather. The result of a nationwide contest among teachers, the classroom-tested activities in Another Encyclopedia of Theme Activities for Young Children provide many months of learning fun! Each activity is complete with learning objectives, materials list, related children's… More »

Movement-inspiring activities reinforce good nutrition, health and motor skills! Young children learn best when they connect physical activity with learning! Up, Down, Move Around is packed with fun, simple activities that will have your children jumping, shaking, rolling, dancing, and clapping as they learn! From the Healthy Food Obstacle Course to the Bendy Bodies Stretch, children ages 3 to 6 will get moving as they learn and support an awareness of nutrition and health concepts as well as fine… More »

Movement-inspiring activities reinforce key literacy and math concepts! Young children learn best when they connect physical activity with learning! Up, Down, Move Around is packed with fun, simple math and literacy activities that will have your children jumping, shaking, rolling, dancing, and clapping as they learn! From the Syllable Freeze Dance to a Math Orchestra, children ages 3 to 6 will actively explore letters and numbers as they develop number sense, practice counting and rhyming, and… More »

Explore, inquire, and experiment alongside your preschooler using the simple ideas in "50 Fantastic Things to Do with Preschoolers". Written specifically for parents, the activities in this book will lead to infectious excitement and enthusiasm for learning! Using objects easily found in most homes, this collection of purposeful play experiences will help preschoolers to develop key skills at their own pace and to make unhurried, important discoveries. Each activity in this book features… More »

Rainy Day Activities has everything you need to make being stuck inside fun! This resource is filled with quiet games to create relaxing moments, active games to get the wiggles out, and games that require no materials at all. 64 pages.