Intentional Strategies for Early Learning

This.

I’ve been working with teachers this year on creating outdoor classrooms, as it’s safer to be outdoors during these strange times. Now that rain has arrived, those old messages come back, telling us that children will get sick if they play outside when it’s rainy and cold.

The truth is that we get sick when it’s cold because most viruses thrive when it’s cold, and being indoors increases the likelihood of spreading illness. So...let them run and jump in puddles! Let them play in mud! Spend as much time outdoors as possible. The benefits are endless. Just dress them in rain gear, and change clothes when done. I’ll be posting articles and ideas for winter outdoor play over the next few weeks. Happy splashing!

https://www.freeforestschool.org/2018/02/what-can-children-learn-playing-in-rain/

Splashing and Singing: What can children learn from playing in the rain? - Free Forest School The joy of nature. One of our goals is to engender a joy of nature in children. Most children are drawn to puddles and when they are allowed to play in the rain they may form a deeper connection with nature.

Being barefoot boosts brain development There's now scientific evidence that being barefoot is important to optimal brain and sensory development!

Top 150 Recommended African-American Children’s Books Children Book authors and avid readers contributed their favorite children’s Books to a list of the, “Top 150 Recommended African-American Children’s Books.”

New Study: The More you Hug your Kids, the More Their Brains Develop To borrow a phrase: love works in mysterious ways. We are born to love and, as it turns out, love

Thanks Allison Davies, Brain Care Specialist:)