Loose Parts Project

Play is "not frivolous and not just for kids, but something that is an inherent part of human nature."

The benefits of play are immense across all ages, research shows Experts say such play time should not just happen outside of school or at recess, but should be a necessary part of teaching and learning.

"Play is children’s language. They act out pretend scenarios as a way to express concerns, ask questions, and, crucially, reshape a narrative. In a pretend scenario, children are driving the plot and can change the outcome of a scary situation or try out different solutions to a problem."

How the Coronavirus Is Influencing Children’s Play Play is children’s language, and parents shouldn’t be concerned if the pandemic has been showing up in kids’ games lately.

“Promoting curiosity in children, especially those from environments of economic disadvantage, may be an important, under-recognised way to address the achievement gap. Promoting curiosity is a foundation for early learning that we should be emphasising more when we look at academic achievement.”

‘Schools are killing curiosity’: why we need to stop telling children to shut up and learn Pupils who ask lots of questions get better results, especially those from poorer homes

Cool initiative...“Learning through play can have a tremendous impact on a child’s cognitive development. Through play, children develop fine motor skills, think creatively, and can learn how to problem solve through teamwork,” said Susan Asiyanbi, Teach For America’s chief operating and program officer. “But not everyone has access to such resources. LEGO Replay, and the instructional resources they provide educators, will help give more students access to this opportunity.”

LEGO is Now Offering to Pay For You to Ship Your Unused Bricks to Children in Need LEGO is now encouraging all of their old consumers to pass on their beloved bricks to a child in need—and they're paying for the shipping costs.

"...the play is in the child, not in the toy."

The Fewer Toys Children Have, The More They Play - Raised Good We're lead to be believe that if a little is good, then more is better. But, the irony is when it comes to toys, the fewer kids have the more they play.

"Finland has a crucial insight to teach the U.S. and the world—one that can boost grades and learning for all students, as well as their social growth, emotional development, health, well-being and happiness. It can be boiled down to a single phrase: Let children play."

To Really Learn, Our Children Need the Power of Play The U.S. can learn a big lesson from Finland’s education system: Instead of stress and standardized testing, schools should focus on well-being and joy​

"The most powerful way children learn is on playgrounds and in playrooms…Play is brain building, a central part of healthy child development, a key to executive function skills and a buffer against the negative impacts of stress."

Perspective | Kindergarten teacher: 'Why our youngest learners are doomed right out of the gate’ — and a road map to fix it What to do — and not do — to put youngsters in the best learning environments.

Summer Reading List...

10 Books For Parents Who Want To Help Their Anxious Kids It's hard to know where to begin, but these titles can help.

“Play is a very efficient way of learning for children,” she told me. “And we can use it in a way that children will learn with joy.”

Kindergarten: While American Kids Read, Their Finnish Peers Play Forget the Common Core, Finland’s youngsters are in charge of determining what happens in the classroom.

Loose parts do not discriminate! A friendly holiday reminder...

If you walk into any major toy store, it will be divided into pink and blue sections to help you pick the "right" toys for the girls and boys in your life. But, with this handy chart, you can take the guesswork out of your holiday shopping once and for all.

A Mighty Girl's holiday gift guide also aims to make your holiday gift shopping a little easier this year with hundreds of empowering toys for babies, children, and teens -- in all colors of the rainbow! The guide is sortable by age and a wide variety of themes, including science, pretend play, coding & robotics, building, arts & crafts, dolls & action figures, and women's history, to make it simple to find toys that reflect your children's diverse interests.

And, while our holiday guide was created with Mighty Girls in mind, we believe both girls and boys will love the featured toys, just as we believe that all children benefit from the girl-empowering books and resources found throughout A Mighty Girl.

To browse A Mighty Girl's 2018 Holiday Gift Guide, visit https://www.amightygirl.com/holiday-guide

You can also find small empowering gifts perfect for stuffing a Christmas stocking in our "Small But Mighty" Stocking Stuffers collection at https://www.amightygirl.com/mighty-girl-picks/stocking-stuffers

I learn something new every time I listen...

Play is more than just fun A pioneer in research on play, Dr. Stuart Brown says humor, games, roughhousing, flirtation and fantasy are more than just fun. Plenty of play in childhood makes for happy, smart adults -- and keeping it up can make us smarter at any age.