play

Making Learning Fun Through Play

You already love to play with your 3- to 5-year-olds. Now, turn those play times into rich learning experiences. It’s easier than you think and lots of fun. In fact, your child won’t even know how much they’re learning! For each of the preschool learning topics, colors, numbers, shapes, science, and engineering, you’ll find suggestions […]

Play with Green Toys Playsets

Guess what? Your favorite open-ended, eco-friendly toy company, Green Toys, now has two new and totally impressive Playsets! Both the Fire Station and Farm are brand new kid-approved Playsets that come with a building, vehicle, characters, and accessories for kids 2 – 6 years old. Scroll down for a chance to win a Playset! Play […]

Time to Play and Share with Friends

Friendship and all that it entails with making friends, playing together, sharing, accepting, and so forth is SUCH a huge piece of growing up. This group of picture books (new 2016!) capture those life lessons. Time to Play and Share with Friends We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen Two turtles. One hat. What will […]

Zoobs: A Favorite Open Ended Play Toy

Want to know one of our favorite open-ended toys? My kids don’t have many toys that have lasted as long in the play rotation as this toy– ZOOBs. It’s pretty amazing considering my kids have been playing with ZOOBs since ages 4 and 7! Now they’re 11 and 14 and still playing with them. Which is why I […]

Play: How to Raise a Happy, Creative, and Smart Child

You want your child to be happy, creative, and smart, right? Let her play. Yes. Play. Ignore our adult created concept that kids need scheduled activities. It’s not true. It’s not how kids learn. How to Raise a Happy, Creative, and Smart Child Kids actually learn by playing! (See links below to the decades of scientific […]

Fun, Active Summer Activities for Kids

School is out for the summer! With the warm weather here, families are looking for ways to keep kids entertained and active during the summer. That means you’ll need ideas for fun active summer activities for kids Toys“R”Us, Hasbro and Duracell are teaming up to show you the excitement, energy, and attitude of the Nerf brand, available […]

Encourage Play Building Social Skills Kits

It was one of those days. I anguished over social issues with one of my kids. It felt like nothing was improving. But then, a most amazing thing happened. Janine Halloran, blogger at Encourage Play and licensed mental health counselor, reached out to me based on a comment I made on a group thread in FB. […]