Welcome to My Play Based Classroom Blog

Hi there!

I'm Janelle - a play-based early years teacher who is super passionate about creating learning experiences that boost curiosity, creativity, and academic growth.

On this blog, I share practical tips for meeting curriculum benchmarks through a balance of explicit teaching and play, setting up the ideal learning environment and fostering social-emotional development.

So, let’s make play-based teaching work in your preschool, kindergarten, or first-grade classroom!

Investigations Janelle McArdle Investigations Janelle McArdle

Loose Parts Invitation to Play - How to Set up an Inspiring Loose Parts Invitation to Play

Are you interested in setting up some engaging invitations to play using loose parts? In this blog post you will discover how to use open-ended loose parts in your learning invitations. Learn how to set up those inspiring loose parts provocations and be on your way to fostering engagement and higher order thinking skills in your classroom.

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Investigations Janelle McArdle Investigations Janelle McArdle

Science Provocations – Living Things

Are you teaching the early years biology strand and looking for some engaging and educational science provocations to help your students learn about Living Things? In this blog post there are 5 engaging living things provocations to inspire you. There are also tips and ideas to help you set up your very own purposeful early childhood science learning provocations.

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