Blog - My Play Based Classroom
Hi there!
I'm Janelle - a play-based early years teacher passionate about creating learning experiences that ignite curiosity, creativity, and academic growth.
On this blog, I share practical tips on meeting curriculum benchmarks through a balance of explicit teaching and play, setting up the ideal learning environment and fostering social-emotional development.
Let’s make play-based teaching work in your your preschool, kindergarten, and first grade classrooms!
Child-led Learning Provocations that Follow Childrens Interests
Discover how to use child-led learning provocations based on children's interests to boost engagement and meet curriculum goals in your play-based classroom. Includes examples, tips, and a free observation checklist!
Investigation Area Ideas for the Start of School
Are you looking for some simple yet highly engaging investigation areas and learning invitations to start the school year? In this blog post, you’ll discover a heap of Investigation area ideas for the start of school. These tried and tested learning invitations are my go-to setups year after year, so you’ll be sure to find some that you can use in your classroom too.
Science Provocations - How Things Move
Looking for hands-on science activities to teach the kindergarten physical sciences unit How Things Move or Force and Motion? This blog post has practical teaching tips and engaging ideas for purposeful early childhood science learning provocations. Best of all? They are all aligned to the ACARA foundation stage science curriculum learning intentions.
A Guide to Play Schemas in Early Childhood Education
If you would like to create an engaging and effective learning environment and confidently plan learning experiences that perfectly match the cognitive development of each child in your class, this blog post on play schemas is for you. Understanding play schemas and being able to pinpoint the ones your students are developing is critical to the success of your early childhood classroom.
9 Fun Hands-on Measurement Activities for Kindergarten
Kindergarten measurement made easy! Explore 9 fun hands-on activities using real tools, everyday objects, and playful provocations that help students build key math skills, vocabulary, and confidence.
23 Loose Parts Ideas for Early Childhood Math
Looking for ideas on how to use loose parts to teach early childhood math concepts? This blog post has 23 engaging activities and ideas you can use in your classroom.
Teaching the F-2 ACARA Math Learning Intentions Through Play
Discover how to teach ACARA Maths through play-based learning in Foundation to Year 2. This blog post shares hands-on strategies, activities, and resources aligned with Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum.
Natural Loose Parts
Find out what natural loose parts are and the benefits of using them in your classroom. In this blog post you will discover how to easily source loose parts from nature and get started with Reggio inspired natural loose parts play in your classroom. today.
Science Provocations – Properties of Materials
Teaching the early years chemistry strand and looking for some engaging and educational science provocations? This blog post has 5 hands-on learning invitations to help you teach about Materials and their Properties. There are also tips and ideas to help you set up your very own purposeful early childhood science learning provocations.
Reggio Emilia Provocations
Are you interested in how Reggio Emilia provocations could enhance the teaching and learning in your play-based classroom? Many play-based teachers are aware of the highly regarded early childhood programs from Reggio Emilia in Italy. Discover how you can design learning provocations influenced and inspired by those in Reggio classrooms.
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.
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.
Teaching Science in a Play Based Classroom
Teaching science in a play based classroom is one of the easiest things you will ever do as a classroom teacher. In this blog post you will discover how play based learning and science education go hand-in-hand. I’ll share heaps of photos and ideas you can use in your classroom to teach science through play and learning provocations.
How to Start with Play Based Learning
Interested in play based or inquiry learning but don’t know where to start? Discover how I do it and find out all the benefits of play based learning. You will also get some practical ideas and my play based learning hints and tips on how you can easily get started learning through play in your classroom today.
Environment as the Third Teacher
Are you interested in transforming your learning environment into the third teacher? Read this blog post for tips and ideas on how you can get the third teacher working for you.
Loose Parts Resources
Discover what loose parts are and why you need them in your classroom. Download a FREE list of over 150 loose parts resources you can use to set up age appropriate investigation areas and learning invitations in your early years setting.