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!
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.
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.
Christmas Sensory Play Ideas for the Classroom
Are you looking for some Christmas sensory play ideas to get you through to the holidays? As Christmas approaches the children get so excited and keeping them settled and on task can sometimes be difficult. Time for some sensory play. Sensory play can help your children to settle and stay on task. I am constantly amazed by the calming effects sensory activities can have on my students.
Loose Parts Play: What It Is and Why It Matters
Find out what loose parts are and where the idea of loose parts play originated. Discover the benefits of loose parts play and get some easy and practical ideas for loose parts play in your classroom.
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.