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!
Our Daily Morning Meeting in Kindergarten
Discover how to run a successful daily morning meeting in kindergarten! Learn morning meeting activities, ideas, and tips to create engaging routines that foster classroom community, support student learning, and start your school day right.
First Day of Kindergarten Activities
Discover practical first day of kindergarten activities, tips for managing those first-day jitters, and ideas to build relationships, establish routines, and create a welcoming classroom community. You can also download my free resources to make your first day stress-free!
Planning for the First Week of Grade One
Make the first week of grade one a success! Discover practical tips, engaging activities, and flexible plans to build your classroom community, establish consistent routines, and feel confident knowing your first week of school planning is done.
My Play Based Kindergarten Daily Schedule
Discover how to create a balanced kindergarten daily schedule that combines play-based learning with explicit teaching. Get tips, practical ideas, and a free editable planning template to keep your students engaged and meeting curriculum goals!
How to Write a Statement of Intent for Your Play Based Learning Classroom
If you are familiar with the Walker Learning Approach, then you are no doubt also familiar with writing a Statement of Intent. This fortnightly planning document is vital to the success of your play-based learning program. Check out this blog post to see how we write ours.
How to Write a Play Based Learning Term Overview
If you think curriculum planning and mapping out your term is hard work and you find it a dreaded task that seems to take you forever, you are going to love this blog post on how to write a play-based learning term overview. I’ll show you my quick and easy process.
What is Explicit Teaching in a Play Based Classroom?
Discover how to blend explicit teaching in a play-based classroom to boost student learning. Learn practical EDI strategies that support foundational skills while keeping play meaningful and engaging.