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 and play

Explicit teaching

Classroom Environment

Social and Emotional

Janelle McArdle 27/10/26 Janelle McArdle 27/10/26

Using Open Ended Questions to Support Teaching ACARA Science

Transform science lessons with open ended questions in science. Get classroom examples, inquiry prompts, and ideas aligned with the ACARA science curriculum.

Janelle McArdle 18/4/22 Janelle McArdle 18/4/22

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.

Janelle McArdle 28/2/22 Janelle McArdle 28/2/22

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.

Janelle McArdle 14/2/22 Janelle McArdle 14/2/22

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.

Janelle McArdle 27/9/21 Janelle McArdle 27/9/21

Why Teach Science in Early Childhood

Do you feel Science is just one more thing to add on to your already crammed curriculum? Are you thinking “Why Teach Science in Early Childhood?” Find out why you need early childhood science education in your classroom and how you are probably already teaching it.

Janelle McArdle 22/4/21 Janelle McArdle 22/4/21

Teaching Science in Early Childhood

Find out how to effectively teach the early childhood science curriculum in just 40min a week. The children in my class reach curriculum benchmarks easily. In fact, they learn so much more than the mandated curriculum.