Sig image: MBs with magnatiles Two-year-olds often begin their third year of life playing independently much of the time, but as time goes by, they learn that playing with peers can be rewarding as well. This shift tends to occur naturally as children gain emotional maturity as well as linguistic...

What are hay slides? With all the loose hay still around the playground from our Family Fall Festival in November, the Moonbeams have created a new game we like to call Hay Slides. This twist on sliding incorporates lots of new teachable moments for the ‘Beams. Since most of the hay is still baled...

Terrific Twos Most of us have heard of the Terrific Twos*, the approximate age when the sweet, agreeable bundles of sunshine we have nurtured since birth somehow transform into unreasonable and often defiant creatures. Children at this stage of development have realized they are their own entities...

Moonbeams on the loose Not all parents may be familiar with the idea of “loose parts”. Loose parts are materials that can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up, and taken apart and put back together in multiple ways. Just a decade ago at PIC, toys that realistically mimicked genuine...

Literacy means love For many, the term early literacy calls to mind learning one’s letters and deciphering printed words. While those skills are certainly an important part of literacy, there is much more to it than being able to tell a Q from an O. Literacy encompasses four parts; listening...

Playing in modern times Keys, phone, and a wallet full of cards…these are the ubiquitous tools of modern times. The Moonbeams are aware of their importance in the lives of adults, and that awareness has trickled into their play. The teachers have amassed a collection of expired bus passes, zero...

More Than Just Play Play-dough is a staple around PIC, but parents may not realize just how valuable a learning tool it can be, hitting just about every developmental area. The magic often begins first thing in the morning, when a teacher and the earliest arriving children take a few simple...

Toilet Learning When Ready No matter what we might try, toilet learning only begins when a child is ready. But, how do we know when they are ready? Children will let us know when they are ready by having a dry diaper longer, telling us they are wet or have had a bowel movement, and expressing a...

Babies, Babies Everywhere! by Kristen Carter We are delighted that a number of our Moonbeams are going to be big brothers and sisters soon! News of a pending new arrival is exciting, scary and emotional for a toddler. When telling the news to your two or three year old that he or she is going to...

Building Up, Up, Up The Moonbeams have really been into building lately. This includes building with blocks, Legos, and most recently, the sound tubes. While building, children are developing social and emotional skills, learning teamwork and experiencing feelings of competence. They are also...