How PLAY Develops a Child’s Physical, Emotional and Mental Growth
Recently, I was walking by a playground of children playing in Paris, France. The sounds of the play could have been happening in China, Holland, or Tulsa, Oklahoma. Because the fact is, all children are wired for play. It’s one of the universal drives inherent in...
Let's Say Goodbye 2020 and Create 2021!
Phew! It's finally time to say goodbye to 2020. It brought so many curve balls. It was exhausting and yet, there were gifts as well. It was amazing to see the incredible passion and inspiration from early childhood educators worldwide as they had to pivot their...
How To Social Distance Without Giving Up WONDER
Social distancing is just wrong in early childhood. You know it. I know it. But what if you are mandated to do it? Recently, I was on a Zoom call, and an educator told us about her colleagues who had made taped squares in their rooms. In those squares they put a chair...
A Wonder-Filled School in the Philippines
In July 2019, I had the incredible honor of presenting a seminar in Manila. Mia Villavicencio, who is in my Wonder Tribe membership, was there and invited me to visit her center. It was such an honor and treat. Here is a peek into her amazing center! To enter this...
How to Save Space with a One Shelf Atelier
Do you feel you do not have the space in your classroom for an atelier? All it takes is one shelf. You could call it a mini-atelier. The word "Atelier" comes from the French word meaning the studio or workshop. It is a place for children to create, imagine, play...
Fine Motor Bottle Activity with Loose Parts
In my Waldorf training, the young child's development of the fine motor skills was viewed as more important than teaching rote skills(such as recognizing the sounds of the letters). The hand can be considered as an instrument of intelligence. Philipp Martzog, a...
Creative Monoprinting with Loose Parts
Art making is an ever-evolving process that involves research, invention, and risk-taking. At the heart of process art is experimentation. It is important to offer art experiences that children can bring their own ideas to test and explore. I love introducing...
SMASH, CRUSH, DESTROY! How to use a mortar and pestle in your sensory play!
I could not talk about messy play without mentioning mortars and pestles. This has to be one of my favorite messy tools for indoor play. Children love pounding and mashing. This harnesses the natural childhood schema of transforming - changing the state of a...
MUD PLAY! How to set up a simple, movable mud kitchen
Have you considered putting a mud kitchen on your playground? If so, I would like to share my two cents worth. Consider a movable mud kitchen. A simple movable mud kitchen provides children with the raw materials to create whatever they can imagine. It is open-ended...
The Magic of a Light and Projection Provocation: Brilliant!
I had to share this fabulous provocation from Rosa Parks Early Childhood Center! Whoever thought of showcasing light onto the table? Genius right? A few years ago, Fairy Dust Teaching gifted pocket projectors to Rosa Parks Early Childhood Center (They do not have...
How to Introduce Loose Parts With Infants and Toddlers
Let’s face it, infants and toddlers are experts at tinkering. What better materials to tinker with than loose parts? Loose parts are essentially any open-ended material that can be used in a variety of ways. Introducing loose parts to infants and toddlers can be...
Rosa Parks Early Childhood: A Glimpse into their Rooms
Rosa Parks Early Childhood Center is filled with such wonder and awe. From the teaching staff, to the children, to the thoughtfully planned rooms, to documentation filled walls, and much more. I wanted to share just a glimpse into the overall rooms and share some of...
7 Must Read Blog Posts for Teachers
We had to take a moment and thank you for following Fairy Dust Teaching and engaging with all of our posts! We wanted to look back at 7 of your favorite blog posts over the years and include them RIGHT HERE to simply click on and be inspired all over again! 1. DIY...
How to Transform Your Third Teacher: A Peek Inside a Real Transformation
You are currently reading our archived blog. While these older posts may not reflect our current vision and direction, we encourage you to visit our new website at wunderled.com to explore our latest, updated content. There, you'll find a wealth of valuable articles,...
Pegboards: Brilliant Ideas for Organizing Loose Parts
You are currently reading our archived blog. While these older posts may not reflect our current vision and direction, we encourage you to visit our new website at wunderled.com to explore our latest, updated content. There, you'll find a wealth of valuable articles,...
How the Peace Table Transformed Conflict Resolution in the Classroom
Notice the child drawings behind the area. What a beautiful way to make that their own space. One of the best gifts from Montessori education has to be the concept of the Peace Table. The Peace Table is a conflict resolution tool for the classroom. Traditionally,...
Restoring the Importance of Woodworking and Young Children
“I’m strong! I can do hammer by myself. See? This is going to be the bridge for we all build together.” -3 year old boy at Rosa Parks Early Childhood Center. I walked into this classroom after the FIRST MONTH of school to find children in engaged in every center...
Storytelling with Loose Parts: 3 Inspiring Provocations
You are currently reading our archived blog. While these older posts may not reflect our current vision and direction, we encourage you to visit our new website at wunderled.com to explore our latest, updated content. There, you'll find a wealth of valuable articles,...
5 Paint Invitations to Embrace the Explore Stage
The explore stage is something we need to keep talking about. In a previous post, I talked about the explore stages of clay. Today, I want to share 5 paint invitations that really helped me embrace the explore stage of paint. Conversation Tip While Painting The one...
16 Ways Loose Parts Can Ignite Curiosity
Loose parts and authentic play experiences for children are two vitally important initiatives at Fairy Dust Teaching. Many administrators and supervisors question whether loose parts can meet any academic objectives. Today I want to share some inspiring invitations...
Loose Parts: Let's Play With Metal
Metal Loose Parts! Our last type of Loose Parts in this blog series. If there’s one Loose Part that really engages every child through building, creating, inventing, exploring, and more, it’s metal! From magnet exploration, to big tin cans that clink to make music, to...
Loose Parts: Let's Play With Packaging Parts
Packaging Loose Parts are typically known as the recyclable parts. They tend to be FREE! Cardboard boxes, paper towel rolls, and egg cartons are just a few of these multi faceted Loose Parts. Packaging Loose Parts Bubble Wrap and Packing Peanuts reused from shipping...
Loose Parts: Let's Play With Ceramic and Glass Based Parts
Ceramic and Glass Loose Parts are those unique materials that don’t often get into the hands of children enough. From glass beads to ceramic tiles to prisms, there are many opportunities for children to explore, build, and create with. A Loose Part can become...
Loose Parts: Let's Play With Fabrics
Fabric Based Loose Parts add such an artistic dynamic to explorations and creations with children. From fort building in construction, to weaving, to dress up, and so much more, the possibilities are endless when it comes to Fabric Based Loose Parts! Fabric Based...
Loose Parts: Playing with Plastic!
"The child, making use of all that he finds around him, shapes himself for the future.” - Maria Montessori Plastic is one of the best Loose Parts when it comes to Recycled and Repurposed Items. These are items that most any family can help and donate as they’re taking...
Loose Parts: Let's Play With Nature!
Nature Based Loose Parts! My favorite! Between going on walks with your children to find these treasures to watching how children reconnect with nature, nothing beats this. (Not to mention FREE!) Pinecones and sweet gum balls picked up from walk. Wood cookies cut from...
Loose Parts: Let's Play With Wood Reuse Parts
Wood Reuse Loose Parts are used all around the classroom. From using big old chair legs as ramps to balancing corks on a tower to using wood frames as a backdrop for designing in art, Wood Reuse Parts are multidimensional! Wood Reuse Loose Parts Reused golf tees...
How Unique Storage Solutions Reinvented My Atelier
The atelier is one of my favorite spaces to set up when getting the third teacher ready. But, one thing that can be tricky is figuring out unique and accessible ways to display your materials in the atelier for ease of access for children. Today I’m going to share...
7 Must-Have Books In Your Atelier
“A True Artist is Not One That is Inspired, But One Who Inspires Others.” ~ Salvador Dali Inspiring children to be creative and express their curiosities about the world with the language of art materials is magical! While there are so many truly inspiring books about...
Clay: Don't Forget the Explore Stage
I think many times when it comes to material introduction, we jump to the "create and make stage" yet forget the explore stage. Yes! The magic and wonder of the explore stage is crucial! The language of clay! It’s different from playdough. Clay comes from the earth....
