Call to Action
Is Your Preschooler Playing Enough at School?
by Rae Pica
March 4, 2009
There are so many choices in preschools today, it's no wonder that parents are overwhelmed when making decisions about where to send their children.
In brief, the preschool you choose should be one that respects children’s intellectual, social/emotional, and physical needs. This describes a traditional, play-based preschool, as opposed to the academic-oriented education being touted – and sought after – in today’s superkid climate. So, when you visit ...
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Rae Pica is a children’s physical activity specialist and the author of A Running Start: How Play, Physical Activity, and Free Time Create a Successful Child (Da Capo Press, 2006) and Great Games for Young Children (Gryphon House, 2006). She has shared her expertise with such clients as the Sesame Street Research Department, the Centers for Disease Control, Gymboree Play & Music, and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports. She is also co-creator and host of "Body, Mind and Child," a radio program in which she interviews experts in the fields of early childhood education, child development, the neurosciences, and more. Listen at www.bodymindandchild.com.
Column Archive
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Hurray for Hopscotch
April 30, 2008, 12:00 am
Remember hopscotch? For that matter, do you remember twirling hula hoops around your hips, jump rope chants, and the myriad other games we played to keep ourselves entertained? When we were young, we couldn't have imagined how drastically childhood would change. Read More
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Measure by Measure
April 23, 2008, 12:00 am
Measuring with rulers and tape measures may be something your child has seen you or another adult do. But, for her, it has no real meaning. The activities here can introduce her to measurement and make the concept less abstract. Read More
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The Weather Report
April 16, 2008, 12:00 am
Even if your child hasn't experienced some elements firsthand-- like tornadoes or snow-- he's likely to have some understanding of what they're about. And asking him to imagine them will strengthen his creative skills and give him an opportunity for self-expression. Read More
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Mother, May I?
April 9, 2008, 12:00 am
In the traditional version of this game, the person acting as "Mother" gives directions to one of two or more players and then, depending upon her whim, decides whether or not to allow that player to follow the directions. If she decides to allow it, the player must ask, "Mother, may I?" If he forgets, he has to go back to the starting line. The first player to reach mother wins. Not only can this involve favoritism on Mother's part, it also involves a whole lot of waiting for the rest of the children. Read More
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Delightful Distractions
April 2, 2008, 12:00 am
We've all witnessed or experienced the temper tantrum in the aisles of the supermarket or the middle of the parking lot. For the parent in the center of the storm, this can be so humiliating and frustrating as to cause her to consider feigning no knowledge of the child! Since that isn't an alternative, what's a parent to do? Read More
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Mood Music
March 26, 2008, 12:00 am
Music often conveys feelings, and since young children love to express their feelings, they're usually the first to sense the mood of a song and respond to it. Read More
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The Shape of Things
March 19, 2008, 12:00 am
Making body shapes is a great way to spend time when the weather keeps you and your child indoors. It doesn't require any equipment, and you need very little space in which to do it. Simply show your child things that are round, flat, wide, narrow, pointy, and crooked; and ask him to make those shapes with his body. Read More
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Ducks, Cows, Cats, and Dogs
March 12, 2008, 12:00 am
Unfortunately, a number of "party" games, like traditional Musical Chairs, feature elimination. What, then, are you to do with a gathering of children looking for entertainment? Play Ducks, Cows, Cats, and Dogs, and I guarantee you'll be plenty entertained as well! Read More
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More Mathematics in Motion
by Rae Pica
March 7, 2008, 6:59 pmLast week's column introduced quantitative concepts, ideas that are part of the language of mathematics. This week I thought it would be fun for you to introduce your child to the concepts of pairs, once, twice, and more. Read More
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Mathematics in Motion
February 27, 2008, 12:00 am
Young children like to talk in terms of how big or small something is, whose train is the longest, or how many more toys they have than someone else. Without realizing it, they're dealing with an important part of the language of mathematics: quantitative concepts. Read More
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