This DIY shape matching game for toddlers is one of our favorites! Are your toddlers beginning to learn their shapes? My younger daycare children are starting to recognize and identify shapes. To encourage this interest I put together this very simple but engaging shape learning activity. This teaches toddlers to identify shapes and helps with […]
Fall Jack-O-Lantern Preschool Activity (Book Inspired)
This fall jack-o-lantern preschool activity is so much fun! It’s also a great way to help young children learn about big emotions and how to manage them. This simple learning activity was created based on one of our favorite pumpkin-themed fall books: It’s Pumpkin Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff. It’s a classic story that is […]
Sticks, Bad Guys, & Guns Oh My! Playful Aggression in Early Childhood
“Put that down!” “No sticks!” “Don’t throw that!” “No pretending that’s a gun!” “Sticks are dangerous!” “We don’t play guns!” “We don’t play bad guys!” “We don’t play jail!” …and many more I’m sure you can add. Have you found yourself saying that? As someone who started her early education career in a large traditional daycare […]
10 Fun Halloween Books for Toddlers
Amazing Halloween books for toddlers! It’s October at that means that it’s time to break out those Halloween books! Who doesn’t love a few fun and [mildly] spooky books? We sure do! Halloween is one of our favorite times of the year so we have a huge stockpile of Halloween books for toddlers & preschoolers. Of that stack these […]
Potato Stamp Pumpkins: Easy Halloween Art for Kids
Originally Published October 2013; Updated August 2026 Potato stamp pumpkins are an easy Halloween art activity for toddlers and preschoolers. With a potato, washable paint, and a little help from an adult, children can create a whole page of colorful jack-o’-lantern prints. This activity also offers a simple introduction to color mixing. Instead of starting […]
DIY Nature Slides for Kids for the Light Table (or window!)
These DIY nature slides for the light table are so easy to make! It’s a hands-on way for kids to learn about plants and flowers in your own neighborhood! PS- If you don’t have a light table, no problem! Just use a window or white table to explore your nature slides! Being outside and exploring […]
Fall Felt Board Play: Fall Tree
A new felt board project! Our fall tree! We’ve been talking about and observing how the leaves are changing around the neighborhood and at our local parks so I made this for our felt board. I used the clip art templates to make the trunk and the leaves that I found through a quick Google search. […]
Pumpkin Counting Activity for Preschoolers
Published October 2013; Updated August 2026 Fall is a great time to bring pumpkins into preschool learning, and this simple pumpkin counting activity is an easy way to practice early math skills through hands-on play. Children match small pumpkin counters to numbered pumpkin cards, giving them a chance to practice counting, number recognition, and one-to-one […]
Easy Autumn Nature Table
Fall is here and it’s time to put tother our autumn nature table. We don’t necessarily follow the Waldorf method in our home but I know nature tables are a big part of Waldorf homes. As a kid my grandmother always had a what she called a “nature shelf” in her entryway. It was an […]
Grass Seed Sensory Bin
We’ve been working in our yard lately to get it ready for winter. One project we’ve been working on is moving the garden to a better location and reseeding the current garden area. We also have to reseed an area of our yard that got destroyed this summer by all the kids and the dog. The […]