Preschool Powol Packets

Don't we all want to learn more ways to help our preschoolers strengthen their emotional skills ? I just finished my most recent course with ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI) , and I am super excited to share some things I learned about building preschoolers' emotional skills from it with you!  SOC107: Building Social and Emotional Competence is designed for adults working with preschoolers about 2-5 years old. It helps you identify characteristics of social emotional development in children five and under, learn how to create a responsive learning environment, and select strategies that help children build self-regulation and healthy social emotional development. Plus, this is one of the many online courses that is part of their CDA certification . The course is designed for professionals working with young children , but I think every parent would also benefit from the information inside. We all want our preschoolers to develop strong emotional skills so they can solve p...

Children love to give, naturally!  Honestly, I am constantly amazed at children's ability to give.  Sometimes though, especially during the holidays, they need a little reminder to look beyond themselves and share with the bigger community that they are a part of. That is why I absolutely fell in love with {affiliate link} Christmas from Heaven  by Tom Brokaw.  It is the true story of the "candy bomber," a United States airman who dropped handkerchief parachutes full of candy and gum to children during Christmas in a war-torn Berlin in 1948.  It captures the idea of someone giving up a treat for themselves to serve others who need the treat even more.  My children were captivated by the story-telling and the pictures.   Amazon affiliate link: There were a few pages that I summarized for my younger preschoolers with shorter attention spans, but when we finished the book everyone was pleased with Hal's decision. ...

If you have been following this blog for a while, you know I am a huge advocate of sensory experiences.  About six months ago we began to discover that one of my children has some sensory processing challenges, and I began to be even more deliberate in planning (and allowing spontaneous) sensory experiences.  Today we are joining in the monthly Sensory Bin Challenge hosted at Little Bins for Little Hands , and the theme is sand!   If you saw the Dirt Challenge, you may remember that the goal is to set out a designated sensory material and let your children choose the tools and direction for the experience.   I love this kind of activity for three reasons:   1- It is empowering for children to decide what they will do. 2- Children learn better when they are invested and in control of what they are doing. 3- It is super easy!! So, I set out a bucket of sand: They immediately dug in with their hands, a shovel (from their "digging spot"), and a...

Preschooler Behavior Management can take on so many faces that I could devote an entire blog just to that subject.  I could give you tips for communicating with preschoolers, tips for preventing bad behaviors, tips for encouraging good behaviors, how to deal with melt downs, and more.  (Actually, towards the end of each month this year I will have a behavior management post!)   Today, though, I am sharing one easy tip you can implement any time you need it and see immediate results.  It is simply this:  Go outside. Take your child (or children) and walk out the door.  Hand him a shovel and let him dig.  Hand him a hose and let him spray.  Or let him search for a stick.  Or even just let him breathe in fresh air while he screams and runs in circles!  You can create fun play stations or let your children create their own!  Your preschooler behavior management just got much easier! Research actually shows ...