Latest Blog & News
Let's Play! Supporting Child Development
11/30/2022Play is one of the most meaningful ways young children explore, connect, and learn. Whether they are building a tower, inventing a story, or experimenting with paint, children use play to discover what they can do and make sense of the world around them. ChildCareEd’s Role of Play in Learning ... Let's Play! Supporting Child Development
How Can Child Care Providers Support Preschool Development Across the Whole Child?
08/31/2026Preschool development is not a checklist to complete—it is a dynamic process shaped by relationships, play, language, movement, and meaningful opportunities to think. If you want a deeper foundation for planning responsive experiences, explore How Preschoolers Develop, a course designed to hel... How Can Child Care Providers Support Preschool Development Across the Whole Child?
How Can Child Care Providers Teach Problem-Solving Skills in Early Childhood?
09/07/2026When young children face a fallen block tower, a difficult puzzle, or a conflict over a favorite toy, they are practicing skills that support lifelong learning. Child care providers can strengthen this process through intentional questions, playful challenges, and carefully timed support; From Play ... How Can Child Care Providers Teach Problem-Solving Skills in Early Childhood?
The power of Imagination: How to add it to your classroom
12/20/2024The Power of Imagination: Fun Dramatic Play Ideas for Early Childhood Classrooms Imagination is central to young children's socioemotional and cognitive development, and dramatic #play is a pedagogically powerful modality for advancing narrative competence, symbolic representation, and peer-mediate... The power of Imagination: How to add it to your classroom
How Can Child Care Providers Help Families Understand Play-Based Learning?
09/05/2026When families see play as “just fun,” they may miss the complex learning happening in block building, pretend conversations, sensory exploration, and outdoor movement. Clear, respectful communication can help families recognize those moments while strengthening the home-school partnershi... How Can Child Care Providers Help Families Understand Play-Based Learning?
Baby Steps to Science
12/30/2021What does science learning look like for infants and toddlers? For very young children, science is not a formal lesson or a collection of facts to memorize. Rather, scientific thinking develops through active engagement with people, objects, and events: noticing, exploring, repeating action... Baby Steps to Science
Hello, Fall! Cozy Activities to Help Babies Explore the Season
08/18/2026Fall’s colors, textures, sounds, and gentle changes offer babies meaningful ways to explore—without complicated projects or overstimulating setups. For a deeper foundation in planning individualized, developmentally appropriate experiences, explore Baby Play: Planning Infant and Toddler ... Hello, Fall! Cozy Activities to Help Babies Explore the Season
How Can Living vs. Non-Living Sorting Spark Early Science Thinking?
09/11/2026When children sort a leaf, rock, toy animal, or classroom plant, they are doing more than naming pictures—they are building explanations about the world. For infants and toddlers who are not yet ready to sort, science learning can start with curiosity and discovery through simple sensory explo... How Can Living vs. Non-Living Sorting Spark Early Science Thinking?
What’s Happening Outside? Fall Science Adventures for Preschoolers
08/18/2026What if a crisp leaf, pinecone, or puddle became the starting point for scientific thinking? Fall gives child care providers an inviting, low-cost context for observation, prediction, movement, language, and discovery. To strengthen your outdoor learning environment, explore Creating the Natural Out... What’s Happening Outside? Fall Science Adventures for Preschoolers
Baby’s First Fall: Simple Ways to Explore the Season Through Play
08/18/2026Fall offers babies a rich but gentle invitation to notice color, movement, sound, and texture through everyday play. With thoughtful supervision and a few seasonal materials, providers can create meaningful experiences that support early development; Baby Play: Planning Infant and Toddler Activities... Baby’s First Fall: Simple Ways to Explore the Season Through Play
