7 Benefits of Hands On Learning in Early Childhood Education

Discover the benefits of hands-on learning in early childhood education and learn how to effectively incorporate hands-on activities and resources into your teaching practice.

Explicit Teaching, InvestigationsJanelle McArdle7 October 2024hands-on, hands-on learning, hands-on learning benefits, early childhoodComment

9 Tactile Learning Activities for the Kindergarten Classroom

Understand precisely what tactile learning is and discover how you can use this learning style in kindergarten to boost student engagement and effectively teach your curriculum learning intentions.

Investigations, Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle6 November 2023sensory play, tactile learning, kindergarten, kindergarten classroom, hands-on learning, play based learningComment

Hands-on Weather Activities and Provocations

Discover my tried and tested hands-on weather activities and provocations for play based learning in kindergarten or first grade.

InvestigationsJanelle McArdle31 July 2023weather, play based learning, investigation area, science provocations, science, hands-on learning, Australian curriculumComment

Fun Activities and Games with Sight Words for Kindergarten

Discover engaging sight word games and activities for your kindergarten students and build reading fluency. Make learning high-frequency words fun with these tried and tested ideas. Get your free sight word resource and create a playful and effective learning environment for your students.

Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle17 July 2023sight words, games, hands-on learning, activities, early literacy, readingComment

9 Hands-on Maths Number Activities for Kindergarten

Looking for some hands-on maths number activities for kindergarten? In this blog post, we will look at the Australian math curriculum, and I’ll give you 9 engaging activities on numbers for kindergarten kids that will help you teach the Number and Algebra strand of the ACARA mathematics curriculum.

Investigations, Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle3 July 2023math provocations, maths, hands-on learning, hands-on math activities, hands-on number activities, number activities, kindergartenComment

The 5 Best Resources for Hands On Learning in Early Childhood Classrooms

Hands-on learning is learning by doing. It is not only fun and engaging, but it’s the most effective way early childhood students learn. Check out the top 5 resources you need to make your classroom hands on learning activities super educational and entertaining!

Investigations, Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle15 May 2023hands-on, hands-on learning, early childhood, play based learning, play based classroomComment

The Enclosing Schema

The enclosing schema is a natural part of a child's development and can easily be nurtured through play-based learning. In this blog post we explore this play schema and how you can support it in your early childhood classroom.

InvestigationsJanelle McArdle8 May 2023play schema, enclosing schema, enclosing play schema, child development, early childhood, hands-on learning, play based learningComment

The Enveloping Schema

Do you have students interested in wrapping, covering, or hiding objects or themselves? If you do - then you have students with the enveloping play schema. In this blog post, we'll explore the enveloping play schema in-depth and you’ll discover heaps of activities to support it in your classroom.

InvestigationsJanelle McArdle25 April 2023enveloping play schema, play schema, play based learning, play based classroom, early childhood, cognitive development, hands-on learningComment

The Rotation Schema

Are your students spinning, twirling, and turning objects or even themselves? They are exploring the rotation schema. This blog post explores the rotation play schema in detail and gives you 46 engaging activities you can use to support the rotation play schema in your classroom.

InvestigationsJanelle McArdle23 February 2023play schema, play based learning, schemas, rotation schema, schema play, early childhood, early years, child development, developmental play, hands-on learning, kindergarten, prepComment

The Transforming Schema

The transforming schema is all about change and how things transform in substance or appearance. If you have children in your classroom mixing sand with water or drawing and painting on their bodies, you might have children developing their transformation schema. This blog post will explain exactly what this play schema is and give you a heap of playful hands-on activities to support it.

InvestigationsJanelle McArdle17 October 2022play schema, play based learning, play based classroom, developmental play, child development, transforming schema, schema play, kindergarten, grade one, grade 1, preschool, hands-on learning, investigative playComment

Teaching Geometry in Kindergarten

Discover why it is so important to teach kindergarten and preschool children geometry and find out all about the Australian Curriculum Geometry strand so you can be confident teaching this complex maths subject.

Explicit Teaching, InvestigationsJanelle McArdle25 August 2022maths, kindergarten, preschool, shapes, geometry, play based, play based learning, hands-on, hands-on learning, 2D shapes, 3D shapes, early childhood math, early years, math activities, math provocationsComment

9 Fun Hands-on Measurement Activities for Kindergarten

How do you teach measurement in kindergarten? It isn’t the easiest math skill to teach that’s for sure but these fun and engaging measurement activities for kindergarten and preschool children will help you.

InvestigationsJanelle McArdle25 July 2022math provocations, early years math, kindergarten, preschool, maths, math activities, measurement, hands-on, hands-on learning, Australian curriculum, foundation stage, learning invitation, play based learning, provocations for learning Comment

Teaching the F-2 ACARA Math Learning Intentions Through Play

The best way to teach math is through play. This blog post explains the F-2 ACARA Math Curriculum and how you can create opportunities for your early childhood students to enjoy their math learning by using hands-on play based strategies and materials.

Science Provocations – Properties of Materials

Teaching the early years chemistry strand and looking for some engaging and educational science provocations? This blog post has 5 hands-on learning invitations to help you teach about Materials and their Properties. There are also tips and ideas to help you set up your very own purposeful early childhood science learning provocations.

Science Provocations – Living Things

Are you teaching the early years biology strand and looking for some engaging and educational science provocations to help your students learn about Living Things? In this blog post there are 5 engaging living things provocations to inspire you. There are also tips and ideas to help you set up your very own purposeful early childhood science learning provocations.

How to Start with Play Based Learning

Interested in play based or inquiry learning but don’t know where to start? Discover how I do it and find out all the benefits of play based learning. You will also get some practical ideas and my play based learning hints and tips on how you can easily get started learning through play in your classroom today.

InvestigationsJanelle McArdle12 January 2022play based learning, planning, playbased, developmental play, learning invitation, hands-on learning, learning resources, walker learning, provocations for learning, kindergarten, prep, preschool, back to school, starting school Comments

Christmas Classroom Ideas

Are you looking for some classroom ideas to help you celebrate Christmas over these last few weeks of school? I have collated 9 of the best hands-on Christmas classroom ideas for your kindergarten or preschool classroom.

Investigations, Explicit TeachingJanelle McArdle20 December 2021christmas, kindergarten, prep, preschool, hands-on learning, play based, play based learning, play based classroom Comment

Christmas Maths Activities for Kindergarten

Discover 7 Christmas math activities for kindergarten and preschool. Keep your children engaged and learning in all the excitement of your end of year celebrations. These hands-on math activities will have your students engaged, focused and learning right up to the holidays.

Blog - Life in a Play Based Classroom

I’m Janelle and I’m here to help you implement an engaging, play based curriculum

that STILL has your children meeting academic standards and benchmarks!