Charlie’s Cues: Using Your Weather Display

May 26, 2021

By nature, children are curious about the weather. This post will focus on helping children learn about and study the weather while using Weather Displays, a resourceful tool found in your Buttercups and Fireflies Starter Packs. Making weather observations with children is a comprehensive process. First, they predict or forecast the weather, and then they test their predictions by making observations and exploring with their senses. Children also explore the concept of cause and effect when they engage with the weather.

Learning Through Infant Care Routines: Diaper Changes

May 21, 2021

Infants have daily needs that need to be met for them to learn, develop positive attachment to primary caregivers, and know they will be loved and taken care of. Most of these needs revolve around basic care routines. The FunShine Express Buttercups Babies kits were designed to incorporate activity ideas into these care routines to create meaningful interactions each day.

Charlie’s Cues: Using Your Sequence Cards

April 21, 2021

From an early age, children begin to explore the concept of time through the procedures, steps, and sequence of events. I remember when my daughter was in the hospital at the age of four. We spent about 10 days together reading books and singing, to the point that after a few days she memorized one of the stories. She would choose the book, turn the pages, and recite each part of the story. Not only did she learn parts of the story, but by associating what she heard me read with the pictures, she learned the whole story and was able to tell it over again in order.

Little Bookworms: Encouraging Young Readers

April 14, 2021

A baby mouthing a book.

STEAM Series: Mastering M

April 1, 2021

The M in STEAM stands for Math. Math in STEAM helps little ones learn about patterns, numbers, shapes, sorting rules, and measurements in hands-on and fun ways. Learning about math concepts starts at an early age. You will likely use the sign and word for more early on with your infants. They will learn that this gets them more of a favorite activity or food. For example, after a child eats his last piece of banana, you might say, “Would you like more banana?,” while using the sign for more. The child might start associating the sign with the word and use it to get more banana. Older infants and toddlers will likely learn the concept of two early on also. For example, they understand: I have two hands. I can hold two toys. I have two feet, two arms, two legs, two eyes, and two ears! Wow! Learning basic math concepts at an early age can help children learn about more complex mathematical relationships as they grow older.

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