What is creativity and why do we need it?
Much of creativity does not necessarily have to do with the arts. Activities in our everyday lives provide us with numerous opportunities for problem solving, lateral thinking and widening our thought patterns,” comments Liz Senior, Occupational Therapist and Founder of Clamber Club. “While creativity is a skill that should be nurtured from a very young age, it is something that we continue to develop throughout our lives,” she adds.
Repetition is a necessary building block that allows children to form neural pathways and to strengthen connections in the brain that will help them learn. Repetition in early childhood learning is one of the most important fundamentals in child development.
Children notice colours at a very young age. Parents, teachers, and caregivers can, therefore, start teaching the concept of colours by the time their little ones turn 18 months old. Babies as...
As early childhood educators and parents, we are always looking for ways to stimulate and engage our toddlers in age-appropriate and active learning. Loose parts play is a wonderful ideology that...
From around 14 months of age, you will notice that your toddler is starting to imitate roles that they see play out in your home. For example, while you are feeding them, they also want a spoon and...
A Definition of Balance: an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady. These days we are so busy having to juggle work, running a business, creating a...
Does your toddler or preschooler have some puzzles lying around that he occasionally plays with? How often do you try to sit with him and encourage him to play with them? Many parents offer puzzles...
Seriation skills are defined as the ability to arrange objects in order by size. The development of seriation skills in young children is a step-by-step process. As children grow and develop,...
It is important for children to have a good understanding of different concepts as it assists in their ability to follow instructions. For a child to correctly use a concept in their spoken...
Learning about opposites teaches children vocabulary, deepens their understanding of the world around them, and helps them to compare different things. Opposites help children gain a concrete...
Children love toys, and the correct toys can help in our children’s development. Toys can help build creativity, imagination, gross motor, and fine motor skills and of course, can provide limitless...
Young children can develop many skills through the power of play. They may develop their language skills, emotions, creativity and social skills. Play helps to nurture imagination and give a child a...
Did you now that pretending to be different animals and moving like animals helps to develop imagination, visualisation, creativity and … body awareness! Why not play these simple games with your...
We South Africans have always been told how our grandparents walked to school barefoot until they reached high school age, and then only then could their hardworking parents eventually afford to buy...
We all have a scarf or two in our wardrobe, and if not, we certainly have a dishcloth. It’s amazing how much one can do with a piece of cloth! From throwing and catching to playing peek a boo,...
There are so many fun ways to teach body awareness. Children learn about their bodies through movement, touch and the visual and auditory senses. This game is all about naming body parts and getting...
Most toddlers don’t start potty training until after the age of 2. At the age of 2 often toddlers have an understanding to hold their bladder and show they need to use the bathroom. Some toddlers...
Imagine trying a very simple exercise with your little one, where you could tackle various concepts such as colours, counting, numbers and fine motor all in one. You can vary this exercise depending...