I am often asked for preschool and kindergarten curriculum recommendations by well-meaning parents. My answer is always the same: none. Preschoolers and kindergarteners don't need formal sit-down work. There is no long-term advantage. What they do need is need time to play, and explore, and to be creative. I understand why many parents jump the gun on formal learning. They just want to give their kids the best start in life, but earlier isn't always better. Pushing academic skills before a child is developmentally ready causes frustration and resentment, often leading children to hate learning.  The early school years are best spent focused on play and outdoor exploration. Play provides the perfect environment for developing important pre-reading and pre-writing skills. These skills include things like core body strength, hand and finger strength, visual perception, object manipulation, and gross and fine motor skills. And these skills provide an important foundation on which t...

Gardening is such a wonderful learning experience for kids. Not only is gardening an useful lifeskill, but it also provides an excellent opportunity to learn about plant science and garden insects, practice math skills, and much more. In this post I share some activity ideas for learning in the garden, plus some links to resources if you want to dive in deeper. If you're looking for a printable garden unit study, I have one available here:  Learning in the Garden Printable Unit Study Pack . Garden Math Garden size calculations -Have your child measure your garden space and calculate the perimeter and area.  -Help your child calculate the amount of garden soil you will need for your garden and how much it will cost. Plant spacing Give your child   ruler or tape measure and have them help measure the right amount of space between seeds or plants as you're planting your garden. Measure and track plant growth -Once your seeds sprout, have your child measure and record their d...