Afro-Latinx Students Navigate Racism and Erasure in the Classroom
Educators need more data and resources to understand these students. Inclusive curricula can help the students better understand themselves.
When her reading scores skyrocketed a couple of years ago, Dakota Pouncie says she wasn’t praised or celebrated. Instead, “I got undermined for my academic ability,” said Pouncie, a high school senior in Connecticut, who is Afro-Latina.
She says her white teacher told her: “You don't look like the type that could do that. You don't look like you're paying attention in class.”
“I always (got) 100s and 90s in the class,” Pouncie said. She remembers wondering why the teacher would doubt her.
This is just one example of how Pouncie says she has been stereotyped at school—by teachers and peers—because of her dual identities. Light-skinned or white Latinx students have questioned Pouncie’s Puerto Rican roots, from denigrating her darker skin color and tightly curled hair texture to calling her a “no sabo kid” because she’s not fluent in Spanish. A counselor, she says, wrongly assumed she was being abused or her family was struggling financially.
She’s not alone. Experts and teachers say many Afro-Latinx students face racist treatment. They are often made to feel invisible in interactions with students and school staff. They are erased in the way education data on Latinx students is collected and used and in curricula taught in classrooms across the U.S.
More than a quarter of students enrolled in U.S. public schools are Hispanic, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Research on Latinx students, however, does not account for racial distinctions within that ethnic group. Such a monolithic category makes it impossible to fully track the academic performance of students who are Black and Latinx as well as other challenges they may face and disparities tied to systemic racism.
“When you don't have data that is able to be disaggregated to see the ways in which race, anti-Blackness, is having an effect on some Latino students differently from those who are white appearing, you're not able to measure and account for that problem and then address it,” said Tanya Katerí Hernández, a law professor at Fordham University who researches anti-Black bias in the Latinx community.
“If you're not able to detect these differences in how resources are allocated, how benefits are accorded, and access to special programs, then you're not able to intervene and make changes.” And there is clearly much that needs changing, Hernández says. She has found many examples of biased treatment of Afro-Latinx students in her research, from bullying to discipline disparities and Latinx teachers bringing their anti-Black bias into managing a classroom. The goal, she said, is to raise awareness of these issues and work to solve them to make sure Afro-Latinx students are seen and get the support they need.
The Need for Afro-Latinx Inclusive Curricula
Erasure of Afro-Latinx history and culture in school and society is a major obstacle to reaching Afro-Latinx youth, educators say. It’s difficult to connect with and engage students who are Afro-Latinx if they don’t see themselves represented in curricula and broader pop culture references. That’s why educators like Álida Reyes (Greater Delta: Mississippi and Arkansas, ’16) are intentional about presenting more diverse representations of Latinx people and cultures in their lessons. She emphasizes that people who are Black, Indigenous and Asian—as well as their cultures and languages—are part of Latinidad, or a contested concept meant to build solidarity among Latinx people.
Latinidad aims to unite Latinx people under one term and identity “despite varying nationalities, racial and gender identities, generations, languages, immigrant status and mobility,” according to an article by Remezcla, a U.S. media brand focused on Latin culture. But some argue Latinidad upholds white supremacy and celebrates “mestizaje,” or mixed-race heritage that centers whiteness. The closer a person is to that ideal, the more privileges and access they obtain in education, civil rights, and socioeconomic status.
“It's important to investigate how Latinidad upholds whiteness and proximity to whiteness so that (Black) students themselves start being able to feel included under Latinidad,” said Reyes, who is Afro-Dominican.
“It's hard for me to say I'm Latina. What does that mean? What do I have in common with somebody from Colombia? The Spanish language? I have more in common with somebody from Trinidad and Tobago, because they're island people and they were colonized and they were sugar cane growers like we were.”
Reyes says Latinidad’s Eurocentric and mestizaje beauty standards play out in the classroom, as students try to over-identify with Latinadad at the expense of their Blackness.
“When people are referring to Afro-Latinos, you always see the light-skinned girl with soft curls,” said Reyes. “I have students that are 16, thinking about surgery, thinking about getting hips or getting lipo. My girls were blow drying their hair. It's hard to watch sometimes when they even buy lotions that lighten their skin.”
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Erasure and anti-Blackness are baked into the geographical and common demographic concepts of Latin America—concepts reinforced by school curricula that do not include comprehensive information about Latinx people, history and cultures.
Historians estimate that more than 90% of about 10.7 million enslaved Africans who survived the Middle Passage were sent to Spanish and Portuguese colonies; about 3.5% were taken to U.S colonies. Today, about 133 million people of African descent live in Latin America , making up roughly a quarter of the total population, according to the World Bank. Mexico only began officially counting its Afro-Mexican population in its 2020 census—and that’s true despite the fact that the nation’s second president, Vicente Guerrero, was Afro-Mexican and abolished slavery. Latin America and the Caribbean encompass more than 30 countries where languages such as Nahuatl (Mexico), Portuguese (Brazil) and Haitian Creole are spoken. Brazil is home to the largest African and Japanese diasporas in the world. In the U.S. alone, there are 62.1 million Hispanic people. One-quarter of the U.S. Hispanic population self-identify as Afro-Latino, Afro-Caribbean or of African descent with roots in Latin America.
Even in English as a second language classes, students are typically taught the Castilian dialect spoken in Spain, not taking into account the different dialects spoken by the African diaspora that are often excluded from Latinidad. An academic study published in January analyzed 12 beginner-level Spanish textbooks and categorized the findings as an erasure of Afro-Latino identity and culture. In the few examples of Afro-Latino representation, researchers found instances of colorism, racial stereotypes, collectivization, and tourism discourse. Tourism discourse reduces Afro-Latinx culture to what can be commodified or consumed by tourists—such as singers, dancers, and entertainers—while omitting historical and political information.
Reyes, a former ESL student, says students fall behind in mastering English when one dialect dictates how materials are translated. Reyes said she feels that teachers are not equipped or trained to address the linguistic and cultural needs of Spanish-speaking students from the Caribbean.
“Caribbean students, Dominican students, the way that they communicate, they're loud,'' said Reyes, an equity consultant and creative writing graduate student. “It's very flamboyant. A lot of times that is read as improper for school. Your Spanish is not good enough. You get kicked out of the classroom for simply speaking.” Reyes notes that this reinforces the school-to-prison pipeline.
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Erasure is not only present in language instruction but also in history curriculum. That’s why Reyes—who also teaches Spanish online—is educating students about the Haitian Revolution's role in liberating Black people across the Americas and jumpstarting the independence movements in Latin American countries. Reyes also discusses problematic depictions of Afro-Latinx people in present-day Latin American soap operas that place Black actors in servitude roles.
A New Focus on Black and Latinx Studies
Emily Gardín, who is Afro-Panamanian, felt more confused than excluded by K-12 lessons when she was a student in Waterbury, Connecticut.
“It made me ponder a lot, if someone that looks like me accomplished something, what would be said about us?” said Gardín, who graduated last year from Emory University with a bachelor's degree in African American studies and a minor in Latin American and Caribbean studies. “Maybe Afro-Latinos just haven't had the platform” or “visibility to be recognized for their accomplishments?”
In 2020, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 19-12, which required schools in the state to offer elective classes on Black and Latino studies. The requirement goes into effect this fall. This is the type of class that could have helped Gardín see herself and her culture in what she was learning. She might have benefitted from the lessons on Afro-Panamanian women fighting for Canal laborer’s rights and content that pushed against the country’s Eurocentric beauty standards. Gardín would have welcomed a course that drew comparisons between the experiences of the African diaspora in the United States and her native Panama. However, these were lessons she had to learn outside of the classroom.
Gardín’s great grandfather was among West Indian laborers who built the Canal Zone.
“My dad worked in the Panama Canal, so he told me stories of segregation, and they had their set of race issues in Panama. We do have family members that were affected by enforced or cheap labor; we're still oppressed by similar systems,” she said.
More than 75% of Panama Canal laborers hailed from West Indian islands like Jamaica and Barbados. Laborers were segregated, with people of color getting lower wage jobs in dangerous working conditions and inferior housing to white employees. The West Indian workforce did the backbreaking manual labor: cutting brush, digging ditches, dynamiting and unloading equipment.
Pouncie, the Connecticut high school student, is taking the new Black and Latino studies course. Her school is one of 50 across Connecticut piloting the curriculum this year. She was surprised to learn about the Tuskegee Study in which U.S. public health officials experimented on Black men infected with syphilis and withheld treatment from them, and about redlining. Such topics were never introduced in her previous history classes, which instead heralded figures like Christopher Columbus. The second semester of the course focuses on Latino history with an emphasis on Puerto Rican history. It includes lessons centering Afro-Latinx history, identity and culture, from the Haitian Revolution to the differences between slavery in the United States and Latin America. The curriculum also features videos and podcasts on topics ranging from bomba, the African diasporic dance in Puerto Rico, to the Afro-Indigenous community known as the Garifuna in Honduras.
Pouncie’s history teacher Adrian Solis instructs three sections of Black and Latino Studies. A majority of Solis’s 33 students are Latinx, while four white students, one Black student, and one multiracial student elected to take the course. The course should be a graduation requirement, not just an elective, Pouncie said. She says it would help combat the racism still displayed at school.
For example, in February, a white classmate at Pouncie’s high school shared a Valentine's Day card on social media that said "You take my breath away" with a picture of George Floyd, the Black man who was murdered by a white Minneapolis police officer, Derrick Chauvin, in 2020.
“I don't feel like I'm part of a safe space,” Pouncie said. “If we don't talk about this stuff, then it'll get lost in history. It’s good for more people to be aware…so we cannot make the same mistakes.”
The majority of students were unaware of the social media post, said Kerry Markey, a spokesperson for Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, which operates the high school Pouncie attends.
“The students that were identified in the post were disciplined in accordance with district policy,” Markey said. “As a means to give students voice and a platform to discuss these types of issues, the school has implemented an advisory program.”
The first session of that program was held the week of March 28 and focused on racial inequalities, Markey said.
Policed and Stereotyped By School Staff
Anti-Black bias in schools also leads to the disproportionate discipline of Black students, including those who are also Latinx. That’s one reason why Gardín is advocating for the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act, federal legislation that would provide resources for robust mental health resources for schools in replacement of school law enforcement officers there. She wants to end cases like that of Alma Yadira Cruz, a Black Puerto Rican girl with special needs who was 11 in 2017 when she was charged with five counts of assault against classmates who she said bullied her. For two years, classmates harassed Cruz, calling her racist slurs such as “negra sucia” (dirty “Negro”), “pelo de caíllo” (twig hair) and “mona” (monkey), according to reports from Univision and Remezcla.
“This is in a public school in Puerto Rico. The racial harassment is unceasing, and the school doesn't intervene at all,” Hernández, the author and Fordham law professor, said about Cruz’s case. “The schoolteacher views the victimized Black child as the problem, brings in law enforcement on an 11-year-old child, and has her detained. And it takes another year or so of social justice awareness campaigns and lobbying to have the charges dropped.”
White educators are not the only ones susceptible to perpetuating anti-Black bias, Hernández said. Members of the Latinx community can be just as dangerous. In her forthcoming book, “Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality,” Hernández said she unpacks the misconception that people who are Latinx are exempt from racism due to their ethnicity and multicultural background.
“Latinos who are not self-aware about interrupting their own racial biases operate on the idea of the Afro-Latino student as more of a behavioral problem and more prone to needing outsize forms of discipline,” Hernández said. “For the child who's in a classroom in which they're being viewed differently, they are also being viewed as lacking the same kind of capacity. You're basically letting them know you're not welcome here within the educational context.”
Gardín has her own personal experience of biased discipline. Some teachers “definitely punished me or policed me,” she said.
Gardín recalled when she was in second grade and received discipline cards for acting out or talking too loud. “What made it difficult was my mom and my dad didn't know any English growing up,” Gardín said. She had to have her parents sign the cards, but ”they didn't understand the severity of it either. They didn't understand the school system itself.”
While in kindergarten and first grade, Gardín took ESL classes, but that support did not continue when she was in second grade. The mental health resources and evaluations that she desperately needed were also not available.
“Now that I'm an adult, I know that I was going through depression and... dealing with a lot of trauma as a kid, too,” said Gardín, who was also exhibiting neurodivergent symptoms as a child. “It wasn't flagged. They just thought that I was just being disobedient.”
When Pouncie was 5 years old, her father was arrested. After that, a school guidance counselor stereotyped and began pestering Pouncie and her younger brother for almost eight years, she said. During a home visit, the counselor wrongly assumed Pouncie’s mother was renting. There are obvious racial undertones to the assumption “because my mom was in her 30s and was financially stable,” Pouncie said. “There is no reason why she wouldn't own that house.”
Pouncie felt that the guidance counselor had a white savior complex. The counselor frequently asked Pouncie and her brother if they were being abused. She also seemed to “think that my mom was poor and struggling, that we always needed help, but we didn't,” Pouncie said.
These stories are no surprise to Hernández, who heard similar examples of racial biases faced by Afro-Latinx students in her research. She interviewed students from pre-K to college, as well as teachers and administrators across the country. One example she came across was a white Latinx teacher who had Black students, including Afro-Latinx students, “segregated into a separate part of the classroom with the presumption that a special ed teacher would attend to them.”
That was true, Hernández said, “regardless of whether or not they actually have an IEP (individualized education plan) and are diagnosed as having learning differences.” She even saw this trend when speaking with educators who trained Latinx teachers.
“This invisibility and this refusal to acknowledge it, this denial of the way anti-Blackness operates within Latino communities, also adversely affects trying to educate Latino teachers,” Hernández said. “They don't want to be called to account for their own anti-Blackness, and then we're sending them out into the field to engage students. That's a recipe for disaster.”
What’s needed, Gardín said, is advocacy, awareness, and documentation of Afro-Latinx student experiences. This is the work she’s dedicated to as an Afro-Latinx Líderes Avanzando Fellow, a program for first-generation college students “who are passionate about racial equity and making meaningful change in their campus community, workplace, and beyond.”
The way forward is by “making sure that Afro-Latinx students have resources,” she said. “So always include them in annual reports, (make) sure that we're gathering census data or just data in general about them.
“Make sure that our existence is being highlighted, talked about, and we're being represented and understood.”
Editor’s note: This article contains several terms to refer to people of Latin American descent. One Day prefers to use the inclusive term Latinx, but we also respect individual preferences such as “Latino.” We used “Hispanic” when matching language from an official source.
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Let's compare 28 different "sky cultures" to see differences and similarities in the shapes they've seen in the night sky. Ranging from the so-called "Modern" or Western constellations, to Chinese, Maori and even a few shapes from historical cultures such as the Aztecs.
This article was originally published in the Fall 2019 (vol. 48, no. 4) issue of Mercury magazine, an ASP members-only quarterly publication.
As a tool for artists, perspective made its appearance consistently sometime in the early 1400s. It was not long before both linear and aerial perspective were utilized, giving depth and dimension to the scene, providing a more realistic view of the world.
For many years I have pondered the relationship of art to science, and cultural change in general. Is it art that drives change within culture, or are the artists merely reflecting on new ways of thinking and giving them manifestation? As scientists, it seems we would like to have the science driving changes in perception, however I suspect it is the artists who are leading us towards a more realistic way of seeing nature.
Of course, this may break down with the modern abstract and minimalist schools of art. Though the roots of these predated the now pervasive quantum physics, and its emphasis on probability, and uncertainty. So, perhaps the artists were a step ahead, preparing our perception for the coming change in scientific paradigms.
Teaching and learning are cultural processes. As such, they do not express themselves the same way in every society. Just as individual artists have different ways of expressing themselves, so too do cultures. Many times, this is evident within individual classrooms, as learners from diverse backgrounds bring with them different ways of knowing, and responding, not only to the culture in which they find themselves, but also to the natural world they are studying in science courses. At times it is difficult as educators to recognize and respect the differences, particularly because we tend to give preference to a rigid idea of what it means to learn science. As with the rest of our society, our western European roots are well established in not just the science we engage in, but also in how we teach, and learn in the formal classroom.
Many students, particularly those from indigenous cultures, have a different approach to nature. While students brought up in a western European style culture take a taxonomic approach focusing on the properties of individual parts, learners from indigenous cultures take a more nuanced approach, emphasizing relationships within systems. Cultures taking a relational approach to nature also tend to have a rich history of storytelling, bringing together different aspects of nature to create a coherent narrative.
In some ways, these two approaches to nature are at the heart of every interaction and controversy having to do with conservation of natural resources. In these cases, the approaches are manifested in a tension between seeing nature as transactional versus relational. The transactional approach to nature is rooted in the viewpoint it is there for humans to make use of, to always think of the value we extract from either the place itself or the underlying resources. The relational approach recognizes deep connections to nature, with humans intimately connected to the Earth and the other lifeforms who also call it home. History is rife with the tension between these two viewpoints, with many members of the dominant western European culture crossing over to advocate for the more nuanced, relational approach to nature, resulting in legislation such as the Wilderness Act, Endangered Species Act, the Antiquities Act, and others. Of particular note are those who advocate the most strongly for the transactional viewpoint continue to fight for the exclusion, and rescission of any protections placed on land and species in an effort to add them to the inventory of places available for resource extraction.
In so many ways there is little difference between the Hetch Hetchy valley in Yosemite National Park, Celilo Falls on the Columbia River, Bears Ears in Utah, Standing Rock, the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Tongass National Forest, and the summit of Maunakea. In every instance, not only is there a tension between a transactional vs. relational approach to the land, but there is also one between the dominant western European, and an indigenous culture.
For an educator, providing a transformational experience for learners focused on relationships within systems can create a greater awareness of perspective than when focusing on individual elements. Many times, such an experience requires a slowing down, to decrease the sensory load, allowing nuances to emerge of how component parts interact in relationship. The creation or appreciation of art can provide such an experience, and park rangers in their interpretive practice do this on a regular basis as they tap into visitors’ affective realm. While a seemingly ordinary venue may provide such an experience, many times it is in the most spectacular places where we feel closest to nature. Indigenous peoples certainly recognized how some places evoke a greater feeling of relationship and perspective than others. Once such a place is gone, it is no consolation to point to it as an object lesson of what could have been.
Slowing down, one might sense the interconnectivity within a forest, or observe the sophisticated dynamics within groups of communal animals. To truly see the night sky may require stepping away from the eyepiece, taking in the depth of the vistas before you. We just might discover the truth John Muir knew: “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”
Maunakea: A Matter of Perspective?
The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) has provoked a good deal of controversy. The process of getting the telescope constructed on the summit of Maunakea has seen both approvals and protests. Without a doubt, the telescope would provide a valuable addition to the tools astronomers use to explore the universe. When thinking about perspective, the TMT would certainly provide additional depth to the vision of our place in the greater cosmos.
As detailed in this issue’s feature about the TMT’s stalled construction, the summit of Maunakea is already home to a suite of instruments, so one might think the environment is already degraded, with little left to protest.
In recent years issues of human rights, and in this instance, the rights of indigenous people, have attained greater prominence in our consciousness. Or at least in the minds of those who take a broader perspective to see the land, and those who live there, are not just resources to tap into for monetary profit—or, in the case of the TMT, adding to human knowledge, which in a way is a different kind of profit.
Normally, I would celebrate the growth of knowledge, particularly when it comes to having a greater understanding of the universe. However, many times profit and knowledge come at the expense of another group’s rights and ability to practice their culture.
Perhaps the scientists, much like some sects of the religious majority in our country, would decry this point of view, claiming they are the ones who are made to suffer persecution. The last I looked, no one is suggesting the destruction of a place sacred to the majority; no observatory is scheduled for construction on the grounds of Notre Dame, or the Temple on the Mount, or in Mecca, for example.
The TMT is slated for construction on a mountain sacred to a particular group of people. It is not for anyone else to say what qualifies as sacred ground. To many of us, all ground is sacred, and worthy of protection from unbridled development and profit taking, no matter what form the profit takes.
As John Muir said about the flooding of the Hetch Hetchy Valley: “These temple-destroyers, devotees of ravaging commercialism, seem to have a perfect contempt for Nature, and instead of lifting their eyes to the God of the mountains, lift them to the Almighty Dollar. Dam Hetch Hetchy! As well dam for water-tanks the people’s cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.”
Brian Kruse manages the formal education programs at the ASP. Read more articles by Brian.
TORREY – Wayne County has some of the darkest skies in the continental United States. And, from October 4th to October 6th, enthusiasts from around the world will converge on Torrey to celebrate the wonder of those star-studded heavens. This annual Heritage Starfest encourages participants to enjoy the dark skies of the Colorado Plateau, to share the heritage of night skies, and to preserve and protect the nighttime environment.
Capitol Reef National Park will sponsor Heritage Starfest events on Friday, October 5th. Activities at the park include a daytime astronomy event and an evening presentation by Zach Schierl, the Education Specialist and Dark Skies Coordinator from Cedar Breaks National Monument. Stargazing will follow Zach’s discussion.
Saturday, October 6th, events sponsored by the Entrada Institute at Robbers Roost in Torrey begin at 7:00 with a children’s activity and prizes. Zach Schierl will be the guest speaker and stargazing will follow.
Finally, everyone is invited to join dark sky monitors in Teasdale between 9:30 and 10:00 PM. From the home of Gary Pankow and Barb Walkush, they’ll travel to five sites in the area using sky quality meters to assess the sky’s darkness.
Put these dates in your calendar. Plan to join in the fun. Call 435.425.2228 for more information.
On the longest night of the year, under a full super-moon, a ritual evolves in a small Utah town.
Mark Bailey, thotsandshots.net
A full super-moon rose as complete dark enveloped a crowd gathered in the December cold around campfires and torches to celebrate the longest night of the year with art, culture, and sculptural pyrotechnics.
For those like me who are not motivated by the Christian religious myth of Christmas, Winter Solstice is the natural time to celebrate the turn of the seasons. A ritual is called for and one is evolving in rural Bluff, Utah, with all the resulting tensions that come with change and growth.
Bluff is a newly incorporated town of some 320 souls in San Juan County in the far southeast corner of Utah. Like Torrey, it is an oasis of progressiveness in a desert of right-wing politics. Bluff supports Bears Ears National Monument and has launched a popular new education center to promote visiting Bears Ears with respect while the political system sorts out the restoration of the monument. Belligerent San Juan County commissioners (see Malicious Prosecution in San Juan County) were the primary antagonists to the formation of the monument. They infamously celebrated with Trump by getting their white cowboy hats signed by the nakedly racist president at the Republican monument destruction proclamation ceremony in Salt Lake City in December 2017.
Native Americans were the primary advocates for the history making monument. 30 Tribes have formally declared their support for the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition‘s effort to protect the Bears Ears landscape for all future generations. Half of San Juan County is Native American.
For seven years now, artist Joe Pachak has been creating sculptures made of local branches and brush to ceremonially burn on Winter Solstice. Upcoming Torrey House Press author Zak Podmore tells how Joe did not start out with a Native American theme. In 2011 he built his first sculpture to burn in honor of an elk he’d bow hunted that year. The next year he built a mammoth. The sculptures got bigger and so did the crowds. In 2017 he built a 40 foot tower of two dancing bears in a connection to the Ute bear dance ritual. This year music and dance were performed by Navajo groups and Navajo medicine man Curtis Yanito was invited to offer a prayer.
My guess is that around 300 people were gathered for the burn, a majority of them white and many, like Kirsten and me, from out of town. It was dark, and chilly, but I did not see many white cowboy hats. My sense, again a guess, is that most of those in attendance were supporters of the Bears Ears National Monument. The monument is to protect the natural landscape and its myriad cultural resources. The land is so resplendent with ancient Native American artifacts that it should have been the first national monument and not, 110 years later, the latest. At a celebration of land and culture it makes sense to invite Native Americans to share their culture. But the crowd and Yanito had different expectations for the evening’s program and not all Native Americans were comfortable with appropriation of their culture as entertainment for the evolving ceremony.
Max Oelschlaeger in his magnificent work, The Idea of Wilderness, expresses his hope that a new creation story will develop in way that rings true in the postmodern age which necessarily has, ” . . . both scientific plausibility and religious distinctiveness.” I have been besotted with the notion since I first read it at my son’s suggestion a dozen or so years ago. I founded Torrey House Press based on the same hope. A solstice ceremony is primed to have both scientific plausibility and religious distinctiveness. It is not the celebration of an implausible virgin birth, but rather of the shortest day of the year caused by the earth’s axial tilt. It is a celebration of the dark, of the assurance of a return of the light, of waiting and of receiving, of reflection and of promise.
The Native American creation narratives of human-kind emerging from the earth is much closer to the scientific story of our evolving from it. In both, creation is the creator and in neither are we created separately from the earth. Yet science cannot explain how life came about, nor what our consciousness is or how it came about, and a sense of awe is called for of the unlikelihood of it all. If you believe we were created by the Earth then you have a sense of natural source and connection. If you believe you were placed here by a super-natural being, a something or someone that is beyond nature, and ordered to fill and subdue the Earth, then you have a sense of a disconnected relationship. From this divide comes conservationists like me who think we need to revere and protect that which created us, and extractors, like the San Juan County commissioners who think they will get their end reward only after they have logged, mined, drilled, drained and grazed every last fragment of creation.
In Bluff at Solstice this year there were a couple of metaphorical crossroads. One was the diagonally opposed desires of conservationists, both Native American and non-native, in favor of Bears Ears National Monument, and the desires of the extractors opposed to the monument. Then there was the more nearly parallel crossroads of the Native American traditions and of non-natives in search of ritual who both revere and respect the land and celebrate the natural seasons.
Of the more nearly parallel paths this year, the medicine man Yanito and at least some of the crowd seemed to have differing expectations for the burn ceremony. Last year for the first time a short Native prayer was offered and translated. This year the dancing performance and the story of Coyote went on for much longer. Navajos may have a different sense of time than the impatient, and chilled, visiting non-native crowd. Perhaps a Navajo origin story should not be abridged yet many were there only for the spectacle of the burn. It is likely that both Pachak and Yanito were at least somewhat offended by the crowd’s rowdy impatience. Later, on social media, there was reticence expressed by Native Americans about incorporating their sacred traditions as performance in the context of a secular burning ceremony. The burn is a non-native’s idea and how to blend in Native tradition appropriately has yet to be fully determined. It is a creative and spiritual tension from which something original will evolve.
Where there is creative tension there are creators. Artists, poets, sculptors, and writers were all there. Kirsten mingled with writers in search of future words from the land. She will be there again. I may drop her off and observe from a quieter, more solitary vantage point. I like to listen in the dark silence for the music of the spheres. But I am eager to see how this ceremony with both scientific plausibility and a religious distinctiveness evolves. Under a coincident full super-moon, on the longest night of the year, how could something new not emerge?
Telescopius (formerly known as DSO-Browser) is a great tool for astrophotographers who are planning an astrophotography session. It provides a lot of useful information regarding the deep-sky objects visible from your location, and hosts an active community to share your work.
Getting started with Telescopius:
The first step is to enter your precise location (GPS coordinates or the name of your city), and Telescopius will give you a list of interesting objects to observe or photograph. It also displays useful information, such as the apparent magnitude, the elevation and the size of your target.
Telescopius has a comprehensive list of objects: galaxies, emission and planetary nebulae, star clusters, supernovas… Powerful filters allow you to search for your favourite objects, with criteria such as magnitude, elevation, brightness, constellation…
Clicking on an object reveals a lot of useful informations and additional features. For example, you can check the elevation (how high an object is in the sky) at any given time of the day, which is helpful to know if the target will be high enough in the sky. The background indicates the periods of the day: night, sunrise, day and sunset.
The monthly elevation graph tells you the maximum elevation of the object during the year, at a given time. For instance, in Germany, the Andromeda galaxy is a late summer object and is best seen from August.
As for the data sheet, it shows other interesting information. For example, the red shift indicates the speed of the object compared to the speed of light. Here, a negative red shift of -0.0010 (which is actually a blue shift) means that the Andromeda galaxy is actually getting closer to us, to a speed of 300 km/s!
THE TELESCOPE SIMULATOR
Another great tool is the telescope simulator. It allows you to preview how the object will look in your telescope, binoculars or camera sensor.
This is great for beginners, for whom most of the objects are totally new. Not to mention that some of these objects are actually much bigger that what we think! For instance, the Andromeda galaxy is about four times wider as the Moon.
How to use the telescope simulator:
If you are registered on Telescopius, you can save the lenses and telescopes that you are using, as well as the cameras, and select them easily in the simulator.
THE WEATHER FORECASTS
Yet another interesting feature on Telescopius is the 7-day hourly weather forecast. This page presents an overview of the meteorologic parameters of the upcoming nights, based on your location. It also displays the phase of the Moon, which is useful since our satellite is a source of light pollution.
The bands at the bottom represent the hourly evolution of the main parameters, such as seeing, wind and cloud coverage, as well as the sun- and moonlight. The colour code is simple: black is optimal, red is the worst.
For example, at 4pm, the sun is still up, so the darkness is obviously red. At midnight, the darkness is optimal (i.e. black), but the Moon is rising and will create a bit of light pollution, so the band is slightly reddish.
Of course, this is a forecast, and by definition, it’s wrong! But it is usually accurate enough for you to plan your session in advance.
Despite its convenience, I rarely use Telescopius’ forecast, because I prefer the more detailed astroforecasts of Meteo Blue.
A community to share your workLast but not least, Telescopius also hosts a community of astrophotographers, which you can use to discover the work of very talented photographers.
International Dark Sky Association 1/12/18
If an entire community could earn a gold star for good conduct, then the town of Torrey, Utah, has done just that. IDA awarded that star today by officially recognizing Torrey as Utah’s first International Dark Sky Community. Only 18 communities in the world have achieved this distinction.
An IDA International Dark Sky Community is a town, city, municipality or other legally organized community that has shown exceptional dedication to the preservation of the night sky through the implementation and enforcement of a quality outdoor lighting ordinance, dark sky education and citizen support of dark skies. International Dark Sky Communities excel in their efforts to promote responsible lighting and dark sky stewardship, and set good examples for surrounding communities.
Torrey is situated adjacent to Capitol Reef National Park, which was designated an IDA International Dark Sky Park in 2015. It is the first such U.S. national park ‘gateway community’ to earn the International Dark Sky Community designation. Torrey’s new status is therefore key to preserving abundant natural nighttime darkness in Capitol Reef.
“As Torrey joins the IDA family today, together we take a major step forward in achieving an important goal of the International Dark Sky Places Program to join parks and neighboring communities in dedication to preserving their shared night skies,” said IDA Executive Director J. Scott Feierabend. “Torrey has proven its commitment to protecting this resource for the benefit of both its residents and national park visitors.”
The stars began to align for Torrey when Capitol Reef was designated an International Dark Sky Park. This prompted Torrey residents, friends, and citizens from across Wayne County, Utah, to hitch their wagon to the International Dark Sky Park by working toward International Dark Sky Community status. In turn, the Torrey Town Council implemented an outdoor lighting ordinance, which requires street and building lighting to be shielded and directed toward the ground.
“While those who came before us left us our dark night skies to love, now we leave a legacy to generations of future residents of this special place we proudly call home,” explained Torrey Mayor Scott Chestnut. “We’ve often been accused of being ‘in the dark,’ but now we’re being honored for it!”
In a partnership with the Torrey-based Entrada Institute, engaged citizens raised money to replace the town’s high-pressure sodium streetlights with dark sky-friendly, fully-shielded light-emitting diode (LED) lights. The success of this campaign, along with education events and publications, made it possible to bring darker skies and brighter dreams to Torrey.
A unique group of leaders supported this effort: town council members, Torrey Town and Wayne County residents, local business owners and friends from across the country. Their enthusiasm and advocacy make it possible to preserve the stars for present and future generations.
“My 72-year-old heart skips a beat every time I see the glow of the Milky Way core rising from behind the silhouettes of hills where I know there is no nearby city to explain the intense brightness of this glowing,” said Torrey resident Bonnie Kaufman. “It is eerie, breathtaking and spiritual!”
To maintain its International Dark Sky Community status, Torrey must continue to preserve its night sky through education and awareness materials, dark sky events, exhibits, and programs. An official celebration will be held in Torrey during the Heritage Star Festival on October 5 and 6, 2018.


3 Year Old Preschool Printables
What Are the Learning Stages in Preschool?
Learning in the early years, often referred to as early childhood education, is a crucial period of development that lays the foundation for a child's lifelong learning journey.
Early years education focuses on the holistic development of children, and teachers concentrate on all aspects of education. They pay attention to what children are interested in and design themes or projects that assist youngsters to broaden their knowledge and abilities in a variety of areas.
When children can draw connections across many content areas, they have a better comprehension of the subject.
Early Reading for Preschoolers:
Alphabet Recognition: Introduce preschoolers to the letters of the alphabet through songs, games, and visual aids. Help them recognize and name both uppercase and lowercase letters.
Phonemic Awareness: Engage children in activities that focus on the sounds of language, such as rhyming games, identifying the beginning sounds of words, and segmenting words into syllables or individual sounds.
Read-Alouds: Read to preschoolers regularly, exposing them to a variety of age-appropriate books. Encourage active engagement by asking questions, discussing the story, and making connections to their own experiences.
Letter Sounds: Teach the basic letter sounds (phonics) to preschoolers. Help them associate the sounds with corresponding letters to lay the foundation for early reading skills.
Early Writing for Preschoolers:
Pre-Writing Activities: Engage preschoolers in activities that develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, such as drawing shapes, tracing lines, and using manipulative tools like playdough or finger paint.
Name Writing: Help children learn to write their names. Begin with tracing and gradually guide them towards writing independently.
Letter Formation: Introduce proper letter formation through activities like finger tracing, sand or salt trays, or using dry-erase boards. Teach them how to form both uppercase and lowercase letters.
Drawing and Storytelling: Encourage preschoolers to draw and dictate stories. This promotes their creativity, language development, and early writing skills as they try to represent their ideas on paper.
Early Math for Preschoolers:
Counting: Teach preschoolers to count orally from 1 to 10 and gradually extend to higher numbers. Use objects, fingers, or visual aids to reinforce counting skills.
Number Recognition: Help children recognize and identify numerals. Use number charts, puzzles, or manipulatives like counting blocks or number cards.
Sorting and Classifying: Engage preschoolers in sorting objects by color, shape, size, or other attributes. This helps them understand and recognize patterns and relationships.
Patterns and Sequencing: Introduce simple patterns and sequences using objects or visuals. Encourage children to continue or replicate the patterns.
Early Science for Preschoolers:
Nature Exploration: Take preschoolers on nature walks or engage them in hands-on activities to explore plants, animals, weather, and the environment. Encourage observation, questioning, and discussion about their findings.
Sensory Experiences: Provide opportunities for children to engage their senses, such as through sensory bins, experiments with water and textures, or exploring objects with different properties (hard, soft, rough, smooth).
Basic Concepts: Introduce preschoolers to basic science concepts like gravity, magnetism, buoyancy, and basic life cycles. Use age-appropriate books, experiments, or visual aids to enhance their understanding.
Cause and Effect: Engage children in simple experiments or activities to explore cause-and-effect relationships. This helps them develop early scientific thinking and curiosity.
We also have more printable preschool you may like: Preschool Daily Reports Printable Printable Preschool Tracing Lines Sheets Christian Preschool Printables Thanksgiving
What Do Kids Learn in Preschool?
Preschool is an important stage of early childhood education where children aged 3 to 5 years old learn and develop various skills in preparation for formal schooling. Here are some key areas of learning in preschool:
A. Social and Emotional Development:
- Developing social skills like sharing, taking turns, and cooperating with others.
- Building self-confidence and self-esteem.
- Learning to express and manage emotions effectively.
- Developing empathy and understanding others' feelings.
B. Language and Communication:
- Expanding vocabulary through conversations, storytelling, and exposure to books.
- Practicing listening and comprehension skills.
- Learning to follow directions and participate in group discussions.
- Developing early literacy skills like letter recognition and phonics awareness.
C. Cognitive Development:
- Developing problem-solving skills and critical thinking abilities.
- Developing basic math concepts like counting, sorting, and recognizing shapes and patterns.
- Enhancing memory and attention span.
- Exploring cause-and-effect relationships.
- Developing scientific thinking through hands-on exploration.
D. Fine and Gross Motor Skills:
- Refining fine motor skills through activities like coloring, cutting, and writing.
- Developing hand-eye coordination through puzzles, building blocks, and manipulative toys.
- Engaging in physical activities to develop gross motor skills, balance, and coordination.
E. Creativity and Expressive Arts:
- Engaging in art activities like drawing, painting, and sculpting.
- Exploring music, rhythm, and movement.
- Encouraging imaginative play and storytelling.
- Expressing creativity through dramatic play and dress-up.
F. Independence and Self-help Skills:
- Developing self-help skills like dressing, feeding, and personal hygiene.
- Learning to be responsible for personal belongings and tidying up.
- Cultivating independence and decision-making abilities.
G. Social Studies and Cultural Awareness:
- Acknowledged their surroundings and environment, such as diverse cultures, traditions, and customs.
- Developing an understanding of community helpers, family, and basic geography.
- Exploring concepts of fairness, kindness, and respect for diversity.
Preschool provides a nurturing environment where children learn through play, hands-on activities, and interaction with peers and teachers. The focus is on holistic development, fostering a love for learning, and preparing children for a smooth transition to formal education.
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Find free printable content.
Free Preschool Worksheets
The idea behind this website is to make a place where parents, teachers, and childcare professionals can download and print free educational resources for preschoolers. Preschool-aged children will benefit the most from the free printable worksheets on the site right now but we also plan on adding additional resources for younger kids.
Worksheets Cover English, Math, Activities, and General Learning
Our free worksheets are broken down into four main categories and cover different areas of early childhood education. The preschool English worksheets category includes spelling, reading, rhyming, phonics, and alphabet printables. They are designed for preschoolers’ cognitive and literacy development. The preschool activity worksheets category includes scissors practice, mazes, connect the dots, coloring, and tracing printables. They help children with developing fine motor skills and critical thinking ability. The preschool math worksheets category includes shapes, position and order, numbers, measurement, and counting printables. Children will become familiar with basic math skills. The preschool learning worksheets category includes weather, holiday, seasonal, colors, and telling time printables. They are a wonderful way for kids to learn the fundamental aspects of life. All of our free preschool worksheets can be downloaded in the PDF file format and then printed or you can print the worksheets directly in your browser.
Free to Use Anywhere including Preschools, Daycare Centers, Summer Camps, and at Home
One of the more common questions we get is “What are we allowed to do with the worksheets?”. You can do everything you want with our free daycare worksheets except sell them. Print as many as you want and make as many copies as you would like. You are also allowed to use our free worksheets anywhere, whether it be a preschool, summer camp, kindergarten, home, or a local daycare center. We want the worksheets we have created to be used by as many kids as possible.
These Preschool Printables are Different
Daycare worksheets cannot just be handed out and expected to be completed. A toddler who is two years old and a preschooler who is four years old learn differently than older children. Younger kids need to have different types of engagement in order to facilitate learning. Many of our preschool worksheets have more than one way they can be utilized. Teachers and parents can print a worksheet and then make learning game or activity out of it. Childcare professionals can also put together lesson plans using the free printables that can fit into a prekindergarten curriculum.
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Homework for three-year-olds? They’re too young to enter the rat race
I was an obedient child, and think kids should be stretched. But the amount of schoolwork my children get is unacceptable
B etween the hours of 6.30 and 7.15pm nightly, we sit down in my house to do homework. This has been a surprising addition to the schedule, given that my children aren’t yet four years old. More surprising has been my enormous hostility towards it; while my daughters happily apply themselves to reading and writing practice, I pace in the background, indignant that the tiny amount of time we have in the evening has been annexed by the New York City Department of Education.
What’s particularly weird about this is that I never had any objection to doing homework myself. I’m a fairly obedient person. If as a child I’d gone to a progressive school, I doubt I would have liked it, and I sometimes thank God no one thought of forest schools in the late 1970s. As an adult, I belong to a personality type that has never grown out of needing sharp deadlines to function, and I believe, somewhere in my core, that missing one means I will actually die.
Plus I approve, at least in theory, of stretching a child intellectually. But slogging through worksheets after having spent six hours in the classroom seems to me, at this age, absurd. I have always been suspicious of the idea that some children and not others qualify for the tag of “free spirit”, and before now would have scoffed at the idea that homework puts undue pressure on the child. Well, not any more. (There is another gripe relating to the total lack of accommodation for working parents, who don’t see their kids until after 6pm, when everyone is done in for the day. But that’s a separate issue.)
There is data to support my annoyance. In Finland , which routinely tops global education rankings, children only start school at seven – after years of state-funded nursery placements – and there is minimal homework, if any. Homework starts much later in many Manhattan private schools too, most of which work on a theory of play-based learning, only piling on the pressure when the kids hit third or fourth grade.
The city’s state schools, however, are horribly shackled to the timetable of standardised testing. The rat race starts so young in New York that both my kids have been tested for selective state primary schools and will sit more tests after Christmas. And already I’m done with it, eyeing the progressive schools, dreaming of moving to a small island where they can knit their own curriculum and learn to press flowers.
Instead, here we are, past bedtime on a Tuesday night, my daughters’ attention starting to wander while I beg them to do one more page and avoid a minus sign in the margins to indicate poor effort. After 15 minutes, they start losing interest and marking the wrong answers just to be enraging, and I find myself getting short with them. Welcome to the treadmill that will last roughly for ever.
And so I do something that makes even less sense than issuing homework in the first place. After they are in bed, their worksheets half done, I pick up a felt tip and, putting it in my left hand to increase authenticity, do a poor job of colouring in a picture of an ant. This is a one-off, I think; a stopgap until we can better manage our schedule. Who am I kidding?
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3 Years – 4 Years
Drawing and Sorting 2D Shapes Activity
Counting Collections Numbers 1-20 Activity
Early Years Fine Motor Colour Activities
Puffy Paint: There is something magical about Puffy Paint and it is a must try for any child or toddler to paint and play with. It is super easy to make with all the ingredients you need right in your pantry and after your child has finished painting, place it in the microwave for the magic to happen…….It is SO much FUN!! Read more……
Jelly Play Dough Critters : Recently I shared a recipe for Jelly Play Dough ; this is what we did with it! We created some funny Jelly Play Dough Critters, frogs, owls, funny faces, monsters and a little kitten. The ideas and the imagination are endless. Read more…..
What is Hiding in Our Jelly?: Hiding items inside some jelly for kids to squish and squeeze to find them. Fun sensory activity for finding numbers, alphabet letters and animals hiding in the jelly. Read more……
Create a Spring Play Dough Garden : Here is a great spring theme activity for the kids, creating a Spring Play Dough Garden. The play dough has been scented with a herbal shampoo to smell like flowers and is textured with small coloured flower petals. It is a great activity for kids to explore their creativity and imagination as they create their very own spring garden. Read more…..
Pompom Hockey: Keep the kids entertained with Pompom Hockey. It is a super simple activity you can set up at home for the kids, that is fun, challenging and exciting. It also gets little bodies moving! Read more…..
Back Yard Water Park: We set a range of different theme stations for the kids to play and explore, some were more sensory play based and others were imaginative play based. Altogether we had seven water play stations in our Back Yard Water Park. Read more…..
Count i ng and Subitising : The aim of this activity to develop the skill of subitising by creating an environment (visual scene) to recognise the number associated with a particular pattern on the dice, with the clusters of circles on the paper and collections/groups of pompoms and tokens made to match that of the dice. Read more…..
Sensory Play with Ice World: Ice World is a sensory activity for toddlers and pre-school children involving playing with ice, water and sea theme props. The amazing thing about sensory play is that it opens the door to so many wonderful learning opportunities such as imaginative play, language exploration, fine motor development for pre-writing skills, coordination, social interactions and so much more. Read more…….
Sorting Colours with Pompoms and Cardboard Rolls : Making learning your colours fun with this interactive game using pompoms and cardboard rolls! It involves sorting and placing coloured pompoms into the matching coloured cardboard roll and catching them in a bowl. It was a great way to reinforce the learning of colours, checking for understanding and having some fun with colours. Read more……
Free Printable Number Tracing Cards : This is a great way for kids to practice writing their numbers!! The Number Tracing Cards are a free printable that can be laminated to allow kids to draw on with a white board marker as it wipes away easily with a tissue. Kids can practice writing their numbers correctly and wipe it away and try again. Read more…..
DIY Skittles & Games : Our Homemade Skittles would have to be one of the most played with toys in our house. My girls are continuously finding new and fun things to do with them. Read more….
Imaginative Play – Planting a Garden : Coming Soon!!
Play Dough and Buttons : Setting up an invitation to play with play dough, and buttons to inspire the imagination and creativity. Read more…..
How to make Gloop? If you haven’t made Gloop yet, then this is a must for any toddler or child to try. It is super fun and super messy, I am not sure who had the most fun, me or the kids!! Gloop is an interesting mixture with a unique texture to explore and play with. Playing with Gloop is a fabulous sensory and science activity to learn about the concepts of what a solid and liquid is. Read more…..
Number Sort : Number sort is a fun, hands on activity to play and learn with numbers. It sets a challenge of searching for specific numbers amongst a jumble of numbers. Read more…..
Homemade Alphabet Sponge Letters : So much fun for the bath…….and learning your alphabet too! A great tactile and hands-on activity for kids to play with while taking a bath. When wet, the sponges stick or suction slightly to the sides of the bath and tiles, making it a great canvas for creating endless ideas. Read more…..
Rainbow Salt Tray : Why would you need crayons, textas, pencils and paper to draw when you can have more fun with a Rainbow Salt Tray! Read more…..
Pasta Play Dough : Let your child’s imagination run wild as they create and explore play dough and pasta. Read more…..
Make Your Own Solid Numbers : Combining science and learning numbers together in the one activities. Read more…..
Nature’s Paint Brushes : With the weather warming up, I have been planning more activities to do with the kids outside and I thought these paint brushes would be perfect for textured painting on a large paper canvas fixed to the fence. Read more….
Alphabet Play Dough : We had so much fun playing with our Alphabet Play Dough! It is a fun activity to help kids learn their alphabet letters and build up their fine motor skills at the same time. This activity involves using play dough to create letters in the alphabet, using the FREE Printable Alphabet Play Dough Mats as a guide. Read more…..
Sensory Play with Jelly : Ooey, gooey, slushy and messy! A fun sensory experience playing with Rainbow Jelly. Read more…..
Name Collage : Making a name collage using pom poms is an activity that will help your child become interested in their name and the letters that make up their name. Read more….
Paint Pops: Making painting fun using frozen paint on a pop stick. Create endless paintings as the paint melts! Read more……
Strawberry Scented Rice : Exploring and playing with strawberry scented rice with all kinds of scoops, shovels and sifts. Read more…..
Washing a Toy Baby : Watching Mum and Dad washing a baby sibling is an example of an experience that children copy and re-enact. Watching and learning from this experience then practising, imitating and experimenting this through imaginary play. Read more…..
Homemade Street Traffic Bath Sponges : This will keep the kids busy while having a bath as well as stimulating their imaginations and developing their storytelling skills. It is a great hands-on sensory play activity that promotes creativity, storytelling and the imagination. The bath tub is a great canvas for creating stories! A free printable too! Read more…..
S traw Flowers: A cute little gift idea! Something so simple, fun and easy to make and you will find all the items you need around the home. Read more…..
Sensory Play Rice and Bottle Tops : Developing fine motor skills through sensory play with rainbow rice and bottle tops that will also inspire the imagination and creativity. Read more…..
Pipe Cleaner Maze : Exploring and playing with pipe cleaners and beads with the Styrofoam while exercising the fine motor muscles. Read more…..
Play Dough Cupcakes : There is so much fun to be had creating pretend cupcakes as kids have the freedom to explore the imaginary world. This is a great activity to introduce and sing the Pat-a-Cake nursery rhyme. Read more……
We’re Going On a Teddy Bear Hunt : We have a gorgeous book which comes with a CD that tells the story of the adventure of going on a bear hunt. My kids have played this CD over many times as I watch them pretend to walk through long, wavy grass and run away from a bear. So I thought I would bring this story to life some more by creating the different scenes in the book. Read more…..
Pillow Case Hoppers : this wonderful activity reminded me of how the simple things can bring so much fun, while being active. This game is an oldie but a goodie replacing the hessian sacks with a pillow case……simple hours of fun! Read more…..
Soapy Slime FUN: This activity was FUN, REALLY FUN!! Kids love to get messy, it comes with being a kid as they explore their natural curiosity about the world around them. Read more…..
Paint Me: Paint Me is a cute and quirky activity that kids will enjoy making! I plan to use ours as keep sake to giggle at in years to come. It is a perfect snap shot of the size of your kids hands and feet to compare with when they get older. Read more…..
Play Dough and Cardboard Tubes : “Rolling play dough balls down a cardboard tube ramp!” Lots of fun with play dough. Read more…..
Colourful Pattern Collage : These Colourful Pattern Easter Eggs are a bright and colourful activity for the kids to do this Easter. They are super simple to make, don’t require a lot of materials and are lots of fun! Read more…..
Alphabet Hide & Seek: My kids get very excited when we play this game. The challenge and anticipation of searching for something brings so much fun to learning your alphabet letters! The Hide and Seek Letter Hunt involves hiding the letter pairs around the house and your child goes around finding them. Free printable. Read more…..
Great Places to Play at Home : There are so many wonderful places in the home where children can play imaginatively, creatively and get active indoors. Kids will create imaginary worlds to explore and play using the most inexpensive and simple things you can find right at home. Here are a few ideas for you to try! Read more…..
Indoor Camping : It’s raining, it’s pouring…..and we have been stuck inside a fair bit lately with the weather.
To entertain the kids and give them something to do we set up an indoor camping trip to beat the boredom and promote imaginative play. Here are a few ideas for setting up your own Indoor Campsite. Read more…..
Pompoms and Mini Tongs: In the early years, we often hear discussions about the importance of fine motor and gross motor development in kids. Here is a great activity that is fun and exercises those little muscles to develop strength! Read more…..
Bottle Top Leaf Boats: What I love about winter is that there are lots of puddles to play in. Recently after days of rain and being stuck inside, we put our rain coats and gum boots on for a splash about in the puddles. Read more….
Ima gi native Play Baby Care Corner : Encourage imaginative play by setting up a Babies Care Corner. This would be a fabulous imaginative play area to set up for families who are expecting or have a new baby and for children who have a younger sibling. Read more…..
Making Honeycomb, Exploring Bi-Carbonate Soda : After making our Homemade Volcano and watching the excitement on my kids’ faces as the vinegar and bicarbonate soda reacted together, I thought I would extend the fun, fizzing and frothing into the kitchen by making some simple homemade honeycomb. Read more…..
Number Cookies : An irresistibly yummy numeracy activity for kids! So much learning happens when we cook with our kids. The social interactions, processing information, following directions, problem solving and coordination. Read more…..
Bottle Tops & Bubbles : A simple unstructured and fun sensory play idea using water, bubbles and bottle tops. It was wonderful to see the creativity, imagination and fun happen just by adding bottle tops and bubble bath to the tub.
The Nursery Rhymes Box : The Nursery Rhyme Box is an activity developed to encourage and promote oral language development in young children. It is essentially a box filled with a number of props that will trigger a nursery rhyme song, such as a stuffed toy cow may trigger the nursery rhyme ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’ or ‘Old Mac Donald had a Farm’ because these nursery rhymes have a cow in their lyrics. Read more…..
Blackberry Finger Painting : An activity inspired by reading the children’s book Mr McGee and the Blackberry Jam by Pamela Allen. It had been a while since we have pulled out the paints so I thought we would get them out to do a little finger painting and incorporate it with our theme of blackberries. We made some blackberries using purple and black paint and our fingers. It is always so much fun painting with our fingers! Read more…..
C olourful Cellophane Sticky Art : Cellophane Sticky Art is a great activity to introduce kids to colours!! I believe it is never too early to start learning about concepts such as colour and that through setting up opportunities to play and learn will begin the journey of developing an understanding. Read more…..
Play Dough – Bottle Tops and Straws: It is always fun to watch and see what kids will come up with when you give them simple props to promote play in an open-ended and unstructured way.
Here I have set up our activity table with play dough, bottle tops and straws to inspire the imagination and creativity. Read more….
How to make a Homemade Volcano ? Watching a homemade volcano erupt is a very exciting experience for young children as they watch and learn about the amazing power of these geological formations.
Making your own homemade volcano is really simple and requires basic material that you can find around the home. Read more…..
Paper Plate Rainbow : Using simple craft materials to create a Paper Plate Rainbow! Kids will enjoy swishing the rainbow through the air while listening to their favourite rainbow songs. Read more…..
Imaginary World of Felt : Felt is a sensory toy, brightly coloured, hands on playing, creative and great for storytelling. It brings so much imagination and learning to play times. Read more…..
Water Balloons : A fun sensory play experience for kids in the bath tub by adding balloons filled with water. Read more…..
Autumn Play Dough Leaf Prints : We have been celebrating the new season and the changes in the colours of leaves with making leaf prints and patterns using real leaves in a Nutmeg Scented Autumn Play Dough. The play dough is lightly scented with spicy nutmeg and cinnamon, with brown colouring and red and gold glitter bringing together all the wonderful elements of autumn. Read more…..
Number Play Dough : We had so much fun making numbers with our Orange Scented Play Dough . It is a fun activity to introduce or reinforce learning about numbers for kids and develop an understanding of ‘how many’ to make a number. Free printable number play dough mats. Read more…..
Imaginative Play Wet Washing : Imaginative play washing line is so simple to put together but yet so effective for kids to pretend, engage and make sense of their world. Practising and experimenting with the various skills they will take into adulthood. Read more…..
Bubble Wrap Painting: Kids never get bored with bubble wrap, there is so much fun to be had and so much to explore with it. One of these things to explore is the interesting patterns and shapes it creates with paint. Here we have incorporated bubble wrap painting with a Valentine’s Day theme using cut out heart shapes with bubble wrap. Read more…….
Sensory Play with Sand : Sand is a toy! The less a toy does the more a child will learn! Sand is such a great sensory toy for kids as they explore their sense of touch and play and discover the wonderful texture of sand! Read more…..
Painting with Homemade Number Stamps : These Homemade Number Stamps will make learning your numbers FUN for kids as they can make endless paintings of numbers prints and sing-a-long as they learn and play! The Number Stamps are low cost, require very little materials and are super easy to make! Read more…..
Homemade Guitar : An empty shoe box + elastic bands + a cardboard tube = Homemade Guitar and endless hours of fun! These guitars are such a simple homemade instrument to make and will bring so much fun to kids play times! Read more…..
Let’s Make a Play Dough Cake : Kids love birthdays, blowing out candles and cake! Why not incorporate all these wonderful things with oral language development, strengthening fine motor skills, developing numeracy concepts and most importantly FUN! This activity involves making a play dough cake, adding candles and singing one of my favourite children’s song; 10 Little Candles. Read more…..
Imaginative Play Vet Hospital : Imaginative play would have to be one of my most favourite kinds of play. Today I am sharing with you our imaginative play Vet Hospital and some simple ideas for setting one up in your home to encourage this play. Read more…..
How to make Hanging Crystals?: Stalactites and stalagmites are formed in caves by water dripping or flowing from fractures on the roof of the cave. To try and imitate this we set up an experiment to grow salt crystals hanging from a string of wool. Read more…..
Invitation to Play with Paint & Sponges : Setting up an invitation to play with paint and cut up sponge pieces. It is always interesting to see the difference each child thinks creatively as they explore the paint and sponge pieces. Read more…..
Rainbow Collage : Adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that to create a rainbow collage! Read more…..
Chocolate Play Dough: This Chocolate Play Dough really looks and smells just like the real thing! YUM!! This play dough is great for an Easter Theme Activity! Read more…..
Sorting Buttons : Buttons are amazing as there are so many different shapes, sizes, colours, materials and styles. Kids love to run their hands through buttons, sort through them and explore the differences. Buttons are a great sensory toy and are also great to assist in learning about colours. Read more…..
Ice Boats : Water and ice are great for sensory play with kids as it engages children into a world of exploration and wonder. To make our water and ice sensory play experience a little more fun we turned the ice blocks into boats with a few simple materials. Read more…..
Marble Painting : Create some fun masterpieces with paint and marbles. Rolling marbles through paint on top of a sheet of paper creates some fun and interesting patterns. Read more……
Where is the Green Sheep? Extending the learning from the wonderful book for toddlers written by Mem Fox and making our very own Green Sheep Puppet!! Read more…..
Tin Can Music Makers : Make some homemade Tin Can Music Makers with your toddler to shake and play with as they bop along to their favourite songs. Read more…..
Imaginative Play Ice Cream Shop : The fun and joy of exploring the imaginary world of an ice cream shop.
Today I am sharing some ideas for setting up an imaginative play ice cream shop. My girls had so much fun with this (and Dad) and took part in adding their own ideas of what they thought an Ice Cream Shop should have. Read more…..
Giant Drawing: A giant drawing is an over sized piece of paper that is stuck down using sticky tape. Over a period of days the drawing grows and develops, sometimes a bit of a theme or story grows with it. Read more…..
Coloured Felt Ice Creams : This is such a fun hands on activity for kids to promote the learning of colours while playing creatively and making felt ice creams. This activity involves kids to creatively stack coloured felt ice cream on top of felt cones and then label the colours with Velcro cards. Read on to find out more and print your own! Read more…..
Little Toilet Roll People : Making these little characters is so much fun as they can be brought to life in imaginative play games. They are so simple to make and are made out recycled materials that you will find around the home. Read more…..
Sock Puppet : Creating a character or a new friend out of a sock brings hours of fun for kids. It’s fun for kids to make their own sock puppet and then the enjoyment of bringing it to life in their imaginative games. Read more…..
Sorting Coloured Bottle Tops : Sorting bottle tops into groups according to colour using paper plates to group them. Read more…..
Painting with Toy Cars : Rolling toy cars into paint and creating pictures with the patterns transferred from the wheels. Read more…..
Mini Pompom Cupcakes : Mini cupcakes are a simple, colourful and creative craft activity for kids! There are so many fun games and imaginative play times to be had with them. Read more…..
Stand Up Alphabet : The Stand Up Alphabet is one of my favourite activities here on learning4kids! Once you have made your own set, you can use them for a range of literacy activities Read more…..
Counting Octopus: Octopus Counting is a fun and creative way to introduce numbers, learn to count, or for the older kids skip counting. Read more…..
Alphabet Archaeologist : Taking on the role of an archaeologist looking for artifacts and bones in the sand or in this case searching for alphabet letters. It is a great activity to promote the learning of letter names and the sounds that they make. Read more…..
Imaginative Play Baker’s Shop : Imaginative play bakers shop was inspired by our mini cupcakes which we made previously. They make a brilliant prop to encourage the imaginary world in a bakers shop. Read more…..
How to make a Foaming Monster?: Why does it bubble? The reaction between the vinegar and bicarb soda makes carbon dioxide, which causes tiny bubbles to form. Why does it come out its mouth? The dish liquid mixed with the vinegar/bicarb combination causes a reaction that makes the foam pour out of the monster’s mouth. Read more…..
4 thoughts on “3 Years – 4 Years”
Good day very intresting and helpfull
I do this with my girls after school even thought they are older. There is nothing more educational then hands on interactive games. I modify playing for different skills but kids like having fun. I like whey they are happy and they like to learn. It is a win-win situation.
Thanks so much for well written, well explained activities. I do activities with my grandkids in the USA (I am South African however) and love your ideas (and seeing things named as I knew them growing up!!)
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Hi and welcome to Learning 4 Kids!
My name is Janice and I am an Early Childhood Teacher in Australia.
I have a strong passion and love for teaching and creating meaningful learning experiences for my students. What I love most is watching children discover in those amazing light bulb moments. I hope Learning4kids brings you some useful ideas.