And Spark Their Creative Play While Conserving Resources

It’s happened to all of us at least once. We witness a young child opening a gift or a package, only to pause and excitedly run off clutching bubble wrap that streams behind, toss packing shreds in the air with glee, or climb fully inside the box…all before even getting to the packaged item itself.

Children are fascinated by things we usually consider junk—used gift wrap and ribbon, packing materials, egg cartons, paper towel tubes... These Loose Parts—items that can be moved around, designed, and redesigned—provide infinite opportunities for creative engagement, and we love watching children discover them and innovate structures, worlds, and storylines driven by their own interest and imagination.

+ FREE Kinetic Sand Recipe!

Most of us think about our children's first steps or first words, but not so much about the senses they have been using their whole lives. Children are wired to receive sensory input from day one. Using their senses is the most familiar, basic way for children to explore, process, and understand new information. Sensory play, therefore, allows children to optimize this natural learning method. Creating a customized sensory bin for your kids will inspire sensory play, and it’s so easy! Just follow these three steps—with materials you probably already have lying your house—and revel in the (quiet!) independent play that is sure to follow.

Our Progressive Age Series Continued!

Oh, the beautiful age of 3! It’s a time of magic—when a child’s awareness is opening up to the wonders of the world in ever-deepening ways… Just as we explored the developmental loves and challenges of 12-18-month-olds, 18-24-month-olds, and 2-year-olds, our focus today is on 3-year-olds.

Harmony’s grounds have been teeming with the joys of 3-year-olds for years—it’s a developmental age we both love and understand inside and out. Before we dive into what gets their juices flowing, we want to share what we adore most about this age...

Play Is the Work of Childhood

When parents ask what more they should do for their children, our response is always the same: let them play! As Fred Rogers famously said, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”

We couldn’t agree more. Play is how children learn about the world, themselves, and each other. It's as much a part of healthy development as eating vegetables, reading stories, and getting a good night’s sleep. There is no right or wrong way to play.

We see you. We feel you. We’re with you.

In the best of times, parenting is a challenge. Moms, dads, and other full-time caregivers of the 5-and-under set can attest to the special mental and physical fortitude required to constantly be at the ready for any unforeseen needs, meltdowns, or crises this adorable age set may hurtle in our direction at any second.

Now let’s consider parenting during challenging times. We so often talk about and focus on what our children need, but as the world continues to navigate nearly two years of major upheaval, we wanted to take a moment to talk about you. Us. How to zero in on what we need as parents and caregivers to keep our familial ship upright, sailing confidently forward through the choppy seas of life.

Counting Fun With Scarecrows

The arrival of autumn in all its fiery glory coincides with an annual scarecrow contest in a town neighboring Harmony. Families and organizations create scarecrows aligning with a chosen theme, affix them to lampposts across the town, and children of all ages delight in choosing their favorites.

Inspired by this community enthusiasm celebrating the spirit of fall, we designed the following FREE scarecrow counting activity to engage your little one…

How To Transition to Fall Like a Pro

Summer is always fleeting, but somehow, this summer felt even more blink-and-it’s-gone. At Harmony, we are now a pack of whirling dervishes, prepping our classrooms for another year of adorable children primed to learn through play and fill each school day with joy.

As parents, we know all too well how this schedule shift can at first feel like the grind of an engine too hastily switching gears in a standard-transmission car—clunky, cringeworthy, and exhausting. But with a touch of advance planning, you’ll be shifting gears more smoothly than the winner of the Indy 500...

Our Progressive Age Series Continued!

After our two recent posts examining the loves and challenges of 18-24-month olds and 12-18-month-olds, today we are focusing on the beautiful age of 2!

We’re happy to say, the famed Terrible Two moniker is more myth than reality. The truth is, outbursts of challenging behavior can arrive at any age. If—as parents, caregivers, or teachers—we prepare, self-educate, ensure we (and our kids!) regularly get plenty of rest, and root our days in predictable routine…those twos need not be terrible at all…

AKA How to Enjoy (ALMOST) Every Minute

“Enjoy every minute, it all goes by so fast!” How many times have we all heard a well-meaning aunt or passing shopper utter these words?We know we should enjoy every moment. We do. BUT. The days are long. Some days, extremely long. Especially when we’re sleep-deprived. Or our kids are. Or if we happen to be the parents of particularly high-energy or defiant children. What if we told you we’ve figured out how to break that defeating cycle—that we’d cracked a formula to allow you to take control of the daily steamroller and use it to smooth the inevitable challenges in your path instead of being flattened by them? Well. We have. And it’s easier than you think.