Let’s Play: A Playbook for Kids of All Abilities
When we focus on a child’s strengths, interests, and areas in which they need more support, play offers rich opportunities for kids to participate in a challenge level that is right for them. This Playbook includes activities with step-by-step instructions, a summary of each activity’s play benefits, activity alternatives, and challenge boosters.
The Genius of Play, a not-for-profit organization focused on play and safety, recently published its Emotional Wellness Playbook. It is “a carefully curated collection of play-based activities that are designed to help kids develop emotional intelligence and learn to express their feelings in a healthy way — while having fun!”
https://bayareadiscoverymuseum.org/think-make-try
Think, Make, Try® is the Bay Area Discovery Museum's unique three-step engineering design process designed for young learners. The process builds upon a child’s natural curiosities and introduces the engineering design process as a way to support the development of creativity, critical thinking and collaboration.
The Think, Make, Try® Toolkit was created for educators and caregivers working with young children ages 3 to 8 years. This is not a curriculum, but a set of individual resources you can use to support the development of important cognitive skills. This Toolkit is completely downloadable and printable, including Spanish and Chinese versions of child-facing resources.
ALSC and LEGO® DUPLO® Present Read! Build! Play! Librarian Toolkit
For developing early literacy in young children
Four Winds Nature Institute is a non-profit organization advancing the understanding, appreciation, and protection of the environment through community-based natural science education and research.
Check out the Library of Things page for new Play-based Learning Toys available to borrow from NHSL
The following were prepared as a collaboration between the University of New Hampshire Practice-based Coaching Team and Southern New Hampshire Services. Flyers are supported by the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five Initiative (PDG B-5), Grant Number 90TP0060, from the Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant aims to understand the State’s early childhood system and to create a plan to improve outcomes for children, families, schools and communities throughout New Hampshire.
Xanthi and Meredith from the Children's Museum of New Hampshire talked about play-based learning and all the great resources from CMNH during the Together Tuesday Talk in April. https://childrens-museum.org/outreach/online-learning-fun/play-based-learning
In 2018, the state of New Hampshire amended RSA 193-E:2-a, the Substantive Educational Content of an Adequate Education law. The amendment, HB 1499, added a provision specific to the course content and teaching of kindergarten, which is structured upon a play-based model. The new section of the law states:
"Instruction in support of kindergarten standards shall be engaging and shall foster children's development and learning in all domains including physical, social, cognitive, and language. Educators shall create a learning environment that facilitates high quality, child-directed experiences based upon early childhood best teaching practices and play-based learning that comprise movement, creative expression, exploration, socialization, and music. Educators shall develop literacy through guided reading and shall provide unstructured time for the discovery of each child's individual talents, abilities, and needs."
In 2021 NH joins 12 other states in Year 2 of the The Bay Area Discovery Museum (BADM), in collaboration with the Pacific Library Partnership (PLP) and the California State Library (CSL), in a train-the-trainer program to equip librarians with the resources to help families and children ages 0-8 prepare for success in school and in life.
The Reimagining School Readiness Toolkit is a set of free, online research-backed school readiness activities and resources designed to provide librarians with strategies and downloadable content for caregivers to prepare children for school.
WHY This Aligns With Early Learning in New Hampshire:
This research based program aligns with NH's play-based model of learning for Kindergarten adopted in 2018.
https://www.education.nh.gov/who-we-are/deputy-commissioner/kindergarten-tool-kit
This training was offered free of charge through a generous grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as a part of a broader effort to disseminate the toolkit nationally. The toolkit was developed by the Bay Area Discovery Museum in collaboration with the California State Library and the Pacific Library Partnership. Find the toolkit here: https://bayareadiscoverymuseum.org/resources/educator-resources/library-toolkit
Mind in the Making (MITM) is a program based on seven Essential Life skills:
Social, emotional and cognitive learning are a necessary part of all of these skills. Found on the website, Learning Modules, Skill-Building Opportunities and Book Tips provide professionals and caregivers with many resources.
Preschooler Skill-Building Opportunities: Playing With Others
Bring Vroom to Your Community. Free easy-to-use learning tips for children 5 and under.
Niche Academy
https://my.nicheacademy.com/LittleMakersAtHomeStemPlay/course/25692/activity/6049
Keene Public Library
Gail Zachariah
Amy Kraemer
Tracy Snow
For more information contact:
gzachariah@ci.keene.nh.us
OR akraemer@ci.keene.nh.us
603 352-0517
Supplies resource: https://kodokids.com/
Learn more about Playwork and how to increase inclusion in library programs. You will pick up activity ideas and coaching with experienced librarians on conducting Playwork sessions and library programming that is inclusive of a broad spectrum of abilities and development.
Speakers
Montana Rindahl, Librarian at the Mammen Family Public Library
Bulverde, TX
Jill Wood, Librarian at the Parish School and Director of Bayou City Play
Houston, TX
Joel Bangilan, Librarian at the Holocaust Museum Houston
Houston, TX
CLICK HERE for the recording and handouts
A 10-lesson customizable curriculum for public libraries that prepares kids and caregivers with the skills needed for kindergarten.
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the New Hampshire State Library.
