All Blog Posts (140)

These three intrepid 3 year old master builders solved the problem of how to make a tower of milk crates tall enough to reach the sandpit shade cloth by cleverly creating a system of steps:

One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly. ~Andy Rooney…

On Facebook? So are we!

Please take a minute to "Like" us on Facebook to help us raise awareness about HSBS and all the great work that is going on across the country. And tell your…

Whether you have snow on the ground where you live or not, winter is a great time to play outdoors! Though many of us have the urge to hibernate during the coldest months of the year, Mother Nature has a so much beauty and wonder in store.

Forget about cabin fever! If you dress…

Each month, HSBS puts out our Heads Up! eNewsletter which is chock full of useful information for the early childhood community. 

Check out the November issue today.…

RESTON, VA , November 9, 2011 — More than 1,500 grants to improve Head Start centers' outdoor play spaces and educate staff, children and their families about the value of physical activity and playing outdoors, have led to a dramatic increase in the outdoor activity levels of more than 28,000…

One of my favorite bloggers is Tom Hobson, better known as Teacher Tom. I loved his recent post on outdoor learning and hope that you find it inspirational as well. 

From his post Learning at Full Capacity:

There are few things that get under my skin more than the common knowledge that children need to spend time outside to "blow off steam." I know it's well intended, and the result is that children do get to be outside, but implied…

In his latest piece in the Huffington Post, KaBOOM! CEO Darell Hammond asks, Will the next generation have a Steve Jobs?

The forecast doesn't look good. In an era of parental paranoia, lawsuit mania and testing frenzy, we are failing to inspire our children's curiosity, creativity, and imagination. We are denying them opportunities to tinker, discover, and explore -- in short, to play.…

From the State-Journal Register:

CVS Caremark Inclusive Play $5,000 Grant

Deadline Oct. 31, 2011  

Grants to support Children with Disabilities

We support programs targeting children under age 21 with disabilities that address any of the following:

Enabling and Encouraging Physical Movement and Play – We believe that play is essential to healthy…

I have definitely been feeling the burn from being more active with my school kids - I encourage them to do a different movement to line up (skip, hop, jump, slide, etc. to the door), and I've been doing "Do Three With Me" while we wait for everyone to finish washing their hands for snack. We usually throw in a song with motions for good measure.

We've been having LOTS and lots of fun with our bath poufs - they were brand-new 3 weeks ago, and now they're looking a bit worse for wear.…

This week, OHS National Direct Yvette Sanchez Fuentes took to Huffington Post to talk about today's Head Start. Here is an excerpt for the article:

It takes a lot more than the ABC's and a working knowledge of colors to get ready for kindergarten. As 1 million low-income…

Kudos to Chicago for taking positive steps for their preschoolers. It's so good to hear some good news for a change -- and EXTRA applause for limiting screen time! The importance of this strategy for caregivers, educators and especially families cannot be understated. …

Hello, all!

I thought I'd do a little intro here.

My name is Brandy, and I'm in the

central-ish Michigan area. I work in a community center with grades K

– 6 in our after school program. This month marks 5 years of me

working there! It's been surreal, watching the kids who started when

I did grow up...gah!

I've always felt strongly about outside

play. Growing up, I practically lived outside. I was happy to make up

my own games and…

What is National Public Lands Day?

National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the nation's largest, single-day volunteer event for public lands in the United States. In 2011, NPLD will be held on September 24, 2011.

NPLD began in 1994 with three sites and 700 volunteers. It proved to be a huge success and NPLD became a yearly tradition, typically held on the last Saturday in September.  Since the first NPLD, the event has grown by leaps and bounds. 

Last year, 170,000…

Join Head Start Body Start and early childhood educators & caretakers across the country (and globe!) as we celebrate Take it Outside Week October 16 - 22nd, 2011! Help us raise awareness of the benefits of outdoor play and learning for all children -- and have a lot of FUN in the…