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Make the best of gaining that extra hour Pre-kid, you never really thought about Daylight Saving Time (what’s an hour here or there?). But kids can make this seasonal change a challenge. With the end of Daylight Saving coming up soon, falling back can mean it’s super dark, super early. Before you set your clocks back an hour, read on for some tips and tricks for keeping that precious, tenuous sleep/wake routine in place as we lose an hour of daylight. Related: How Would You Feel About the End of Daylight Saving? iStock Bit by bit. You can try moving...

Our guest writer today is Clara Hogan, a writer based in the East Bay, and a mom to two young daughters. She enjoys strong coffee, braving restaurants with a baby and toddler, discovering new parks, and weekend trips around California with the family. If you’re like me, you find taking your kids outside much easier than being at home with them. A wide open space for them to run free, get tired out, and make a mess that’s not in my living room? Yes, please. That’s why access to nature (and year-round temperate weather) is one of the biggest perks...

We live in an age where everything is overdesigned. Your “phone” — a one-stop shop for work, texts, entertainment, video chats, and news — is just the beginning. You can’t seem to buy a vacuum, a toaster, or a fan without a touchscreen, WiFi linkup, and all that entails. Sometimes it’s overly complicated. Sometimes, it adds to the use and value of the thing. But when it comes to toys, it misses the point.Toys help kids play. Playing is a social thing, an act of learning and observing, interacting and communicating. Through an object, kids can see each other and...

Many parents look forward to hearing what their little ones have been up to at preschool. But often the question is met with a single-word answer or a shrug. It can be difficult talking to preschoolers about their thoughts, but know that it’s likely not you that makes them close off. It’s often hard for kids to transition from one activity to the next or to organize their thoughts. Here are some tips that can help you unlock the vault and get your kids to open up about their days away from you. Model by Sharing Your Own Day With...

Your Halloween activities for preschoolers and kindergarten kids definitely need to include these monster shape mats! They’re free, easy-to-prep, and can be used with a variety of materials. Let the kids explore shape identification and characteristics using the monster play dough shape mats. But they’re not just for use with play dough! Grab the materials you have on-hand and let the kids practice making shapes of all sorts. Your students will get the chance to practice both early math skills AND fine motor skills with the monster shapes printable. You might even need to keep them in your math center...