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There is something about pumpkin season that opens up endless possibilities for play. Pumpkins can be painted, rolled, washed, stacked, scooped, poured, investigated, built with, transformed into small worlds & even turned into pretend pumpkin pie. One simple seasonal object can become the starting point for art, sensory exploration, STEM, literacy, dramatic play, fine motor development & so much more. Throughout my years in early childhood education, I have always loved taki

Inspired by Please, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony, this invitation took the story beyond the pages and into play, inviting children to create, decorate & imagine their very own doughnuts through hands-on exploration. Please, Mr. Panda follows Mr. Panda as he offers a tray of colorful doughnuts to his animal friends. Everyone seems to want one, but there is one very important word they keep forgetting: please! Beyond its humor and beautifully simple illustrations, the story opens

In the World of Wassily Kandinsky: Where Color, Circles & Creativity Collide// There are certain artists whose work seems almost naturally made to be explored through the eyes of a child, and Wassily Kandinsky has always been one of them. His bold use of color, shape, line, movement & abstraction opens up so many possibilities for young children because there is no single object they are expected to see and no one “right” way to interpret what is in front of them. His work in

When children interact with a book through hands-on experiences, the story becomes something they can touch, retell, count, create, & make their own. Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh is perfect for extending literacy through play. With its colorful illustrations, playful storyline, & counting from one to ten and back again, the book naturally inspires opportunities for story retelling, sequencing, counting, number recognition, & creative exploration. After reading the story t

Every child has a mark to make, & #InternationalDotDay is a beautiful celebration of the creativity, courage, & confidence it takes to make it! Celebrated each year on September 15th (& the days surrounding it), Dot Day was inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’ beloved book, The Dot. The story follows Vashti, a young girl who doesn’t believe she can draw until her teacher encourages her to simply make a mark & see where it takes her. One little dot becomes the beginning of a journey

One of our favorite ways to extend a beloved book is by bringing the story beyond the pages & into play.. After reading Lily the Pond Mermaid by Lucy Fleming, we were inspired to recreate Lily’s enchanting pond through a small world invitation. The story follows Lily, a tiny mermaid who lovingly cares for her pond & all the creatures who call it home. When a storm disrupts their peaceful environment, Lily discovers the importance of friendship, community, caring for nature,

There are certain artists whose work stays with you, Yayoi Kusama was one of them. Learning of her passing feels especially poignant because her work has been such a source of inspiration throughout my journey of introducing young children to artists & giving them opportunities to experience art in ways that are playful, immersive, open-ended, & entirely their own. Kusama shaped so much of why I wanted to expose young children to the work of real artists in the first place. H

Books have an incredible way of inspiring play beyond the pages! After reading Eating the Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert, we brought the colorful alphabet book to life with a hands-on fruit hunt & letter-matching. Inspired by the fruits featured throughout the story, we placed a collection of pretend fruits & veggies in our Cosy Direct Sensory bin, and around it we placed our Discount School Supply sensory letters. The children were invited the chi

Learning the alphabet doesn’t have to mean sitting down with flashcards or worksheets. Children can build meaningful connections with letters when they are given opportunities to touch, manipulate, create, search, & play with them. By incorporating letters into sensory play, process art, water exploration, & fine motor invitations, children are exposed to letter shapes and names in ways that feel natural, engaging, & memorable. Here are four of our favorite ways to bring the

There is something so fun about about bringing a favorite story off the pages & into play! After reading A Delicious Dinosaur Pizza Counting Party by R. M. Smith, we extended the story with a hands-on pizza-making invitation that combined literacy, math, sequencing, & pretend play. Throughout the story, a group of colorful dinosaur friends work together to create one very unique pizza, adding different toppings as they count along from one to ten. After reading, we invited th

There is something magical about watching colors swirl, blend, and burst into one-of-a-kind masterpieces. The Colorations® Giant Spin Art Center takes traditional painting to the next level by combining movement, creativity, and hands-on exploration into one engaging art invitation. Its oversized spinning surface, easy-to-clean silicone tray, and manual spinning wheel invite children to experiment with color, motion, and cause and effect while strengthening fine motor skills

There is no question that everyone is axolotl obsessed! Their feathery gills, tiny smiles, & fascinating ability to regenerate parts of their bodies make them an exciting creature for children to discover & learn about. After learning more about these incredible aquatic amphibians, we brought that learning to life through an immersive small world inspired by Lake Xochimilco, the remarkable place wild axolotls call home. We used our Tuff Tray to create a freshwater world inspi

Transforming a collection of blocks into a thriving woodland world through this open-ended STEM invitation encouraged children to become engineers, architects, and storytellers as they designed whimsical forest habitats where woodland animals could live, explore, and play. To create this invitation, we set everything inside our Excellerations Explorer Tuff Tray with the Grass Playmat, instantly creating a lush forest floor that served as the perfect foundation for imaginativ

Creating tiny fairy worlds where imagination takes center stage is pure magic. This enchanting small world invitation encouraged children to become storytellers, architects, and explorers as they designed whimsical fairy landscapes filled with hidden treasures, magical creatures, and endless possibilities. To create this invitation, we provided play dough sprinkled with Colorations Glitter for an extra touch of sparkle and whimsy. Children used the shimmering dough to sculpt

There is something truly enchanting about combining imagination, shimmering colors, and nature's treasures. This fairy potion invitation transported children into a magical world where they became potion makers, gathering rare ingredients to create sparkling brews inspired by the wonder of fairy tales. To create this invitation, we filled large beverage dispensers with Colorations Metallic Liquid Watercolors mixed with water, creating shimmering "mystical water" in rich jewel

Few childhood experiences are as magical as chasing and blowing bubbles. Their shimmering colors, floating movement, and fleeting nature naturally spark wonder, excitement, and curiosity. Using the Innobaby Spike Bubble Play Set, we explored bubbles in two engaging ways: traditional bubble play and as a unique process art experience. 1. Traditional Bubble Play: We began by simply enjoying the bubbles the classic way, blowing, chasing, popping, and watching them float through

There's a party about to begin, and all of the party animals are waiting for one very important thing... cupcakes! This playful sensory invitation invited children to become little bakers as they created colorful cupcake masterpieces filled with creativity, imagination, and hands-on learning. To set up the invitation, we placed party animal figurines with mini party hats and balloons in our tuff tray with the grass playmat insert. Children were provided with cupcake liners f

There is something magical about art that invites children to move their entire bodies while creating. When process art and active play come together, children are free to explore, experiment, and create without worrying about the final product. These two action-packed invitations encourage children to stretch, swing, splatter, and discover how movement can transform art into an exciting sensory experience. Both activities are filled with opportunities for creativity, experim

A red, white, and blue sensory invitation that encourage children to grasp, sort, and scoop are the perfect blend of sensory exploration, fine motor development, and early math learning. With just a few simple materials, this festive invitation inspired meaningful, hands-on play while celebrating the colors of the USA. We filled our sensory bin with red, white, and blue pom poms alongside star loose parts, then added tweezers, star-shaped bowls, cups, cones, tubes, and carafe

This firework playdough cupcake invitation combined sensory exploration, creativity, and festive loose parts to inspire children to design their own sparkling cupcake creations while strengthening important early learning skills. Using white playdough placed inside silicone cupcake liners, we invited children to transform simple dough into festive "firework cupcakes." In our sorting tray, a colorful assortment of loose parts such as pom poms (rainbow, sparkly, star shaped), p