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Suppose you are a demographer and you note that there was a baby boom this year: Demographicus: Births were up 10 percent! In a few years we’re going to need more kindergarten classes. Skeptico: Pshaw. Kindergarten attendance is down compared to last year. One year later: Demographicus: The clock is ticking. We’re still going to need those kindergarten classes. Skeptico: I don’t see any uptick. In fact, kindergarten attendance is still declining a bit. Two years later: Demographicus: Time is getting short. What are we going to do about those kindergarten classes? Skeptico: There’s still no increase. Stop being a...

The pandemic has wreaked havoc inside homes across the globe. We're very lucky to have our health and safety amidst all this. We've also been blessed with a few perks: Our family connection is much stronger and, strangely, my kids become more intrinsically motivated to learn. This factor alone has pushed me to seriously consider homeschooling next fall regardless of what happens with COVID-19 and whatever our school district chooses to do. I saw it in my kids (second grade and kindergarten) right away - they relaxed once school was canceled for the rest of the year. Sure, they love...

As a mom of three and a former Kindergarten ECE, I’ve learned that going on a “treasure hunt” and finding your materials for nature activities is half the fun. These spring crafts for kids will keep them busy and teach them to appreciate nature—plus, they don’t cost a lot of money. In fact, you probably already have everything you need in your home, in your backyard, or laying around in your local park, if you can safely take a socially-distanced hike or neighbourhood stroll where you live. (Keep two metres apart from passersby who aren’t part of your family.) Enjoying some fresh air...

In the early months of 1970, in an old RKO movie theater on Manhattan’s Upper West Side that had been converted into a soundstage, a group of men and women of various ages and races were convening daily to finish up the first season of a children’s TV program that was still considered an experiment, not yet assured a second season. Its theme song began with a bass-heavy musical figure approximating a toddler’s expectant gambol toward a playground—womp-womp, womp-womp, womp-womp, wompa-domp—and a chorus of children singing, “Sunny day, sweepin’ the clouds away . . .” It was called Sesame Street....

This week we have a mini-treasure hunt secret message puzzle for your little learner!  This is a mini-treasure hunt because the final answer tells kids to look in a "drawer." So be prepared to hide a little treasure or prize inside a drawer. During this printable activity, kids do three different tasks: First, kids decode a secret message (which is a scrambled-up sentence). Second, kids unscramble the sentence and write it in the correct order. Third, kids use the letters with the numbers to find the final message: "drawer." Finally, kids search inside drawers for their prize. Download the Secret...