The Hatch Early Learning Blog

Fred Rogers often referred to the fact that “play is the work of children”, and now, as children (and adults!) cope with the pandemic, and a sometimes scary and confusing world, the natural resource of play is more important than ever!

With unseasonably frigid temperatures and/or snow/sleet/ice blanketing much of the country, we wanted to share a list of easy-to-implement, boredom-buster activities that will help to brighten your day and keep your little ones HAPPY!

At Hatch Early Learning®, our products and resources are not only research-based, but they are also research-proven and validated. The accompanying criteria report and whitepaper help prove that Ignite by Hatch™ supports the delivery of positive outcomes for all young learners!

Running! Climbing! Jumping! These are important elements for optimal growth and development in young children. Not only are children strengthening bones and muscles, but they are also building their brains! Young children need time for active, full body play every day.

Do you remember asking your parents or other family members to tell you a story when you were younger? I sure do! I know my parents can still hear the echo of my whiney plea: “Tell me a story!” That said, the memories created when my family relented and told me real stories about their past, or made-up stories about the future, are among my favorites!

What is a cloud? Why do boats float? How does a car work? Young children have an innate ability to ask questions like this every day, in fact, researchers estimate that preschoolers ask an amazing 76 information-seeking questions per hour?! Since curiosity is at the heart of all innovation, the earlier we help children harness and direct their interest in exploring the world around them, the more motivated they will be to uncover the answers!

The combination of closed libraries and my son’s constant request for the same stories to be read aloud prompted me to research and develop some tips and tricks to help us all maximize daily read-alouds and repetition. Because these are research-based, we can all feel good about integrating these techniques into our daily routine!

For a long time, we have known that a child’s earliest learning is focused on motor development. An infant’s early movement experiences are beneficial to optimal brain development, and the connection between moving and learning continues well beyond the child’s first steps. With that in mind, it is imperative to encourage movement in every child’s play.

Hatch has received requests from our social media community for recommended child-friendly resources to help expand cultural literacy and provide some historical context around current events. Hatch’s Creative Diversity line was developed to provide learning resources that celebrate and honor all cultures.

Teaching children life skills is not only important for self-care, independence, and sufficiency— it also allows them to feel empowered, works on socialization and reasoning, and helps develop healthy self-esteem. According to Macmillan Education, “In a constantly changing environment, having life skills is an essential part of being able to meet the challenges of everyday life.”