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Welcome to our newsletter! This month we're sharing a little bit about...

culture and play!



Given the evidence of play and extended time in nature in all seasons, we

provide monthly resources, research, and ideas for child-led play (inside

and outside) and nature for educators and families in ELRCs 8, 9 and 10.

Maple Sugaring: Did you know?

From Kiddle.Co: Indigenous peoples living in northeastern North America were the first groups known to have produced maple syrup and maple sugar. The Algonquians recognized maple sap as a source of energy and nutrition. At the beginning of the spring thaw, they used stone tools to make V-shaped incisions in tree trunks; they then inserted reeds or concave pieces of bark to run the sap into buckets, which were often made from birch bark. The maple sap was concentrated either by dropping hot cooking stones into the buckets or by leaving them exposed to the cold temperatures overnight and disposing of the layer of ice that formed on top.

Celebrating Black History Month Through Play

From @TinkerWonderPlay: February is #BlackHistoryMonth. This is a wonderful time where parents &/or educators can discuss & expose race, civil rights, artists, musicians, authors, food, public figures, & so on to celebrate the groundbreaking impact that #BlackHistory paved for so many. Educating children from a young age about the many achievements of Black History & how it has shaped cultures worldwide, provides for concrete learning experiences that permit children to build an understanding that will impact their learning, attitudes, & beliefs about diversity & multicultural education.

Click below for a video showing her "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince Guitar Process Art Painting" Activity!

Black History Month Activities for Young Children

From Devereux Center for Resilient Children: Children of all ages notice physical differences like skin color. A study from the University of Toronto suggests that children as young as six months tend to have a preference for same-race faces and are biased towards those of different races.

Fortunately, children are never too young to learn about the beauty of humanity, and you can incorporate Black History Month activities for children to teach important concepts. Like the ABCs and 123s, social behaviors like empathy and noticing and celebrating differences need to be taught in the early childhood classroom. 

Our Free Resources

Access our Nature-Based Play Resource List on the Keystone Kids Go website.

Check out the "Inspiring Nature-Based Early Learning" webinar here. This training counts for 1 hour of PQAS PD and can count toward STARS indicator EC 3.4.6.

Do you have a topic you'd like to see covered in this newsletter? What have you tried that others might be interested in? Please consider sharing your questions, ideas, or stories with us below, and we will include them in an upcoming newsletter!