From the Blog
Building Brains with Blocks (and More!): The Power of Open-Ended Toys at Kids & Co.
Blocks, loose parts, and magnetic tiles beat anything that flashes and beeps. Why open-ended toys build so much, and how to bring the same idea home.
The Kids & Co. Guide to a Smooth Transition: Easing Separation Anxiety in Young Children
Drop-off tears are normal and they do pass. A look at why separation anxiety happens and what actually helps a child settle.
Beyond Playtime: Understanding the Power of a Development-Based Curriculum for Early Childhood Education
A development-based curriculum sounds academic and looks like play. What it actually means, how it works room by room, and the misconceptions worth clearing up.
Social Skills Daycare: Building Blocks of Friendship at Kids & Co.
First friendships are learned, not automatic. How collaborative art, shared materials, and everyday negotiation teach children to cooperate at Kids & Co.
Snow Day Childcare: Fun Indoor Activities to Keep Your Little Ones Entertained (And Learning!) in Maine
A Maine blizzard and a house full of energy. Seven indoor activities that keep young children busy, learning, and reasonably calm until the plows come through.
The Power of Play: Unleashing the Magic of Unstructured Time
Unstructured play is where creativity, social skills, and emotional regulation get built. The research behind free play, and how to make room for it.
Raising Readers: Cultivating a Lifelong Love of Literacy
Reading aloud shapes vocabulary, empathy, and attention long before a child can decode a word. The research, the routines, and books worth reaching for by age.
Emotional Resilience: Raising Little Humans Who Can Weather Any Storm
Resilience is not something children are born with. How secure attachment, emotional awareness, and problem-solving skills get built one ordinary day at a time.
The Power of Music: Harmonizing Child Development
Music does more than fill the room. It builds language, memory, and motor skills, and here is how to use it at home.
Raising Readers: Where Imagination Takes Flight
Reading aloud does more than teach words. Why it matters before your child knows a single letter, plus practical ways to build a home full of stories.
The Mindful Mealtime: Transforming Dinner from "Dread" to "Delight"
Dinner with young children does not have to be a battle. Practical ways to calm the table, engage the senses, and turn the meal back into time together.
The Power of Positive Self-Talk: Raising Confident and Resilient Kids
The way children talk to themselves shapes how they handle setbacks. What the research says, and five techniques for growing a kinder inner voice.
The Art of the Playdate: Fostering Connection and Social Growth
A good playdate takes a little planning. How to set one up, guide the social dynamics, and handle the meltdown that occasionally arrives anyway.
Screen Time Strategies: Navigating the Digital World with Young Children
Screens are not going anywhere, so the goal is not zero. Age-by-age guidance, limits that actually hold, and how to raise a responsible digital citizen.
From "I'm Bored" to "I'm Busy!" Framing Your Schedule Around Your Kids' Interests
I'm bored is rarely about boredom. What that phrase is really asking for, and how building the day around your child's interests changes the answer.
Messy, Gooey, Great: Why Sensory Play Matters for Your Child's Development
Sensory play looks like a mess and works like a workout for the brain. What it builds, and how to set it up with what is already in your kitchen.
Keeping Your Cool Going Back To School (Back To School Tips)
Bedtimes drift over the summer and September arrives fast. Six ways to ease the return to school routines without the first-week chaos.
Play is IMPORTANT: 5 Key Benefits for Your Child's Development
Play is not a break from learning. Five things it builds, from brain power and motor skills to friendship, with the research behind each one.