My kids were instantly smitten. They named each of the 10 caterpillars, with names from “Junior” to “Yoda” and genuinely kept tabs on how they were.

My kids were fascinated by how quickly their caterpillars changed. Before long, each tucked itself away into a chrysalis. And then began the waiting.

Every morning and throughout the day, my kids would check to see if a butterfly emerged. When the day finally came, it felt a little bit like magic. My youngest, especially, could have watched them for hours.

And when it was time to say goodbye, we took them to a local park with a bright butterfly mural stretching across the wall. We opened the enclosure, and one by one, they lifted into the air, eager to bask in the sunlight.

The moment brought me to the whimsical Kitty Caterpillar, playfully written by Annabeth Bondor-Stone and Connor White, with vibrant illustrations by Brigette Barrager.

Kitty Caterpillar lives a perfectly cozy life with naps, routines, and the love of her favorite human, Hazel. Everything is just as it should be…until one small moment changes everything. When Hazel is off doing whatever it is that humans do when they leave the house, that’s when the butterfly appears.

And with it, an invitation.

What follows is a sensory-rich adventure into the outdoors, filled with new textures and beautiful sights. But when a storm rolls in, Kitty Caterpillar finds herself missing Hazel, her comforts, and the warmth she knows so well.

But curiosity has a way of leading us exactly where we need to go.

Without giving too much away, the ending is both tender and playful, with a delightful nod to messy nature play that feels right at home here.

There’s so much woven into this story. There’s nature exploration, a connection to butterfly life cycles, and themes of courage, independence, and curiosity. With rich sensory language and visuals, children are immersed into the story where they can feel the blades of grass tickle, and the rain pour.

The playful nods to cat behaviors, like “making biscuits” and curling into a “cat loaf” add humor and charm to this story.

And the illustrations! They are bold, expressive, and bursting with color, bringing each scene vividly to life.

I’m sincerely grateful to Sami of Roger Charlie for sharing this book with me. If you’re interested in exploring more about this book or ordering a copy for yourself, click on the button below.

Kitty Caterpillar Book

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Loose Parts Invitation: Build a Caterpillar

After reading, we kept the experience going with a simple, open-ended invitation to create. Loose parts invitations are perfect for indoor or outdoor setups.

Here’s what you need:

Indoors:

• Buttons, pom-poms, beads, ping pong balls

• Wooden blocks, toy gears and tools

• Yarn pieces, pipe cleaners, or playdough

Outdoors (our favorite):

• Pinecones, acorns, and pebbles

• Sticks, bark, wood slices

• Leaves, petals, and grass

• A bit of mud or natural clay

Invite your child to create a long, winding caterpillar, just like Kitty Caterpillar. There’s not much more to include for instructions … only an open invitation to create.

I found as my kids were building their caterpillars, they would find new ways to add to their caterpillars with the finest of adjustments. Their creations continued to evolve.

Differentiation Ideas

• Toddlers (2–3): focus on placing and exploring. Let them line up pieces, stack, or simply move materials.

• Preschoolers (3–5): add simple prompts and encourage storytelling as they build. Some ideas:

  • What pattern could you make?

  • Where is Kitty Caterpillar going next?

• Older Children (5–8): layer in design and narrative. Encourage children to create multiple caterpillar friends, add environments (home vs. outdoors), or write a short story about their creature’s adventure.

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Why Loose Parts?

Loose parts play invites children into something deeper than a structured activity ever could. It secretly builds:

• Creativity and flexible thinking

• Problem-solving and early engineering skills

• Fine motor development

• A sense of ownership over their ideas

But more than anything, it leaves space for imagination, ingenuity and storytelling, and space for children to create something entirely their own — all through play. It’s one of the reasons I return to loose parts play again and again.

About the Creators

Annabeth Bondor-Stone and Connor White are a writing duo who’s mission is to promote literacy through comedy, bringing together backgrounds in books, television, and live performance to create playful, engaging stories for children. Their work spans picture books to middle grade, blending humor, heart, and imaginative twists. Beyond books, they’ve written for a wide range of family programming across major platforms, including shows like Waffles + Mochi and Eva the Owlet.

Visit Annabeth + Connor’s Website

Illustrator Brigette Barrager has brought more than thirty children’s books to life with her signature vibrant, expressive style. Her artwork is known for its warmth, rich color palettes, and ability to capture emotion in a way that resonates with young readers. You may recognize her work from the Uni the Unicorn series.

Visit Brigette’s Website

I hope this little adventure with Kitty Caterpillar sparks curiosity and imagination in your home, just as it did in ours. The journey from cozy comfort to exciting exploration is something we can all relate to, and I know your little ones will love bringing their own caterpillar creations to life.

I’d love to hear how you incorporate this story and activity into your own routine. Feel free to share your creations!

Thank you for reading and exploring this story with me!

Warmly,

Lindsay

P.S. If you’re interested in more nature-inspired crafts, creative ideas, or book reviews, make sure to follow along!

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It’s the kind of gift I know will bring a whole lot of imaginative play, will span ages… and, if I’m being honest, probably a fair bit of extra laundry.

And yet…like so many of the best parts of childhood, it’s the kind of mess that holds meaning beneath the surface. If you can look past the muddy clothes, the sticky hands, and the footprints trailing back inside, you find something far more important happening: deep, sensory-rich learning that feels like play, but is doing so much more behind the scenes.

Research continues to show what children already seem to know instinctively: playing in mud supports healthy development. Contact with soil and its microbes has been linked to immune system support, while the open-ended sensory experience of mixing, pouring, shaping, and building strengthens creativity, coordination, emotional regulation, and problem-solving.

Mud invites children to learn with their whole bodies, and it slows them down in the best possible way.

If you’ve been looking for simple, nature-rich invitations to explore with your children this spring (with mud alternatives included), I’d love to have you join us.

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Letter M Play & Learn Packet

That spirit of messy play runs through this month’s Letter M Play & Learn Packet, where mud becomes more than sensory play. It becomes a building material, an art medium, a scientific investigation, and a doorway into understanding how both animals and humans create shelter, care for their young, and interact with the natural world.

We also weave in themes of motherhood and nurturing as we honor mammal mothers and their young, the places they live, how they move, and the ways care shows up across species. And as always, everything begins with a book.

Inside this packet, families will find invitations for:

• making sun-dried mud bricks and testing their strength through play-based engineering

• opening a pretend mud bakery where children create cakes, cookies, and “recipes” from nature

• muddy toy washes, scooping stations, and mud painting explorations

• cardboard bouquets and flower smash keepsakes for a simple Mother’s Day gift

• animal track investigations and den discovery hunts hidden throughout play spaces or outdoors

• mammal mom-and-baby matching games and “mammal or not?” science sorting activities

• directional trailblazing games inspired by Mama in the Moon for learning positional words (over, under, next to, etc.)

• movement cards, sensory invitations, and printables that support number sense, shapes, patterning, and fine motor development

This is one of the most hands-on packets in the early literacy series so far. It is rooted in sensory play, early science, movement, and family connection. What I especially love is that these invitations are designed to be revisited, to test new ways of playing, and invite children to build understanding through play.

Each ready-to-use, literature-rich invitation in this 56-page packet has been tested and adapted to support a variety of ages and stages for children 2-8 years old. They’re intentionally simple and doable so busy families don’t have to worry about implementing overwhelming or complicated activities.

And if you’re cringing at the thought of playing with mud…mud alternatives are included! They require pantry staples to pull together, and offer similar sensory benefits.

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Featured Book: Mama Dug a Little Den

One of the books that anchors this packet’s explorations is Mama Dug a Little Den by Jennifer Ward and Steve Jenkins.

Told from the perspective of animal babies, this nonfiction book highlights the instinct and care behind they ways mothers prepare safe places for their young.

Through lyrical text and tender collage-style illustrations, readers discover a variety of animal dens dug beneath roots and earth, tucked into hillsides, carved into sandy banks, or adapted from existing shelters. Each example highlights themes of protection, adaptation, and care.

It’s a natural companion to a packet centered on moms, mammals, mud, and making.

In the coming weeks, as children mold mud bricks, search for dens, investigate tracks, or create in a mud bakery, they’re engaging with the same ideas found in the book, like safety, resourcefulness, and the ways living things shape their environments.

And as we honor mothers and mother figures, Mama Dug a Little Den reminds us that nurturing often looks like creating safety and steady ground for growth, whether in nature or in everyday life.

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If this kind of story-rich, play-centered learning feels like something you want more of in your home rhythm, I’d love to have you step in with us.

Paid subscribers can find the full Letter M Play & Learn Packet waiting below.

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And if you’re joining us this month, I want to invite you into our Substack Chat where the packet comes to life beyond the page.

You can share photos of your setups, like your mud kitchens, backyard creations, kitchen table invitations, and nature finds. Pop in with questions like “How did you adapt this for toddlers?” or “What if I don’t have access to outdoor space?” There will always be someone to offer ideas and encouragement.

You’re welcome to participate in whatever way feels comfortable. There’s no pressure to share. It’s a simple space to connect, gather ideas, and feel part of a shared rhythm of learning alongside other families walking a similar path.

Click the link below to hop in:

Thank you, as always, for being here and for allowing this space to grow with you and your children.

Warmly,

Lindsay

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If you’re a returning reader, I’m so glad you’re here again. And if you’re new, welcome!

These seasonal play calendars are part of the StorySprout newsletter. If you subscribed for the free STEAM curriculum or Children’s Book Resource Hub and would prefer to receive only those updates, you can adjust your subscription settings anytime to receive only The STEAM Lab newsletter.

As I was gathering ideas for this month, I kept returning to lovely Miss Maple’s Seeds by Eliza Wheeler. In many ways it felt like a fitting May story as we explore seasonal themes of mothers, mud, and gardens.

This story follows Miss Maple as she searches for seeds that were lost during spring planting and gathers them in her cozy maple tree where she cares for them until the following spring.

It’s such a tender story that has a maternal feel to it. She helps the seeds bathe, takes them on field trips to show them where they might one day take root, warns the garden seeds about those “weedy characters,” reads to them by firefly light, and teaches them to play in the rain.

And then there is the beautiful line Miss Maple sends them off with when the time is right:

“Never forget that even the grandest of trees once had to grow up from the smallest of seeds.”

Just as Miss Maple carries seeds, I can’t help thinking how early learning often looks much the same. The seeds we tuck into childhood through play are growing unseen work. Sometimes simple things, like sharing a story or setting up a playful invitation can feel a little like finding a Miss Maple of our own.

That thought shaped this month’s explorations.

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May Play & Learn Calendar

This month, you’ll find invitations for seasonal themes like mammal moms, mud and gardens, with opportunities to move, build, investigate, imagine, and create.

(And … I feel compelled to apologize in advance for the mud theme.)

For anyone already picturing the laundry, each muddy invitation includes taste-safe or low-mess alternatives using simple pantry staples with similar sensory and material experiences.

So, no sunset hose-downs required!

I know every family enters play a little differently, and I want there to be room for everyone here.

That said, if you do feel inclined to embrace the mud, there really is something wonderful about it. Beyond the sheer delight some children tend to find in it, mud play offers rich sensory experiences, fine motor strengthening, open-ended problem solving, creativity, and even growing evidence around healthy microbial exposure that supports immune development.

Sometimes the mess is doing more work than we realize.

To join us this season, download the free calendar below. And if you’d like to explore a little more about how we do these activities, read on.

May Play & Learn Calendar

3.51MB ∙ PDF file

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To my paid subscribers, you’ll find this month’s accompanying booklist and materials list at the bottom of this newsletter.

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Dive a Little Deeper

If you’d like to explore these themes beyond the calendar, the Play & Learn Packets continue the journey in a more layered, hands-on way.

In each packet you’ll find:

• Book-based invitations connected to the month’s themes and activities

• Montessori-inspired early math ideas

• Fine motor explorations woven into play

• Bonus activities connected to each themed day

• Expanded printable supports

• and layered STEAM experiences designed for budding engineers

They’re created to help simple moments become richer without making learning feel complicated or extra work. I test each activity with my own kids (ages 2, 9, and 10), so I can differentiate the activities for a wide range of ages.

I’m especially happy with how the upcoming Letter M packet is coming together, which will release early this coming week. It will invite children to explore mother figures in the natural world, and mud (or mud alternatives) as a material for sensory-rich science and imaginative play.

Explore one of my free packets here.

If the calendar represents seeds tucked into pockets, the packet helps them take root.

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Join the Chat!

I want to invite you to join us in KidLit Grove’s Chat! Beginning in May, I’m opening up this space to all readers where we’ll share activity setups, what’s working (and what’s not), and any troubleshooting tips along the way. Those “in-between” moments are so valuable and encouraging for others to see.

There’s new threads for each letter we explore, so we can build a more connected and supportive community together.

I hope you’ll feel welcome to join! This is our space to connect and have a cuppa.

More than anything, I hope this month offers reasons to step outside together, and linger over a child’s curiosity. Sometimes learning begins with muddy hands, a pocket full of seeds, and someone willing to kneel down and notice with our little ones.

Thank you for being here and exploring with us.

Happy May, friends.

Warmly,

Lindsay

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It’s a natural stage, but not always an easy one for whichever kiddo was the builder. And sometimes when that tower tumbles, the upset is big. I’ll find them later trying to build in secret to avoid the mini bulldozer.

Frustrating moments like these may seem trivial to an adult, but they can bear real weight to a child where a level of trust is broken. This doesn’t only apply to destroyed creative builds, but relationship hurts, too.

If a friend shares something private at school, or someone says something embarrassing in front of others, those betrayed feelings can be hard to process.

How fortunate we are to have stories that help make those inner experiences visible. When Inbal Alon first reached out to share Maddy’s Towers, I loved the metaphor at the heart of the story where trust is a tower built block by block.

It’s such a simple idea, but one that is accessible for children.

The story follows Maddy, whose trust is shaken when her friend Mei shares how Maddy still says goodnight to each of her stuffed animals. It was sharing this secret that made the hurt feel especially real to Maddy, and the trust tower Maddy had built with Mei tumbled.

It goes on to explain that some towers are tall and sturdy, while some are still growing. And when trust is broken, a tower can tumble or lose a few blocks. But this story emphasizes that towers can be rebuilt.

That resonated with ideas I’ve explored in my communication series about repair and reconnection, that relationships aren’t defined by the hurt, but by how we move through it together.

And isn’t that something children need language for?

Back matter includes writing prompts and friendship card ideas that invite children to reflect, communicate, and practice repair in tangible ways.

And you can feel the heart of an educator behind the story. It feels grounded in real childhood where hurts are real, reconciliation is a process, and relationships grow stronger through repair.

Maddy’s Towers releases April 28th. You can explore the book and preorder here:

Maddy’s Towers

Build or Tumble? A Trust Tower Game

To further explore what helps trust grow, and what can cause it to wobble, play a tower game.

Write different friendship or family scenarios on cards (or print and cut out the ones attached below). As you read each card aloud, invite children to decide: does this build a tower… or make it tumble?

If it builds trust, add a block to a tower as you play. If it makes trust wobble, remove a block, or talk together about what repair might look like.

Build on the ideas through open-ended questions:

• Which cards helped build the tallest tower?

• Were any “tumble” cards repairable? How?

• What small actions can help rebuild trust after hurt?

Younger children can sort the cards into two piles, while older children might write or draw their own scenarios to add to the game.

Here’s a printable set ready to go to support the activity:

Build Or Tumble A Trust Tower Game

376KB ∙ PDF file

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About the Author

Inbal Alon’s experience working with children shines through in this story.

She is an educator and author whose stories are shaped by children she’s taught and the relationships that help them grow. Drawing from her work, she creates stories that offer young readers language, tools, and hope for navigating complex feelings.

Learn more about Inbal on her website at the button below, and take a peek at her upcoming titles!

Inbal Alton’s Website

Thank you, Inbal, for sharing your story.

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Take a peek at my Communication series to continue this conversation:

It could be the way it opens wide into a small world of your own. Or maybe it’s the way it softens the rain, turning something that makes you squint and scrunch your shoulders into something relaxing and watchable.

I remember the feeling as a child tucked beneath an umbrella in a small circle of calm, watching the clouds wring themselves out onto the ground. Do you?

I see that same magic through my children.

They carry umbrellas on sunny days, just in case. They open and close them over and over, fascinated by the movement and the “whoosh” sound they make. They sit beneath them as if they’ve created their own tiny, protected space.

Sometimes they’re waiting for rain. Sometimes they’re just playing. But always, there’s a sense of wonder and anticipation.

I found that same magic in The Umbrella by Beth Ferry and Tom Lichtenheld.

In this story, a stretch of gray, rainy days casts everything in a gray gloom. A young girl, bundled in boots and a raincoat, heads out with her pup determined to meet the day anyway. When the weather turns from steady rain to rumbling thunder, she ducks into a shop filled with curious odds and ends. It’s there she discovers a tattered, yellow umbrella inside a trunk — free for the taking.

She brings it home through the rain, unopened…only to find that it doesn’t quite hold together the way she hoped.

But what unfolds next is where the story shifts. Without giving too much away, the umbrella becomes more than an object. It becomes a beginning. A way to bring a bit of light back into those gray days.

What I love most about this story is there’s no loud lesson. It is a story of possibility. It mirrors so much of what we see in children’s play with the way they transform ordinary objects into something magical, the way they find beauty in pieces.

It felt like the perfect springboard for our explorations this week.

As we move into the Letter U, we’re leaning into that same sense of wonder through umbrellas, movement, and all the things that go up, up, and away. We’ll explore what flies, floats, drifts, and shelters us through simple, playful invitations.

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Letter U Playdough Mats

These mats invite children to shape the letter U, complete pictures associated with the letter sound, and strengthen fine motor muscles as they roll, pinch, and press the dough. Playdough is one of my favorite ways to introduce letters because it keeps the experience playful and tactile.

You can download your mats below, always free for subscribers (also available in black and white).

Letter Uu Playdough Mats

5.08MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

If your child enjoys these, you’ll also find a full collection of playdough mats gathered in one place for easy access. Click the link below to explore more.

Playdough Mats

Letter R Play & Learn Packet

For families and classrooms who want to explore a little further, the Letter U Play & Learn Packet expands the experience through hands-on discovery, creativity, and play. For this unit, our focus is on umbrellas and “up, up, and away: things that fly.”

The Letter U Play & Learn Packet is designed to support early literacy through play-based learning. Inspired by Montessori methods, these printables help children build foundational skills through sorting, creating, moving, and discovering. Each activity encourages meaningful engagement with the letter U, while building on fine motor skills, early math thinking, and real-world connections playfully.

Inside this resource, you’ll find:

• Detailed Step-by-Step Guides for Caregivers:
  Each hands-on exploration comes with with detailed instructions so set-up is a breeze. You’ll also find differentiation with each activity so children of various ages and stages can participate together.

• Beginning Sound Sorting:
  Children sort shapes and real-life images that begin with the letter U, strengthening phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, and early reading readiness through visual and hands-on learning.

• Scissor Skills Cutting Strips:
  Cutting practice supports hand strength, coordination, and confidence with scissors. Children then use their cut pieces in a follow-up sorting activity.

• Patterning Practice:
  Playful patterning introduces sequencing and prediction, both key foundations for mathematical thinking.

Every piece is designed with young children (and real life) in mind. I test all the activities with my kids before they find a place in the packet, and ensure materials are simple and accessible, activities are flexible, and learning unfolds through play. Families often find these activities become favorites that children revisit again and again, building confidence through repetition.

The packet is linked at the bottom of this post for paid subscribers.

If subscribing isn’t the right fit right now, I’ll have the packet ready for individual purchase in KidLit Grove’s store soon (I’ll post it here when it’s ready!).

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Sensory Play: Umbrella Toss

The Umbrella by Jan Brett has a story that feels very much like The Mitten, but this time, the story is set in a rainforest. A young boy sets out with his umbrella hoping to catch a glimpse of elusive animals. But as he climbs a tree to get a better view, the animals he’s been searching for sneakily gather below…finding their way into his umbrella for a playful and unexpected adventure.

It became the perfect springboard for sensory play in our home, especially the kind rooted in movement.

When we think of sensory play, we often picture bins filled with rice or water, but movement is sensory, too. As children toss, balance, and adjust their bodies, they are taking in information about coordination. This kind of whole-body discovery guides children in making sense of how they move within the world around them.

This simple invitation to play brought that idea to life, and my little one had so much fun with it!

For the umbrella toss activity, we set ann umbrella upside down and I invited my little one to toss soft animals into the canopy. The excitement was immediate! He wanted to try again and again, test out different angles, distances, and even experimented with which stuffed toys worked best. Each attempt brought a new discovery.

This simple activity sparked persistence and experimentation through movement, encouraging him to problem-solve and adjust. The process itself became just as fun as the results.

Here are a few ways to differentiate the activity for children of various ages:

• Toddlers: move the umbrella closer and focus on tossing the animals inside.

• Preschoolers: step back a little farther and practice tossing one animal at a time, counting successful throws or sorting animals by size.

• Older children: add challenges such as increasing the distance, tossing with their non-dominant hand, assigning point values, or creating simple rules for a family game.

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KidLit Grove Chat

I would love to invite you to join us in KidLit Grove’s chat! This is where you can connect, share, and troubleshoot activities featured in these letter packets (or any activities you try with your kiddo!). Meet caregivers in the same season, and connect through a warm and welcoming space.

Watch for themed posts soon so we can grow and learn through this season collectively. Here’s a link to the chat — I hope you’ll stop by!

Coming Up Next for StorySprouts

• April 17 — it’s KidLit Grove’s birthday! To celebrate, I’m giving away a paid subscription, and discounted annual subscriptions. Watch for a post on KidLit Grove’s year in review so you can enter!

• May 4–10: Children’s Book Week — KidLit Grove will be participating with special features celebrating stories, authors, and learning connections. More details coming!

• Coming in June — a 12-week Nature Study designed to help families and educators explore seasonal learning through observation, inquiry, and connection with the natural world. Look for a post on this soon!

Thank you for reading and supporting playful learning.

Warmly,

Lindsay

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That smell actually has a name (and there’s science behind it!), if you don’t mind sticking with me for a moment…

Petrichor (pronounced pet-truh-kor) is a term scientists coined in the 1960s. It describes the smell released when rain falls on the soil. There’s tiny bacteria in the soil that release a compound when the rain falls, creating the unmistakable scent many of us gravitate toward.

While rain has a way of awakening our senses, it also greatly impacts the natural world. Plants drink deeply. Soil softens. And animals adjust their rhythms in remarkable ways. Some creatures retreat and wait, while others emerge to thrive in conditions only rain can create.

People respond in their own ways too. Sometimes we hunker indoors with books, puzzles, and warm drinks…other times we pull on boots and raincoats to splash through puddles and watch the world get a bath.

This magical way of adapting is beautifully captured in When Rain Falls by Melissa Stewart, with gorgeous art by Constance R. Bergum.

In this beautiful, lyrical nonfiction picture book, readers are invited to wonder: where do the animals go when it rains? Across forests, fields, deserts and wetlands, Stewart introduces readers to how creatures respond to rain in both practical and interesting ways. Squirrels shelter beneath their tails like umbrellas, butterflies dangle beneath flower heads, snakes squeeze into a rocky crevice, foxes tuck safely inside their dens, and spadefoot toads dig out of their sandy burrows.

And when the rain passes, the world slowly reappears. Animals emerge, ecosystems awaken, and life continues.

When Rain Falls is such a perfect guide for our exploration of rain and rainbows. It would be a great addition to home and classroom libraries, and especially Montessori shelves. It invites curiosity, observation, and empathy for the living world while naturally leading into play through sensory experiences, outdoor exploration, science investigations, and creative expression inspired by the weather.

So if you’re reading under a blanket while rain taps on the windows or heading outside to feel the drops plop on your umbrella, this week’s activities are an invitation to notice what rain makes possible.

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Letter R Playdough Mats

These mats encourage children to shape the letter R, build objects beginning with the letter sound, and strengthen fine motor muscles as they roll, pinch, and press the dough. Playdough is one of my favorite ways to introduce letters because it keeps the experience playful and tactile.

You can download your free mats below.

Letter R Playdough Mats

5.08MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

If your child enjoys these, you’ll also find our full collection of playdough mats gathered in one place for easy access. Click the link below to explore more.

Playdough Mats

Letter R Play & Learn Packet

For families and classrooms who want to explore a little further, the Letter R Play & Learn Packet expands the experience through hands-on discovery, creativity, and play. For this unit, our focus is on rain and rainbows.

The Letter R Play & Learn Packet is designed to support early literacy through hands-on, play-based learning. Inspired by Montessori methods, these printables help children build foundational skills through sorting, creating, moving, and discovering. Each activity encourages meaningful engagement with the letter R, while nurturing fine motor development, early math thinking, and real-world connections — all through play.

Inside this 40 page resource, you’ll find:

• Beginning Sound Sorting
  Children sort shapes and real-life images that begin with the letter R, strengthening phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, and early reading readiness through visual and hands-on learning.

• Scissor Skills Cutting Strips
  Guided cutting practice supports hand strength, coordination, and confidence with scissors. Children then use their cut pieces in follow-up sorting activities.

• Patterning Practice
  Playful pattern activities introduce sequencing and prediction, both key foundations for mathematical thinking through engaging, child-friendly visuals.

• Detailed Step-by-Step Guides for Caregivers
  Each activity is accompanied with detailed instructions so set-up is a breeze. You’ll also find differentiation and extensions with each activity so children of various ages can participate together.

Every piece is designed with young children (and real life) in mind. I test all the activities with my kids before they find a place in the packet, and ensure materials are simple and accessible, activities are flexible, and learning truly unfolds through play. Families often find these activities become favorites that children revisit again and again, building confidence through repetition.

The packet is linked at the bottom of this post for paid subscribers, along with the complete booklist and materials for April’s activities. If you haven’t seen our April calendar yet, you check check it out here:

April Play & Learn Calendar

If subscribing isn’t the right fit right now, I’ll have the packet ready for individual purchase in KidLit Grove’s store soon (I’ll post it here when it’s ready!).

Subscribe now

Early Science: Walking Rainbow

I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to try this experiment. And it did not disappoint.

My kids were completely fascinated watching a rainbow “walk” between glasses. It’s the perfect discovery for this time of year, blending a little bit of magic with real science.

This experiment demonstrates capillary action, the process that allows water to travel through tiny spaces, similar to how plants pull water up through small tubes in their roots and stems. It’s the same effect you see when white carnations or celery change color after sitting in dyed water.

This activity allows children to watch that process happen in real time.

You’ll need:

• 6 clear glasses (3 filled halfway with water)

• Food coloring (red, blue, and yellow)

• 6 paper towels, folded into strips

Here’s what to do:

1. Add a different color of food dye to each glass filled with water.

2. Arrange the glasses in a circle, alternating colored glasses with empty glasses, in the order of the rainbow (see full guide below).

3. Place one end of a paper towel strip into a colored glass and the other end into the neighboring empty glass.

4. Wait, watch, and observe.

Within minutes, you’ll notice the paper towels absorbing the colored water. Over the next few hours, the water continues to travel along the towels, slowly filling the empty glasses and mixing to create new colors that form a beautiful rainbow. For the full rainbow effect to travel across the paper towels, it can take up to 2 days.

It was mesmerizing to watch unfold and became my kids favorite experiment in this unit. It was a fun reminder that some of the best learning happens with the simplest setups.

Here’s a screenshot of the complete instructions, and science behind the walking rainbow, that you’ll find in the Play & Learn packet:

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Coming Up Next for StorySprouts

• April 12 — the Play & Learn Packet for Letter U (umbrella and up, up, and away!) releases!

• May 4–10: Children’s Book Week — KidLit Grove will be participating with special features celebrating stories, authors, and learning connections. More details soon!

• Coming in June — a 12-week Nature Study designed to help families and educators explore seasonal learning through observation, inquiry, and connection with the natural world. Look for a post on this soon!

Thank you for reading and being part of this space.

Warmly,

Lindsay

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We went for a walk this morning, and my toddler covered his ears and said, “It’s loud!” And he was right.

The birds were singing from every direction. The sun felt warm. The air smelled impossibly fresh … that deep, earthy scent that makes you want to linger. After the winter, everything felt awake again.

This month, we’ll explore four connected themes: rain, rainbow, umbrella, and up, up, and away (things that fly)— all grounded in a picture book that beautifully sets the tone for our explorations.

It Starts With a Raindrop by Aimee Gallagher and Sally Garland is a beautifully poetic look at how something small can be mighty.

The story begins with a single raindrop, and expands outward as we watch its impact ripple through the natural world. The raindrop splashes into puddles, kisses the sand, nourishes plants, and supports animals and ecosystems in powerful ways as it cycles around the Earth.

Children see how rain falls differently depending on the weather — sometimes frozen in snow, sometimes quickly in storms — and how each kind of rain serves a purpose.

Garland’s illustrations are whimsical and inviting, full of soft colors and movement that make you want to linger on each page. And by the end, the story invites children to put on their boots, pull up their hoods, and step into the rain.

It’s the perfect beginning for April. A month when we return outdoors and notice how our world is changing day by day.

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April is also Earth Month. You’ll find celebrations of our planet woven throughout our activities. Later in the month, we also recognize National Arbor Day (April 24), which is a beautiful opportunity to notice trees, growth, and the living systems around us.

You may not see these labeled as separate themes on the calendar, but they are intentionally threaded throughout our invitations to play, explore, and observe nature more closely.

April Play & Learn Calendar

Many of you are returning readers, and I’m so glad you’re here! If you’d like to jump straight to the calendar, your free download is waiting below.

And if you’re new (welcome!), scroll down to catch a glimpse of what makes these calendars special.

April Play & Learn Calendar

3.05MB ∙ PDF file

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Themes: Rain, Rainbow, Umbrella, Up, Up, and Away!

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Play & Learn calendars are designed to help early literacy grow naturally through play. You won’t find rigorous teaching here.

Rather than teaching letters in isolation, children explore letters and their sounds through stories and playful invitations. The activities are hands-on, simple, and developmentally appropriate for children ages 2–8, with differentiation guides included for toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children.

Each week introduces a focus letter, color, and shape, explored through invitations that support literacy while honoring curiosity and movement.

Here’s what you’ll find inside:

• Sensory Play (Mondays)
  Simple experiences that engage while building an awareness of sounds, vocabulary, and early language patterns.

• Simple Crafts (Tuesdays)
  Creative invitations that focus on process over perfection. We explore textures, shapes, and storytelling through making.

• Music & Movement (Wednesdays)
  Original songs set to familiar preschool tunes, helping children hear rhythm, rhyme, and sound patterns while moving their bodies.

• Nature Play (Thursdays)
  Outdoor explorations, scavenger hunts, and seasonal noticing that connect literacy learning to the real world.

• Early Science & STEM Discoveries (Fridays)
  Hands-on engineering, experimenting, and observing that encourage problem-solving, pattern recognition, and early inquiry skills.

Throughout all this, children experience literacy as something alive and connected to movement, nature, and creativity. Through repeated playful exposure, phonological awareness develops naturally.

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Play & Learn Packets

Throughout the month, Play & Learn Packets are sent out to expand and support the themes you find in the calendar.

These optional print-and-go packets (available to paid subscribers) include:

• extended activities and printable invitations

• sensory and nature extensions

• song and movement guides

• step-by-step learning guides for caregivers

• Montessori-inspired printable to support early learning

The calendar is designed to fit into your daily rhythm and to take and leave what suits you, while the packets serve as extra inspiration when you want to go a little deeper.

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KidLit Grove’s StorySprout resources were created for parents, educators, and caregivers who want learning to feel natural, intentional, and doable.

As a mom of three and a veteran educator of 15 years, I design these ideas for real days filled with interruptions, curiosity, and magic. And stories that linger long after the last page.

If that sounds like the kind of learning space you’ve been hoping for, you’re in the right place.

Looking ahead

There’s so much growing here in the StorySprout newsletter this spring, and I’m really excited to share it with you. Alongside upcoming book reviews and story-inspired activities, here’s a little peek at what’s just around the corner…

• Early Next Week: The Letter R Play & Learn Packet arrives filled with hands-on invitations that expand this month’s rain and rainbow themes.

  • Paid Subscribers: you’ll receive the April booklist and list of suggested materials with this post!

• May 4–10 is Children’s Book Week: We’ll celebrate the stories that shape childhood with special features highlighting beloved books, inspiring authors, and meaningful ways to extend stories beyond the final page.

• Coming in June: A 12-week Nature Study, designed to help families and educators dive a little deeper into the rhythms all things rooted, winged, growing and flowing.

If you’re new here, I’m so glad you found your way to the grove. And if you’ve been here awhile, thank you continuing to grow alongside us.

Until next time,
Lindsay

Want to stay a little longer? Take a peek at my referral program! You can earn a free paid subscription just by sharing KidLit Grove with others who love stories and playful learning.

Refer a friend

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Near the play area, he met a little girl who looked to be about six years old. Within seconds, he walked right up to her and asked, “Will you play with me?”

And just like that, they were off building towers, sharing belly laughs, and running small imaginary errands between shelves. It’s exactly what I love about childhood. Friendships form instantly, and are completely wholehearted and uncomplicated.

For a while, nothing else existed but play. Then she walked away with her mom to ask the librarian a question about a book.

My little guy watched his friend walk away. Which sounds completely dramatic, when really it was only the other side of the room, but I could see the thoughts and confusion moving across his face as he tried to understand.

“But she wants to play with me,” he said.

I realized he was standing right on the edge of an important developmental shift I’ve been reading about for this series. He was beginning to understand that other people have their own plans, thoughts, and priorities.

And that realization sits at the heart of today’s post.

A couple weeks ago, we explored how communication begins with expression. Children first learn to share ideas through play, movement, drawing, and storytelling long before words fully carry their meaning.

But communication doesn’t stop there.

Eventually, children discover that communication isn’t just about sharing what they feel or want. It’s about understanding someone else, too.

If the first stage of communication is I have something to share, the next becomes we need to figure this out together.

This shift can feel confusing at first. Realizing others think differently also means realizing their desires don’t always match our own. The playmate leaves. The game changes. Someone else has an idea.

And suddenly, communication becomes collaboration.

Stories that help children see other perspectives

As children begin noticing others think and feel differently from them, stories become powerful guides. Picture books have a way of guiding children toward understanding minds beyond their own.

These stories are some of my favorites for inviting children to notice, wonder, and empathize without forcing a lesson.

• The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfield

  A tender story that demonstrates how sometimes understanding someone means being present when they’re having a tough time. Children see that listening can be more powerful than fixing.

• They All Saw a Cat by Brenden Wenzel

  This book offers a brilliant exploration of perspective. The same cat appears differently to each character, helping children grasp that experiences change depending on who is looking.

• Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev and Taeeun Yoo

  A heartfelt story about belonging and inclusion that opens conversations about noticing who feels left out, and how empathy creates community.

• I Walk With Vanessa by Kerascoët

  A nearly wordless story showing how small acts of kindness communicate care more loudly than words ever could.

• The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig and Patrice Barton

  This story is perfect for discussing social awareness. Children begin to notice feelings that aren’t always spoken aloud.

Approach these books with curiosity. When reading, try wondering together:

What do you think they needed right then? Why might they feel that way? What could someone do to help?

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Of course, children weren’t born with the skill of being able to understand others right away. It’s a muscle that needs to be built. In fact, the moment children begin recognizing different perspectives is often when communication feels hardest.

When communication breaks (and why that’s ok)

Misunderstandings are not failures of communication. They are how communication grows.

Psychologist Ross Greene reminds us that children do well when they can. When connection falters, it usually signals a skill still developing, not misbehavior.

My toddler was practicing something new when he became upset earlier. He was realizing another person’s choices exist alongside his own.

That realization is the beginning of empathy.

Yet if misunderstanding is inevitable, then something even more important follows…

Repair: the skill we rarely name

In relationships, communication isn’t just saying the perfect thing, but learning how to reconnect after things go sideways.

As adults, we often encourage children to “say sorry” when mistakes are made, and the intention is good. We want kindness, responsibility, and empathy to grow. But saying “sorry” before understanding has fully taken root, can sometimes feel rehearsed rather than meaningful.

A quick apology doesn’t always mean a child understands what happened or how someone else felt. What children benefit from most is guidance through the process of repair.

Instead of rushing toward an apology, we can slow the moment down:

“I think your friend felt sad when that happened.”
“What do you think might help now?”
“Should we check in with them together?”

Sometimes the repair becomes an apology. Sometimes it’s helping rebuild a tower.
Sometimes it’s offering a toy, a hug, or simply returning to play. When repair is experienced this way, “I’m sorry” becomes more than words children are told to say.

Research in child development consistently shows that relationships strengthen not because conflict is avoided, but because reconnection follows misunderstanding.

Play that builds collaboration

Children don’t learn repair through lectures or formal teachings. This is where play becomes the catalyst. Shared experiences, especially play, fosters negotiation, adjustment, and reconnection naturally.

These simple activities give children safe, playful ways to practice shared communication.

Back-to-Back Drawing

Sit back-to-back. One child describes a picture while the other draws what they hear.

Misunderstandings will grow into giggles, and children learn how clarity, patience, and listening work together.

Extend the fun: Switch roles and compare drawings afterward. Ask, What helped you understand?

Build Together Challenges

Offer blocks, recyclables, or loose parts and give one shared goal: build something together.

The key is that all ideas must fit.

Children naturally practice negotiation through this activity by suggesting ideas, adjusting plans, and accepting change.

Invent-a-Game

One of the easiest (and most fun!) ways to practice communication together is by changing the rules of a familiar game.

When something unexpected is added, everyone has to figure things out together. It turns ordinary play into a shared experience of flexibility, laughter, and problem-solving without anyone realizing they’re practicing important social skills.

You might write a few silly rule changes on slips of paper and draw one every so often as you play:

• Maybe during Go Fish, players keep one hand tucked behind their back.

• Maybe before someone “goes fish,” they have to swim around the table first.

• Maybe in Monopoly, passing GO means everyone stands up for a quick dance break.

The rules don’t have to make perfect sense. In fact, the sillier they are, the better. The real magic happens when children learn to adapt, negotiate, and laugh through the surprises together.

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These small moments of collaboration may look like play, but they are rehearsals for lifelong relationships.

Communication is not about speaking perfectly. It’s a means of belonging and building relationships that help us to thrive and grow.

As we left the library, my toddler asked if we could come back tomorrow to see his new friend again. He wasn’t upset anymore, but you could hear the hope in his little voice.

Moments like these remind me that communication is never finished. It keeps growing alongside our children.

And while this brings our communication series to a close, the ideas we’ve explored together will continue weaving into what comes next here.

Thank you

I’m so grateful you joined me for this communication series. I hope these books, reflections, and play invitations support meaningful moments with the children in your care.

Behind the scenes, I’ve begun building something new. It will be a comprehensive, print-and-go nature study designed to grow alongside children across ages and stages that builds an appreciation of our world. Because I want it to be thoughtful, accessible, and deeply engaging, I’m pausing standalone character-skill posts for a short while so I can dedicate time to building this resource.

I’ll share more soon about what to expect, and I would truly love your input on what you’d like to explore together. Keep an eye out for details! The study is planned to begin in June.

Thank you for being here and for helping make this space feel like a shared conversation.

Warmly,

Lindsay

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Next week, we’re inviting children to explore and notice the changing season around them. Think eggs, sprouts, and the Earth awakening after being tucked away for winter.

For anyone just joining our journey, our literacy approach is intentionally seasonal and hands-on, blending stories, nature, and playful learning so children see how reading connects to the world they live in.

Below, you’ll find two delightful picture books paired with activities that invite kids to observe, create, and explore, all while building early literacy, science skills, and curiosity.

There’s so much packed in, so let’s jump right in!

What you’ll find in this edition:

• Nature Play: New Life Nature Walk

  Inspired by Butterfly Sea, children head outdoors to photograph or record the small signs of spring emerging around them, with free printable record sheet.

• Sensory Bin: Egg Hatchery

  Inspired by Clucky’s Week, this sensory invitation encourages storytelling and imaginative play as children explore eggs, nests, and baby chicks.

• Letter E Playdough Mats

  Children strengthen fine motor skills while forming the letter E and shaping simple images connected to e-words.

• Letter E Play & Learn Packet

  A collection of Montessori-inspired printables that build early literacy, scissor skills, patterning, and sorting through playful exploration, for paid subscribers.

• KidLit Grove Nature Study

  A 12-week virtual nature study for families and educators — details coming soon!

• Coming Up Next

  A preview of what we’re exploring next.

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Nature Play: New Life Nature Walk

This week’s nature play is inspired by the beautiful picture book Butterfly Sea by Cynthia Mackey and stunning illustrations by Marie-Laure Couet — a story that captures the anticipation and wonder of noticing nature.

In this story, a young girl spends time outdoors with her little sibling while they wait for the “butterfly sea” to appear. Along the way, she finds creative ways to explore and stay curious, reminding us that children naturally love to observe the world around them, especially when they have a way to record what they see.

Cindy has shared that she intentionally wanted photography included in the story, recognizing how much children enjoy taking pictures and how it can spark deeper interest in the outdoors. The story’s themes of patience, creativity, and beauty unfolding over time make it a lovely companion to the spring season.

After reading together, invite your child on a new life nature walk. As you explore outdoors, encourage them to notice signs of spring, like budding leaves, flowers, insects, birds, or anything new growing from the Earth.

Children can take photos of what they discover, or draw and record their sightings on a record sheet, like the one attached below. Over time, these photos or drawings can become a small collection that helps children see how nature changes through the seasons.

New Life Spring Walk

12MB ∙ PDF file

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You may recognize Cindy’s name, as I’ve featured her other title, If a Bumblebee Lands on Your Toe twice on KidLit Grove. Butterfly Sea is a companion title. Explore more of Cindy’s work and discover her upcoming titles through her website.

Cindy’s Website

Sensory Play: Egg Hatchery

This week’s featured activity is inspired by the delightful picture book, Clucky’s Week by Laura Stewart, with playful illustrations by Pam Casey — a story perfect for springtime about patience, persistence, and new life.

In the story, Clucky the hen searches for the perfect place to lay her egg, hiding it in all sorts of spots around the farm, including a boot, the garden, and even a swing! Each time, her plans are interrupted by the busy life around her, until she finally decides to stay and sit on her egg. Her patience is rewarded when the egg hatches, an ending that naturally reflects the season of spring, when growth and new beginnings unfold all around us.

This book inspired an egg hatchery sensory bin. Fill a shallow container with dried beans and add small nests, toy chicks, and faux or plastic eggs. Children can hide eggs, fill nests, and pretend to wait for them to hatch, just like Clucky! This occupied my youngest for an entire morning.

I’m so thankful to have Laura as a writing partner in my critique group! Explore more of Laura’s work and discover her upcoming titles through her website, where she shares updates and new titles in progress.

Laura’s Website

Letter E Playdough Mats

These simple mats encourage children to shape the letter E, build objects beginning with the letter sound, and strengthen fine motor muscles as they roll, pinch, and press the dough. Playdough is one of my favorite ways to introduce letters because it keeps the experience playful and tactile.

You can download your free mats below.

Letter E Playdough Mats

10.9MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

If your child enjoys these, you’ll also find our full collection of playdough mats gathered in one place for easy access. Click the link below to explore more.

Playdough Mats

Letter E Play & Learn Packet

For families and classrooms who want to explore a little further, the Letter E Play & Learn Packet expands the experience through hands-on discovery, creativity, and play. For this unit, our focus is on eggs and Earth, with a springtime emphasis.

The Letter E Play & Learn Packet is designed to support early literacy through hands-on, play-based learning. Inspired by Montessori methods, these printables help children build foundational skills through sorting, creating, moving, and discovering. Each activity encourages meaningful engagement with the letter E while nurturing fine motor development, early math thinking, and real-world connections — all through play.

Inside this 45+ page resource, you’ll find:

• Beginning Sound Sorting (Letter E)
  Children sort shapes and real-life images that begin with the letter E, strengthening phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, and early reading readiness through visual and hands-on learning.

• Scissor Skills Cutting Strips
  Guided cutting practice supports hand strength, coordination, and confidence with scissors. Children then use their cut pieces in follow-up sorting activities.

• Patterning Practice
  Playful pattern activities introduce sequencing and prediction, both key foundations for mathematical thinking through engaging, child-friendly visuals.

• Land, Water, and Air Sorting
  Children explore animals and vehicles by sorting them according to where they move and live. This activity encourages observation, categorization, and conversations about the world and environment.

Every piece is designed with young children (and real life) in mind. I test all the activities with my kids before they find a place in the packet, and ensure materials are simple and accessible, activities are flexible (you’ll find differentiation and extensions to span ages 2-8 years), and learning unfolds through play. Families often find these activities become favorites that children revisit again and again, building confidence through repetition.

The packet is linked at the bottom of this post for paid subscribers. If subscribing isn’t the right fit right now, the packet is available in KidLit Grove’s store for individual purchase below:

KidLit Grove Store: Letter E Packet

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Music: The Itsy, Bitsy Green Sprout

In each packet, we also include songs to the tune of familiar songs with movement. Here is one we’ve been enjoying!

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KidLit Grove Nature Study

This summer, we’re stepping outside to notice the little miracles. From birds and trees to insects, nighttime discoveries, and the rocks that surround us, our 12-week virtual nature study will begin in June and pair lovely picture books with playful, hands-on adventures you can do together in your backyard, or at a local park.

It will be a full season of discovery, curiosity, and wonder — perfect for kids, parents, and educators alike. And we’ll have a community available where you can share our explorations and tips.

Keep an eye on your inbox: I’ll share how you can join this adventure soon!

Coming Up Next

• This Friday — I’m welcoming Suzanne Sherman and her picture book, Shell Seeker: The Life, Work and Adventures of a Blind Biologist, to KidLit Grove, continuing our exploration of stories that extend learning beyond the page.

• Week of March 22 — April Play & Learn Calendar releases, with complete booklist and materials for paid subscribers who are participating in our early literacy program.

• March 29 — Letter R Play & Learn Packet releases

• April 1 — I’m thrilled to release a collaborative STEAM workshop created with author Blair Northen Williamson for the STEAM Lab newsletter. It is a complete K–2 lesson plan with built-in differentiation extending through 4th grade (free!).

• May 4–10: Children’s Book Week — KidLit Grove will be participating with special features celebrating stories, authors, and learning connections. More details soon!

• Coming this Spring — a collaborative Project-Based Learning Unit created with author Linda Booth Sweeney for the STEAM Lab newsletter. It is a comprehensive, systems-based unit that I am really excited to share with you!

• Coming in June — a 12-week Nature Study designed to help families and educators explore seasonal learning through observation, inquiry, and connection with the natural world.

Thank you for reading and being part of this space.

Warmly,

Lindsay

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His behavior was often interpreted as defiant because he rarely made direct eye contact with adults during conversations. Adults in our school would often say, “look at me when I’m talking to you.” And when he didn’t, it was seen as disrespectful.

At the time, I was taking an American Indian studies class while obtaining my degree in education. I learned that in some Ojibwe communities, prolonged eye contact with adults can be considered confrontational and rude. Looking slightly away can instead be a sign of listening and respect.

What looked like avoidance was cultural communication.

But he didn’t yet have the language (or the authority) to explain that. Instead, he spent a great deal of time sitting in the hallway … misunderstood for something that was never misbehavior at all.

That experience has stayed with me for years.

It reminded me that communication is shaped not only by development, but by culture, experience, and environment. When we look only for familiar signals, like eye contact, verbal responses, or a head nod, we can miss the deeper messages children are already sending.

And sometimes, the work isn’t teaching children to communicate differently.

It’s expanding how we learn to listen.

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Where Communication Begins

Last summer, we explored communication through art, storytelling, and movement. We noticed how children tend to communicate through their creations, imaginations, and the things they do, rather than carefully chosen words.

This month, we’re returning to that idea, but looking a little deeper. Because communication doesn’t always begin with talking. It begins with having something to share.

I want to begin by noting something important: I’m not a communication specialist. What I share here comes from a blend of classroom experience, parenting, ongoing learning, and the wisdom of educators and researchers whose work has shaped how I understand children.

Books like Raising Human Beings by Ross W. Greene, The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson, and Einstein Never Used Flash Cards by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff all point toward a similar truth:

Children’s behavior is communication long before it becomes conversation.

The more I’ve learned, and the more I’ve watched children closely and spend time with my own children, the more this has proven true. This series shares the ideas that have resonated most deeply for me along the way.

Researchers like Siegel and Bryson (The Whole Brain Child) describe children’s early communication as a way of connecting emotions, sensory input, and reasoning into something understandable.

In everyday childhood, this may look like:

• lining up rocks again and again

• retelling the same story repeatedly

• acting out moments through play

• asking endless “why” questions

These are forms of communication in its earliest form, and these moments implore us to take on a role of curiosity. So instead of asking children to explain something, we can invite expression first:

“Show me.”

When children are allowed to express before they are expected to explain, communication can grow.

Picture Books that Support Expression

Stories that nurture early communication often center imagination and interpretation rather than dialogue-heavy storytelling. Wordless and visually rich books are especially powerful because they invite children to become the storyteller.

Take a peek at a few of our favorites.

Journey by Aaron Becker is a story that follows a child who draws a door into another world and steps inside. Children become active participants in the narrative, as they practice interpreting the story and creating meaning without words.

Finding Fire by Logan S. Kline is a visually rich story that follows early humans as they discover and learn to care for fire together. It invites children to look closely at the illustrations and interpret actions, leading to discussion about cooperation, discovery, and how ideas are shared.

The Last Zookeeper by Aaron Becker takes place in a futuristic world overtaken by nature where a caretaker (a robot) protects the last remaining animals. This story encourages readers to notice the details and practice emotional inference.

Flotsam by David Wiesner is one of our absolute favorites! A child discovers a mysterious underwater camera washed ashore that reveals extraordinary ocean scenes and a significant history. Children will want to tell this story themselves…and then go to a beach to find their own camera.

The Dog Walk by Sven Nordqvist takes readers on a seemingly simple walk, but then becomes an unfolding chain of small discoveries as characters and events connect along the way. The illustrations are richly detailed, and encourage slow looking and noticing.

Tuesday by David Wiesner is filled with imagination. When an ordinary evening turns magical, frogs begin flying through the night sky. The story relies on visual humor and sequencing, inviting children to figure out what will happen next. I love this story for its unpredictability.

These books create space for children to narrate and construct meaning in their own way — practicing communication without pressure.

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Play Invitations

These activities support communication by helping children express ideas before expecting explanation.

Draw what happened today

Invite children to draw a moment from their day without any explanation.

Instead of asking What is it? try: “Tell me about this part,” or “What’s happening here?”

Act it out

Provide small figures or stuffed animals and invite children to recreate an experience they remember. It may be a playground moment, a story, or something they imagined.

You may notice them replaying situations repeatedly. This repetition helps process emotion and understanding.

Build a feeling

Offer loose parts or blocks and ask: “Can you build what excited feels like,“ or “What would a calm structure look like?”

Abstract building can strengthen symbolic communication.

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When we slow down enough to notice these moments, communication becomes easier to see. It’s shaped through play, relationships, culture, and the whole child, not only through spoken language.

Before children learn to communicate with others, they need to learn to communicate themselves. And when adults widen their understanding of communication, children are far more likely to feel seen, safe, and understood.

Coming Up Next: Communication as Connection

In the next post, we’ll move into relationships as we explore how children begin to realize other people have different thoughts and perspectives. We’ll look at how misunderstandings happen, why they’re normal, and how playful experiences can help children learn to clarify, listen, and collaborate.

The part about communication I hope this series imparts isn’t that communication is about saying the right words, but rather staying connected when communication gets hard.

Thank you for reading.

Warmly,
Lindsay

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During those early days when the world shut down and routines disappeared, we searched for simple ways to bring a little joy and connection back into our days.

And one afternoon, on a particularly windy day, we found a forgotten pair of kites. So we went outside.

And the kites danced above us. The laughter that followed felt like the first deep breath in a long time. Watching my kids run across the open space with those kites tugging toward the sky lifted the weight of the moment more than I expected.

That moment of discovery and connection came back when we opened this week’s featured picture book…Storm by Sam Usher.

In the book, a boy and his grandfather wake to a blustery morning and decide it’s the perfect day to fly a kite. But they can’t find the kite. Their search takes them through the house, and they uncover memories and shared moments along the way.

What unfolds isn’t simply a story about a windy storm. It’s a story that highlights themes of connection, observation, and shared adventure.

Usher’s expressive illustrations bring the wind to life across the pages with leaves swirling, kites stretching into the sky, and the characters’ reactions move from determination to delight in ways that are sometimes tender and sometimes comical. The artwork invites children to linger a little, and notice tiny details while imagining what the wind might carry next.

It’s a story that naturally sparks curiosity, which is perfect for this week’s explorations. From kite science to outdoor wind play, and even our kangaroo jumping challenges, children are invited to move, observe, and experiment, just like the characters in the story.

Because in both the book and our activities, the real magic is in the shared adventure.

What you’ll find in this edition:

• Free printable playdough mats for Letter K

• A peek at what’s inside the Letter K Play & Learn Packet

• A jump-and-measure activity inspired by kangaroos (my kids played this forever)

• A quick look at what’s coming next

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Letter K Playdough Mats

These simple mats encourage children to shape the letter K, build objects beginning with the letter sound, and strengthen fine motor muscles as they roll, pinch, and press the dough. Playdough is one of my favorite ways to introduce letters because it keeps the experience playful and tactile.

You can download your free mats below.

Letter K Playdough Mats

6.96MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

If your child enjoys these, you’ll also find our full collection of playdough mats gathered in one place for easy access. Click the link below to explore more.

Share KidLit Grove

Letter K Play & Learn Packet

For families and classrooms who want to explore a little further, the Letter K Play & Learn Packet expands the experience through hands-on discovery, experimentation, and creative play. For this unit, our focus is on kangaroos and kites.

Inside this 39-page Letter K Play & Learn Packet, you’ll find:

• Letter K sound exploration and engaging literacy printables

• Kangaroo and kite-themed sensory play invitations

• Playful STEM investigations, including How Far Do Kangaroos Jump? and What Makes a Kite Fly?

• Nature play activities like the Kangaroo Jump Trail and wind exploration connected to kite play

• Process art and simple crafts, including a moving kangaroo joey and pocket kite

• Songs, rhymes, and movement activities designed for active learners

• Guidance pages to help parents and educators confidently support learning through play

Every piece is designed with young children (and real life) in mind. I test all the activities with my kids before they find a place in the packet, and ensure materials are simple and accessible, activities are flexible (you’ll find differentiation and extensions to span a variety of ages), and learning unfolds through play.

Whether you’re at the kitchen table, in a classroom center, or exploring outdoors, the goal is the same: curiosity first, skills grow naturally.

The packet is linked at the bottom of this post for paid subscribers. If subscribing isn’t the right fit right now, I’ll list this packet in my store soon for individual purchase.

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Early Science: How Far Can a Kangaroo Jump?

This activity was too fun not to share.

What started as a quick science invitation turned into nearly an hour of energetic experimenting, with all of my kids eagerly testing how far they could jump.

Of course it all started with a book: How Far Can a Kangaroo Jump? by Alison Limentani.

We measured jumps, adjusted starting spots, tested running starts, practiced turn-taking, and predicted who might jump the farthest. Without prompting, my kids explored measurement, comparison, and early scientific thinking through pure play.

My youngest quickly decided the best strategy was to run the entire span of the driveway before jumping so he could truly be the kangaroo. Meanwhile, my older two discovered their jumps landed them squarely in chipmunk territory instead. Needless to say, this sparked plenty of laughter and repeated attempts to improve their distance.

It’s active, hands-on learning that blends science, math, and movement, and it works beautifully for mixed ages because everyone participates at their own level.

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Coming Up Next

• Next week we’ll take our first step into the Communication Series together. We’ll begin by looking at expression and how children share ideas through play, questions, and creativity, and how we can nurture those early attempts at being understood with patience and curiosity. Subscribers will receive book pairings, guided activities, and simple ways to bring these ideas into everyday routines.

• Our twice-monthly picture book feature begins next Friday with a story brought to life through simple, playful STEAM activities you can use right away at home or in the classroom.

Thank you for reading and being part of this space.

Warmly,

Lindsay

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Over the last month, we’ve been exploring persistence together.

We began with, Growing Grit: New Beginnings — creating safe spaces where children could take a first step without pressure.

Then in Growing Grit: Try, Try Again, we explored how persistence isn’t getting it right the first time, but noticing what didn’t work and adjusting.

In Growing Grit: Keep On Keeping On, we lived in that middle space between starting and finishing, and supported children in ways that felt manageable and empowering.

And now we arrive at the endpoint when children can say “I did it.” This is where we celebrate the effort, notice growth, and help children see their own progress. And we’re going to do this by looking back and revisiting what they pushed through.

Sometimes, children don’t notice their own growth. They live so completely in the present that yesterday’s frustration disappears unless we gently help them see it.

When we name progress, children begin to connect effort with outcome.
And that connection is where confidence grows.

I want to revisit a story we met in the very first week: The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds.

Vashti believes she “can’t draw,” until her teacher asks her to simply make a mark. That single dot becomes many dots. And eventually, Vashti sees herself differently. Now this story never claims she became the perfect artist. Instead, she learned to notice growth, and that changed everything.

This week, we’ll help children do the same, not by asking them to try harder. But help them see: look what you can do now that you couldn’t do before.

To help support this week, I’ve created a free printable with reflection cards and supportive caregiver language.

You can use the cards after a challenge, not just after success, to help children notice effort, decisions, and progress. The language guide offers phrases to keep encouragement grounded in growth, rather than pressure.

Used together, they turn “good job” into meaningful conversation. You can download this resource below.

Growing Grit: Look What I Did

2.9MB ∙ PDF file

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Notice the Change

Have you ever noticed children tend to zoom past their accomplishments? They finish a puzzle they once struggled with and immediately run off to the next activity as if nothing happened.

Sometimes the moment needs to slow down a bit so progress can be felt.

Book Pairing

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds: Vashti’s confidence grows when her teacher helps her see the difference between then and now.

Try this:

Bring back an activity your child struggled with weeks ago. Maybe it was tying their shoes, completing a puzzle, stacking a tower of blocks, or drawing a horse. When they finish, observe the change: You couldn’t do this before… and now you can.

Pause a moment and let the realization belong to them.

Show the Journey

Sometimes it’s hard to remember where the challenge even started. When we make progress visible, persistence becomes a story instead of a single moment.

Book Pairing

Ish by Peter H. Reynolds: Ramon improves not by perfecting his drawings, but by continuing and learning that growth doesn’t require perfection.

Try this:

Create a small “before and now” record:

• First drawing vs. today’s drawing

• First attempt vs. newest attempt

• Early block tower vs. current one

Lay them side by side and notice the difference together.

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Let Them Say It

Confidence grows strongest when children notice it themselves.

Book Pairing

If I Never Forever Endeavor by Holly Meade: A young bird moves from hesitation to courage when they recognize their own readiness.

Try this:

After finishing something challenging, wonder:

• What felt tricky?

• What helped you keep going?

• What feels easier now?

This helps them tell their own learning story.

Celebrate Effort, Not Endings

The final step of persistence isn’t a reward or sticker. It’s identity — when children begin to see themselves as someone who keeps going.

Book Pairing

The Impossible Mountain by David Soman: Anna and her little brother, Finn set out to climb the mountain that towers over their village. They climb, slip, rest, and carry on, one small stretch at a time. The achievement isn’t a single triumphant moment, but the steady willingness to continue, even when progress feels slow.

Try this:

Instead of saying “good job,” try:

• You kept working even when it was tricky.

• You figured out where to put the next block so the tower wouldn’t fall.

• You turned the mistake in your drawing into something beautiful.

When we name the effort, the child is able to identify with it, and own it.

If you implement the steps in this series, you might find kids don’t suddenly become “determined.” But they may become a little more willing.

Willing to start. Willing to try again. And willing to stay with it a bit longer.

Somewhere along the way, they’ll begin to trust themselves.

Confidence doesn’t really appear in the big success moment. It shows up when they remember, I’ve done hard things before.

Coming Up Next

• I’m looking forward to beginning our new character series where we look at communication as more than talking.

  This builds on last summer’s communication series exploring art, story, and movement (linked below), but widens the lens a bit as it helps us see communication as something happening constantly around us, not just in conversation. In nature, in play, and in the ways children respond to the world through expression and interpretation.

• Next week, the Letter K packet will land in your inbox! We’ve had a lot of fun exploring this one, and I’m excited to share it with you.

If you get to a “look what I can do” moment, I’d genuinely love to hear it. Thanks for being here, and figuring this out right alongside your kids, just like the rest of us.

Warmly,

Lindsay

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The light lingers a little longer, the air smells sweeter, and the world is moving again. Birds return in the early morning, tiny buds appear where yesterday there was only brown, and the ground hums as it wakes up beneath our feet.

It’s easy to miss how much is changing unless we slow down enough to notice.

This month at KidLit Grove, we’ll follow that curiosity, as we pay attention to the happenings around us and the ways children learn to notice them, wonder about them, and respond in their own language of play.

Leading our March explorations is the beautifully illustrated Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer.

This book is stunning. Wonder Walkers invites readers into a world where nature becomes a playground for imagination, and every moment is an opportunity to ask big questions. Through the eyes of two curious children, we’re taken on a “Wonder Walk” — an adventure of observation and curiosity.

The questions the children ask are both simple and profound, perfectly capturing the way kids naturally experience the world:

“Is the sun the world’s light bulb?”
“Are trees the sky’s legs?”

Micha Archer’s collage illustrations are layered, textured, and richly colored, giving each page a sense of depth and movement. You can almost feel the breeze, smell the earth, and hear the rising hum of the outdoors. Every spread is a work of art, inviting you to linger and look closer.

What I love most about this book is how it encourages curiosity without demanding answers. Hinting at a Montessori approach, the “I wonder” statements give children permission to ask freely, just for the joy of asking.

It reminds us that curiosity is not a step before learning. Curiosity is the learning.

And it sets the tone for everything we’ll explore this month.

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March Play & Learn Calendar

Many of you are returning readers, and I’m so glad you’re here. If you’d like to jump straight to the calendar, your download is waiting below. And if you’re newer (or just curious about this month’s theme) I’ve shared a preview of what our Play & Learn calendars (and KidLit Grove as a whole) are all about.

March Play & Learn Calendar

5.21MB ∙ PDF file

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Our Play & Learn calendars are full of invitations that help children build early literacy by engaging in activities and playful invitations that explore letters, their sounds, and stories in ways that feel natural and playful. Each activity is hands-on, developmentally appropriate (for children ages 2-8), and designed to fit into your daily rhythm.

Each week introduces a focus letter, color, and shape, explored through activities that nurture early literacy:

• Sensory Play: simple, doable experiences that engage little hands and minds while building awareness of letters and sounds.

• Simple Crafts: open-ended, creative projects that explore textures, shapes, and the joy of making.

• Music & Movement: songs to the tune of familiar preschool favorites, helping children hear and play with the rhythms of language while moving their bodies.

• Nature Play: outdoor scavenger hunts and adventures that connect letters, sounds, and stories to the natural world.

• Science & STEM Provocations: building, exploring, and experimenting while noticing patterns, counting, and problem-solving — reinforcing literacy in concrete ways.

Instead of memorizing letters in isolation, children experience their sounds and ideas in a rich, meaningful way. Through repeated, playful exposure, phonological awareness and early literacy develop naturally all while keeping curiosity, exploration, and wonder at the heart of learning.

As March begins, we find ourselves in the middle of our Letter N unit, which you can explore here.

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Each month we also focus on a life skill or character theme — something that unfolds from week to week alongside the play.

A few weeks ago I asked which direction our next focus should take, and the results came back tied between patience and communication. Many of you reached out asking specifically for communication, which felt like a clear nudge.

So this month we’re looking at communication as more than talking.

This builds on last summer’s communication series exploring art, story, and movement (linked below), but widens the lens a bit as it helps us see communication as something happening constantly around us, not just in conversation. In nature, in play, and in the ways children respond to the world.

Children communicate long before they have the words to do it clearly. They communicate through movement, through questions, through repetition, and through what they notice and return to again and again.

When they study a nest, watch an egg carefully, test the wind with a kite, or pause to examine the ground, they’re practicing one of the earliest communication skills: noticing before reacting.

Our two-part series follows how communication naturally grows. First, we’ll explore how children express ideas and learn to be understood, and then we’ll explore how they begin interpreting others and working through misunderstandings together.

Each post stands on its own, but together they trace the path from sharing thoughts to truly connecting with people.

Take a peek at our Communication series from last summer below:

• Symphonies of Communication: Where Art Becomes Language

• Symphonies of Communication: Storytelling and Stars

• Symphonies of Communication: The Language of Movement

KidLit Grove’s StorySprout resources exists for parents and early-childhood caregivers who want learning to feel calm, intentional, and doable. As a mom of three and veteran educator, these ideas are designed to fit into real days. Activities that grow confidence without pressure. Stories that stay with you long after the book is closed.

If that sounds like the kind of space you’ve been looking for, you’re in the right place.

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Coming Up Next

• Next week, we’ll close our Growing Grit series with “Look What I Can Do” — a celebration of all the small efforts children have been building this month. After trying something new, trying again, and learning to keep going, we’ll make space to notice growth… the kind that can sneak up!

• March is Reading Month! We’ll be celebrating with a series of free, book-based STEAM invitations. Throughout the month, I’ll highlight a selection of indie picture books and pairing each with a simple, hands-on challenge you can try the same day.

  You’ll find small experiments, playful problem-solving, and simple opportunities for children (ages 2-8) to notice, test, and share their ideas, all fitting in step with our theme of observing and communicating through play. You’ll find these activities in our STEAM Lab newsletter, so make sure you’re opted in to catch them all!

There’s a lot growing at KidLit Grove, and I’m so glad you’re here. Thank you for reading.

Warmly,

Lindsay

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You look over and notice something taking shape from whatever happened to be nearby. A small pile of objects suddenly matters. Cushions and blankets transform into a fort. Popsicle sticks balance into a bridge. A box becomes a rocket.

That same determination lives inside Bird Builds a Nest by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Richard Jones.

The story follows a bird gathering materials and building a nest piece by piece. It searches, carries, drops, and tries again. Some choices don’t work. Others do. Slowly, through small adjustments, the nest holds.

It feels familiar because it mirrors how children play.

Give a child loose parts and they naturally experiment by stacking, balancing, swapping materials, and sometimes rebuilding after collapse. They aren’t just playing (though that matters deeply), they’re testing ideas.

What looks simple is early engineering taking root. They compare weight, notice shapes, and solve problems through repetition. The process matters, because success isn’t instant.

This story introduces early math thinking, like sequence, quantity, and spatial awareness, as each added piece changes the structure of the nest. It pairs naturally with the invitations in our Letter N Play & Learn Packet.

At its heart, Bird Builds a Nest reminds us that learning is often quiet. It’s the trying again, adjusting, and eventually succeeding. When children are given time and open-ended materials, curiosity leads, and confidence follows.

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Letter N Playdough Mats

My free playdough mats are an invitation to manipulate playdough in new ways. These mats invite children to shape, roll, press, and build while interacting with the sounds of a letter form in a hands-on way. This playdough work intentionally supports fine motor development, letter recognition, and sound awareness — all through play.

You can download your free mats below.

Letter N Playdough Mats

6.22MB ∙ PDF file

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If your child enjoys these, you’ll find all of our playdough mats tucked into one convenient place. Click the link below to explore more.

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Letter N Play & Learn Packet

For those who’d like to dive a little deeper into the sounds and themes of Letter N, the Play & Learn Packet expands the experience through hands-on exploration, building, and meaningful play. For this unit, our focus is on numbers and nests.

Inside this 50+ page packet, you’ll find:

• Letter N games and sound exploration printables

• Number learning activities (including Number City, number paths, and patterns)

• Nest building sensory invitations

• Play-based STEM challenges (Build-a-Robot activity & simple engineering tasks)

• Nature-inspired scavenger hunt

• Process art and simple crafts

• Themed songs with movement prompts

• Guidance pages to help parents and educators use each activity with confidence

Every piece is designed with young children and real life in mind. Materials are simple and accessible, activities are flexible, and learning unfolds through play rather than pressure. Whether you’re at the kitchen table, in a classroom center, or exploring outdoors, the goal is the same: curiosity first, skills grow naturally.

The packet is linked at the bottom of this post for paid subscribers. If subscribing isn’t the right fit right now, you can also explore the packet in my shop using the link below.

You’ll also find two activities from this collection available as standalone resources, including Number Block City and Roll & Build a Robot, created for families and educators who may want to start with a single hands-on invitation.

Letter N Play & Learn Packet

Number Block City

Roll-and-Build Robot

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STEM Invitation: Building Numbers

This week we did an activity that isn’t in the packet, but it’s one we come back to again and again: building with loose parts.

I wrote a row of numbers along a long strip of paper and drew little circles underneath each one for counting. Then I set out a few toys we already had nearby and simply invited my toddler to build the numbers.

Since we’ve done this invitation many times, he knew what to do. In the beginning, I would model once, showing the pieces could become a different shape, and then step back. Children don’t need much instruction here. Once they realize the objects can represent something, their curiosity carries the activity forward.

We also tried a construction-style number kit where pieces fit directly onto the shapes.

It worked well for recognition, but the loose parts told a different story. With open-ended materials, he kept reconsidering his choices. He’d wander off and return holding something he thought worked better. A block instead of a button. A curved toy instead of a straight one. He was comparing sizes, noticing curves, testing balance, and revising his ideas, all while strengthening fine motor skills and naturally building early math understanding.

Giving a variety of options matters. When children can choose, they begin planning, solving, and refining. Over time, the numbers that were once only symbols on a page become shapes they understand and recreate.

Coming Up Next

• This coming Sunday, the March calendar will be ready to welcome a new month of play and learning!

• Next week we’ll close our Growing Grit series with Look What I Can Do — a celebration of all the small efforts children have been building this month. After trying something new, trying again, and learning to keep going, we’ll make space to notice growth… the kind that can sneak up!

Thank you for being here and reading along.

Warmly,

Lindsay

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We’re left wondering — do we nudge them forward, or let it rest?

There’s a middle space between starting and finishing where children tend to pause and decide whether it’s worth it to keep going. This middle space is where effort meets choice, and where each small attempt matters in growing grit.

A picture book that captures this in-between beautifully is The Magical Yet by Angela DiTerlizzi, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez.

Rather than celebrating immediate success, the story names the frustration children feel when something doesn’t work yet. The “Yet” becomes a companion. It’s sometimes small and encouraging, sometimes looming and shadowy when doubt creeps in.

Alvarez’s illustrations mirror a child’s inner world as colors dim when confidence fades, but slowly brightens as effort and promise returns. The child in the story doesn’t suddenly master each challenge they come across. They wobble, hesitate, and circle back. Each attempt changes them just a little, until the once-impossible thing becomes possible.

What makes the book resonate with young children is that success isn’t portrayed as talent or determination alone. It’s shown as familiarity. The more the child returns, the less overwhelming the task feels. It reassures children that the uncomfortable middle (not the beginning or the triumph at the end) is where learning (and the journey) lives.

The Magical Yet is a doorway into this week’s theme.

This week, we’re exploring how to support children in that middle space by helping them keep going in ways that feel manageable and empowering. We’ll look at three ways to encourage children forward, each with a simple action, picture book pairings, and a real-life example you can share together.

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Keep Going in Small Steps

When something feels big, it can seem overwhelming for children. Breaking it into smaller pieces lets children experience a little bit of progress right away. One small success leads to another, and before long they realize they can do hard things… just not all at once

As Daniel Tiger says, “If something seems hard to do, try it a little bit at a time!”

Picture Book Pairings

• Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees — Gerald learns to dance one step at a time until he finds his rhythm.

• Wibble Wobble BOOM! by Mary Ann Rodman and Holly Sterling — ice skating wasn’t all Claire had hoped it would be, but with small actions and determination, she learns to skate like a pro.

Activity to Try

Take something your child is working toward and break it into smaller, approachable pieces. Focus on just one step at a time, then pause to notice what they accomplished before moving on.

Keeping the goal close enough to reach helps the next step feel possible.

Real-Life Anchor

Think about learning to ride a bike. The first day might only be sitting on the seat. Then a few pedals with help. Eventually, balance comes. Each step, each encouragement builds skill and confidence, eventually leading to independent riding.

Keep Going With Practice

Sometimes persistence is repeating the same small action until it feels familiar.

Young children build confidence through rhythm and repetition. When a task is predictable, the pressure fades and they begin to notice their own progress — not because it’s perfect, but because it feels easier and more natural than when they started.

Picture Book Pairings

• The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do by Ashley Spires — Lou avoids a new challenge (climbing a tree) because she can’t do it yet, but with a little imagination and repeated attempts, she realizes learning takes time and many tries.

• Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats — Peter wants to whistle for his dog, and keeps practicing throughout his day until the sound finally comes.

Activity to Try

Offer a simple action that can be repeated. This may be tossing a ball into a basket, stacking blocks, tracing a shape or picture, hitting a ball with a racquet, or pouring water — whatever the activity may be, invite your child to stay with it as long as they choose.

As they repeat the same action, notice if there is a rhythm forming and the growing ease in their movements.

Real-World Anchor

Athletes practice movements again and again so their bodies remember what to do. Over time, effort turns into comfort.

Keep Going Through Challenges

Some things take longer than a day, and it’s important for children to experience staying with them.

To be clear, it isn’t about pushing through frustration, but rather learning they can return, continue, and make a little progress each time with a clear focus.

This deepens grit, teaching children that long-term effort pays off.

Picture Book Pairings

• Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Robert’s – Rosie experiments, fails, and keeps improving until she succeeds.

• Tilda Tries Again by Tom Percival — one day, Tilda’s world turns upside down. But she finds small victories and moments worth celebrating to push through challenges, even when things are difficult.

Activity to Try

Invite your child to dedicate a short block of time to a challenge they’ve been practicing. This may be a picture they’ve been trying to sketch, or a tower they’ve been trying to build, or even a test at school they’ve been studying for. Focus on persistence and enjoyment rather than finishing perfectly.

Real-Life Anchor

Learning a musical instrument, a sport, or a craft often takes weeks or months. Daily practice and incremental progress reinforce that effort matters more than instant success.

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Truthfully, working toward something rarely looks impressive while it’s happening. More often it’s quiet and steady with a little practice each day, a small revision, or coming back to try again after a break.

Those tiny returns are where confidence grows, almost unnoticed at first.

Following your child’s lead matters here. Offer encouragement and, when it feels right, a nudge. Some days they’ll dive back in. Other days they’ll watch, wander off, and return later. Both are part of learning, and both move them forward.

If you notice a moment of “keep going” this week, I’d love to hear about it. Share in the comments or send me a message — I truly enjoy reading how these ideas live in your real days.

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Coming Up Next

• Later this week, the Letter N Play & Learn Packet will land in your inbox! We’ll be exploring numbers and nests together. I originally planned a nighttime (nocturnal) theme, but with spring just around the corner here in the Northern Hemisphere, nests felt like the right fit for the season. I’m excited to share what we have planned!

• And on Sunday, the March calendar will be ready to welcome a new month of play and learning.

• Next week we’ll close our Growing Grit series with Look What I Can Do — a celebration of all the small efforts children have been building this month. After trying something new, trying again, and learning to keep going, we’ll make space to notice growth… the kind that can sneak up!

If you’d like to catch up on our previous posts in the Growing Grit series, you can find them linked below. Thank you for being part of this journey, and for growing grit alongside your children.

Warmly,

Lindsay

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When children are very little, a focus board might hold only two things — a color and a shape. And that’s enough for simple, steady exposure.

But as they grow, so does the board.

We add numbers. Letters. The weather. A new layer of the world.

Later, it might hold sight words, states and capitals, world countries… even elements from the periodic table. If you lean toward nature, it might feature types of trees, wildflowers, bird species, or constellations. The possibilities truly are endless.

But the purpose remains the same. A focus board is an invitation to notice patterns, observe variety, build vocabulary, and see how richly layered our world really is.

The point is not to master something in a week, but grow familiarity over time. And in a world that often feels hurried, I love having one constant space in our home (or classroom) that invites my kiddos to slow down.

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Why Focus Boards Work

I’ve seen the benefits of focus boards in my own children, both in the classroom and at my kitchen table. And there’s research behind why they work.

In short: focus boards align with how young children are naturally wired to learn.

Small Moments Build Strong Brains

When children revisit the same concept for several days, their brains strengthen the connections that make recognition easier and more automatic. Research shows that short, repeated exposure builds learning far more effectively than isolated drills. A few playful minutes each day truly matter.

Predictable Rhythms Create Security

Little brains thrive on repetition. Familiar songs and simple routines help anchor new information, especially for early literacy and math. When learning feels safe and expected, children lean in.

Seeing + Singing + Moving = Deeper Learning

When a child sees a shape, sings about it, traces it in the air, and spots it in real life, they’re building multiple pathways at once. Multi-sensory learning supports language, early math, executive function, and school readiness.

And most importantly? The noticing, naming, and playing are three things little ones already do.

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Books to Support Focus Boards

Of course I will have books for you. Here are a list of books for each section in the Focus Board Play & Learn Packet included at the bottom of the post. These are all classic picture books — tried and true! What I especially love is they show letters, numbers, colors, and shapes in everyday contexts that children can touch, see, and talk about.

• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. & Eric Carle

• A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni

• Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

• Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh

• Catawampus! A Story of Shapes by Ann Marie Stephens and Jenn Harney

• The Shape of Things by Dayle Ann Dodds and Julie Lacome

• Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews

• How Do Dinosaurs Count to 10? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

• Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin, Jr., Michael Sampson, and Lois Ehlert

• Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth and Laura Huliska-Beith

• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault, and Lois Ehlert

• Dr. Seuss’s ABC by Dr. Seuss

• Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert

If you’d like to see all of these gathered in one place, you can browse the full curated collection in my Bookshop here:

Focus Board Books

Every purchase made through that link helps support KidLit Grove and independent bookstores at no extra cost (thank you!).

Focus Board Play & Learn Packet

This resource is designed to invite playful noticing into your daily rhythm — without the overwhelm.

Included in this packet:

• 10 Colors

• 10 Shapes

• Numbers 0-10

• All Letters of the Alphabet (with real-life photos to support letter sounds)

• Songs to introduce each new focus — familiar tunes with repeatable lyrics

• Section headings — to organize your focus board

Each set lives on your focus board for a week or two, giving children space and time to notice, name, and make connections — inside and outside your home or classroom.

If you’re already following along in our Play & Learn Early Literacy Series, this packet is designed to complement (not replace) what you’re using. The letter images included here are thoughtfully chosen to support sound recognition, and you’ll continue to find additional, different letter picture cards inside our Play & Learn Letter Packets so you can expand your collection over time without duplication.

Everything works together, giving you layers of support while keeping learning simple and cohesive.

Using Music to Introduce Concepts

One of the simplest tools for learning I’ve used in my own home (and in the classroom) is music.

When my kids were little, we learned to spell their names by singing the letters to a simple beat. Their names are seven and nine letters long, and music turned what could have felt overwhelming into something playful and memorable. They still spell their names to that same rhythm.

Research consistently shows when you pair learning with melody, the rhythm and repetition strengthen memory pathways, making new information easier to retain.

That’s why each new concept in the Focus Board Play & Learn Packet is paired with a simple song to a familiar tune. Whether we’re introducing a number, a letter, a shape, or a color, we give it a rhythm.

To give you a glimpse of how this works, I’ve included one of the number songs below for you to try.

The full Focus Board Play & Learn Packet is linked at the bottom of this post for paid subscribers.

If a subscription isn’t the right fit for you right now, no worries at all — the packet will is anlso available for individual purchase in the KidLit Grove shop. Click the link below:

KidLit Grove Store

Be sure to check out my free Weather Cards to include on your focus board! Link to the post with book-based activities can be found below:

Thank you for reading and for being part of this growing community. I’m truly grateful you’re here.

Warmly,
Lindsay

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There’s a wall many visitors pass by without stopping, lined with quotes from makers, shakers, and doers. One always makes us pause:

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” - Thomas Edison

It’s a powerful reminder that persistence isn’t about getting things “right” right away. It’s about noticing what didn’t work, adjusting, and being willing to try again.

Last week, we focused on brave beginnings — those early moments when children gather the courage to try something new. We explored picture books and play invitations that honor hesitation, curiosity, and the bravery it takes to begin.

This week, we take the very next step: learning what it means to try… and then try again.

Trying again doesn’t mean pushing harder or sticking with something endlessly. For young children, persistence begins more gently than that. It’s realizing that when something doesn’t work the first time, it’s okay to pause…to look again…to try a different way.

This stage of persistence is really about flexibility. It’s about noticing details of what happened — what tipped, slipped, or fell apart.

It’s learning that one try provides the information…not the final answer.

Research in early childhood development consistently shows that children build resilience through supported problem-solving. When adults model curiosity instead of urgency (“Hmm, that didn’t work the way we hoped. I wonder why?”) children learn that challenges are something to explore, not avoid or dread.

The invitations in this post are designed to be supportive loops. Children can try something once, reflect (often with adult help), and then decide whether and how to try again.

And a story that models this theme beautifully is Stuck by Oliver Jeffers.

It captures persistence with humor, honesty, and just the right amount of absurdity.

In Stuck, Floyd’s kite gets caught in a tree. Rather than changing his approach, Floyd does what many of us instinctively do…he tries more. His favorite shoe. A cat. A bucket of paint. The family car. Then the milkman. A ship. Each new “solution” joins the growing collection of stuck objects in the tree.

Children usually find humor in this story as the pile grows more and more outrageous, but there’s something deeper happening here. Jeffers is showing us what it looks like when effort is disconnected from reflection. Floyd isn’t failing because he didn’t try hard enough — he’s stuck because he never stops to rethink.

The turning point comes when Floyd finally pauses. He looks up. He chooses something different: a saw. One small shift changes everything.

For children, this story offers a powerful, research-aligned message:

Trying again doesn’t always mean doing more. Sometimes it means doing something else.

And that idea is the heart of this week’s theme.

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Our Next Series

Before we dive in, I’d love your input. As I plan ahead for March, which character skill would you most like to explore next? Choose the one that feels most helpful for the season you’re in. Your responses directly shape what I create here. Thank you for growing this space with me.

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Fix & Try Again: When It Falls Down

There’s something uniquely frustrating, and fascinating, about building something that doesn’t quite stay together. A tower tips. A bridge collapses. A ramp sends the car veering off course. But this is where learning begins.

Leonardo da Vinci filled notebooks with designs that didn’t work the first time. Early flying machines failed again and again, not because he gave up, but because each attempt showed him what needed to change.

In this activity, children are doing the same important work. When a structure falls, we pause and ask: What happened? What could we fix? Rather than starting over from scratch, we encourage small adjustments, like strengthening a base, changing the height, or shifting materials, and then trying again.

It’s this kind of problem-solving that helps children build trust in their own thinking and see themselves as capable.

Book Pairings

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
A playful reminder that piling on more effort isn’t always the answer. Sometimes we need to stop and rethink.

What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada and Mae Besom
Rather than trying harder at the exact same approach, the main character learns to look differently at his challenge, and that shift opens new possibilities.

Activity Goal

To help children notice what didn’t work and experiment with small, manageable adjustments.

Materials

• Blocks, cups, cardboard pieces, or tubes

• Optional: a small toy or ball to test structures

Invitation

Invite your child to build something that might fall down. If it does, pause and brainstorm: “What could we change if we tried again?”

One adjustment may be enough for this challenge, but follow your child’s lead.

Different Way, Same Goal

Sometimes the goal stays the same, but the path shifts. Inventor James Dyson famously created thousands of versions of his vacuum cleaner before finding the design that worked. But each version wasn’t a failure. It was information that guided the next attempt.

This kind of flexibility is a cornerstone of persistence and helps children understand that changing strategies isn’t giving up. It’s learning.

Book Pairings

Going Places by Peter & Paul Reynolds
Children who stray from the expected path discover that trying something different can be just as meaningful (and sometimes more fun!) than following instructions.

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
A story about revisiting an idea again and again, adjusting along the way, and letting change unfold over time.

Activity Goal

To encourage flexible thinking and creative problem-solving.

Materials

• Loose parts (recyclables, natural items, cardboard, fabric scraps)

• Tape or play dough (optional)

Invitation

Lay out the materials and invite your child to build the same thing again, but this time in a different way. Let them decide what different looks like and how they want to approach it.

Pause, Then Try Again

Persistence doesn’t mean pushing nonstop. Some of the most important discoveries happened slowly, with long pauses in between.

Scientist Marie Curie’s work required patience, waiting, and returning to experiments when conditions were right. When children understand that pauses are part of learning, they’re more likely to re-engage without the overwhelm.

Book Pairings

Jabari Tries by Gaia Cornwall
Jabari’s journey beautifully captures the space between attempts: the waiting, the watching, and the courage it takes to return.

When Sophie Gets Angry — Really, Really Angry… by Molly Bang
A powerful reminder that emotional resets often come before effective second tries.

Activity Goal

To help children practice stopping and returning when they’re ready.

Materials

• A puzzle, drawing, or building project

Invitation

Invite your child to give something a try once. If they choose to stop, normalize the pause by letting them know a break is okay and they can always come back to it later.

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What Can We Add or Take Away?

Sometimes trying again doesn’t mean starting over — it means changing just one small thing. Think about Ruth Wakefield, who created the chocolate chip cookie.

She simply added broken pieces of a chocolate bar to her plain cookie dough, experimenting with a tiny change. That small adjustment became a timeless classic.

This invitation helps children focus on adding or removing a single element to demonstrate to children that progress often comes from subtle shifts — not big overhauls.

Book Pairings

Mistakes That Worked by Charlotte Foltz Jones and John O’Brien
Real-life examples that show how small changes after missteps led to meaningful discoveries and inventions we still use today.

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
A classic tale of persistence that follows a determined girl as she builds her “magnificent thing,” only to discover that stepping back, making small adjustments, and trying again are key steps in the creative process.

Activity Goal

To help children experiment with simple changes.

Materials

• Baking supplies to make some cookies, OR

• Art supplies, blocks, or loose parts

• Glue or tape (optional)

Invitation

Wonder together about what might change if one thing were added (or taken away) from a project or recipe, then leave the decision in your child’s hands about whether they’d like to try again or do something different.

One More Try (Then We’ll Take a Break)

Trying again is important, and so is knowing when to stop or pause. Inventors like Thomas Edison worked through many attempts, but not endlessly in one sitting. Effort was balanced with reflection and rest.

This invitation places a boundary around trying. By saying there is just one more attempt, children aren’t left wondering how long they’ll be expected to stay with something. That clear endpoint often makes a second try feel manageable.

Here, we offer one more intentional try before taking a break. We can try again with focus, then step away, knowing we can return later with fresh ideas.

Book Pairings

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett & Gary Rubinstein
A reassuring story that reminds children mistakes don’t define them, and that trying again can feel light, not heavy.

After the Fall by Dan Santat
A story that explores returning to something after a setback, with emotional safety at the center.

Activity Goal

To help children practice retrying with support and a clear endpoint, reinforcing that effort can be meaningful without being endless.

Materials

• Any of the previously attempted activities

Invitation

Offer a grounded choice that supports effort without pressure. You might share that they can try one more time and then be finished for now. Keep in mind, the goal is not the outcome, but the experience of re-engaging with clarity and trust.

I hope these invitations feel like something you can lean into, rather than something you have to “do right.” The research I’ve explored reminds us that children build persistence best when they feel a sense of control and emotional safety, so following your child’s lead really matters here. Some days they may want to jump back in right away; other days, simply watching or knowing when to walk away is the work.

I’d love to hear how these ideas unfold in your home, and what trying again looks like for your child this week. Share your activities in the comments, or sent me a message!

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Coming Up Next

• This week, I’m sharing a new resource for paid subscribers who’ve been walking alongside us in our literacy journey — a printable focus board kit designed to support your daily learning rhythms. You’ll find numbers, letters, colors, shapes, and simple pictures that can be used in flexible ways throughout the day. This will be an evergreen resource, and I’ll continue to update it as I hear how families and classrooms are using it.

• Next week, you’ll also find the Play & Learn Packet for Letter N (numbers and night) landing in your inbox. It’s a playful, hands-on way to explore early number concepts alongside opposites, with plenty of room to follow your child’s interests.

• We’ll also continue this persistence series with Keep Going, where we shift from trying again to staying with something over time — gently building stamina and confidence.

• On the last Sunday of February, the March Play & Learn calendar will be released, ready to carry us into a new season of learning.

• The final installment of our Growing Grit series will be shared in the last week of February, wrapping up our gradual, child-centered approach to building persistence.

There’s a lot unfolding here, and I’m truly grateful you’re part of it. Thank you for reading, supporting, and growing alongside this space.

Warmly,

Lindsay

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I remember pressing my nose to the window, waiting for the mailman (who happened to be my dad) to come home with the day’s letters. I was always hoping for one from my pen pal. There was something special about getting to know someone from far away, like being invited into a behind-the-scenes glimpse of their everyday world.

Then the other day, my daughter came to me with a very practical request: a stamp. She explained, quite matter-of-factly, she wrote a letter to her grandmother (my mom), who lives out of state, and she was hoping they could become pen pals.

It made me pause for a bit. I used to write letters to my own grandmother, too, and I still hold onto those letters as treasures.

There’s something deeply grounding about written words. Putting pen to paper slows you down. The words seem to arrive with more intention, more heart.

That moment led me back to The Love Letter by Anika Aldamuy Denise, with playful illustrations by Lucy Ruth Cummins.

The Love Letter begins with the discovery of a letter that sets off a chain of wondering. As friends cross paths, the letter seems to slip from pocket to pocket with each child wondering if the letter belongs to them, and more importantly, who might have written it. The story plays with anticipation and curiosity, that fluttery feeling of Could this be for me?

I especially love how the author builds the mystery in this story…not through big drama, but through small, human moments: glances, questions, and hope. And when the true recipient of the letter is finally revealed (I’ll keep that a secret if you haven’t read the story yet), the story lands in a way that expands the idea of love beyond romance and friendship, and into something steady, constant, and deeply reassuring.

Lucy Ruth Cummins’ illustrations add so much warmth to the narrative. Her characters feel expressive and real. Together, the text and art create a story about friendship, love, and the comfort of knowing you’re held by something that doesn’t drift away.

It’s a beautiful companion for our current focus on Letter V where we begin by exploring valentine. It reminds us that letters can carry meaning beyond words, and that early literacy is deeply tied to relationships and connection.

After our valentine theme, we’ll shift into vehicles, which happens to be my youngest’s deepest love right now. Give him all the trains, autos, and monster trucks, and he’s instantly in his happy place.

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One quick note before we dive in to the Letter V offerings…I want to say thank you. Truly. This past week, KidLit Grove was featured among Substack’s Top 50 Rising in Education, and that simply wouldn’t have happened without readers like you. Thank you for reading along, for supporting this work, and for being part of this little bookish corner of story and play.

Letter V Playdough Mats

My free playdough mats are an invitation to manipulate playdough in new ways. These mats invite children to shape, roll, press, and build while interacting with the sounds of a letter form in a hands-on way. This playdough work intentionally supports fine motor development, letter recognition, and sound awareness — all through play.

You can download your free mats below.

Letter V Playdough Mats

4.46MB ∙ PDF file

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If your child enjoys these, you’ll find all of our playdough mats tucked into one convenient place. Click the link below to explore more.

Letter V Play & Learn Packet

For those who’d like to dive a little deeper into the sounds of Letter V, the Play & Learn Packet builds on this foundation with a collection of intentional play-based activities designed to nurture early literacy.

Inside this 33-page packet, you’ll find:

• Sensory play invitations

• Simple crafts

• Music with movement

• Nature play ideas

• Early science and STEM provocations

• Letter and sound exploration

Everything is designed with young children in mind and for busy parents, caregivers, homeschoolers, and early childhood educators who want learning to feel meaningful, doable, and rooted in picture books.

The packet is linked at the bottom of this post for paid subscribers, and it will also be available soon for individual purchase in the KidLit Grove store for those who prefer that option.

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Collage Hearts

My kids loved creating these collage hearts. It is a wonderfully accessible craft that invites creativity without requiring anything fancy, just materials you likely already have at home or in the classroom. The process itself is open-ended, and the results are always unique, making for a beautiful display of themed (or un-themed) creations.

They would be lovely additions to Valentine cards for loved ones or friends, too! We used a wood-cut heart as the base, but cardstock, construction paper, cardboard, or even a recycled cereal box work just as well. For collage materials, think scrap paper, magazine cutouts, tissue paper, fabric scraps, yarn, foil, stickers, or buttons, ribbon, or nature finds like sticks and petals.

This activity is completely shaped by what you have on hand and what your child is drawn to in the moment. You can scale it up or down, simplify it, or let it grow more intricate.

We paired this activity with The Runaway Valentine by Tina Casey and Theresa Smythe.

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Coming Up Next

• Next week, we’ll continue our February focus on growing grit as we move into trying and trying again — helping children build that grit muscle through stories, play, and gentle challenges. See our previous post on trying new things below.

• Lent is just around the corner. If that season feels meaningful in your home or classroom, be sure you’re subscribed to the Faith Play section of KidLit Grove where faithful, story-centered newsletters will be arriving soon.

• Looking ahead, our next letter focus will be Letter N, where we’ll explore numbers and night. With this unit, I’ll be releasing a Focus Board Packet filled with ready-to-use pieces to support letters, numbers, colors, and shapes — all designed to simplify your setup and invite deeper play. We’ll also be leaning into opposites, with playful, engaging printables.

I’m so glad you’re here. Thank you for reading.

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Read more

If you’re reading this, you’re part of the KidLit Grove StorySprout community, and I’m so glad you’re here.

A quick note before we begin: KidLit Grove has a couple different content streams (including The STEAM Lab, which houses our classroom curriculum and the Children’s Resource Book Hub). If you signed up primarily for school resources, you can easily adjust your preferences in just a few clicks by visiting KidLit Grove’s homepage, clicking your avatar in the upper right corner, and selecting Manage subscriptions.

This month, we’re focusing on persistence — that powerful ability to keep going when something feels hard. Over the next few weeks, we’ll feature booklists and activities that will build this “persistence muscle” step by step.

Rather than jumping straight to try harder, we’ll begin by laying a strong foundation that helps children feel safe enough to take “risks” in the first place.

And that begins with trying something new.

If you’re a caregiver or parent, trying something new can feel big for young children. New materials, new foods, new ways of creating can stir up uncertainty, but I want to note that’s not a sign of weakness.

It’s a sign that a child’s brain is doing important work. Pausing, hesitating, or saying “I’m not sure” often means a child is stretching just beyond their comfort threshold.

Research in early childhood development reminds us that before children can persist, or try again, they first need space to simply try…without pressure.

When children feel safe exploring something unfamiliar, they’re more likely to lean into their curiosity, regulate those unsure feelings, and take healthy risks. Those early “first tries” lay the groundwork for confidence, flexibility, and resilience later on.

That’s where yet comes in.

The Power of Yet by Maryann Cocca-Leffler is a heartfelt and relatable story that introduces children to a simple but powerful idea: you may not be able to do something yet.

Yet holds hope. It leaves the door open. It reminds children (and grown-ups) that learning is a journey, not a race.

When children hear yet, they learn that trying new things doesn’t require instant success. It simply asks for courage, curiosity, and a willingness to begin. That mindset sets the stage for everything that follows.

The play invitations below are inspired by that spirit. They focus on choice over pressure, exploration over outcomes, and the truth that watching, touching, or trying “just a little” all count.

As we start this series, I wanted to offer something you can use right away. I’ve tucked a free set of affirmation cards at the bottom of this post — something children can borrow whenever they need a little encouragement. They would also be great to include with the social-emotional materials we explored last month!

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Art Explorers: Try a New Tool

I still remember the giggles that filled my preschool classroom when we made Valentine’s gifts for parents. I painted my students’ feet — something completely new to most of them. Many had never even touched paint with their fingers, let alone their toes! What started as uncertainty with lots of “ewws!” quickly turned into laughter and fascination.

Many children are naturally open to trying new ways of creating, while others develop strong preferences for certain art tools, and both are perfectly okay. This invitation stretches that comfort zone just a bit, without asking children to give up the tools or methods they love.

And perhaps instead of introducing a brand-new tool, you might invite your child to create with their hands, noticing how paint moves under their fingers and how different touches create different marks. The goal isn’t to replace a favorite way of making art, but to widen what feels possible.

Book Pairings

• Ish by Peter H. Reynolds reminds children that art doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful. It celebrates creativity, experimentation, and letting go of expectations.

• The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds shows how one small act of trying, even when you’re unsure, can lead to confidence, self-expression, and joy.

Activity Goal

To help children feel comfortable exploring a tool or way of creating they haven’t used before, without pressure to make something “right” or recognizable.

Materials

• Paper or cardboard

• A new art tool or way of creating (sponge, cotton swab, feather, fork, or a paintbrush with a different shape, or finger painting)

• Washable paint

Invitation

Invite children to make art in a new way. They may not like it, or want to keep using it, but that’s okay! Trying it is enough.

Budding Engineers: Build Something New

One evening, I set out a collection of random materials on our coffee table. There were corks, sticks, pinecones, play dough, and a handful of googly eyes. There were no directions, no examples, just an open-ended invitation to see what might happen. I wasn’t sure where it would lead, but I was curious what my kids would do with them in the morning.

Before long, the pinecones had become little creatures (you may recognize these from our Letter P Play & Learn packet), complete with eyes and personalities of their own.

Building with unfamiliar materials through open-ended invitations encourages children to think flexibly and imagine possibilities beyond instructions or examples. When there’s no “right way” to build, children feel the freedom to experiment, adapt, and trust their ideas as they take shape.

Book Pairings

• Not a Box by Antoinette Portis celebrates imagination and shows that new materials don’t need instructions to become something wonderful.

• What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada reassures children that new ideas can feel strange or uncertain at first, and that giving them time and care helps them grow.

Activity Goal

To encourage curiosity and problem-solving when materials don’t come with clear directions.

Materials

• Loose parts (recyclables, cardboard, paper towel tubes, lids, natural items)

• Tape or play dough (optional)

Invitation

Lay materials out for children, and invite them to build something. Lead into the activity with “I wonder what this could become?”

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Sensory Detectives: Mystery Items

This was one of my favorite activities to do with my students. Mystery bags remove expectations entirely, giving children a chance to explore without guidance. When they don’t know what something is “for,” curiosity naturally takes the lead.

The idea is simple: place small objects in a bag or beneath a blanket and let children explore them with only their sense of touch, smell, or hearing, without taking anything out of the bag or from beneath the blanket. Some objects might feel hard, pokey, squishy, or cold and some might make a surprising sound when tapped or squeezed. This is an especially great activity for our youngest learners.

This invitation encourages flexible thinking and sensory awareness, all while letting children discover in new ways. For my students, this activity turned into a guessing game.

Book Pairings

• The Box Turtle by Vanessa Roeder tells a story about stepping outside of a comfortable shell to explore new things, and discovering connection, confidence, and courage along the way.

• The Pink Refrigerator by Tim Egan is a quirky story that follows Dodsworth as he tries new things beyond his normal routine, all suggested from a note on a pink refrigerator.

Activity Goal

To practice exploring without instructions and staying open to the unknown.

Materials

• Small objects placed in a bag or box (fabric scraps, tools, natural items, recyclables)

• A cloth or paper to keep materials hidden at first

Invitation

There are no rules to this activity — simple explore and notice in new ways.

Taste Testers: Trying New Foods

I wonder if most caregivers can relate to this one — the quizzical brow when a tiny broccoli tree appears on the plate, the dramatic yucky face when skinny and crunchy orange sticks are offered, or (in my house) the impressive lean-back maneuver used to create as much distance as possible between a child and their bowl of mashed potatoes.

Many children have their own food quirks, and trying new foods can stir up big feelings. This invitation keeps the experience child-led and pressure-free, honoring those emotions while making space for curiosity. The focus isn’t on eating or approving a food, but rather exploring, noticing, and building comfort one small step at a time.

Book Pairings

• Nope. Never. Not for Me! by Samantha Cotterill captures the strong feelings many children have around new foods, with humor and empathy that helps kids feel understood.

• Gregory, the Terrible Eater by Mitchell, with illustrations by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey, humorously explores picky eating and shows that unfamiliar doesn’t always mean bad.

Activity Goal

To help children approach something unfamiliar using their senses without needing to eat or finish.

Materials

• A familiar food prepared a new way or a new texture (crunchy, squishy, smooth, icy)

• Napkin or small plate

Invitation

Invite children to smell it, touch it, or try a small taste…or not. This one is completely up to the child.

Trying something new doesn’t always look brave. Sometimes it looks like watching quietly. Sometimes it looks like touching and pulling back. Sometimes it sounds like, “Maybe later.”

Those moments plant seeds for courage to take root.

What’s Next

• The Letter V Play & Learn Packet (Valentine + Vehicles) will be landing in your inbox Friday morning! I’m looking forward to sharing these activities. You’ll find invitations with a little love, a little movement, and lots of playful learning.

• Next week, we’ll shift from trying something new to trying… and trying again — exploring how persistence begins to grow once children have taken that very first brave step.

I’d love your input as we go:

Do you enjoy having everything gathered in one place as in this newsletter, or would you prefer printable activities to support our character themes? And would an option to listen to these newsletters (perfect for on-the-go moments) be something you’d use?

You’re always welcome to share in the comments, or send me a message directly.

Download your free affirmation cards here:

Affirmations For Trying New Things

217KB ∙ PDF file

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Thank you so much for reading and supporting this space.

Warmly,

Lindsay

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Today’s Play & Learn packet is part of my StorySprout series for younger learners. If you subscribed for the elementary STEAM content, you can adjust your preferences anytime in your account so you only receive what fits your interests. And if you’re ever unsure, please reach out anytime.

Be sure to take a peek at this week’s playful Olympic-inspired Rube Goldberg challenge (below) that can stretch into the elementary years (and beyond), with simple ways to adapt it for younger children.

When I was younger, watching the Winter Olympics felt like seeing superpowers in action. The speed, strength, and courage of athletes amazed me. Even now, their grit and resilience still blows me away. That same awe can be mirrored in the how children face challenges or new experiences every day.

One of my favorite stories to read with little ones this season has been Max and Marla by Alexandra Boiger.

It’s a delightful story that follows a young boy and his best friend, a snowy owl named Marla, in their quest to become Olympians, masters at sledding, through practice, patience, and teamwork.

Early in the story, Max and Marla’s sled doesn’t glide as planned, and each attempt brings new challenges. But they don’t give up. Instead they prepare again, and face each day with perseverance. Even when their best-laid plans send them tumbling into snowy misadventures, they celebrate the joy of trying together rather than focusing only on winning.

The expressive illustrations draw readers into their world and the warmth of their friendship. It’s the perfect story to introduce persistence, creativity, and playful problem-solving … the same qualities we see in athletes and in our Olympic-inspired activities.

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Letter Oo Playdough Mats

First, I’d like to share our playdough mats.

These Letter O playdough mats invite children to explore the shape and sound of O through hands-on play. Rolling, pressing, and forming dough strengthens fine motor muscles while building early letter recognition. Repeating the letter shape through play helps children connect movement, sound, and symbol — an important foundation for early literacy.

Always free, you can download below, and explore more of our playdough mats here.

Letter O Playdough Mats

8.62MB ∙ PDF file

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Letter O (for On Your Mark!) Play & Learn Packet

Our Play & Learn Packets are play-based resources designed for young learners to explore literacy concepts through hands-on experiences. This week’s Letter O Play & Learn Packet is an extension to the Letter O (for Owls) Packet, and is filled with playful invitations and challenges for a variety of ages, combining early literacy with the excitement of the upcoming Winter Olympics.

You can download this packet below, and read on to discover what’s included:

Letter O (for Olympics) Play & Learn Packet

42.4MB ∙ PDF file

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(Download the companion packet (O for Owls) below)

Letter O (for Owls) Packet

55.1MB ∙ PDF file

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Inside the O for Olympics packet, children can:

• Dive into sensory play by sorting colorful objects into Olympic-inspired ring colors and organizing blocks on patterned podiums.

• Create simple crafts, like a stained glass torch.

• Move and groove with music and movement inspired by the winter games.

• Try a STEM challenge, such as building a mini-luge or a Rube Goldberg chain reaction — with flexible options to make it just right for your kiddo.

This packet is designed to be flexible. Follow your child’s curiosity, revisit favorite activities, and adapt each invitation to your space, materials, and energy. It’s about connection, creativity, and persistence, all while nurturing early literacy skills.

Nature Play Activity: Mini Luge

One of our favorite activities in this packet was creating a mini-luge out of snow!

With subzero temperatures outside, we brought the snow indoors, and this simple setup kept all my kiddos engaged for over an hour! The experimentation, adjusting, and testing they did was a perfect example of learning through play.

They practiced problem-solving, persistence, observation, and fine motor control while having a blast. It’s amazing how much children can discover and explore with just a few materials and their own curiosity.

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Rube Goldberg Machines

A quick note about the Rube Goldberg STEM challenge…at first glance it can look a little intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful. Even the simplest setup, like a ramp that rolls a ball into a domino, is a Rube Goldberg-style chain reaction and a perfect starting place for young engineers.

Small beginnings often grow into the most exciting discoveries.

What I’ve found is once the invitation is set and the materials are within reach, children tend to naturally take the lead. Their curiosity, imagination, and determination carry the process forward. They experiment, rebuild, and try again in ways that feel playful rather than pressured.

I’ve linked a video below that my kids loved watching for inspiration (definitely more entertaining than practical for us!), and inside the packet you’ll find a simpler, step-by-step guide designed to make this challenge feel approachable and fun.

I’d love to see what you create with this challenge! If you feel comfortable, please share photos of your designs in the comments.

More playful learning is right around the corner! I know you’ve received a silly amount of resources from me this week. I’d love to hear how you’re using them in your home or classroom! Please feel free to reply to this note anytime and let me know.

Next week we begin our persistence series, exploring how children grow when they try new things, alongside a new Letter V Play & Learn packet. And for those following along for our elementary STEAM lab, updates to our children’s resource hub are coming soon.

Curious about what is coming for the month of February? Take a peek at our February calendar!

If you’re enjoying these invitations to play, stories, and hands-on learning, I’d love for you to stay with us — there’s so much more to explore together.

Thank you for reading!

Warmly,

Lindsay

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