At Blue Leaf, curriculum is emergent in nature, meaning it arises organically from the interests and experiences of the children. The “product” of the learning goals set by the teachers is directly guided and influenced by the children’s actions, quotes, and...

What Is Pedagogical Documentation and Observation? Documentation is how we make the children’s learning visible. It’s not just about taking pictures or writing notes, it’s about capturing the moments where thinking, curiosity, and wonder come to life, so we can better...

“(Ateliers)....are beauty that produces knowledge” – Reggio Children An atelier is defined as: a studio, especially used by an artist or designer. In a Reggio inspired environment, these are spaces that suggest questions, inherently produce knowledge, and grow...

A couple of weeks ago, I discovered a worm wriggling through toddler yard, who had made his way onto my toe. I called to the children, "There is a worm on my toe! Does anyone want to see?" Everyone gathered, and we all got the opportunity to take a closer look at...

First through big body movements, then connections to broader frameworks, the children have explored the idea of what it means to be “up high”. This concept began as a message of caution while testing bodily limits, and evolved into an exclamation of accomplishment....

There are a hundred different languages that children use to communicate. While the toddlers are growing their verbal communication skills, they are practicing other ways of communicating, such as hugs, cuddles and gentle touches. "The child is made of one hundred....

As caregivers, it’s normal to feel the urge to resolve a child’s big feelings, to make them feel better right away. Instead of rushing to “fix” their discomfort, we offer co-regulation; being present with their emotions, steady support, and modeling resilience. When...

This week the outdoors welcomed us into her warm sunny arms. With this emergence of our friend the sun a second week in a row, we were able to explore even more in our outdoor classroom. The sandbox was filled to the brim with small bodies scooping, dumping, and...

This week we spent over 4 hours a day outside. We did outside snack, lunch, and snack again! Our days were full of muddy toes, dirt under our fingernails, and reacquainting ourselves with spaces we hadn’t spent much time in during snow season. The lilac bushes...

The Colorado sun has been hiding from us for the last two weeks keeping the temperature low and the toddlers inside. Being in a classroom with a group of busy, curious, and growing toddlers all day presents new learning experiences. Although our classroom is dynamic,...

Despite the cold weather our toddlers had lots of energy and a persistent desire to use their gross motor skills– therefore, dance parties were a daily occurrence (sometimes multiple) to get our bodies moving. Teachers had frequent special requests for “Dance Mode”...

Although the weather kept us inside more than usual, it didn’t stop the fun and learning! This week, we embraced sensory play, exploring textures, creativity, and collaboration through play dough and sand.     The Magic of Play Dough Play dough is more than...

Something the toddler teachers have been working hard on is to not allow our own personal fears of bugs to translate to the way the children perceive and interact with bugs themselves. Teacher’s asked themselves “How can we model respect towards bugs that can...