Columnists
Raise Your Play IQ – Fostering respect for cultural diversity
by Alix Tonsgard
Increasing the quality of early childhood programs has come with much effort to create environments that are safe, welcoming, and respectful of...
Columnists
Raise Your Play IQ – The power of observation
by Alix Tonsgard
We usually discuss different ideas of activities to do and ways to play with your children, but now I want to talk...
Columnists
Raise Your Play IQ – Play to learn: the caregiver’s role
by Alix Tonsgard
Research has demonstrated time and again that providing rich and varied play experiences for children definitively has been proven to boost children’s...
Columnists
Raise Your Play IQ – Cultivating a storyteller
by Alix Tonsgard
Stories, for many of us, are the way that our brains store, organize, and recall information, and tie content together. Storytelling is...
Columnists
Raise Your Play IQ – The truth about sharing
by Alix Tonsgard
Most of our young visitors are of the mindset, "What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine too!" Some of our...
Columnists
Raise Your Play IQ – Better together: let your child be your guide
by Alix Tonsgard
Two fundamental beliefs that guide everything that we do at DuPage Children’s Museum are that children learn best when they are directing...
Columnists
Raise Your Play IQ – Piece By Piece: Learning Through Puzzle Play
by Alix Tonsgard
While cleaning out my closet recently, I was inspired to dust off an old jigsaw puzzle. The enjoyment of puzzles is one...
Columnists
Raise Your Play IQ – 1,2,3 Count with Me: Numbers at Home
by Alix Tonsgard
Almost everything we do is connected to mathematical thinking! Imagine setting a table or preparing a meal without some understanding of math...
Columnists
Raise Your Play IQ – Tantrum taming
by Alix Tonsgard
While the epic meltdowns experienced in the early years are difficult for us grown-ups, it is important to remember that the emotions...
Columnists
Raise Your Play IQ – Food, glorious food
by Alix Tonsgard
If the topics of food and meal times in your household stress you out, you are not alone! Between the ages of...
