Articles for families
Practical ideas for supporting learning and healthy play in children, from preschoolers to pre-teens: development, play, language, numbers, emotions and everyday routines at home.
We write these articles for parents, caregivers and teachers who want to understand what sits behind each game and how to keep the learning going away from the screen. Every article ends with concrete ideas you can try today, and none of them replaces advice from your pediatrician or your child's teacher.
Play, learning and screens
- Why play is how young children learn: the science in plain words
What researchers mean when they say play is learning, the main types of play between ages 3 and 6, and how adults can support play without taking it over.
- How to choose a good learning game for your child: a 10-point checklist
A practical checklist for parents to judge any educational game or app: learning goal, design, ads, data, difficulty and how it fits into family life.
- Screen time for preschoolers: practical guidelines for families
How much screen time is reasonable for kids ages 3 to 5, what international guidelines say, and how to turn those minutes into quality time.
- 20 screen-free activities for kids ages 3 to 5 using things you already have
Simple, low-cost ideas for playing and learning at home with kids ages 3 to 5 without screens: crafts, pretend play, numbers, letters and movement.
Early math, language and reading (ages 3–6)
- How to teach colors to a 3-year-old without the pressure
Why kids find color names tricky, when they usually click, and ten simple games for practicing colors at home.
- Learning to count through play: from reciting numbers to understanding amounts
What it really means to know how to count, the principles kids discover between ages 3 and 5, and everyday activities for practicing numbers.
- Teaching shapes to preschoolers: from circles and squares to real geometry
How children come to understand shapes between ages 3 and 5, common misconceptions, and hands-on activities that build early geometry skills at home.
- Sorting, patterns and size: the early math skills that come before numbers
Why sorting, ordering by size and spotting patterns matter for math, what children can do at each age from 3 to 6, and easy games using everyday objects.
- Phonological awareness: the pre-reading skill you can build through play
What phonological awareness is, why it matters so much for learning to read, and rhyme, syllable and sound games for kids ages 3 to 5.
- Reading aloud to young children: how to make story time count
Why reading aloud matters for language and later reading, how to read interactively with kids ages 3 to 6, and how to choose books they will love.
- Memory games for young kids: what they're for and how to get the most out of them
Which kinds of memory develop between ages 3 and 5, what matching and sequence games offer, and how to adapt them for each age.
Feelings, skills and routines
- Helping young children name their feelings: a practical guide for parents
Why emotional vocabulary matters for kids ages 3 to 6, how to teach feeling words in everyday moments, and simple games that make emotions easier to talk about.
- When losing leads to meltdowns: building frustration tolerance through play
Why losing is so hard for kids ages 3 to 5, what to do in the moment, and how to use play to practice handling frustration.
- Fine motor skills from 3 to 5: what to expect and how to build them at home
What fine motor skills are, how they develop between ages 3 and 5, and simple activities at home to strengthen little hands before writing.
- Hand-eye coordination in kids: what it is and 15 ways to build it
What hand-eye coordination is, how it develops from preschool to school age, and fifteen simple indoor and outdoor activities to strengthen it.
- Building independence: how to help your child get dressed alone
When kids can dress themselves, step-by-step ways to teach them, and tips for calmer mornings.
- Screens and sleep: how to build a calm evening routine for kids
Why evening screen use can affect children's sleep, how much sleep kids need by age, and a step-by-step screen-free bedtime routine that families can actually keep.
School-age kids and older (6+)
- Healthy gaming habits for kids ages 6 to 12: a guide for families
How to set fair limits on video games for school-age children, choose age-appropriate games, handle the end of a session and keep gaming social and positive.
- What physics and aim games teach kids: angles, force and trial and error
How simple physics and aiming games help children ages 10 and up explore angles, trajectories and forces, plus real-world experiments to try at home.