FirstPlayCafé Jan 16, 20194 minTiny Hands and Tiny Hearts: The Importance of Outdoor Play with Toddlers By Ashley Lingerfelt In the age of technology, there has been a significant decrease in the amount of time infants and toddlers are spending outside. A recen...
FirstPlayCafé Jan 11, 20194 minGo Outside and Play!by Jamie Lynn Langley, LCSW, RPT-S Hearing those words as a child meant a world of opportunity to explore, to chase, to enjoy and to have an adventure. I c...
FirstPlayCafé Jan 7, 20193 minSand and Water Play for Young ChildrenBy Rosalind Heiko Sand and water play is intrinsic to working in play therapy. In my office, I have three main trays of sand and rock (one is garnet sand, on...
FirstPlayCafé Jan 5, 20194 minHelping Kids Communicate through Art and NatureBy Kim Martinez, M.S., ITDS Art and creativity can help toddlers and young children express themselves in ways they are not yet capable of through language. ...
FirstPlayCafé Jan 5, 20193 minContact with Nature can Counter the Effects of Nature Deficit and Cyber Overload By Janet A. Courtney, PhD When you were a child, what was your outdoor play like? This is the question I ask my seminar participants in my nature-based play ...
FirstPlayCafé Jan 4, 20194 minWater Play is a Wonderful Way to Bond! by Lynn Louise Wonders At birth, babies are comprised of nearly 80% water! Humans have a very special relationship to water. Did you know that water is the o...
FirstPlayCafé Jan 1, 20194 minBenefits For Connecting Kids to Nature and 25 Fun Nature Activitiesby Rose LaPiere, LPC, RPT-S, ACS Play is natural for children. Playing outside allows children to explore, have adventures and learn about the world. What d...
FirstPlayCafé Nov 26, 20184 minA Parent's Plan for Less Stress During the HolidaysBy Lynn Louise Wonders, LPC, RPT-S, CPCS The holiday season is a time and opportunity for bonding as a family and creating very special memories with your ch...
FirstPlayCafé Nov 25, 20184 minJoyful First-Play Activities Drive Parent-Child Bonds and Boosts Brain Potential By Janet A. Courtney, PhD We often hear about the importance of creating healthy bonds and attachments between parents and children. But what does that reall...
FirstPlayCafé Nov 21, 20183 minLet’s Talk About Children's FeelingsBy Hanna Lampi, Occupational Therapist, What is a feeling? Or an emotion? Just pause for a second and imagine a four-year-old is asking you this question. How...
FirstPlayCafé Nov 20, 20184 min Helping Young Children Cope With Difficult Emotions During The HolidaysBy Dr. Harleen Hutchinson, Executive Director of The Journey Institute, Inc. The holiday is an exciting time of the year when families are all dealing with a...
FirstPlayCafé Sep 28, 20184 minHow to Preserve Your Child’s Sleep For the Holidays By Nicole Cannon, Certified Sleep Consultant It’s the most wonderful time of the year…or is it? As a parent, the holidays can be a very exciting time. You ge...
FirstPlayCafé Sep 28, 20183 minCreating Musical Family TraditionsBy Chelsea Johnson, Music Therapist As a music therapist, I have helped people of all ages to communicate, express, move, and heal through the making of musi...
FirstPlayCafé Sep 28, 20182 minMindfulness for Parents By Kacey Burakowski, Speech and Language Pathologist, When parents take time for themselves it allows them to give more conscious attention to their children...
