The "Keys" to learning

Today in class, both in Village and Our Time, the children were drawn to the plastic keys on my storage cart. Plastic keys can be used for all kinds of learning activities. In Our Time in the spring, we'll be singing a song about the sound the keys make when we shake them, and then the search for lost keys. Not only is this a direct tie-in to something the children will experience in real life, but it teaches them object permanence - the idea that an object is there even when we can't see it - through play and music. This sets the stage for other fun hiding games, like peekaboo and hide and seek, and even object games like easter egg hunts and "I Spy" when they get older.

If you'd like to get a head start on some of the fun things you can do with your pretend keys, here are some simple ones that I'm sure would be a hit with your little one: