Inspiration & Resources

An Early Literacy Superpower: Phonological Awareness

We’ve been celebrating early literacy all month long! The best part is seeing all the creative resources and ideas you use with your kids at home and in the classroom to develop these important ear...

Creating Magic through STEAM

This month we have been celebrating STEM and STEAM Education. What’s the difference? STEAM is simply an approach to learning that not only incorporates Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathema...

Back to School: Sensory Play Table Refresh

Back to school is upon us and this year it may be more exciting than ever for all of us! We love seeing you--whether in the classroom or at home--refreshing your learning centers and ideas for the ...

Open-Ended Opportunities

The new school year is kicking off in many areas around the country. Whether you are heading back to the classroom this Fall or continuing to learn at home, we love seeing all the enthusiasm and ne...

Transitioning to a New Normal: Monitoring Children's Mental Wellbeing

With so many children returning to the classroom this Fall, our team feels it's important to highlight the emotions children may experience as we transition to this new normal. Schools and child ca...

Ignite the Imagination with Manipulatives

Manipulatives come in so many different shapes and sizes and offer up a fantastic range of learning opportunities for early childhood development. Maria Cantillana shares her experience with one of...

Implementing a STEAM foundation in Early Childhood Curriculum

Constructive Playthings believes that the cornerstone of early childhood education starts with STEAM. Critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity are the building blocks your students need i...

An Invitation to Create and Explore: Presentation Makes All the Difference

Have you ever looked at materials and thought, "I wish my kids would engage with that but they just don’t!"? You are not alone in that! There are so many amazing materials that can encourage learn...

Little Leaders: Igniting Your Children's Social-Emotional Development

It’s often easy to think about our children learning their basics—to read, to write, to talk–but what about how to become a balanced and emotionally-grounded person? As you probably know, social a...

Fine-tuning those fine-motor skills

Fine-motor skill development is always on the radar within any early childhood education setting. What’s great about this skill set is that most everyday tasks are fantastic ways for children to pr...

Early Childhood Play in Motion

Little minds are constantly gathering information as they play, and one of the best ways to learn is through play in motion! We easily think of activities that involve physical movement – from jump...

Constructive Playthings Customer Favorites: Legacy Items

It’s funny how classics stand the test of time . . . from movies, and books, and yes, even educational resources! Almost 70 years ago, Constructive Playthings was founded on creating unique, educat...

Developing Early Childhood Literacy Skills

Research shows that developing strong early childhood literacy skills actually impact a child’s ability to succeed academically, graduate on time, and even enhance overall productivity as an adult....

Building Confidence in Young Children through Active Play

As educators and parents, we understand how important self confidence is in a child’s development. We strive to have a healthy self esteem ourselves to overcome challenges, accomplish our goals, an...

Open-Ended Play

One of our favorite types of play at Constructive Playthings is open-ended play. Not only does it offer countless learning opportunities, but it is just so easy to execute and incredibly valuable i...