helps to have an area or a shelf that’s dedicated to nature-based discovery.

Long periods of unstructured time to explore the same materials over multiple days helps children understand the properties and potential of those materials.

start with a magnifying glass, microscope (for looking at pond water or leaves), a camera, a few empty containers in which to collect your treasures, and a notebook.

Once I could see my space free of clutter, the second thing that helped us was comparing the way we wanted to use our house with the way we actually used it. In the world of design, they call this “need-finding.”

Design Kit

Investigations

1. Place everyday materials such as markers, tape, and crayons in an easy-to-access spot such as a low shelf or cabinet that children can open easily. 2. Fill clear boxes, bowls, or baskets with building materials such as wood scraps,

handful of thoughtful invitations, or “provocations,” that invite them to create and play: a table with small mountains of clay, a water table filled with rubber fish and fishing nets, or a sandbox “excavation site” filled with tall shovels and a running hose to make rivers. The

In a nutshell, look at mistakes as opportunities for growth rather than indications of failure.