All Seasons Blog

Ruby Kramer Ruby Kramer

Wonder

“I sincerely believe that for the child, and for the parent seeking to guide him, it is not half so important to know as to feel. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow.”

-Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder

Read More
Kylen Glassmann Kylen Glassmann

It’s Never Too Early!

As parents I’m sure we’ve all wondered, “When is the right time to talk to my child about X?” or “Is it too early for Z?” I can almost guarantee that the answer is, it is never too early!

Read More
Sarah Kern Sarah Kern

“Do It Again!”

Perhaps this is a familiar scene at your house: It’s bedtime, and it’s time to snuggle up for a read-aloud before you tuck your child into bed. Perhaps, like at my house, you have a shelf full of varied and interesting books from which your child can choose. And perhaps, like at my house, your child chooses the same book every night. Do you ever wonder why…?

Read More
Amanda Janquart Amanda Janquart

Reflections on Being a Senior Reader

Seniors who come down regularly to read books aloud in the classrooms have been integral to All Seasons Preschool from day one. They offer openness and love on a regular basis. Some offer their laps, offer to write children’s stories, to check on the muffins, to string popcorn or shape playdough. For all of this, teachers are full of gratitude. But to the children, the senior readers’ biggest offering is the one that matters most: time spent together.

Read More
Erin Weaver Erin Weaver

Kindergarten Readiness

Here at All Seasons, you won’t find mass produced posters on the wall of the alphabet or numbers. You also won’t find a rigid schedule or children in small groups moving from one table to another every fifteen minutes with a teacher instructing them how to do it properly. What you will find is children building with blocks, climbing a boulder outside with their friends, baking cookies in a small group, making cards and delivering them to the grandparents who live upstairs, and setting up tables for lunch.

Read More
Abbie Krohn Abbie Krohn

We Are All Related

The Dakota term, Mitákuye Oyásʼiŋ, means “we are all related” or “all my relatives” when translated into English. At its core, Mitákuye Oyásʼiŋ values stewardship of land instead of ownership of land. For children and grown-ups alike, this Indigenous knowledge can be put into practice by taking the time to get to know the piece of land that we work and play on.

Read More
Jenni Loebel Jenni Loebel

Sensory Play in the Toddler Room

We often find our toddlers painting, singing, building and deconstructing, creating, and imagining, as they find many different ways to engage in sensory play. Even something as simple as filling buckets with water and dumping them into a larger bucket can provoke wide-eyed wonder.

Read More
Julie Strande Julie Strande

Under Construction

Inviting preschool students to use adult tools like hammers, saws, and clippers might initially seem like a bad idea, but there are multiple benefits to doing so!

Read More
Joanne Esser Joanne Esser

Halloween: A Holiday for Young and Old

There is a long tradition of celebrating holidays at All Seasons Preschool. It emerged from years of sharing holiday activities as a way to connect the children with the seniors. Celebrating the holidays that were important to the grandmas and grandpas feels natural and authentic because it evolves within the context of a community.

Read More
Amber Scheibel Amber Scheibel

Studying Monarch Butterflies

This fall, the Autumn Room at Inver Glen began the year with a study of monarch butterflies. We observed caterpillars from the time they were scarcely big enough to be seen without using a magnifying glass until they were beautiful orange, black, and white butterflies ready to be released into nature.

Read More
Calley Myrvold Calley Myrvold

The Power of Wrestling

When you think of the wide range of physical activities that preschoolers enjoy at preschool, wrestling may not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, this activity offers a range of developmental benefits that can help young children thrive.

Read More
Jen Andrews Jen Andrews

Gearing Up for the Weather

I am embarrassed to admit it, but ever since moving back to Minnesota from California eight years ago, the change in seasons catches me by surprise.

Read More