Here’s my shopping list this week: Rubber bands Springs Nuts & bolts Golf tees Masking tape Wood glue Why am I shopping for such an odd combination of items? I’m purchasing supplies for a maker space. In my role as Early Childhood Coordinator at Northwestern...

Preschoolers are fascinated by robots but most robotics kits are intended for older children with advanced skills. In my work developing robotics curricula for early childhood classrooms, I’ve discovered that one way to engage young children in working with authentic...

The monsters in Mies van Hout’s charming picture book Friends have much to teach us about emotional intelligence. Developing the ability to make a friend is a milestone that every parent wishes for their children. The greater challenge is developing the ability to...

  When I talk about Creating a Beautiful Mess in book stores or libraries, it’s fun to use familiar characters from well-loved children’s books to demonstrate the ten essential play experiences. In fact, I’ll be giving just such a talk next week, on Thursday,...

I’m pleased to announce that my recent book Creating a Beautiful Mess: Ten Essential Play Experiences for a Joyous Childhood won gold in the National Parenting Publications Awards, also known as the NAPPA awards. The National Parenting Publications Awards is one of...

Recently I’ve been developing a robotics curriculum that challenges children to think critically about the role of technology in their world. In one of the introductory activities we piloted this summer at the Center for Talent Development, third grade students were...

"Childhood is still childhood and play is still play." I really enjoyed my radio interview with Cathy Blythe on her show "Problems and Solutions." This conversation was especially meaningful to me because Cathy is based in Nebraska, near my home town. Click here to...

From my recent post for the Redleaf Press blog ... In many early childhood classrooms the block area is perceived to be the domain of boys only. Girls often need extra encouragement from teachers and parents to engage in block play. The experience of young girls in...

I'm happy to report that the Library Journal has posted a positive review of my new book, Creating a Beautiful Mess: Ten Essential Play Experiences for a Joyous Childhood. Here's what they had to say: Early childhood educator Gadzikowski offers a charming book on...

I'm about to travel to Denmark, the home of LEGO toys, to lead a session called “Girl Power STEM” at an international conference. I’ll speak about the challenge of engaging girls in science, technology, engineering and math studies. My primary message is that we need...