The holidays are coming and we are looking forward to gathering, having fun, and making memories. Since our kids often share more than just smiles—they share germs!—partnering with your school on a few simple, but super effective, wellness habits will help keep everyone feeling great as we head into and through the festive season. 1. Fighting Off the Germs: The Basics At school, we are always reinforcing good health habits, but the single most important thing we can do togeth

Here at Pinyon, we believe in nurturing every child's unique potential. That's why we love offering opportunities for what we call "heavy work"—those wonderful maximum effort activities that involve pushing, pulling, or carrying with real effort. It's so much more than just getting a task done; it's about helping our little ones develop self-regulation, coordination, and a strong sense of their own body. These activities really satisfy their inner need for physical movement,

Can you believe it's already been six weeks since we welcomed your wonderful children back to school? It feels like just yesterday we were starting a new year, and now, here we are, often seeing the beautiful process of normalization truly begin to blossom! In Montessori, "normalization" is a concept near and dear to our hearts. It doesn't mean a child was ever "abnormal," but rather, it's about a child returning to their true, best self. It's that magical moment when you see

Tips to Ease Tears, Screams, and Guilt Let's be honest, those morning drop-offs can be tough on everyone! At Pinyon, we totally get it, because we're not just educators, we're parents and caregivers too. We've been there, and we're here to share some of our tips and tricks to make things a little smoother. Making Drop-Offs a Breeze: Allow yourself ample time: To make mornings easier, give yourself plenty of time, stick to a routine, and let your child make small choices. Rus

It's almost that time again, and getting ready for back to school can be an adventure for the whole family! Here are some friendly tips to make the transition a little smoother and a lot more fun: 1. Ease into Bedtime Bliss: Let's face it, summer sleep schedules are pretty sweet. But a little tweak now can make that first school morning so much less frantic. Start gently shifting bedtimes earlier, and everyone will be dreaming of school success in no time! 2. Make Them Part o