NEA’s Read Across America Day is an annual celebration held every year on March 2nd - the birthday of Dr. Seuss! The aim of the program is to get children in every community to celebrate reading…
Latest Posts

What Kids Can Learn About Love and Other Emotions from Beauty and the Beast
When you read a fairy tale such as Beauty and the Beast to your child, you might think that a story of romantic love won’t be very interesting to a preschooler. However, this exceptional tale has stood the test of time for a reason - it…

8 Indoor Crafts and Activities to Cure the Winter Blues
When the weather outside is frightful, keeping children occupied isn’t always delightful. Even kids get cabin fever, and keeping them busy to avoid tantrums can be tricky! Here are a few tips for fun activities you can do indoors this winter.…

Q&A with games creator Lacey Innovations Ltd
As the second instalment of our creators Q&A series, we caught up with Lauren Lacey, who runs Lacey Innovations Ltd. Lauren and her team have been working on some really exciting new games for the Curious World app, to help kids learn about…

Team Games for Kids
Is your kid’s birthday party coming up? Maybe you’re just getting together with a few friends and have realized there will be 11 children in the garden? A little chaos is bound to ensue, but the benefits for kids of playing, discovering new…

Top tips for getting children active
January is here and we’re all looking to get back to doing some regular exercise! We know it can be a little bit trickier to get little ones into an active routine. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of ideas for getting kids up off the…

Listen Up! 15 Clever Games for Building Early Listening Skills
There's an old saying that goes "little pitchers have big ears," which means that we should be careful what we say around young children since they're always listening. However, sometimes it can feel like they aren't listening at all, or even…

Memory games for kids
When kids get to school age, having a good memory will really make a difference to their learning. Here are some of our favorite memory games you can play wherever you are.
Our favorite 4 memory games for children:
1. What's…

Q&A with creators of Through the Woods
Ellen Doherty is head of production for Fred Rogers Productions, overseeing creation of television and digital content, as well as developing new properties. We spoke to her about the creation of the beautifully crafted series Through the Woods,…

Thanksgiving crafts to make with your kids
Thanksgiving is just around the corner now. But it’s not too late to get the kids involved in some of the festivities! Whether it’s helping with the table decorations or sending something special to loved ones, here are some craft ideas for kids…

How do kids learn colors and how can you help them learn?
Monday was National Color Day so we’re looking at how kids learn their colors and what you can do to help.
Why learning colors is tough work:
It’s quite an abstract concept to understand what kids go through when we are…

Our guide to a crafty Halloween for kids
Are you looking for ideas for Halloween activities, decorations and costumes for the kids? Well, look not further – we’ve created a step by step guide with exactly that. What’s more – your kids can watch all the videos on the Curious World app.…

How we’re helping to break down gender stereotypes
As an app that provides videos, games and books for kids, we appreciate we have a huge responsibility. We all know that the stuff kids read, watch and listen to when they’re young has a huge impact on the way they view the world for the rest of…

Top tips for raising bilingual children
Babies and toddlers that are learning more than one language as they develop, are likely to face completely different challenges to other children their age. We’ve listed out some common things you might notice and some tips to help kids along…

Helping kids understand every family is different
Despite what TV commercials tell us, the majority of families these days aren’t your stereotypical nuclear families anymore. In fact, 50% of families with children in the US are stepfamilies.
When kids come into…

5 social skills kids are learning at preschool
It’s a lot for kids to take in when they start preschool or kindergarten for the first time, meeting new faces and being with a larger group of other kids their age. But they’re also developing rapidly during their time there.
…
Why do kids ask so many questions?
“Do frogs have friends?” “Are there more trees than buildings?” “Why do I have to eat three times a day?” According to a recent study, our children ask around 73 questions each day. Exhausting... So what’s going on in their heads that makes them…

Sara Welcomes Baby Sadie
How do people make it through life without a sister? -- Sara Corpening Whiteford
When a new baby joins the family, it can be challenging. At Curious World, we face the toughest challenges with markers…

How to Talk to Children about Safety and Strangers
Stories abound in today's media about young children in unsafe or scary predicaments. As a parent, I could easily let fear seep in and control what I let my kids do—or not do. Can they swim in the ocean without a lifejacket or play in a yard…

Find a New Story Every Day in June!
Visit Curious World on YouTube to celebrate Kids Reading Month! We're releasing a new storybook video every day in June. (Look for the playlist called “Fairytales & Fables…

Zoe and August Build a Skyscraper
Turning screen time into off-screen learning is easy! Just "translate" the games that your children enjoy into real-life fun (and learning!). Zoe and August are a great example in the video below. (We've also used giant building blocks to play…

How to Turn Your Family Garden into a Learning Adventure
It looks like spring has finally arrived. In some areas of the country, we thought it would never get here. Is your green…

10 Books That Combine STEAM Learning with Storytime
Over the past several years, social media, education blogs, and state education policies have been increasingly discussing STEM (Science, Technology, E…

5 Fun STEAM Projects for Little Kids
The STEAM movement has taken root in our culture over the past several years. You may be aware of the acronym, but wonder what it means. STEAM stands for Science, T…

5 Special Picture Books That Celebrate Siblings
Celebrate National Siblings Day on April 10 by reading picture books with your child that focus on the special bond between siblings. Siblings Day is a fun, unofficial holiday that recognizes the…

Splish, Splash! 5 Outdoor Rainy Day Experiments for Kids
The temperature outside is getting warmer, and along with April showers, spring weather creates the perfect opportunity to go outside and play — even if it is raining. It’s especially fun to jump over…

Why The Great Outdoors May Be the Best Classroom for Kids
We all want to provide our children with the best possible environments and opportunities to learn and succeed. In recent years, there has been a debate about learning in the classroom versus the…

10 Classic Picture Books Every Kid Should Have On Their Shelf
We all want our children to succeed at reading and to grow up with a love of literature, and one of the best ways to encourage this is through early exposure to books.
Most parents know that…

How to Boost Literacy with Hand Gestures
It's amazing the way babies come into the world as natural communicators. After their first cry, they exhibit an increasing variety of gestures and sounds; quickly becoming expert communicators,…

How to Raise a Reader in an Age of Distraction
My own love of reading was cultivated in an era with fewer distractions than today. At that time, all of our play was physical and concrete—we played with hands-on toys and games, we…

5 Proven Ways to Encourage a Reluctant Reader
How many times have you heard that it's time to spring into reading? Your child, however, still hasn't taken a confident step toward literacy. Well, this is a season of new beginnings, and maybe the…

How to Involve Kids with Toy Purging
Believe it or not, in just a few days it will be spring! Now is a great time to spring into action and ask your little ones to help you clean out the house. Spring cleaning and toy purging are…

How Their Favorite Book is the Ultimate Teaching Tool
Reading aloud to children is one of the most important activities parents can do to help little ones develop essential skills in reading, math, and more.
In fact, you can use story time to…

6 Simple Ways to Boost Vocab in Toddlers and Preschoolers
In their first year of life, while kittens are catching mice and foals are galloping about, human babies are carefully studying and mimicking their parents. Unlike other mammals, children need adult…

10 Clever Games to Help Your Child Learn Sight Words
Big, at, can, does, go, see: these are just a few of what are commonly referred to as sight words. Sight words are those foundational words that appear frequently wherever you see words in…

How to Prep Your Preschooler for Reading Success
If your preschooler will head off to kindergarten this fall, you're probably starting to prepare for the transition. From school registration, to planning the change in family…

4 Fun Learning Activities for Presidents' Day
Want to know what I love about President's Day? It's a day that reflects on our country's history and some of our most prominent founding fathers. Young children may not know much about presidential…

6 Stunning Books That Are Perfect for Snow Day Storytime
We love snowy days! Is there anything more magical than waking up to a white, winter wonderland, or watching snow fall gently outside from the cozy warmth of your home? For kids,…

10 Children’s Books That Celebrate Diversity
The multiculturalism represented by children in today's classrooms presents a wonderful opportunity for teachers and parents to spark conversations about diversity. Children begin to notice gender and physical differences in each other when they…

13 Games That Boost Kids' Essential Memory Skills
I love classic games like Go Fish and Telephone. As a child, my sister, cousins, and I would sit on the beach in the summertime and play them until dark. My favorite game was called I Packed My Suitcase. We would come…

7 Fun Ways to Keep Kids Fit This Winter
The winter can be a tough time to stay healthy and active. Besides all the yummy comfort foods, being stuck inside on frigid days can lead to little or no daily physical activity. During the school week, it can be worse, as many kids often don't…

How to Raise a Healthy Eater
Even a distracted viewer of the evening news will notice that recommendations on kids' healthy eating and diet tend to change frequently. Eggs are bad. No! Eggs are good! Don't feed peanuts until age three. No! Introduce them in the first…

Sleepy Time Struggles: 6 Tips for Winning the Bedtime Battle
Have you ever been to a party where it seems that every parent you talk to lives in an alternate universe? They say their child goes to bed straight away, on a predictable schedule, followed by 12 uninterrupted hours of sleep! First, they are…

Teaching Mindfulness: 4 Tips for Raising Happy, Centered Kids
All of us, it seems, are zinging along these days at a million miles an hour. In many families, parents and kids sprint to keep up with what might be described as hyper-scheduled, overly connected, and perpetually rushed lives. When do we have…

5 Thoughtful Ways Kids Can Say Thanks
Where did the time go? The gifts have been given, the presents unwrapped, and the holiday meal eaten. It's hard to believe the holidays are over and a new year will soon begin.
Even though schools are closed for winter break, you can…

How to Make a Holiday Jigsaw Puzzle
The holidays are a wonderful opportunity for children to learn about your family's cultural traditions, as well as those of your friends and neighbors. If you're looking for a fun learning activity to teach your children more about the reasons…

Why Family Storytelling Should Be Your New Holiday Tradition
We all remember great stories from our childhood or our parents' childhood. Remember the time your dad made a mess in the kitchen? How about how our grandparents came to this country, or when everyone came to watch you in the school play?
…
How to Make Silly Face Cookies
Cooking is always a great learning opportunity for young children. Helping in the kitchen gives kids hands-on experience with food preparation and provides a wonderful family bonding experience. The holidays, in particular, put a lot of emphasis…

How to Make a Potato Print Penguin Holiday Card
Involve little ones with sending your family's holiday greeting cards this year by completing this fun weekend challenge. Kids love being included in holiday preparations and excitement, and while some tasks might be too big for them, making and…

Are We There Yet? 5 Brainy Ways to Beat Travel Boredom
The holiday season means family get-togethers and travel to relatives' houses. Whether by train, car, or plane, travel time can be stressful with young children. Navigating the busy airport or anticipating a long road trip with "bored" kids often…

Happy Holidays: 5 Empowering Tips for a Stress-Free Season
It's that time of year again! The kids are off from school, relatives are coming to visit, and your to-do list is getting longer and longer. It's easy to feel the stress building along with the holiday excitement, and it can be very tiring. Our…

Holiday Cooking with Kids: 8 Fun Ways to Boost Learning
Holidays are a wonderful time to share family traditions or invent new ones, especially in the kitchen. My kids get very upset if I make a change to a traditional recipe or forget to cook something, so I need to make sure to include the whole…

10 Uplifting Picture Books for Teaching Gratitude
One topic that often comes up this time of year is teaching gratitude. Many parents approach me with questions about how to help them instill feelings of gratitude and thankfulness in their young children. My mother always made us write thank you…

5 Inspiring Ways to Encourage Kids to Give Back
Now that the holiday season is upon us, it's a terrific opportunity to teach our kids the importance of giving. In my family, we played a version of Secret Santa by putting our extended family members' names in a hat. Then, we would each draw a…

Raising Kind Kids: 7 Tips for Teaching Children Compassion
My mother's kitchen was the center of much learning during my childhood. There, she taught me how to read the alphabet, follow a recipe, set a table, and more. However, one of the most important lessons was printed on a small pink magnet attached…

5 Go-To Games for Teaching Kids about Cooperation
Getting along with others and learning how to collaborate are important life skills, and it's never too early to learn. We all want our children to be happy, and are hopeful they will make friends and be included during playtime. As both an…

Playground Politics: Tips for Navigating Kids’ First Social Setting
Oh, the playground . . . just the word conjures up images of lovely green spaces, children laughing, parents chatting, and everyone getting along peacefully. Sometimes, however, it can feel more like a war zone.
The playground is a…

Kickstart Early Math Skills through the Magic of Music
We don't immediately think of math when we hum a favorite tune or get up and dance to a favorite pop song, but amazingly, there are mathematical concepts in all of it. Don’t tell the kids though! As an educator, I loved playing music in the…

10 Heartwarming Buddy Books to Help Your Child Make Friends
Making friends and keeping them are important skills for healthy childhood development, but how do we help our children build these skills? One great way is by reading books together. From funny stories about finding and building relationships,…