Themes

Curiosity Ignites Interest in Learning

From birth to about age 5 is when children are their most curious.  This is the perfect time to build on that natural curiosity to establish life-long habits related to learning.  There is no better way to do this than to follow a child’s lead on things they wonder about, and offer a child many chances to be introduced to new things and topics that will broaden their view of themselves and the world in which they live.   

What is theme-based learning?

My Big Little Adventure is designed to help parents and caregivers by organizing books and activities around a different theme every few months, giving young children the chance to be introduced to or dig deeper into various topics that can be explored at home, with friends in the neighborhood, and even around town.   

Informal, family- and community-based learning is powerful.  This kind of learning experience — the act of taking a theme and experiencing it in so many ways in the everyday environment — when offered to very young children, sets them up with life-long habits that will benefit them in school and beyond.  The power of theme-based learning is three-fold:

  • Fosters Curiosity

    Moving through the world being invited to notice, wonder, explore, and imagine teaches young children to always be looking, listening and taking an interest in things that catch their attention.

  • Builds Interest

    From that seed of curiosity comes the invitation to try, work together and figure things out, practicing and working the muscles that develop into wanting to know more and being willing to put in the effort to do so.

  • Motivation to Learn

    Ultimately, this curiosity that leads to interest, and a means for pursuing interests, sets young children up with the habits and foundational skills (namely the internal motivation to learn) that are necessary for success in school.

Explore Our Themes

Theme

Our Senses

How do you explore and understand what is around you?  Think about what happens when Mom or Dad tells you that dinner is ready – you can hear them asking you to wash your hands, feel the water and soap against your skin, smell what’s cooking, see your chair at the table and taste the food on your plate. You can do all of that thanks to your senses!
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Theme

Kindness

Whether shining through a smile, the assistance of a helping hand, being patient or using manners, you can spread kindness. What acts of kindness have you seen? Maybe you remember a time that someone was kind to you. Kindness can be contagious, one act causing another and so on.
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Theme

Earth

Earth is the place we call home, and it’s a very special place indeed. From the sky above to the ground at your feet, we are surrounded by creatures and features that inform and influence our lives.
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Theme

Change

Does it sometimes feel like everything is always changing?  It’s a fact: change is all around us and within us.  Change happens.  And at the same time, some things stay exactly the same.  Through this theme of CHANGE, you can check out lots of things in your world that change, and maybe even a few that don’t.
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Theme

Movement

Hey….get moving!  Animal, human, or machine….minuscule or humongous…..seen and unseen…..so many things move.  Think about it for a minute.  Even when you are standing very still, some parts of your body (especially on the inside) are still moving even when you think you’re not.  
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Theme

View

Is there a different way to look at things? From a different angle or from another perspective? Sometimes we are so set in our ways that it is hard to see things from another person’s point of view, or to get a fresh take on a lingering problem. Our experiences, our personalities, our interests and so many other things influence our point of view. The theme of VIEW gives you a new way to look at what’s happening in and around you.
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Theme

World

Do you ever wonder what’s beyond your backyard, or outside the city limits? It’s a wide, wide world.  There is so much that makes every continent, every country, every state, every city, every neighborhood, and even every home, unique.  The WORLD theme offers a way to take a worldly adventure, without ever hopping on a plane.
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Theme

Make

Things are what you make of them, right? Whether you are making something functional, making up your mind, making friends, or trying to make the world a better place, the act of making is one fueled by curiosity, imagination and creativity. Even little people have big ideas, so this theme of MAKE will provide the sparks for getting those wheels turning.
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