Growing up on 71 acres, I wanted a horse so badly it was almost all I thought about. I did have was a cow named Sarah, so Sarah became my horse. I rode her around the property, bathed her like she was going to a show, and treated her exactly the way I imagined a horse deserved to be treated.
We also had an old barn on that land, one that doctors actually used to treat patients back in the late 1800s. I used to think about that barn a lot, all the history held inside those walls, all the different purposes a single structure can serve over time. It is part of why Big Red Barn resonates with me so much. A barn is never just a barn. It shelters, it heals, it holds stories, and to a child, it can become anything they need it to be.
There is a reason farm themes show up in preschool learning spaces year after year. Barns, animals, and open fields give children a whole world to build, explore, and make sense of, all through their own hands. From this month’s Play Guide, Farm STEAM, leans into exactly that.
This Week’s Invitations in the Member Lab
Farm Exploration– An open-ended sensory and discovery invitation where children explore farm materials and imagery, noticing details and asking their own questions about what a working farm includes.
Build a Barn Challenge– A hands-on engineering invitation where children design and construct their own barn structure, testing what holds up and what needs reinforcing.
Build a Chicken Coop– Children take on a more specific engineering challenge, building a coop designed to keep chickens safe and contained, thinking through openings, walls, and structure. The full lesson is inside the lab.
Photo courtesy of 3Dux Design. We will talk more about their products in an upcoming training below.
New Training Opportunity with 3Dux Design
On September 16th at 7:00 ET, Preschool STEAM and 3Dux Design are teaming up to bring Free Live Webinar: Little Builders, Big Ideas 🧱
Join us for a free live webinar on cardboard construction tips and tricks for ages 3–6! On September 16th at 7:00 PM ET, Cheryl CEO of Preschool STEAM and Dr. Marci Klein, Pediatrician and founder of 3DuxDesign, are teaming up live on Zoom to share simple building techniques that strengthen fine-motor skills, spark 3D spatial thinking, and connect literacy and math to hands-on play.
Bring your own cardboard and build along with us — you’ll leave with two free, ready-to-use lesson plans designed especially for early learners.
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