I’m Valerie, a mom and early childhood educator who’s passionate about making learning fun and meaningful.
I get it. As a parent (or teacher), you’re super busy, but I also know that you want to make sure you’re encouraging your child to be the happiest and best they can be, but its so hard to find the time and resources to do it all.
Get out your play dough, kinetic sand, oobleck, clay, sand, or other sensory base, it’s time to learn some writing skills!Nope, I did not make a mistake there. We truly can help support writing skills with little ones without using a pencil and paper. Children need...
Woohoo it’s Autumn! I am loving the Fall colors and the Fall temperatures. It is finally cooling off here in Las Vegas, but we are still playing in water and enjoying the outside more. A perfect water play activity for the season is Autumn Soup. Ruby loved when...
I don’t know about you, but to me it seems like Christmas comes earlier and earlier every year. This year there were Christmas decorations out at Costco in August...like summertime August. Wow! Well, I guess it is time to start planning. Every year I say I will start...
The weather is cooling off (in my case from 115° F to less than 100° F) and the Pumpkin spice is back. That can only mean one thing...time for all things Fall.I am a huge fan of Fall. Mostly for the nice weather and beautiful colors. I love pumpkin spice anything...
You have seen the beautifully designed Pikler triangle and you understand its benefits for infant and child development. You are ready to buy one, make one, or you already own one, but then the concern comes about what if your child doesn’t want to climb, gets too big...
Ok, if Starbucks can release their pumpkin line in August, then I can start my Fall activities at the same time right? I mean I did think it was a little too early for pumpkin everything, but I thought we could start small with some orange colored...
With a Master’s degree and 15 years of experience in everything from Montessori to Reggio Emilia schools, I’ve seen the magic that happens when kids learn through play.
But guess what? It’s not just about ABCs and 123s—it’s about sparking those big, beautiful life skills like empathy, problem-solving, and social-emotional growth.
When my oldest was born, my passion for play-based learning exploded, and I knew I had to share it with other parents and educators. That’s how Outside the Toy Box was born. Here, you’ll find practical, hands-on activities that fill kids with curiosity and a love for learning.
