Parent Resources - Little Sunshine's Playhouse

March 18, 2026

Principles of Reggio Emilia: Children Are Natural Communicators

By Stephanie Rino, Director of Curriculum and Learning From the moment they enter the world, children are communicating. Even before strong verbal language develops, children are constantly expressing ideas, feelings, and discoveries. Communication is one of the most natural parts of early childhood. In a Reggio Emilia preschool, this understanding forms an essential foundation of […]

March 16, 2026

Every Child Is an Artist: Creating a Family Theater at Home

At Little Sunshine’s Playhouse, our Creatively Shine® curriculum theme Every Child Is an Artist invites children to explore creativity in all its forms. Throughout this theme, children discover that art is not limited to painting or drawing. It can also be storytelling, music, movement, theater, architecture, and so much more. As they experiment with different […]

March 4, 2026

Gentle Parenting Is Getting a Bad Rap. Here’s What It Really Means.

If you’ve spent any time on social media lately, you’ve probably seen the debates. “Gentle parenting doesn’t work.” “It creates entitled children.” “It’s just permissive parenting with a new name.” Gentle parenting has been showing up in headlines and comment sections everywhere, and not always in a positive light. For many families, the conversation has […]

February 26, 2026

Explore “Mountains and Forests” Curriculum With This At-Home Activity

At Little Sunshine’s Playhouse, our Creatively Shine® curriculum theme for March, Mountains and Forests, invites children to explore the natural world through imagination, discovery, and creative expression. As children journey through towering mountains and peaceful forests, they begin to understand how plants, animals, and landscapes work together to create living ecosystems. To bring this exploration […]

February 23, 2026

Principles of Reggio Emilia: How Learning Thrives Through Collaboration

By Stephanie Rino, Director of Curriculum and Learning Hello, I’m Stephanie Rino, Director of Curriculum and Learning at Little Sunshine’s Playhouse. As a longtime Reggio Emilia–inspired educator, I’ve spent much of my career observing how children make meaning together, through shared questions, collective problem-solving, and moments of genuine connection. Collaboration has always been one of […]

February 18, 2026

Reggio vs Montessori: Understanding Two Popular Preschool Approaches

Choosing a preschool can feel overwhelming. There are tours to schedule, questions to ask, and—perhaps most confusing of all—educational philosophies to compare. Two names parents often encounter are Reggio Emilia and Montessori. While both approaches are respected, research-informed, and centered on children, they differ in meaningful ways. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering Reggio vs […]

February 16, 2026

January 2026 National Teacher of the Month

The Teacher of the Month award is our way of celebrating educators who live out our core values—compassion, humility, integrity, loyalty, and discipline—each and every day. We’re excited to announce that our 2026 January National Teacher of the Month is Ms. Ashley from Little Sunshine’s Playhouse of Thornton. The leadership team at Thornton had such kind words to […]

January 29, 2026

Principles of Reggio Emilia: Children Are Active Participants in Their Learning

By Stephanie Rino, Director of Curriculum and Learning Walk into a thoughtfully designed Reggio Emilia preschool, and one thing becomes immediately clear: children are not sitting quietly waiting to be told what to do next. They are moving, wondering, questioning, building, negotiating, experimenting, and—yes—sometimes making a mess. This is not accidental. It is foundational. As […]

January 23, 2026

February Book Picks: “The Atelier of Wonder”

This February, our Creatively Shine® curriculum theme, The Atelier of Wonder: Adventures in Play, invites children to explore what happens when imagination leads the way. Through hands-on projects, shared ideas, and open-ended materials, children learn that their thoughts matter, and that creating together can make those ideas even stronger. To extend this sense of wonder […]