March 4, 2026
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 […]
January 23, 2026
At Little Sunshine’s Playhouse, our Creatively Shine curriculum theme, The Atelier of Wonder: Adventures in Play, invites children to explore their ideas through collaboration, creativity, and shared experiences. This month, children learn that their thinking matters, and that when they create alongside others, ideas can grow, shift, and transform in exciting ways. To bring this […]
January 21, 2026
At Little Sunshine’s Playhouse, curriculum is not something that lives on paper alone. It lives in the questions children ask, the materials they return to again and again, the moments of connection between teachers and families, and the quiet pride educators feel when they see learning unfold in unexpected ways. That is why we are […]