Category

Education

Child Development, Education, Lifestyle

Screen Time and Child Development

By
Brittany Baron

If you have landed here it’s a safe bet you are concerned or questioning how screens are impacting child development. You aren’t alone. According to a survey by Pew Research, 71% of parents are concerned that their child might spend too much time on screens. These challenges are often also in conflict with differing parental feelings or experiences around screen time and concerns.

We are with you. Before I became a children’s shop owner and mom to four, I was an Early Childhood Development expert with a research focus on screens. And parent alongside a software engineer and technology instructor. And even deep in the trenches of this work, we find we sometimes struggle and need to review our family relationship with technology.

How much screen time is too much? Does screen time cause ADHD? How do we prevent cyberbullying? How can we track what our kids are doing online? Can I prevent predators from communicating with my child? What the heck is Minecraft? My goodness, what does it all mean? There is so much information out there that it is hard to know where to start. Through our series of guides, we’ve broken down our research into consumable chunks of actionable information you can apply today. This guide is specifically about the child development aspects of screen time.

What does the research say? Continue reading for a collection of key points from several journals and studies on how screen time affects child development.

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June 20, 2025
Child Development, Education, Lifestyle

6 Creative Games To Play With Simple Wooden Blocks

By
Brittany Baron

Wooden blocks have been a childhood staple for generations—and for good reason. They’re often one of the first toys we bring home for our kids, and at Marley & Moose, we’re big believers in their magic.

These simple toys support open-ended, imaginative play while building important skills like coordination, problem-solving, and fine motor development. And yes, fine motor skills are—pun fully intended—the building blocks for writing, drawing, and so much more down the road.

No more dad (mom?) jokes. (Okay, no promises.)

Here are 6 kid-approved, super fun ways to play with wooden blocks—and get the most out of every stack, tumble, and tower.

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June 17, 2025
Do More Outdoors, Education

Preschool Scavenger Hunt FREE Downloads

By
Brittany Baron

Scavenger Hunts are one of our favorite ways to have outdoor fun with toddlers and preschoolers. They require zero set-up or cost and anyone can do it! You can get fancy and make a follow-up table to chart your observations, practice new languages as you search or just enjoy the simplicity of putting your senses to work as you enjoy your outdoor adventure. And the best part- you can do a scavenger hunt anywhere and anytime. City sidewalks, forest trails, suburban neighborhoods… anywhere!

When taking a toddler or preschooler on a scavenger hunt you don’t need to include fancy card decks, clipboards, special magnets or tools (not knocking them we have owned all of these things for our adventure loving kids). But simple and fun paper printouts can do just the trick! Laminate them re-use for a more eco-friendly hunt!

Looking for even more ways to have fun outside with little ones? Check out our Easy Earth Month activities post for more ideas!

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April 25, 2024
Child Development, Do More Outdoors, Education

5 Easy and Fun Earth Month Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers

By
Brittany Baron

The month of April is a great season for diving into or reconnecting with earth-friendly activities with little ones. These quick ideas are written to launch your own ideas and exploration of your own family or classroom connection to this beautiful blue marble we call home. There is no right or wrong way to do any of them and you can do one or all of them this spring and beyond. As a busy mom of four all of these ebb and flow in our own lives and are of course low-prep and low-cost ways to deepen that connection to your place in the world and taking care of it!

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April 25, 2024
Child Development, Do More Outdoors, Education

13 Outdoor Learning Activities for Toddlers

By
Brittany Baron

After many years of working outside the home, I found myself a little lost on how to entertain a toddler while in a chapter of being home with him all day. I had worked with groups of kids for years, and I had a toolkit, but I needed something different in the belly of covid. I began searching online for outdoor learning activities for toddlers. Websites and books I found either required an expensive list of materials, hours of adult preparation time, or assistance of technology, sometimes all three. All of the things I was trying to avoid.

Toddlers learn through play, and the simpler, the better! Have you ever given your toddler a cardboard box? They don’t need expensive learning gadgets! I realized the advice out there was much about selling a lot of “educational tools” and less about how to just get your kid outside and learn from their world.

These ideas, pulled from my years working in early education and largely inspired by our own kids’ interests and ideas, are minimal set-up, inexpensive, and tech-free. Alas, here is the list of 13 outdoor learning activities for toddlers I couldn’t find!

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February 27, 2024
boy playing with trains
Child Development, Education

Understanding and Encouraging Open-Ended Play for Young Children 

By
Brittany Baron

There is no shortage of buzzword lingo for identifying the best way for young children to learn and play. Sensory play, creative play, and cooperative play are all important but here we are bringing it back to basics, open-ended play. Breaking down open-ended play, what toys can be called open-ended, and clear actionable strategies to encourage this elusive open-ended play for young children.

And before I dive in, it’s no secret play, and hanging with my crew of kids is absolutely my jam. I often say my #1 parenting hack is simply finding a short window of time each day to connect and play with each one of them individually. It doesn’t happen every day, but I absolutely see a tangible change in their moods as well as in mine when we haven’t prioritized play together.

This wasn’t always the case, play didn’t come naturally to me as a mom despite years of formal training, working with hundreds of kids as a teacher and literacy program coordinator and teacher trainer. But we found our groove and here are my best tips and tricks!

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February 24, 2024
Child Development, Education, Gift Guides

Share your love of books this Valentine’s Day

By
Brittany Baron

Celebrating a day of love sharing a love of books with the little ones in your life? Absolutely! Books are an easy answer to filling in your love-themed gift basket, an alternative to plastic toys and candy, and won’t end up in the trash in a week. Just a few reasons we love books as gifts.

As a former early literacy program director and mom of four, I’ve hand-picked our absolute favorite board books and picture books for celebrating love and kindness with babies, toddlers, and little kids. Check them out below!

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February 3, 2024
Open-Ended Play
Child Development, Education

Sustainable Open-Ended Play Activities for Toddlers

By
Mike Baron

Nurturing Sustainable Practices from the Start

As parents, we play a pivotal role in shaping our children’s lives. The early years are especially crucial, as they set the foundation for a child’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development. Integrating open-ended play activities into your toddler’s routine not only promotes their growth but also aligns with the values of sustainable and green parenting. In this article, we’ll explore open-ended play activities for toddlers that not only foster your child’s development but also contribute to a more eco-friendly future.

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August 14, 2023
Eco-Friendly Parenting
Child Development, Education

Eco-Friendly Toys: A Parent’s Guide to Greener Living

By
Mike Baron

As parents, we want the best for our children, including toys that are safe, durable, and fun to play with. But have you ever thought about the impact that toys have on the environment? From the materials used to make them to the packaging they come in, toys can have a significant environmental impact. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of eco-friendly toys and offer tips on how you can make more sustainable choices for your family.

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August 13, 2023
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