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Hygge feels different for everyone and I wanted to share with you what it feels and looks like for me by telling you about our very Hygge Sunday. 

We began our morning by having a slow breakfast together as a family where we lit the candles and talked about what we all wanted to do on such a cold foggy day. Despite the weather we decided to get wrapped up and embrace the great outdoors. We headed out for an autumn walk through the woods and to a nearby dam. 

Danes enjoy spending time connected to nature and away from electronic devices. Being outside allows you to live in the moment and notice what’s around you which is really important for your mental health. It’s also a wonderfully sensory experience too. 

As we walked along we took in the smell of the trees, the oozing of the mud on our boots and the sound of the birds in the trees. We also loved collecting up many natural treasures like; pine cones, leaves and stones. We used our rustic nesting bowls which were perfect for...

I don’t know about you but I used to over plan my days and schedule too much into them. Having an over flowing to do list. I would find myself rushing from one thing to the next, never having time to eat properly and by the end of the day was exhausted and usually hadn’t got the tasks done that I needed to do. As I mentioned a few days ago the Danes are brilliant at planning their time in an efficient way- working less but in a more focussed way.

Inside the accreditation I talk about the importance of goal setting and aligning these to our overall vision.

1. Each week think about what the top three tasks you must get done each week are. Write these down and put a number next to them for priority and identify why these are the needle movers.
2. Each day look at your top three priorities and break down 3 smaller activities that you must do to moving you closer to that goal.
3. Each week review your week- have you met your goal? What’s gone well? What do you need to consider for the fo
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3 Ways to Bring Hygge to your learning environment

Hygge is often miss understood and people believe that they can buy that hygge look by just changing the environment. Instead hygge is an investment into yourself and the journey of embracing it should be taken slowly. There is so much to hygge from slowing down, discovering what lights you up (and the children you work with) and bringing more balance to your day.

1. Hygge lighting is about creating a warm atmosphere. Open up your blinds and let the natural light flood in. Turn off the harsh strip lights and instead go for table amps, twinkly lights and LED Candles. Add a beautiful glow to your room by draping twinkly lights around suspended branches, the edges of your display board or filling empty jars with them.

2. Adding nature into your environment brings in calmness and also removes the toxins from the air. Yucca's and Spider Plants are safe for young children. You could also incorporate this natural background into small worl...

Hygge is more than a cosy room full of candles, company and good food. Hygge is a philosophy; a way of life that has helped Danes understand the importance of simplicity, time to unwind and slowing down the pace of life.

For my when I discovered hygge considering moments for cosiness, warmth and nature were my first steps.  

Warmth - add soft throws of different textures, in warm shades for the winter. Consider using rugs, layering your bedspread with fluffiness and sheepskin, swapping over cushion cover and curtains at this time of the year. Think about your bathroom too and how you might add soft fluffy towels. When Daisy Chain Nursery started studying on the accreditation they immediately began work on their indoor environment; creating nooks, cosy spaces and adding more warmth. Immediately they noticed a change in the behaviour of the 2 year old children and also the children who have special educational needs. 

Lighting:  Soft lighting with lamps rather than one big light, ligh...

What is hygge?

Scandinavia ranks highly on all the main factors found to support happiness: caring, freedom, generosity, honesty, health, income and good governance.  With the long dark nights, they have to have a mind-set of positivity. So, when it's cold and snowing outside they turn the situation around and light a fire, candles and get blankets. They take enjoyment from the warmth they experience while reading a book by the fire and watching the snow fall outside. This concept around living for now is known as 'Hygge' (which can be pronounced hue-guh).

Hygge doesn't have a direct translation into English but is about embracing the simple moments in life with such joy and appreciation.  Whether it be a meal at home with good friends, playing board games or taking time to enjoy a sunny but cold woodland walk. It’s about tuning into the little moments in life that light you up and give you the fuzzy feeling. 

EYFS Manager Catherine didn’t know what the word Hygge meant but as a new...

I have been a childminder for the last 6 years and over that time, my setting has had gradual enhancement. I have always had a calm and neutral decor and quite a laid-back approach in my setting and in my teaching. I had the mindset and personality for the Hygge way, I just lacked the knowledge as to where and how to progress with it and how to ingrain it into the fabric of my setting and teaching.

Before I started this course, I was guilty of setting up activities in search of a finished product. I wanted something physical to show parents what we had achieved that day. I felt if I didn’t have something to show parents, I would think they haven’t achieved anything. I recently had a light bulb moment when I received a photo and message from a parent whose child had been with me for around 4 months. The photo showed her child playing at a playgroup. The message read “Thank you for being the reason my son will now go off to play, rather than being clung to my leg!”

It was a moment ...

When I started the Hygge in the Early Years Accreditation, I was at one of the lowest points in my career.  I work full time as a childminder and was waiting for hip replacement, the pain affected my sleep and I worried how I would manage and afford time off.  This I could cope with, but I also felt I had no time for myself, struggling to run voluntary groups I’d always managed and juggling family life.  The Hygge course helped me take a good look at my life and realised I was stuck in a rut, doing things out of routine, not necessarily what I wanted to do.  The children were happy but I noticed they too were playing with the same toys, doing same routines and places.

I decided I had to priorities my own wellbeing and I wanted to make changes in my work place too. 

As part of the course I set the following three Hygge action points:

• Improve own health/wellbeing
• Establish joint weekly Forest School sessions
• Reduce the use of non-natural and non-recyclable materials and resources
...

I registered as a childminder in 2008 after the birth of my second daughter.  At this time, my first daughter was 17 years old and I had worked full time in an office from her being 9 weeks old. As you can imagine I felt like I had missed out on so much, so with my second daughter, I did not want to miss anything this time around.  I’d worked in an office for over 20 years and I always knew I was on the wrong career path, however, having a mortgage and bills to pay, together with earning a good salary, I felt that there was no other alternative.  Having my second daughter changed all this, and the thought of moving away from office admin to more caring and nurturing career which I had always craved, (and being at home with my baby daughter) was an exciting opportunity I could not miss.

Childminding is a career I have grown to love over the years. I must admit, initially I did wonder whether it was for me, it was such a different role to what I was used to, I felt isolated and it was a...

With the pandemic and many of us facing even stricter restrictions it’s easy for our mental health to suffer. Especially as we see our loved ones less, spending more time indoors and the financial implications this has on many families. As well as many families worrying about the health of loved ones affected by the virus.

This week I wanted to come to you and offer you some hygge inspiration to get through this difficult time. To begin with lets go back to looking at what hygge is? It’s been a popular buzz word over the last few years- especially linking it to home interiors or how to celebrate Christmas in a hygge way. Hygge does include interiors and Christmas but there is actually more to it than that.

Hygge is all about embracing a feeling of cosiness, warmth and togetherness. Learning how to take the simple everyday ordinary and make it feel wonderful. Like the quiet few moments you take to watch the flame of a candle dance around as you hug a mug of tea! Or its going out...

In this weeks blog article my lovely member Nikki,  a daycare manager of a nursery based in Leeds, shares with us how she supports the wellbeing of her team. 

I suffer from burn out. I have done for years. I think Early years lends itself to never ending to do lists and wanting to get it right for children, families and the team. I now know I have to plan self-care in to my routine to look after myself. I make sure I spend time outside throughout the week (usually at the local nature reserve), I use a meditation app daily and to support my sleep and in the darker months I use my daylight lamp to improve my SAD (Seasonal affective disorder). These changes to my life style is what led me to discovering Hygge and then Hygge in the early years.

As early years practitioners we know the importance of children's wellbeing, we even go as far as to monitoring wellbeing levels using the Leuvens scale. We are also aware that low wellbeing results in low levels of involvement and engagement, s...