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How do you resource opportunities for small world play? As an early years teacher I would ensure I had small world opportunities in every area of provision. For instance adding small world creatures and loose parts to my malleable area and observe how children make their own props for imaginative story telling. My maths area would also offer challenges around a small world problem in KS1 provision. ‘Like the pirates have found some coins and have to make a total of 20 for Captain Blackbeard by adding coins together.’

Here are some of my top ingredients for resources and organisation.

-Offer small world and block play together.
-Add collections of loose parts to encourage creativity and imaginative story telling. See right brained mom for ideas.
-Foliage- real and artificial
-Add a light element; projectors, light box, rope lights and fairy lights.
-Take small world outside and use natural settings
-Mirrors
-Mark making equipment available
-peg people
-Offer different backgrounds like woven p...

Today we're joined by guest blog writer Nicola Hacking (follow at the curious case of the girl and the dog) sharing her love for nature and the impact on our wellbeing. 

The importance, role and vision of outdoor access in the early years has increased in leaps and bounds over previous years. We’re seeing a move away from traditional learning, with nurseries developing fabulous free-flow access, inspiring outdoor equipment and even ones based entirely outdoors in natural spaces. Children draw in the dirt with sticks, sing from the branches of trees and snooze lazily in hammocks, snuggled up in layers of cozy clothing. Practitioners hand out hot chocolates and giggle as they sneak an extra marshmallow for themselves and try not to develop too bad a t-shirt tan.

But why the shift? Or is it something in our very souls that’s been trying to burst out?

Scientific research tells us that time spent outdoors reaps a multitude of health benefits. These include improved blood pressur...

A wonderful guest post by my member Jennifer Wooldridge (@mamasden)

Are you settling into your new rhythm?

Change can be really hard and they say it actually takes up to 7 weeks before we adapt. Think about times you may have been on a new health drive, whether a diet or starting at the gym the first few weeks are always the hardest.

We all have a daily routine which we are used to but now have to create a new balance in our lives, a rhythm at home over the coming weeks and this will help establish a new normal, a new sense of balance in our lives. I know we have all been feeling anxious of late but we need to start reflecting on the change and creating a new calm in our family lives.

Let’s take this time to recharge our batteries and to think about what we have taken for granted and the fast paced lifestyle we are used to. We have all had to stop and think and change our ways, whether willingly or for the greater good. But for lots of our children they have lost their routine an...

Join our Wanderlust Child Nature Study Programme here for £5 instead of £120

Hi, I’m Jenny from Little Robin Education. My background is a bit mixed, I have a biology PhD, and then became a secondary school biology teacher. I now stay at home with my two boys, aged 1 and 3, and run my creative business Little Robin Education from my front room! I specialise in nature education for young people, and make and sell nature flashcards designed to inspire a love of the outdoors in children.

I’m here on the Hygge in the Early Years blog to give you six simple outdoor activity ideas to do with preschoolers. Some of these activities require access to outdoor space, which I know isn’t easy for everyone at this time. I will suggest an inside version for each activity in case you’re isolating.

1. Egg box colour hunt

My three year old loves painting at the moment, but sometimes it’s a bit of a struggle to get him outside. I’m hoping it’s a phase! He did really enjoy this activity though, a...

This week we are joined by my wonderful member Jen from Mama's Den who is sharing with us her thoughts on supporting home learning during the Coronavirus outbreak. 

We have all been thrown into a new way of life this week and whilst some of us were already starting to implement a new, calmer hygge lifestyle into our homes it can be hard to stick to those new mindful practices when our normal is so abnormal.

Take time to breath, and think about the positives that will come as you take over the schooling of your child. You have always been their primary influence anyway so that is not going to change. So just do what your can, your child will continue to learn, this might just be more practical learning rather than academic. 

The thought of home schooling may fill many with dread and anticipation. I want to let you all into a little secret…. It’s ok to just let your children play.

Learning through play is vitally important for your child’s development and at this time in particular w...