How nurseries show community leadership and create happier local neighbourhoods
by Mona Sakr Nurseries are at the heart of enabling children to positively contribute to the communities they live in. Through their work with children
The Families’ Access to Nature Project was undertaken by the Froebel Trust and Early Education between October 2021 and January 2022. Children, their parents, and their early years educators talked to us about their access to nature and being outside together. The document below summarises key findings from the project for early years practitioners interested in promoting children’s access to nature.
by Mona Sakr Nurseries are at the heart of enabling children to positively contribute to the communities they live in. Through their work with children
Clare Devlin, Early Education Associate What aspects of physical development should we focus on within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and other early years
by Anni McTavish What are treasure baskets? “Treasure Baskets” are a collection of ordinary household objects, that are chosen to offer variety and fascination for
by Debi Keyte- Hartland The term “Loose Parts” was coined by Simon Nicholson, a British architect and designer whose parents were artists Barbara Hepworth and
by Helen J Williams Early mathematics is essential for children’s full development, it is also predictive of later, wider achievement. Early mathematical learning is critical
by Kathryn Solly The benefits of outdoor learning in the early years have now been firmly recognised for both educators and young children’s learning and
What is continuous provision in EYFS? By Ben White Continuous provision in EYFS refers to the resources and learning opportunities accessible to children all of
by Leslie Patterson At the very beginning of the 1970s I was lucky enough to attend a playschool, at a time when there was very
Guest blog by Sara Knight Why are opportunities for risk and adventure essential for normal development in the early years? Tim Gill (2007) identifies four
Guest blog from Dr Elizabeth Byrne, University of Cambridge Most educators will be aware that “what works” in support of children’s learning and development is
ICT – what’s it all about? ICT is information and communications technology. The term simply means all the technology around us, things like mobile phones,
Toddlers are very busy people. They are keen to learn about the world around them and ready to be fascinated by things that seem ordinary
Children’s curiosity about the world around them is apparent from the day they are born. Babies quickly use all their senses to explore themselves and
Reading is fun. It’s also a key skill that helps us to learn and to live our lives – so starting to read is an
What? Why? When? Where? What for? – and Why? yet again. Sometimes children’s questions just keep on coming. It can be wearing, especially if you
It’s true, maths really is everywhere, and learning about it doesn’t happen just at school or nursery. Young children have lots of important mathematical experiences
What is mark making? Mark making is the term used to describe the marks that children in their early years make on paper and is
The role of music in the early years Everyone knows how much young children love to sing and dance, but all too often music is
Children learn how to behave All children are individuals, because they are born with their own character. This is why even children within the same
Early childhood seems like a time of constant change to adults. Just as you’ve got used to a predictable daytime nap, your child decides that
Why go outside? Big movers Have you ever been in an open space with young children? The first thing they want to do is to
Young children are artists. They use all sorts of materials to show what they have noticed about the world. They might draw the rain falling
Taking care of a baby is tiring work, with a lot of feeding, nappies and broken nights. When you are exhausted, it can be harder
Here are some links to resources to support your play. Loose parts play tookit is such a rich and comprehensive free publication from Inspiring Scotland to
Here are twelve links with free ideas to support play and learning at home, suitable for early years, nursery, reception and school aged children in
When writing our January Early Years Teaching News, I tweeted a survey to ask if practitioners and leaders would like information about ICT or outside
It is important to include families in helping to shape your decisions in relation to developments you want to make. Families know their circumstances best
Little or no equipment is needed to get children active in the park – not even the play equipment that’s probably already there! If there is play
Are children at your setting moving enough? Do they enjoy plenty of physically active outdoor play? The Newham Outdoors and Active practitioners spent eight months
Some of the childminders involved in the Outdoors and Active project thought that a kit of easy to carry, low cost resources could encourage children
This content by Jan White comes from our out of print leaflet “The Sky is the Limit: Babies and Toddlers Outdoors: developing thinking, provision and practice”
Since the introduction of the EYFS framework in 2008 there has been a huge emphasis upon encouraging parents to become engaged in their children’s learning.
The Duchess of Cambridge launched The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood on 18th June 2021 with a substantial report Big change starts small which identifies six
Entering the unknown It was extremely hard and emotional to say goodbye to the children and parents in my Reception class at the end of
Healthy settling for high wellbeing How can we best help children feel at ease so that they are secure and settled in their new provision?
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