Expressive arts and design: An autumn glow
Autumn provides a feast for all the senses. Encourage children's sensory exploration of its natural objects with these simple ideas for creative artworks.
Practical
Parent: Getting into print
Annette Rawstrone provides ideas for how parents can implement practical, everyday strategies to build their children's foundations for literacy.
Understanding the world: Feeling crushed
Extend children's understanding of recycling by involving them in making paper and experiencing the changes in its properties when it becomes pulped and mushy.
Communication and language: Listen to this!
Jenni Clarke describes how practitioners can extend children's listening and speaking skills by tuning into their self-directed play, as part of ‘in the moment planning’.
Maths: Hop in the box
Observe how motivated children become when they create their own number games and develop positional language by following each other.
Literacy: Diddles and dums
The books of classic author Kes Gray provide a fantastic springboard for devising rhyming games which help children to identify vowels and CVC words.
PSED: We are family
Judith Harries suggests books and simple activities to support children's understanding of how the families of their friends may be different to their own.
Physical development: Outdoor action
Try these activities in your outside space to give children a sense of playing with friends while testing their physical skills and keeping to rules on safe distancing.
How words can make all the difference to young children’s future life chances
It's important that all young children returning to school develop vocabulary through language, talk and day-to-day experiences, to put their feelings into words and share experiences. Jane Harley outlines practical strategies.
New discoveries in classic picture books
Judith Harries’ series on classic picture books over the last 12 months has built into a fantastic resource for practitioners and parents, focusing on a range of authors and their individual styles.
While we can’t hug…
Following on from his bestselling book The Hug, author Eoin McLaughlin has written this genuine book for our time, talking to young children about social distancing. Find out more about how to share this book!
Activities to support sustainable development
These practical articles, written as part of an ongoing series by Hilary White, highlight how environmental themes can link to learning within the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Talking about me...
A child’s sense of self is a very precious thing and early years practitioners have an important role to play in nurturing this through quality interactions.
Four simple ways to inspire STEM learning from a young age
Find out how to invent and create quests to trigger children’s interest in STEM subjects.
Maths: Creepy crawlies
Bug hunts can be a focus for indoors as well as outdoors. Tap into children's fascinations, with cues to count, categorise and respect these tiny creatures.
Literacy: On a clear day
One positive of lockdown is that the atmosphere is noticeably clearer. Make a date with Clean Air Day on 8 October to explore the importance of reducing air pollution.
Expressive arts and design: Natural rhythm
Use the book Giraffe's Can't Dance to ignite children's interest in the rhythm and sway of dance moves, giving them confidence to lose themselves in the moment.
PSED: Helping hands
The books of Rosie Wellesley are a wonderful starting point to explore the rewards of being helpful, doing chores together and sharing precious things with others.
Understanding the world: Going walkabout
Taking children out on nearby walks and providing ways for them to record and explore their observations is a great way to support learning and conversation skills.
Physical development: Safe in the water
At this time of year it is important that children understand the risks around different bodies of water – including paddling pools, ponds and swimming pools.
Parent: Preparing for school
Parents may be particularly worried at this time about the prospect of their child starting a new school but there is a lot they can do to smooth the transition.
Communication and language: Roma adventure
The Lost Homework is a great book to link creative activities such as junk modelling and cooking while helping children to understand a chain of events.
Expressive arts and design: Happy Father’s Day!
Help children to get stuck in with making their own fabulous cards for Dad or another family member.
Sponsored
Home learning: Five Minute Mum
Activities which parents can set up quickly and easily at home are often the ones to excite and engage children. In her entertaining book, Five Minute Mum: Give Me Five, Daisy Upton provides a wealth of ideas to support learning through play.
Expressive arts and design: Get busy!
Days with time spent more indoors than out can be a great opportunity to focus on creative projects that will excite children and give them a real sense of achievement.