Autumn Eggs with Onion Skins…

Alistair Bryce-CleggABC Does A Blog, Creativity, Messy PlayLeave a Comment

I used to do this with my Great Granny Long when I was a little boy, only ours weren’t quite as fancy…. Now that Autumn is really upon us in the UK you will be talking about all of the gorgeous colours you can see and textures you can crunch. This is a nice adult focus that involves lots of processes and opportunities for talk, change, cause and effect and lots more. I have done it loads of times and I never cease to be amazed by the results at the end of the process! You will need A few of pairs of tights – (you only need the legs and feet so you can do something else the gussets)! The skin … Read More

Supporting Child Bereavement – When Children Suffer Loss.

Alistair Bryce-CleggABC Does A Blog, Bereavement15 Comments

One of the stand out stories from Series Two of Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds is that of Scarlet, whose mother died of cancer not long before the filming began, and the relationship that she formed with Lark Hill resident Beryl. It was a great pleasure to get to know both Scarlet and Beryl and watch that relationship develop throughout the experiment. Scarlet’s dad, Tim, said that he wanted her to take part in the experiment as it would give her (and her family) something else to focus on other than their grief. We also hoped that the relationships that Scarlet made with her peers and the older adults would give her lots of opportunities to process and … Read More

When Enhancements Become Provision – Painting with Squeegees

Alistair Bryce-CleggABC Does A Blog, Child Initiated Learning, Continuous Provision, Creativity, EnvironmentLeave a Comment

Good Continuous Provision will not only support adults in observing and interacting with children, it will also help to support and extend children’s learning when they are in play. How our children are making progress through the Areas of Learning can help us in deciding on the Areas of Provision that we are going to introduce into our learning space. With all of the settings that I work alongside, I ask them to talk me through why they have decided on a particular Area of Provision and how they envisage it will support their children’s development. Constant reflection like this means that your learning space will evolve over time in response to the changing needs of your children. Once we … Read More

Autumn Exploratory Jelly…

Alistair Bryce-CleggCreativity, Malleable Materials, Messy Play, Texture Kitchen1 Comment

This is a really simple activity that gives you lots of opportunities to explore many aspects of the EYFS. If you involve the children from the very beginning then not only will they be able to talk about and name the resources that they have collected, they will also be able to explore how the gelatine changes the water from a liquid to a solid. You can talk about how the mixture goes from hot to cold and what the final jelly feels like in their hands. There should be lots of opportunities for a variety of experiences, talking and thinking. Vegetable Gelatine ( I used 3 sachets of vege-gel for a mixing bowl sized jelly) Cold Water  (1 pint … Read More