Forest Kindergarten Children are by nature curious and playful. There is a reason for that. Self-directed exploration and play are how they learn. Children were designed by nature to educate themselves by playing and exploring. The launch of the new Forest Kindergarten Level 3 Training is a welcomed and exciting moment. Although there are many opportunities to learn how to bring the benefits of the outdoors to the early years, this training has been crafted by early years professionals, with a vast range of nature-based experience. It is aimed to provide inclusive and accessible results so that children from urban or more rural settings can explore and enjoy local nature play in their communities. This Level 3 training … Read More
Rainbow Maths Sticks – Guest Blog from Creative Star Learning
If you haven’t come across Creative Star Learning, then it is a definite to add to your blog list. It is hosted by the lovely Juliet Robertson who has some brilliant ideas for outdoor learning and play. I asked her if she would share a post on my blog. I am pleased to say she said ‘yes’! So, here it is. Thank you Juliet! The mathematical potential of a stick never ceases to amaze me. Here’s my latest idea which is remarkably simple and came about owing to overhearing someone mention colour coding. You get some sticks. You paint the ends different colours. You play with them. You explore the potential for maths. That’s it. Experiment! Now if you have … Read More
Continuous Provision on Twitter!
Tomorrow night (Tuesday 30th September) I will be co-hosting #EYTalking on Twitter. It is a Twitter forum that happens every Tuesday from 8pm. My topic tomorrow is Continuous Provision and you can join in the fun by following my tweets @ABCDoes or search #EYTalking. You can make a comment or ask a question or share an idea. As I am a little concerned as to how I can get everything I need to say about Continuous Provision in 149 characters I have reposted my last blog post on the subject. At the bottom of this post you will also find links to other posts that I have done on Continuous Provision. You can also find lots of photos of challenge in Continuous … Read More
Imaginative Play and the Overhead Projector
In the days before every classroom had a computer, never mind an iPad per child, schools were full of weird and wonderful contraptions to help to make your life more simple. When none of us had even heard of a photocopier we relied on the services of the Banda Generator. A spirit based printing machine that required you to write out your worksheets in special ink, load up a large drum with your master copy and then turn a handle like your life depended on it. Sheet after sheet of purple stained paper would then land in a pile – still wet and reeking of alcohol. Many a morning was spent in ‘the Banda queue’ observing some quite unnerving ‘jiggling’ … Read More