The Ultimate Guide To Splatter Painting in Early Years

The Ultimate Guide To Splatter Painting in Early Years 1

If you are a fan of finger painting then Splatter painting is a fun and creative way to make abstract art by flicking, dripping, or throwing paint onto a surface. It can also be a messy activity, so here are some tips on how to choose the right paint, prepare the workspace, and clean up … Read more

140+ Elf on the Shelf Ideas For Your Classroom

140+ Elf on the Shelf Ideas For Your Classroom 2

The holidays present a magical time of year for classrooms to engage students with joyful learning activities. An Elf on the Shelf is the perfect way to add festive excitement and pranks while creatively reinforcing academic skills and concepts. Having an elf appear overnight to leave behind math games, science experiments, reading activities, and everything … Read more

22 Engaging Ice Play Activities

22 Engaging Ice Play Activities 3

22 Engaging Ice Play Activities for Kindergarten/EYFS Ice play is a fun and engaging way for kindergarten children to learn and explore their surroundings. It can help them develop their creativity, problem-solving skills, and fine motor skills. In this post, we will discuss some creative ice play activities for kindergarten children that teachers can use … Read more

10 Special Education Teaching Styles

10 Special Education Teaching Styles 4

10 Special Education Teaching Styles & Approaches Special education is a broad term that encompasses the provision of education for pupils with special educational needs (SEN). SEN can include learning difficulties, physical disabilities, sensory impairments, communication disorders, emotional and behavioural difficulties, and autism spectrum disorders. According to the 2001 SEN Code of Practice, there are … Read more

Lesson Observations & Ofsted: The Importance of Typicality.

Lesson Observations & Ofsted: The Importance of Typicality. 5

Ensuring Typicality in Lesson Observations: Why it Matters for Ofsted Inspections Ofsted inspectors state they aim to observe classroom teaching and learning as it normally occurs in a regular school week. Witnessing aspects of typicality and embedded routines is crucial to understanding the efficacy of a school’s pedagogy and curriculum implementation over time. It would … Read more

Sensory Story: You Might be Santa

Sensory Story: You Might be Santa 6

A Free Christmas Sensory Story You might be Santa forms part of our “You might be” style sensory story collection. These stories are based on becoming the character by adding props or a costume. They are super simple and designed to appeal to as wide a range of learners and curriculum topics as possible. To … Read more

5 Easy Halloween Craft Activities to Develop Fine Motor Skills

5 Easy Halloween Craft Activities to Develop Fine Motor Skills 7

5 Simple Halloween Craft Activities (18m-3yrs) Are you ready to dive into the spooky and creative world of Halloween crafts with your little one? In this article, we have compiled five fantastic Halloween craft activities that are not only guaranteed to ignite your toddler’s imagination but are also perfect for nursery or kindergarten classes. From … Read more

Playing a Marbles Game

Playing a Marbles Game 8

Playing the Game of Marbles: A Fun and Educational Activity for Children Marbles are small, round, and colourful balls that have been around for centuries. They are not only fun to play with but also offer many educational benefits for children of all ages. In this article, we will explore some of the ways that … Read more

100 Autumn-Themed Activities for EYFS Children

100 Autumn-Themed Activities for EYFS Children 9

Autumn is a beautiful and fascinating season that can ignite wonder in early years children. As the colours change from green to amber, orange and red, young minds start to notice the changes of the seasons. This season offers endless opportunities for hands-on learning experiences. In this article, we have compiled 100 autumn-themed activity ideas … Read more

Promoting Teacher Wellbeing Through Eye Palming

Promoting Teacher Wellbeing Through Eye Palming 10

Eye-Palming For Improving Teacher Wellbeing If you see a teacher with their head in their hands at their desk all may not be as bad as it seems they may be palming! Teaching is widely recognised as a demanding, high-stress profession. Heavy workloads, time pressures, all contribute to teacher stress and burnout. This not only … Read more

A Guide To Using Classroom Anchor Charts

A Guide To Using Classroom Anchor Charts 11

What is an Anchor Chart? A classroom anchor chart is a visual teaching tool that is used to support learning in the classroom. It is a large piece of paper or chart that is displayed in the classroom and used to record and display important information about a lesson or topic. We have written before … Read more

15 Halloween Play Dough Activity Ideas

15 Halloween Play Dough Activity Ideas for 2023

15 Halloween Play Dough Activity Ideas for 2023 Fall is here and that means Halloween is just around the corner. It’s the perfect time to engage the little ones in exciting and spooky crafts. One of the most versatile and child-friendly materials you can use for these activities is play dough. Not only does it … Read more

Executive Functioning: A Guide for Teachers

Executive Functioning: A Guide for Teachers 12

What is Executive Functioning? Executive functioning refers to the cognitive processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully. It includes skills like working memory, mental flexibility, and self-control. Students rely on these skills to regulate their behaviour, organise their thoughts, and problem-solve.  Executive functioning skills start developing in … Read more

STEM Provocation: The Three Little Pigs Play-Based Learning

STEM Provocation: The Three Little Pigs Play-Based Learning 13

STEM-based provocations for early years settings A provocation in the classroom is something that stimulates a response or action. It is based on children’s interests and curiosity. We love play based learning and storytelling on this site and STEAM based provocations seemed like a fantastic next step. A Sensory lesson plan for exploring The Three … Read more

Attention Autism: A Comprehensive Guide for Teachers

Attention Autism: A Comprehensive Guide for Teachers 14

What is Attention Autism? Attention Autism is an intervention approach designed by speech-language pathologist Gina Davies to support the development of communication, social, and cognitive skills in children with autism (ASD). The program uses a progression of visually based and highly motivating activities to teach children how to pay attention, imitate, and engage socially. The … Read more

Independent Play: The Cornerstone of Child Development

Independent Play: The Cornerstone of Child Development 19

What is Independent Play? Independent play refers to the time when children play alone without the direct involvement of others. This doesn’t mean they’re isolated or neglected; instead, they’re learning how to entertain themselves, explore their environment, and develop their creativity and imagination. It’s a crucial part of a child’s development, fostering resilience, independence, and … Read more

Water Play in EYFS: Educational Benefits and Age-Appropriate Activities

Water Play in EYFS: Educational Benefits and Age-Appropriate Activities 20

The Educational Benefits of Water Play at School Water play is not just a splashing good time—it’s a crucial element in early childhood education that supports holistic development. According to a study published in the Journal of Early Childhood Research, children engaged in regular water play activities showed a 32% improvement in problem-solving skills compared … Read more

Christmas Word Wall Vocabulary List

Christmas Word Wall Vocabulary List 21

Jingle All the Way to a Christmas Word Wall List The holiday season provides a fun opportunity for young learners to build their vocabulary through exposure to a festive new words list. There are so many joyful activities centring around the sights, sounds, tastes and traditions of Christmas time. Why not capitalise on this natural … Read more

Outdoor Learning In Primary School

Outdoor Learning In Primary School 22

The Benefits of Learning Outdoors in Primary School Ever felt like your lessons are simply not engaging enough for your students? We understand how frustrating this can be, having gone through the same thing ourselves. Fact is, research shows that outdoor learning can significantly boost student engagement and concentration. This article provides you with practical … Read more

19 Child Approved Windy Day Activities

19 Child Approved Windy Day Activities 23

What to do on a Windy Day Activities For EYFS and SEN Don’t let the wind keep your children inside. If you are wondering what to do on a windy day turn it into an opportunity for outdoor learning fun with these 19 windy day activities. These projects will have all your students laughing and … Read more