Jodie Lopez is an ex primary school teacher who won a number of awards for her use of technology across the curriculum. She moved from full time teaching into working with education technology companies to help bridge the gap between schools and products/services on offer. Jodie is a mum of 2 young boys. As a…
There is no doubt that children born just before or into the pandemic have had a very different start to their Early Years education. In this article, Emma Fleckney from Nordic Star highlights some of the ways that children have been most affected by the pandemic and shares with us how they are helping to…
1) Joy is infectious. Children model their mood, behaviour and attitude on the adults around them. If we show joy and enthusiasm our children will too. 2) Make things Magical. Imaginary experiences activate the brain in exactly the same way as real-life experiences. Give children some magic in their lives through make-believe and pretending. 3)…
In my previous blog on ‘Effects of the pandemic’, I described some of the ways in which the pandemic has affected children, with settings reporting an impact in areas such as personal, social and emotional development, communication and language and physical development, along with some ways of overcoming these challenges. Here we will look at…
Thinking about joy Recently I have been thinking about the concept of “joy”. I have been thinking back to my own childhood which was full to the brim with joy. Long summers spent roaming the woods, endless bike rides and marmite sandwiches and no concept of time or even space. Now don’t get me wrong…
Following the TTS Little Lockdowners webinar on 5th May, our panel of experts received lots of great questions relating to the topics and themes discussed. In this article, we share some of the questions asked to our panellists and their responses. Q - We are seeing more children who can’t play, they just don’t know what…
Young children may be little, but this doesn't stop them from experiencing BIG feelings. Picture books can provide the perfect stimulus for exploring feelings and emotions. They enable children to find ways, along with the words needed, to express what they are feeling inside. A perfect example of such a book is The Colour Monster…
Following the TTS Little Lockdowners webinar, we have received lots of great questions and requests for additional content and support. In this article, we highlight our answers to your questions, alongside supporting content by our educational experts at TTS and other educationalists from across the globe. We’ve also included some handy links to more inspirational…
Let’s not forget that loose parts are nothing new. Block play and treasure baskets are a staple in every early year’s environment and offer the same benefits and experiences. They’re open-ended, developmentally appropriate and foster creativity and critical thinking. Here are some items you might consider adding to your environment... Brilliant Blocks
Blocks come in…
Why loose parts play? The topic of Loose Parts Play has become very popular over the last few years. The reason the subject has become so popular is that people are starting to realise that Loose parts play, the ability to freely explore and create within an enriched environment, is something very precious. It is…