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Category Archives: Play
Life in the Sandpit
If you spend any length of time working in the early years sector, you start to get the feeling that you are not seen to be quite as intellectual or rational as those working in other phases. This doesn’t come … Continue reading
Posted in Baseline, Bold Beginnings, Children, EYFS, Play
10 Comments
Educating the Babies
It’s a funny thing, the Early Years Foundation Stage, because it runs from birth to five years old. It is the longest key stage of all. These are the halcyon days before the State insists that you must educate your … Continue reading
Posted in Children, Early Years, EYFS, Parents, Play
3 Comments
Don’t Forget to Have Fun!
I’ve spent the last two days at the stunning St George’s Park, doing some sessions on creativity for the FA. It feels a bit weird to be saying that, but hey, go me! (#10%Braver @WomenEd) I was there to do some … Continue reading
Posted in Children, Creativity, Learning, Play
2 Comments
Game On
We play a lot of games in our family, especially when we’re in Portugal. We do something called Games Day, where we commit to playing a series of games as a family. Outside there is swingball, table tennis, archery and … Continue reading
The Secret Forest Club
In what I feel is a beautiful synchronicity, I get to see the preschool children every week from my study window. All that work we have put into making Forest Club happen has come to fruition. The funding and the … Continue reading
Posted in Children, Early Years, Forest Club, Language, Learning, Play
3 Comments
Knowledge: The First Five Years
When I was born I didn’t know much I knew how to scream And I knew how to touch. I didn’t know who All the big people were My eyes didn’t focus My world was a blur. But now five … Continue reading
Sh – ee – p
J: Ssh … ssh … [he holds his finger to his lips] N: Why do we have to be quiet? Sue: Because we don’t want to wake the monster that lives under the ground. That’s our game. We’re playing together. … Continue reading
Posted in Children, Early Years, Play
5 Comments
How (NOT) to Learn through Play
“Play: to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose” According to Ofsted, this is what learning through play looks like. In the first video, the teacher presents the children with ready made police hats, … Continue reading
Posted in Children, Early Years, Play
6 Comments
Early Years Play is …
It would be hard to overstate the importance of brilliant early years practitioners when using play to support children’s learning and development. Early years play is … * carefully structured to ensure conceptual development in all areas of the curriculum; … Continue reading
Posted in Children, Pedagogy, Play, Preschools, Teaching and learning
5 Comments
Play is …
It would be hard to overstate the importance of play in children’s learning and development. Play is … * the way that children interact with and consequently learn about their world; * vital for developing language and acquiring new vocabulary; … Continue reading
Posted in Children, Creativity, Early Years, Learning, Play, Preschools
18 Comments