Dirt is good, less screen time, more play time

Dirt is good, less screen time, more play time is quite a powerful message, with a new  marketing campaign from OMO Arabia. OMO are making a bold statement below with United Nations article 31. “Most parents are breaking this child’s right every day. #rightoplay ”  As parents we need to reintroduce play especially to offset the…

Teaching a Child to Love Learning

Why does it sound funny to say “teach a child to love learning”? These days, parents with school age children are so competitive: after-school activities starting from a young age, reading book levels always being spoken about and compared, who is the best or doing the most. I wonder if this is really helping our…

Success in Our Education System is more than just Academic Learning!

‘Education systems can help people lead happier, more fulfilling lives by teaching them to be aware of their thoughts,  emotions and behaviors’ say Sir Anthony Seldon. This quote I came across when researching educating students for  life.  Many countries education do extremely well with academic learning, standardized tests and exams especially throughout Asia with curriculum…

Technology Founder’s Children Restricted With Technology

There has been lots of debate online about technology, our children and Steve Jobs, the late, great tech guru and founder of Apple. Specifically, he did not allow his kids to use iPads at a young age.      We all ask what is the reason? Why did the founder of Apple feel it necessary to…

Understanding STEM in Early Years!

The big buzz in schools curriculum is the acronym STEM. Lets look at breaking it down, finding out what it really means in the early years. Academically speaking STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. It is a focus on these areas simultaneously. Not only because the skills and knowledge in each discipline are…

Teaching our children the art of being persistent

There are many thing I wish for my child to learn, playing sport, ride a bike, be good to your friends, how to be a team player and have wonderful manners. However one of the most important one is the art of being persistent. Never giving up as we say, try, try, try again. When…

Characteristics of Effective Learning in Early Years!

Characteristics of Effective Learning (CoEL) are a revived element in the current Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS). CoEL advocate that in planning and guiding children’s activities, practitioners must reflect on the different ways that children learn, and then reflect these in their practice. A child’s individual learning characteristic will determine the way they respond…

Messy Play in the Early Years!

With October being #sensoryawareness month lets look at messy play. There is nothing better than seeing children be free to explore, experiment through messy play. The learning opportunities are endless being creative, using their imagination and generally challenging themselves. Whether it be playing inside with bubbles, shaving foam, flour or outside in the sand and…

Channel the Energy of your Highly Spirited Child…

Has your child ever been described as highly spirited or over energetic. Along with overly enthusiastic, too energetic, ants in his pants and so on. Well I can certainly say mine has. My son is what you would describe as a over enthusiastic boy with endless amounts of energy to burn each day. Or simply…

Let’s Play in the Early Years!

What’s more fun than the freedom of running in the park, balancing on one foot, jumping up and down with your friends. Whilst inventing new games to play, using your imagination to take you to wonderful places in the park, backyard, beach, swimming pool, playground, classroom and many more. Using all your senses (sensory/tactile play)…

Foundations of Mathematics in the Early Years!

In the early years learning to count  and sort is one of your most important skills. Children can do this in everyday activities, by helping parents/gaurdians with house work, shopping, by sorting the fruit from the vegetables, sorting the dark colours of clothes to light. One of my sons favourite activities is to sort the…

Sand, Water, Sensory Play in Early Years

Sensory play is so important for children, Children love to get hands on with activities it allows them to create, innovate and use their imagination. Children learn about the world through their senses, their first response to sand and water is a sensuous one, they touch, pat, swirl, smell and stroke it, sometimes for very…

Understanding the World through Gardening in Early Years

Have you ever planted a tree with your child or tried to explain where fruit and vegetables come from. Most children believe it comes from a market, supermarket shelf or delivered to your door. Is that really where it comes from? Lets look at getting hands on and growing a plant to help them learn…

Sensory Play in Early Years

Children have a natural instinct to use their hands whether it be with sand, water, dirt, rice, dry pasta or other substance like play dough. Through many studies sensory play has been found to foster the development of many foundation areas of a child from; Language development With language through sensory play they are creating…