Early Years Resources Blog

insect week activities 15/06/2018
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National Insect Week Activities & Ideas

Encourage the children to celebrate all things creepy crawly this National Insect Week (18-24th June 2018) and learn more about the most diverse group of animals with our exciting range of hands-on insect activity ideas – perfect for your primary school, nursery or early years setting! Top 10 National Insect Week Ideas & Activities Create a Miniature Minibeast Scene Build your own magical miniature world of creepy crawlies! Inspire the little ones imaginations by using our mesmerising In The Garden Tuff Tray Mat as your tuff spot base – then... Read More

14/06/2018

The Importance of Messy Play for Physical Development

Squelch… Squish… Splat… Kids just love getting mucky and making a mess – whether that’s squishing jelly through their hands, smearing mud across their faces or crunching rice krispies between their fingers! So does messy play really benefit a child? Yes! Messy play is extremely important for a child’s development. It provides children with an exciting tactile and sensory experience that inspires their curiosity, allows them to explore the world around them and enhances their learning, language and creativity. Children learn through experimentation and discovery and messy play encourages children... Read More

sand and water play activities 08/06/2018
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Top 10 Sand & Water Play Activities

Bring the seaside to you with our top 10 sensational sand and water play activity ideas! There’s no better time to get outside and enjoy some superb sand and water play than when the sun is shining down in the summer! Children naturally love to explore and investigate – and sand and water play is a great way of inspiring the children’s curiosity and keeping them engaged. Not only does sand and water play provide children with endless hours of digging and splashing fun, but it also enhances the children’s learning... Read More

07/06/2018
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No. 1 Dad Rosette Card

Make your dad feel like a champion this Father’s Day with a rosette card! You will need the following: A white or coloured paper plate Paints and paintbrushes Coloured paper Patterned paper Decorative shapes eg. glitter stars A glue stick Sticky tape Pencil and felt tips A circular object to draw around Scissors To make the rosette: For the base of the rosette, you can either use a coloured paper plate or paint a plain white one any colour of your choice. Why not use your dad’s favourite colour! On... Read More

05/06/2018
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King Dad! Father’s Day Crafts

Make your dad feel like a King for the day with this specially crafted Father’s Day crown. For the crown you will need: Gold or silver card Foam letters Colourful jewels  A stapler Scissors Glue A tape measure Follow these simple steps: Measure the circumference of the adult’s head with a tape measure. Add 4cm and note down the final figure. Next, cut out a band of gold or silver card. It should be 12cm wide and as long as the figure you noted down earlier. Take the band of... Read More

childminder play essentials 01/06/2018

Essential Play Resources List for Childminders

Kids love to do what they do best – play! Play engages, excites and entertains children for hours. Don’t underestimate the power of play! Play gives children the opportunity to explore and discover new experiences and make sense of the world around them. Young children are continuously learning through play and developing new skills – whether they are zooming cars down a ramp, digging for dinosaur fossils in sand or building the tallest tower! As a childcare provider, it is important to cover a range of different types of play... Read More

spending primary PE sports premium 17/05/2018

How To Spend Your Primary PE & Sport Premium Effectively

PE and Sport Premium  Are you spending your Primary PE & Sport Premium effectively? The Department for Education has doubled the PE and sport funding for primary schools to improve the quality of the PE and sport provision, so it is extremely important to ensure that you are making the best use out of your funding! It’s essential to offer a broad range of PE and sports activities in your school to encourage all children to participate in some form of physical activity and give new opportunities to those children... Read More

11/05/2018

Hidden Vegetable Macaroni Cheese Recipe for Kids

Hidden Vegetable Macaroni Cheese for Kids Promote healthy eating in your setting this National Vegetarian Week and introduce the little ones to exciting new food! This year, Vegetarian Week is taking place 14-20 May 2018 to highlight the benefits of meat-free meals. It’s extremely important to make sure that children have a well-balanced and nutritious diet to shape healthy eating habits from an early age, so why not try some healthy and tasty veggie dishes! We all know how picky kids can be when it comes to food – but... Read More

play kitchen benefits 10/05/2018
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The Benefits of Play Kitchens for Children

Let’s rustle up some deliciously mouth-watering imaginary feasts! Children love playing different roles and scenarios in imaginative play. Play kitchens are a particularly popular resource for pretend play, as it gives children the opportunity to imitate situations that they are familiar with. Whether they are playing the role of a head chef, waiter, kitchen porter or parent at home, play kitchens allow children to imagine themselves in new roles and cook up exciting scenarios. Kitchen role play isn’t just a fun activity for children, it also benefits a child’s development!... Read More

top physical activities for children 09/05/2018

Top 10 Physical Activities for Children

Physical activity is vital for a child’s health and fitness, so it is extremely important to promote a variety of different physical activities in your setting. Not sure how to improve physical activity in your primary school? Try these 10 different physical activities for children to enhance your school’s physical education lessons and enrich the children’s physical development. Top 10 Physical Activities for Children in Primary School Organised Sport By engaging children in regular sporting activities, it improves their overall health and fitness and increases their social skills and sense... Read More