My two-year-old nephew visited me recently. Within seconds he’d managed to tip the cat’s water and food bowl up, and while I dealt with that, he tipped all the shoes off the shoe rack and emptied my recycled food waste container on the floor for good measure! It felt like I was under siege! But …
Teaching phonics needs imagination, creativity, and…a bit of DIY thrown in! In my twenty-plus years of teaching phonics, I have tried all sorts of fun games. In this post, I’m going to share the very best. Traditionally, children have been taught letter sounds in quite a formal way, usually sitting at a table or a …
Have you ever tried playing throwing and catching with a pre-schooler? If you have, chances are, they weren’t very coordinated. It’s only to be expected and certainly nothing to worry about! There are plenty of ways you can help them to throw more accurately and catch more easily. Start slow and easy! In my 20+ …
If you haven’t yet tried a Forest school approach with your children, then you should know that the benefits are quite staggering. These are benefits that are backed up by both practice and research. I’ve been involved in forest schools for the best part of twenty years. In that time, I would say that the …
P.E. lessons can be a bit daunting at times. All that equipment to organize and worry about. Yuck! Then there are the safety aspects to consider. Eek! The good news is, there are plenty of simple P.E. games that you can use with no equipment! The Ultimate List of PE Games With No Equipment Whether …
Have you ever heard the term stimming before? Does your baby flap their hands a lot? Or maybe rock back and forth all the time? These are examples of stimming. Many people associate stimming with Autism or the traits related to Autism Spectrum Disorder. It certainly can be the case that children with Autism do have …
Games like hopscotch have been around for years and no wonder! What small piece of equipment has the most value for money for outdoor learning? If you ask me, it’s the humble piece of chalk! I’ve visited lots of primary schools and childcare settings over the past twelve years and I’ve noticed that where the …
Winter in a Forest school can be beautiful and as long as everyone is wrapped up warm (and that includes the adults too) it can provide plenty of opportunities for awe and wonder. Just imagine… Silvery cobwebs covered in twinkling frost The first untouched blanket of soft snow Exposed birds nests at the top of …
I’ve been a teacher for the last 12 years, and I have experimented with a range of variations of Capture the Flag. I enjoy using it as a warmup for PE sessions, and the children also really like doing it during recess. Of course, it’s also great to play at home, in the park, or …
Did you know that the bones in children’s hands are still developing before the age of seven? An x-ray of a three-year-old’s hand compared to a seven-year-old reveals a startling difference. (Source) For many young children, this means that the process of writing can be uncomfortable and even painful as they haven’t yet developed enough …