Angie shared something with me this week that I haven't stopped thinking about.

She had carefully created a beautiful basket of bird resources for her children.

There were books, identification cards, small bird figures and photographs — thoughtfully chosen to spark curiosity after seeing me share a similar idea online.

She placed them out with excitement.

Within minutes, the birds were in pockets.

Some had disappeared under cushions.

One had been fought over.

A book had been damaged.

Several resources were torn.

Only one child sat and truly engaged with what had been provided.

After 15 years working in early years, Angie said something that felt incredibly honest:

"I've never had this before. I'm running out of ideas and it's making me sad."

And I suspect many practitioners reading this will recognise that feeling.

Not because they're doing anything wrong.

But because something feels different.

When What Used to Work No Longer Works

Over the years I've visited hundreds...

Childhood Doesn't Pause for Winter

Somewhere along the way, we've been taught that outdoor play needs ideal conditions.

Dry days.

Mild temperatures.

Perfect resources.

That outdoor play is something we do when it's convenient.

Something we squeeze in when the weather allows.

Yet after more than 20 years working in early years education, visiting hundreds of settings, studying Scandinavian approaches to childhood and watching children in nature across every season, I've come to believe something very different.

Children don't experience the world that way.

The weather isn't a barrier to play.

It's part of it.

What Canada Reminded Me About Childhood

This January, we spent time in Canada as a family.

Temperatures regularly reached -22°C.

Friends and family at home couldn't quite believe we were taking a three-year-old outdoors every day.

But we did.

Every single day.

And what struck me most wasn't how the children coped.

It was how they thrived.

As both an early years...

Here’s how we create calm after nursery — and what a Hygge bedtime looks like for us 🤍

Creating calm after nursery or school on a winter’s evening ❄️🕯

These long, dark afternoons and evenings in the lead-up to Christmas can feel so tricky. Juggling your own exhaustion alongside the dysregulation of a little one who’s had a full, busy day at nursery or school.

So at home, we really try to bring a little Hygge glow and gentle connection into our evenings to help everything slow and soften again.

When I collect my little one, I often park a little further away so we can walk together and reconnect before heading home. I’ll offer a simple snack — apple for that crunchy reset, orange for a citrus burst, or sometimes a little oaty flapjack. It helps regulate and transition out of the day.

On the way home, we usually listen to an audio story — a quiet, shared space for resetting together.

My little wildling loves Christmas… but after a full day immersed in it at nursery, we like to keep...

The Hole Punch That Reminded Me What Learning Really Looks Like

This week, a child became completely fascinated by a hole punch.

Not a new resource.

Not an expensive invitation to play.

Not a carefully planned activity.

Just a simple hole punch sitting on a table.

And for the next 30 minutes, they were utterly absorbed.

Punch.

Click.

A tiny circle falls.

Punch.

Click.

Another circle appears.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Watching them, I was reminded of something I think we've forgotten in early years education.

The deepest learning often doesn't happen in the activities we've planned.

It happens in the moments children choose for themselves.

Why We Struggle to Trust These Moments

I'll be honest.

Twenty years ago, I probably wouldn't have trusted this kind of play.

I'd have worried that I needed to move the child on.

Extend the learning.

Introduce a challenge.

Find a "next step."

After all, that's what many of us were taught to do.

Yet after more than 20 years...

Winter often brings big energy in little bodies — and just as much deep tiredness in the adults who care for them.

The days are darker. Outdoor time shifts. Routines change. Clothes feel heavier. Transitions feel harder. Emotions seem closer to the surface.

And suddenly, we start seeing:

• More restlessness

• More emotional outbursts

• More impulsive behaviour

• More children who just can’t seem to settle

But what if what we’re witnessing isn’t “challenging behaviour” at all?

What if it’s the nervous system asking for support?

Heavy Work Isn’t About “Burning Energy”

This is where heavy work becomes one of our most powerful winter tools.

Heavy work is often misunderstood as simply a way to “wear children out.”
But in reality, it plays a far deeper role.

Heavy work supports the proprioceptive sensory system — the system that tells the body:

• Where it is in space

• How much force to use

• How to feel grounded and secure

When children push, pull, carr...

While everyone around you is immersing themselves in all things Christmas — fitting in ballet, swimming, gymnastics, parties, pantomimes and festive events — you might be feeling the quiet pull to… stop.

And that’s okay.

Enjoying the Hygge way of living is all about being gentle and kind to yourself and those around you. It’s also about knowing when to say no to the things that quietly drain your energy, even when they look joyful on the surface.

After a full-on week of starting festivities at school, organising Elf on the Shelf, Christmas discos, putting decorations up and trying to squeeze everything in, it’s possible to deeply love Christmas… and still desperately need some quiet.

You may notice you’re exhausted. That your patience feels thinner than usual. That you’re being short with the children — not because you don’t care, but because you’re expecting too much of them when they are already doing their very best to cope.

Christmas Through the Eyes ...

Are You Holding the Emotional Regulation of 30 Children Right Now?

Every year, around this time, I start having the same conversations with early years educators.

The exhaustion creeps in.

The noise levels rise.

Children seem more emotional, more reactive, more tired.

And practitioners are quietly running on empty.

After more than 20 years in early years education, leading teams, supporting settings and now as a mum myself, I've come to realise something important:

December isn't just busy for children.

It's busy for us too.

Because in the run-up to Christmas, we're not simply teaching.

We're holding emotions.

The glitter is out.

The routines wobble.

The excitement builds.

The tears arrive more quickly.

The behaviour feels bigger.

And often, we become the emotional regulation system for an entire room of children.

You can feel it in your bones.

It's beautiful.

It's magical.

And it's utterly exhausting.

I remember feeling this when I was leading a setting. We'd reac...

A conversation I have with educators time and time again goes something like this:

"I know this child needs more play... but they're on three intervention groups."

And every time, it makes me stop and think.

After more than 20 years working in Early Years education, leading a school from inadequate to outstanding, supporting hundreds of settings and studying Scandinavian approaches to childhood, I've noticed something that doesn't sit comfortably with me.

The children who are struggling the most are often the children spending the least amount of time playing.

The very thing that could support their language, confidence, wellbeing, relationships and learning is often the first thing taken away.

When Did We Start Taking Children Away From What Helps Them Most?

If you've ever looked at your intervention list and felt your heart sink, you're not alone.

Phonics group.

Fine motor intervention.

Speech and language support.

A catch-up maths activity.

Another phonics recap.

And be...

🕯️ Finding Calm and Connection in Winter: A Hygge Approach to Early Years

As the darker days draw in, it’s so easy to find ourselves rushing — from one task to the next, from one demand to another.

The mornings are darker, the afternoons shorter, and somewhere in between we’re still expected to keep everything running with the same energy as September.

But what if this winter felt different?

What if instead of pushing through, we slowed down — and listened to what the season is gently asking of us:
to rest, to restore, and to reconnect.

🌿 The Season of Stillness

In Scandinavia, winter is not seen as something to endure, but something to embrace.
It’s a time for gathering closer, lighting candles, creating warmth through connection, and finding joy in the small, ordinary moments.

They understand that our energy isn’t meant to stay the same all year round — and that slowing down isn’t a sign of weakness.
It’s wisdom.

Our bodies, minds, and hearts need different rhythms in win...