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“Strive to make everyday the best day of your life, because there is no good reason not to.” Hal Elrod
10 Days Of Hygge: Day 1
What is hygge?
Scandinavia ranks highly on all the main factors found to support happiness: caring, freedom, generosity, honesty, health, income and good governance. With the long dark nights, they have to have a mind-set of positivity. So, when it's cold and snowing outside they turn the situation around and light a fire, candles and get blankets. They take enjoyment from the warmth they experience while reading a book by the fire and watching the snow fall outside. This concept around living for now is known as 'Hygge' (which can be pronounced hue-guh).
Hygge doesn't have a direct translation into English but is about embracing the simple moments in life with such joy and appreciation. Whether it be a meal at home with good friends, playing board games or taking time to enjoy a sunny but cold woodland walk. It’s about tuning into the little moments in life that light you up and give you the fuzzy feeling.
EYFS Manager Catherine didn’t know what...
Hygge Case Study: We Found Peace
Our journey started with a statement from our Ofsted inspector
“Follow your hearts”.
For years my son and I had been working towards blending our family values into our early years setting. We love to upcycle, hate to waste, love the environment and wanted to create a nursery in this image. For years we had been blindfolded, like fish in a bowl we never got to see what life was like outside our own little nursery bubble. When we would receive advice from our Early Years Team or other nurseries in our area it never felt natural to us, it always felt like fitting into a biscuit mould, all the same and no essence of ourselves.
For years we had done everything right, by the book, creative and forward thinking but shackled by the frameworks and policies of a government falling slowly behind the times. Our nursery was beautiful but we had started to move towards more natural, open ended, ethically sourced resources. We had begun to shed the norm and started looking for an...
Hygge Case Study: Pack Away Setting
Task 1 - Hygge board
I have started with the Hygge board which displays the changes we have made within the nursery. On my display I have shown how we have adapted to new activities and changing our environment to give it that Hygge feel. This board has helped all staff understand the Hygge approach and given them inspiration for new activities and ideas for their rooms, for the children and for the staff. This starting point has had a positive impact on the children and staff within the setting, everyone has benefited from this as it has helped provide such a calm and nurturing environment for all within the setting. We have also had lovely comments off parents and carers on the appearance, the day to day running of the nursery, the calmness and the approach we use here at Mumbles Day Nursery. Each time we have made improvements, this is added to the Hygge board with pictures and a description for evidence. We also discuss the intent of our picture, how we have implemented this...
Hygge Case Study: As A Childminder I Felt The Pressure To Be Like A Nursery
I am a childminder based in North Wales at the foot of Snowdon and I work mostly on my own with the occasional help from an assistant when required. Before I started the Hygge Accreditation I felt stressed, tired and I always felt the pressure to operate my setting like a nursery or even a school. I used to plan activities based on themes I thought that the children would like and when they weren’t responsive to the work and tasks that I set out I would feel deflated and a failure. I was constantly tiered and stressed and just felt that I wasn’t enough for the children. I wanted to enjoy my work again and I wanted the children to be excited for the activities that we would be doing. After my last inspection where I achieved an overall ‘adequate’ mark I felt that a change needed to be made not only to the setting but for my own wellbeing and the wellbeing of the children attending.
I have now created a vision of that every child matters within the setting...
I was always working, missing my family.
Before I started my Hygge training I had just left my job at a creche, the creche was in a shopping centre with lots of bright lights, no outdoor space or natural lighting, everything was brightly coloured and very over whelming, there was no structure to the day and the children would often get bored. I was restricted as to what I could do to change any of this due to company policies and approach. I felt deflated, unmotivated, and just did not enjoy my job, I was always working, missing my family. If I was at home, I was always on call to help when needed.
I got a new job as Deputy Manager of a brand-new nursery that was being built at Warner Bro’s studios serving families in the TV and Film industry. It was quite different from anything I had ever done before; I had to do some research and re-find my passion for early years. During this time whilst doing my research I discovered Hygge and instantly it interested me, there are so many elements that just make...
Your Winter Nature Shelf
A little space on a shelf will be just perfect, a collection in a shoe box or even a display in the middle of your dining table. It's a wonderful way to bring the connection with the great outdoors into your home and to celebrate the season.
You could include some seasonal spotter sheets, natural number cards and ways you've recorded your sightings.
It can be something very simple found on a walk like a pinecone, a rock, flowers from the garden or a feather.
We like to add our drawings and paintings of the natural find too or a question on some card we've been curious about.
If you have the space you can maybe add some beautiful decorations you find of nature or a postcard that lights you up.
Here is a list of where you can find all the resources used in our winter bird nature table
Wanderlust Child Nature Journal
Hygge Case Study: "I used to be guilty of setting activities up"
I have been a childminder for the last 6 years and over that time, my setting has had gradual enhancement. I have always had a calm and neutral decor and quite a laid-back approach in my setting and in my teaching. I had the mindset and personality for the Hygge way, I just lacked the knowledge as to where and how to progress with it and how to ingrain it into the fabric of my setting and teaching.
Before I started this course, I was guilty of setting up activities in search of a finished product. I wanted something physical to show parents what we had achieved that day. I felt if I didn’t have something to show parents, I would think they haven’t achieved anything. I recently had a light bulb moment when I received a photo and message from a parent whose child had been with me for around 4 months. The photo showed her child playing at a playgroup. The message read “Thank you for being the reason my son will now go off to play, rather than being clung to my...
Hygge Case Study: Starting with a very colourful environment
Little Bird’s Preschool is a charity run preschool which sits in the heart of the beautiful town of Swanage Dorset. It has always been a popular preschool over its history and has certainly moved with the times. As with many Preschools the Little bird’s environment was very colourful and busy with bright pictures, posters and backing paper covering every possible wall and space. Nearly all the toys and resources were plastic which limited the children’s imaginations.
Step forward to January 2018. The Preschool was taken over by Jodie Edmunds, and Jude French became her deputy. Together they had a vision to transform Little Birds into a more natural and simulating environment. The other preschool practitioners jumped aboard, and the process began. Being a charity run preschool it meant that we had to do a lot of fundraising to enable us to buy resources and start the transformation. Our preschool office was situated within the school’s staff room which made it...
A Hygge Case Study: "I was at one of the lowest points in my career."
When I started the Hygge in the Early Years Accreditation, I was at one of the lowest points in my career. I work full time as a childminder and was waiting for hip replacement, the pain affected my sleep and I worried how I would manage and afford time off. This I could cope with, but I also felt I had no time for myself, struggling to run voluntary groups I’d always managed and juggling family life. The Hygge course helped me take a good look at my life and realised I was stuck in a rut, doing things out of routine, not necessarily what I wanted to do. The children were happy but I noticed they too were playing with the same toys, doing same routines and places.
I decided I had to priorities my own wellbeing and I wanted to make changes in my work place too.
As part of the course I set the following three Hygge action points:
- Improve own health/wellbeing
- Establish joint weekly Forest School sessions
- Reduce the use of non-natural and...
Nature play for babies and toddlers
Take part in my baby and toddler nature play course!
