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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 sense to me, I absol...

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

Winter Nature Cards

Bird Spotter Sheet

Child Voice Nature Cards

Wanderlust Child Nature Journal

Wooden small world birds

Rock card holders

Counting pebbles

Wooden bird tree slice

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 leg!”

It was a moment ...

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 very hard for us to have ...

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 non-recyclable materials and resources
...

I registered as a childminder in 2008 after the birth of my second daughter.  At this time, my first daughter was 17 years old and I had worked full time in an office from her being 9 weeks old. As you can imagine I felt like I had missed out on so much, so with my second daughter, I did not want to miss anything this time around.  I’d worked in an office for over 20 years and I always knew I was on the wrong career path, however, having a mortgage and bills to pay, together with earning a good salary, I felt that there was no other alternative.  Having my second daughter changed all this, and the thought of moving away from office admin to more caring and nurturing career which I had always craved, (and being at home with my baby daughter) was an exciting opportunity I could not miss.

Childminding is a career I have grown to love over the years. I must admit, initially I did wonder whether it was for me, it was such a different role to what I was used to, I felt isolated and it was a...