How Honour­ing a Child’s Small Fascination Opens the Door to Deep Learning

Some of the most meaningful moments in early childhood don’t happen in the planned activities, the themed weeks, or the beautifully prepped provocations.
They happen in the quiet corners — in the tiny sparks of curiosity that children discover all by themselves.

This week, it was a hole punch.

Not a fancy resource.
Not something new.
Just a simple tool sitting on the table… and one child who couldn’t resist the satisfying click, the steady resistance, the tiny circle falling free.

And instead of rushing them on, correcting the grip, or suggesting something “more purposeful,” slow pedagogy invites us to pause.

To notice.
To trust.
To let the child lead.

✨ What Slow Pedagogy Really Means

Slow pedagogy isn’t about doing less.
It’s about doing what matters — deeply, attentively, intentionally.

It asks us to:

• Honour a child’s pace

• Make room for repetition

• Value the process over the product

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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 ...

Do you feel like you’re holding the emotional regulation of 30 children right now?
Because in the run-up to Christmas… you absolutely are.
The glitter is out, the routines wobble, the emotions run high, and you feel it in your bones.

It’s beautiful.
It’s magical.
And it’s utterly exhausting.

If you’re feeling stretched, overwhelmed or just a little more tearful than usual — it’s not you. It’s the season. And you’re human. 

Here are my top Hygge tips for supporting your wellbeing (and theirs) in December:

 1. Slow the pace right down
Children don’t need more. They need less — less noise, less clutter, less rushing. Create pockets of calm where everyone can settle again.

 2. Prioritise play — real, deep, child-led play
Now more than ever, children need long stretches of uninterrupted play to ground them. Let them build, imagine and process big feelings through play.

 3. Get outside as much as you can
Fresh air regulates overwhelmed bodies in a way nothing else can. Chase the daylight, wrap up warm an...

In Early Years, we talk so much about the power of play — yet the children who need it the most are often the ones who end up having the least.

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 all the while, those very children are being pulled away from the thing that has the biggest potential to help them grow: play.

When “Intervention” Takes Children Away From What Helps Them Most

When I taught in Reception, I saw this pattern far too often.
If a child hadn’t made progress in the phonics lesson that morning, I was asked to repeat it with them that afternoon.

And then there were the flash cards — the constant repetition of the sound of the day — not during learning time, but during lunchtime.

Imagine being asked to work on the skill you’re struggling with while you eat your lunch, instead of chatting to friends, e...

🕯️ 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...

The other day, I watched my three-year-old at forest school, sitting in a water-filled hole, absolutely delighted with the sensory experience of mud and water.

And I paused.

I found myself wondering: What does his future look like?
How will the decisions we make as parents — about how he’s educated — allow him to keep following what lights him up?
How will education give him the freedom to pursue his own creative discoveries?

Are We Looking at Childhood All Wrong?

The education system we have today doesn’t always recognise, value, or appreciate the beautifully unique ways all brains see the world.

And yet, so many of the people who have shaped our world — Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Greta Thunberg — were not traditional learners. They thought differently. They were different.

So perhaps the problem isn’t with children at all.
Perhaps the problem is the way we view childhood.

Beyond “Success”

Instead of preparing children for work, shouldn’t we be preparing them to find j...

Childhood Isn’t a Race: Why 2-Year-Olds Don’t Need Phonics

“You’re only 2 years old… and you’re already doing phonics.”
It’s something I hear often — and every time, it makes me pause.

Somewhere along the way, childhood has become a race.
🚩 A race to read.
🚩 A race to count.
🚩 A race to perform.

But here’s the truth: two-year-olds don’t need phonics.

What they do need is something much more profound:
🌿 Play.
🌿 Connection.
🌿 Time to explore the world with their hands, hearts, and senses.

Why Starting Too Soon Can Harm

Research is clear: pushing formal academics too early doesn’t give children an advantage. In fact, it can do the opposite.

Children who are introduced to phonics or other formal skills before they’re developmentally ready may experience:

• Stress and frustration when the task feels beyond their ability.

• A loss of joy in learning because it becomes performance-driven.

• Gaps later on in creativity, problem-solving, and resilience because play has been

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As early years educators, we pour so much of ourselves into our work. Some days feel full of energy and inspiration; others feel heavy or simply exhausting. Here’s a gentle truth: when we feel excited for the day—even about one small thing—that energy flows to the children. Our mood is contagious.

I love dropping my little wildling at nursery and hearing, “We’re going blackberry picking today!” or “Come and see what I’ve brought to learn more about aquariums!” That kind of attitude oozes excitement and tells a child their day will be full of wonder.

🌞 Start with you

Before you step into the classroom, take a moment for yourself.

• Enjoy a warm drink in peace, by a window or outdoors.

• Write one intention for the day: “I’m going to notice children’s joy in play,” or “I’m taking my maths session outside today.”

• Put on a favourite playlist or take a mindful walk.

When you start nourished, you arrive with presence.

🌿 In the classroom

Choose one element of the environm...

The school day can feel full and busy — for both children and adults. By the time little ones tumble through the door, emotions are often bubbling under the surface: tiredness, excitement, overstimulation, or the simple need to be home.

This is where a calm, hygge-inspired after-school routine can make all the difference. Instead of rushing into the evening, we can create a soft landing — one that soothes, reconnects, and helps the whole family find their rhythm again. I like to try and plan for a calm pick up by parking the car a little way away from the pick up point so our walk to it gives us the chance to reconnect and be in nature. We sit in the boot of the car and share a snack together (orange, grapefruit, apple - something sensory that helps to reset the body). We then have a quiet ride home with some of my little ones favourite music or an audio story. 

🌙 Step 1: The Arrival Ritual

Think of this as the bridge between “school world” and “home world.” Small, sensory cues ...