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“Strive to make everyday the best day of your life, because there is no good reason not to.” Hal Elrod

Little Robin Education: 6 Simple Outdoor Activities

Mar 31, 2020

Join our Wanderlust Child Nature Study Programme here for £5 instead of £120

Hi, I’m Jenny from Little Robin Education. My background is a bit mixed, I have a biology PhD, and then became a secondary school biology teacher. I now stay at home with my two boys, aged 1 and 3, and run my creative business Little Robin Education from my front room! I specialise in nature education for young people, and make and sell nature flashcards designed to inspire a love of the outdoors in children.

I’m here on the Hygge in the Early Years blog to give you six simple outdoor activity ideas to do with preschoolers. Some of these activities require access to outdoor space, which I know isn’t easy for everyone at this time. I will suggest an inside version for each activity in case you’re isolating.

Egg box colour hunt

My three year old loves painting at the moment, but sometimes it’s a bit of a struggle to get him outside. I’m hoping it’s a phase! He did really enjoy this activity though, a...

Some Thoughts I've Had

Mar 19, 2020

This difficult time really makes us reconsider the actual purpose of education. It just shows that at the end of the day we shouldn’t be just preparing for a test that may never happen. This is the test for this generation.

Child led learning is our way of not teaching something just for Ofsted but a way to build problem solvers, support those who wonder and chase the impossible and it gives them a sense of empowerment. Allowing our children to not just survive but be extraordinary in any situation.

"Basically anything that children can't do or at home I do here." Laura- Stone Hen Childcare

Dec 11, 2019

"How do you resource your provision Laura?," I asked.

"Basically anything that children can't do at home I do here." Laura- Stone Hen Childcare

This is how the learning happens and Laura brings in the teaching around risk, the curiosity and enchantment.

Find out more about Laura's practice here https://www.facebook.com/stonehenchildcare/

The Magic of Christmas

Nov 20, 2019

I remember Christmas as a trainee teacher working in a reception class. I thought to myself where is the fun, the enjoyment.. the magic?!

We were just in a conveyor belt of Christmas making activities! I wasn’t even sure that the children understood what they were making and why?!

We missed opportunities to discuss with the children the wonderful experiences they had at home of putting their tree up, family celebrations and going to visit Father Christmas in his grotto.

Christmas is such a busy time that it doesn’t always offer children the chance to slow down, observe, reflect and question. The freedom to look and listen and ask questions.

It can be a time when we forget all the high quality practice we usually do as we squeeze so much into one day. I urge you to try and slow things down a little this Christmas. Give time to igniting the senses, sharing favourite books with a hot chocolate and opportunities to just play!

Who’s with me?

Slow down your Christmas with some suppor

...

A Hygge Christmas!

Oct 31, 2019

Christmas is such an exciting and wonderful time of year, but it can also become over whelming on the senses if we are not careful. Jane (Environmentasthe3rdteacher), an Early Educator in Australia, shares with us how she sets up a calm environment in her school while also ensuring the fun of the festive season.

You may think I’m a little strange but I have never really been one for traditional Christmas colours or the typical tinsel tree both in my home (much to my own children's dismay) and in my Pre Primary class. I prefer like in many of my set ups, natural products. When it comes to a Christmas tree often it involves a branch or driftwood with seed pods, twig stars and fairy lights. This year in my classroom I decided to set up a little Christmas area separated from the rest of my room by draping organza from the ceiling with twinkle lights woven through and
around.

I wanted to have a few different choices here including a sensory table which will change weekly i.e. fake snow etc...

25 Years Experienced Educator Refreshing Practice

Sep 03, 2019

I really love being able to share with you the work and it's impact on my members. This week i'm featuring in my spotlight the highly dedicated and reflective Ann.

'I have been working in childcare for almost 25 years and my setting was in need of a complete overhaul! I have always been busy but felt the need for a change.

I saw Hygge advertised and looked into it I loved it from the start. The parents of the children that I care for love the transformation and the resources.

When you work in a small setting it is very easy to become complacent as we have minimal help, it is up to the individual to keep up with continuous improvement.

This is where I found KSEY invaluable. I started with a couple of short courses and then started the HYGGE in the early years.

I was hooked from the start and began to transform my setting.

I have replaced most of my plastic toys with natural resources but I still keep some of them because the ...

Is Hating Your Job Damaging Your Body?

Jun 11, 2019

With 75% of the Early Education workforce experiencing between levels 3 to 5 for their work related stress we look at the impact of this on our bodies and consider what we can do to support our wellbeing.

When I worked as an early years teacher and leader I often had feelings of overwhelm and anxiety around doing my job well. I had an ever growing to do list and very little time to do these tasks. I would get up early to be the first in work and would always be the last one to leave. My weekends and evenings were often consumed with more work! My social life become non existent as I was either working or exhausted. Does this sound familiar?

The stress of the job was having such a negative impact on the way my body was responding. My skin was dull, my eyes had lost their sparkle (and had been replaced with dark bags) and I was exhausted and achey. No amount of expensive face cream or make up would give me a healthy glow.

We know that when we face ...

How much planning should I do?

May 09, 2019

This is a question that I often asked myself!

Lets go back in time to when I first started teaching...

Each half term we would have a different topic to focus our learning on (Transport, fairy tales or as these photos showed-Celebrations). Every week within the half term the main topic would be broken down into a weeks mini topic (e.g Chinese New Year).

Every Friday I would stay at school till 6:30pm setting up my provision so that it was ready for the following week. This would involve dressing up each area of learning around that theme. Prior to that my week day evenings had been taken up preparing for this Friday dressing by printing, laminating, double backing images and sourcing resources to support each area. Gosh it was exhausting!

On Mondays when the children went into the provision I would always feel disappointed that they weren't using it in the way I had planned for. At times levels of engagement were low or children would ask me where the lego was (We had it out the we...

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