🕯️ 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...

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 beginning of the new school year shouldn’t have to feel stressful. Too often, September arrives with a rush of planning, preparation, and pressure—but what if we reimagined these early weeks? What if, instead of rushing, we filled our days with connection, calm, and time together?

One of the simplest ways to bring this shift is by stepping outdoors. Nature has an incredible way of grounding us—slowing our pace, calming our minds, and opening our eyes to the magic in the everyday. And the best part? Learning in nature doesn’t demand endless resources or preparation. The forest floor, the hedgerow, and even the schoolyard are already brimming with invitations to play. Less equipment means less tidying up, leaving more time for what really matters—being present with the children.

A Slow Approach to Pedagogy

Slowing down doesn’t mean doing less—it means doing with more intention. A slow pedagogy invites us to follow children’s interests, to notice what captures their hearts and mind...

The Benefits of Allotment Play in the Early Years 🌱

Imagine a space where children can dig in the soil, water seeds, pull up carrots, and taste sun-warmed strawberries they’ve grown themselves. Allotments offer just that—a living, breathing classroom full of opportunities for play, discovery, and connection.

In the early years, play in an allotment setting is about so much more than gardening. It nurtures the whole child—physically, emotionally, socially, and cognitively—while fostering a deep relationship with nature and the rhythms of the seasons. We love visiting our friends allotment and noticing the seasonal changes. It's such a beautiful space to slow down and be present in the moment without the distraction of toys, noise and too much. 

🌿 Physical and Cognitive Growth

Allotment play provides rich opportunities for developing both fine and gross motor skills. Digging, carrying watering cans, planting seeds, and pulling up vegetables all strengthen muscles and coordination...

✨ Why You Won’t See Many Chairs in a Hygge-Inspired Early Years Space

Walk into a typical early years classroom and you might see rows of chairs tucked under tables, ready for the day’s activities.

But step into a Hygge-inspired space and you’ll notice something different… there aren’t many chairs at all.

And that’s no accident.

🌿 Freedom to Move, Freedom to Learn

In a Hygge setting, children aren’t confined to one seat. Instead, they have the freedom to move, curl up, kneel, or sprawl out as they follow their curiosity. This flexibility isn’t just about comfort — it’s about supporting how children naturally learn and interact with the world.

Fewer traditional chairs means:
🌿 More room for open-ended play — spaces can shift and adapt to children’s needs.
💛 Cosy, home-like corners where children feel safe and settled.
🧠 Movement that supports focus and wellbeing — little bodies learn best when they can change position often.

🪑 What You’ll Find Instead

Rather than neat rows o...

In many early years settings — and even at home — tidying up is built into the daily rhythm. We think of it as part of keeping the environment safe, organised, and ready for the next activity.

But here’s something to pause and consider…

When we tidy up while a child is still deep in play, we may unintentionally be sending messages we never meant to give:
🚫 “Your play isn’t important.”
🚫 “This space needs to be adult-ready, not child-ready.”
🚫 “The story you’re building isn’t worth finishing.”

🌸 The Hygge-Inspired Approach

In a Hygge-inspired early years practice, we embrace a slower, more respectful pace.

We allow the block city to remain standing overnight so its builder can return to it in the morning.
We leave the small world exactly as it was so children can pick up their story where they left off.
We understand that tidy doesn’t always mean “ready for learning” — sometimes, a little creative chaos is exactly what children need to feel immersed and inspired.

✨ Why It Ma...

“Your Training Is So Different to All the Rest…”

It’s something I hear often.
And honestly, I take it as the highest compliment.

Because I’m not here to deliver another generic course.
I’m here to lead a conversation about doing things differently.

Slow Pedagogy.

Honouring the child’s lead in their play.
Calm environments.
Gentle rhythms.
Rich, responsive interactions that grow from real connection.

These are the things that matter to me.

And maybe that’s because I’m passionate about leading change in the Early Years.
About stepping outside the box we’ve been told to stay inside for far too long.

Because truthfully—what have we got to lose?

The System Is Struggling

We’ve been battling the same problems for decades, and very little has truly changed.

In a sector under immense pressure:

• Recruitment, retention, and recognition are all falling short.

• 5–6% of preschool children—that’s 1 in 18—already have a diagnosable mental health condition.
  So many more are unseen...

🐾 1. Barefoot Walking Trails

• Create a barefoot sensory path across different grass textures.

• Add sections with clover, moss, soft meadow grass, or damp earth.

• Encourage slow walking to notice tickles, coolness, and prickles.

✨ Teaches grounding, calm, and body awareness.

🌾 2. Grass Weaving & Crowns

• Weave long grass into bracelets, headbands, or simple mats.

• Use dandelion stems or clover chains for colour.

• Talk about how children in Sweden and Finland make floral crowns at Midsummer.

🦗 3. Meadow Bug Safaris

• Provide magnifying glasses and bug pots to explore mini beasts.

• Look for crickets, beetles, butterflies, and ants.

• Encourage children to lie down quietly in the grass and listen.

“What stories do the grasshoppers whisper?”

🎨 4. Painting with Grass

• Bundle long grasses and use as natural brushes with paint or water.

• Or dip seed heads in mud or clay to stamp textures onto fabric or paper.

• Try

  ...

There’s a special kind of magic that settles in during the summer months — not loud or extravagant,
but quiet and golden. It lives in the in-between moments: the gentle clink of spoons in mixing bowls
under the shade of a tree, the giggles of children as they snack on strawberries they helped to grow,
the excited squeals of the garden as everyone watches a ladybird crawl across a tiny hand.

Summer in our setting isn’t about rigid plans or fixed outcomes. It’s about feeling the season — living
it, slowly and with intention.

We spend much of our time outdoors. Alfresco dining becomes second nature, and meals are often
picnicked on a blanket in the garden, with the scent of herbs and freshly watered soil in the air.
There’s something beautifully grounding about sharing food under open skies. Somehow, even the
simplest snack feels like a feast when the sun is shining and everyone’s feet are bare.

Our days follow a gentler rhythm in the warmer months. Mornings begin with open doors and
curious...