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Hygge in summertime is not that different to hygge in Autumn or wintertime. I was inspired to continue our Hygge journey over the summer holidays even though our setting is term time only.

Here are my top 10 ideas for creating inspiring Hygge activities for your little ones...

 1. Sunflower Soup

A super quick and easy water play activity requiring very little set up.

All you need is a large pot full of water (i like to colour my water), bowls, spoons, sunflowers (I tend to use ones that are almost past their best) and any other added extras you like! (Pipets are always fun and good for fine motor development)

2. Ice play  

Sticking with the water theme and with the British summer being a bit unpredictable you have to grab these hot days when you can! And what better way to cool off than with an ice play activity?

All you need is a couple of things...

Ice (make sure to freeze the day before if doing a large volume), cutlery, pots and pans! You can add in coloured water, flow...

 Batch cook some delicious meals

 Take a woodland walk

 Create some natural displays in your home and setting with pumpkins, squash, twigs, pine cones and acorns.

 Make a blackberry crumble

 Hang an autumn wreath on your door at home and setting

 Fill jars with autumn leaves and fairy lights

 Make a gratitude list and be thankful for the moments and things you have

 Set up a seasonal small world scene of your local area

 Add seasonal items and books to your nature shelf

 For more seasonal ideas see my Re-Wilding your Wanderlust Child Nature Study Programme 

Some books to inspire you: 

Create your own rock pool in your setting to explore. This is one of the ideas shared in my Rewilding Wanderlust Nature Study Programme. 

You will need;

• sensory tray (any tray will do)

• sand

• pebbles

• shells

• sea creatures - paint rocks if you don't have any

You can lay out the items required for the children to create it themselves or do it as a collaborative task.

1. Simply add sand to your tray creating a circular space in the middle to pour your water

2. Add pebbles

3. Add water to the centre where there is no sand. The water will soak into the sand surrounding but this is totally natural.

4. Add shells

5. Add some sea creatures or perhaps children could make some rock painted crabs or fish to add? 

We added blue food colouring to the water to give it a more blue ocean colour but you don't have to.

Tag me on socials if you give this a go.

Find out more about my courses on my website.

Welcome is a key word for our Early Years environments, as we welcome new parents and children to our settings and establish routines. Our practitioners continue to reflect upon how welcoming their entrances are to parents and children. Here are a few examples from last year.

The entrance to Nursery at Spring Lane Primary School

The entrance doors to Reception at Bourton Meadow Academy

The entrance to Nursery at George Grenville Academy

Part of the entrance display for Nursery at Lace Hill Academy

A welcome display for Reception at Lumbertubs Primary School

Our welcoming environments were inspired by a Hygge approach.

What is a Hygge approach?

Building a sense of togetherness between home and school reflects a Hygge approach. It is so important to us.

Positive relationships and the happiness of our parents and children are strongly linked.

Campfire Education Trust schools have worked hard to ensure that all our new starters feel a sense ofbelonging as soon as they e...

Lavender is a versatile herb with numerous properties beneficial to health, wellness, and everyday life. Its calming aroma, therapeutic benefits, culinary uses, and role in personal care and household products make it a valuable and widely appreciated plant.

Lavender can be grown from seed and is a great sensory ingredient to explore. It attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies, making it a beneficial plant for your garden. Add it to playdough, potions, make lavender perfume or dry it and add sachets to your room indoors to create a beautiful calming scent. Lavender oil has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, making it useful for treating minor burns, insect bites, and skin irritations. You can also use it in cooking and natural cleaning products. Lavender has a calming effect, relaxing you, aiding sleep and reducing stress and anxiety.

Encouraging children to get outdoors in nature with a fun activity that will keep them engaged.

Create a nature Journal with your children to help them have a better understanding of nature and to encourage them to ask questions about the nature that surrounds them.

Go on a walk to the park, forest, pond, stream, woodland, beach. Use your journal to make notes and draw what you find most interesting. Write down what you see and hear, stick special leaves and flowers that you find in. Draw around leaves and create leaf and bark rubbings on the pages.

Take some watercolours and crayons to use - what colours can you see?  Take this journal with you over the summer holidays to make a record of the adventures you have been on and the nature that you have found. Take it to the beach and draw shells, fish and seabirds. Take it to the pond and sketch the tadpoles, frogs and ducks. Stick any feathers that you find into your journal. Stick in a photo of you collecting natural treasures or j...

A time of coming together with a slower approach

🌼 Midsummer in Sweden: A Celebration of Light, Nature & Togetherness

Midsummer in Sweden is one of the most magical and meaningful times of the year. Falling on June 21st, it marks the summer solstice—a time when the sun barely dips below the horizon. In the northernmost parts of Scandinavia, it doesn’t set at all!

✨ A Tradition Rooted in Magic & Fertility

Going back to the 1500s, Midsummer was seen as a mystical period when fertility levels—of both the land and people—were at their peak. Swedes would decorate the outside of their homes and farms with lush green foliage to honour nature’s bounty and bring good fortune.

As Sweden moved into the industrial age, Midsummer became a special time for community. Mill workers would gather for a hearty feast—pickled herring being the star of the table, a tradition that’s still going strong today!

🌸 Floral Crowns, Maypole Dancing & Feasting

In more recent times, Midsummer has blossomed...

Seeing their own reflection in a mirror is magical and wonderous for babies. Do they recognise themselves? The awe and wonder of what else is reflected in the mirror, perhaps a parent, a favourite toy and their surroundings. Taking mirrors outdoors adds another dimension such as the trees, flora and fauna, the sky and clouds are also all reflected magically in the mirror. Babies will gaze for a long time into a mirror tray for example - trying to touch what they can see.

5 reasons why mirror play is important for babies:

1. Helping to develop visual senses

2. Encouraging gross motor movement - inspiring babies to reach and touch

Add some nature to a mirror tray, or droplets of water. This encourages sensory exploration, inviting them to reach out and touch the mirror and the items. Why not put on some music and have a little dance with your baby in front of the mirror. This is a fun way to encourage movement and coordination.

3. Developing a sense of self

Babies will start...

“Drizzle happiness wherever you go.”  A.D. Posey

Drizzle, damp and dreary weather may not have you excited for getting out into the outdoors with your children! In this blog post I want to share a few ideas of how you can turn the situation around and find joy on these types of days!

There is no such thing as bad weather only unsuitable clothing!

Embrace the rain! Dress for it - don the rainsuits and wellies, grab your brollies and go for a walk in the rain, splashing in the puddles as you go.

Walking under trees in the rain you can listen to the rain hitting the leaves above you. Look at the clouds, what colour are they? What can you smell? 

Embrace the rain and play with your water wall - these are easy to make with old guttering and a wooden pallet. Perhaps re create the nursery rhyme Ice Wincy Spider.

You don't have to be out for long.

When you get back from your adventures outside here are some cosy and warm ideas to enjoy:

1. Discuss why it rains and weather in gene...