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

International Day of Hygge

Feb 27, 2025

To celebrate International Day of Hygge on February 28th i'm sharing with you 30 different ways you can celebrate together in your home or early years setting.

Have a delicious breakfast with your team of pastries, home made jam and fruit
Wear comfy and cosy clothes for the day.
Invite families into your setting to enjoy story telling and cake.
Take a walk in nature and look out for the signs of Spring.
Have a crafting morning and make candle holders using clay.
Create some cosy dens in your classroom using blankets and cushions.
Visit the library or a local book shop and pick our your favourite reads
Create a display about Hygge in your setting.
Set up a cosy small world scene with fairy lights.
Bake some cakes and come together to enjoy these.
Light a fire or put a real crackling fire on your smartboard or TV.
Do some yoga together
Fill your water tray with lavender bath bubbles and dolls to be cleaned
Circle time about what makes you all happy
Vis

"The classroom I inherited was disorganised, chaotic and messy, lacking order and calmness"

Feb 24, 2022

Hygge case study by Philippa S

My practice before the accreditation:

Our classroom was light and spacious but due to the high ceilings and cold colours, prickly carpet and blue lino flooring it was lacking a homely welcoming feel to reflect our nurturing practise. The classroom I inherited was disorganised, chaotic and messy, lacking order and calmness, requiring an air of order enabling the children to feel calm and in control of their own learning.

The visions I’ve created in my work:

I have created a classroom exuberating a nurturing, peaceful but exciting and inspiring continuous provision-based room. I have thoughtfully planned each area of the classroom, with the children at the heart of my planning and practise.

This has included, but is not limited to:

Reading: Working with colleagues to read and sort all of EY/KS1/2 reading books to match their phonetic teaching. Working closely with parents to build a partnership based upon trust and honesty – enabling them to bes

Hygge Case Study "Through teaching in my mixed Reception/ Year One class I felt lost between knowing in my heart what the children needed and pressures from SLT (OFSTED/school improvement support/LEA) to deliver the National curriculum."

Jan 17, 2022

Hygge Case Study by Natalie Carrigher

I began my Hygge in the Early Years Journey in January 2020 after 15 years in Early years, and 8 years in the same school (through special measures to good) I felt lost. I was at a stage in my career where I needed ‘something’ but I had no idea what! I still loved working in Early years but felt my CPD had severely lacked in the past few years. Through teaching in my mixed Reception/ Year One class I felt lost between knowing in my heart what the children needed and pressures from SLT (OFSTED/school improvement support/LEA) to deliver the National curriculum. My practice had become segmented between the two curriculums, where I felt divided in both my time and being able to provide a challenging learning environment for all children in my class. I spent hours during evenings and weekends planning for both curriculums in great detail and resourcing sessions. I would have all these great ideas to engage the children and develop a love of l...

Hygge fits in perfectly with our child led ethos and in the moment planning

Dec 30, 2021

Hygge in the Early Years At Pownall Hall School

In April 2019, I introduced the Hygge approach into my home and felt the benefits instantly. I was therefore keen to introduce it into our nursery setting.

Hygge is about sharing and enjoying small moments together, every day. It is about slowing down, being together and building relationships.

At Pownall Hall School Nursery we believe in all the benefits that a Hygge environment brings. We have used the Hygge approach to create a Nursery environment that captures the feeling of cosiness, warmth and togetherness for all who enter into it.

Our Nursery is a calm space filled with cosy nooks, soft lights, warm textures and interesting objects to encourage curiosity and discussion. We bring nature inside and connect with nature outside daily.

We believe that wellbeing is key to our provision and our children are comfortable to have fun, explore or just snuggle down when they want to. Children should experience happiness and other emoti...