Identifying Missed Opportunities for Learning Post-pandemic

There is no doubt that children born just before or into the pandemic have had a very different start to their Early Years education. Emma Fleckney from Nordic Star highlights some of the ways that children have been affected by the pandemic and shares how they are helping to bridge these developmental gaps. Speech…

6 May 2022

Early Years

Using the Magic of Picture Books to Explore Feelings and Emotions – The Colour monster by Anna Llenas

Young children may be little, but this doesn’t stop them from experiencing BIG feelings. Picture books can provide the perfect stimulus for exploring feelings and emotions. They enable children to find ways, along with the words needed, to express what they are feeling inside. A perfect example of such a book is The Colour Monster…

6 May 2022

The Importance of Outdoor Play for our Children’s Mental Health

Kay Miller, MD and co-founder of The Den Kit Co, explains the importance of Outdoor Play for our Children's Mental Health. Kay left her post as Head Teacher of a rural Shropshire primary school (where she also qualified as a forest school practitioner) to concentrate on growing our beloved brand. "Play is the highest form of research" …

6 May 2022

Early Years

Let Love Lead Learning

As parents and professionals working in the early years, we hope that every day is full of fun, laughter, friendships and success for every child. Our youngest children sometimes rely on or benefit from adults keen to support and enable deeper, richer learning by being partners in their play. Read this article to find out how to…

6 May 2022

Early Years Webinars

Watch our Little Lockdowners Webinar On-Demand

Did you miss our Little Lockdowners webinar? Don't worry; we're excited to share the full version on-demand! During our Little Lockdowners webinar, our panel of global experts will discuss the future impact of the pandemic on early years children and explore the opportunities for shifting developmental trajectories. The views expressed throughout this webinar are the…

6 May 2022

Early Years Wellbeing

Dr. Michael Ungar: Building Resilience in the Early Years

In this video, Dr. Michael Ungar, Director of the Resilience Research Centre at Dalhousie University in Canada, explains how building resilience in children can help them to recover from issues caused by pandemic environments, improve their capacity to succeed, have healthy cognition and well-being, and prepare them for a bright future. https://youtu.be/axrBrpbR5wc Dr. Michael Ungar…

5 May 2022

Early Years

Dr. Suzanne Zeedyk: Recognising the Power of Connection

Over the past several decades, scientists have made very significant discoveries about the importance of connection for human beings. I believe that every single person deserves to understand this science. It matters because the emotional lessons we learn during our infant years last. They live on in our biology. Every time you start your day, you draw…

5 May 2022

Early Years

Greg Bottrill: Play Loves You…

There’s something you should know... Play loves you. It always has, and it always will. Maybe let that just sit with you for a while. Feel it. Allow the love that play has for you to glow within you. Play has loved you for your whole life. It gave you a tiny flame for you to hold in your…

5 May 2022

Early Years Wellbeing

Alice Sharp: Cherishing Connections

As practitioners, parents and caregivers, there’s a desire for our children to be active in mind, body and heart. In this video, Alice Sharp delves into the importance of cherishing connections, whether that be human connections or a connection to the environment we are part of by outlining the six core strengths. Alice shares…

5 May 2022

Early Years

Erika Christakis: Reclaiming the Rhythm of Early Childhood

One of the puzzles of modern life is the gap between what we know about how children think and grow, on the one hand, and the daily lived experience of children and their caregivers, which rarely reflects children’s strengths or needs and can often be quite unpleasant. This is puzzling because young children are extraordinarily…

5 May 2022

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