Following the TTS Little Lockdowners webinar, we have received lots of great questions and requests for additional content and support. In this article, we highlight our answers to your questions, alongside supporting content by our educational experts at TTS and other educationalists from across the globe. We’ve also included some handy links to more inspirational videos, blogs, lesson plans and suitable resources.
Loose parts play was mentioned as a practical solution for supporting play-based learning in early years, what is ‘loose parts play’ and how can I introduce it into my setting?
Loose parts play is the ability to freely explore and create within an enriched environment. It is a collection of ‘things’, everyday items and resources that can be moved, merged, collected, shared, taken apart, stacked, stored, built up, lined up etc. It is a very common practice in early settings.
We have several blogs available at TTS to help you discover more around the importance of loose parts play and how it can be incorporated into your early years settings:
- Ben Kingston Hughes’ blog ‘Loose Parts Play – What’s all the fuss about?’, discusses loose parts play and why it has become even more popular over the last few years.
- Miss Early Years’ blog ‘Loose parts play for babies and pre-school aged children’ showcases simple ways that loose parts can be brought into play-based learning in the early years.
- Read Alice Sharps’ blog ‘Let Love Lead Learning’ which explores creating enriching environments through play-based learning.
- At TTS, we have a range of own-developed resources to support loose parts play. For inspiration, visit – Loose Parts for Early Years Children | TTS.
Where can I find ideas/resources to support the themes and topics explored in the Little Lockdowners webinar?
Our in-house experts have categorised resources suited to some of the themes, topics and discussions highlighted in the Little Lockdowners webinar. Visit the links below for further inspiration:
- Emotional Wellbeing – resources that are calming/aid wellbeing in the early years
- Regulation Control – resources that help manage impulse control, emotion regulation
- Language and Communication – resources that encourage speech and facilitate communication
- Thinking Skills – resources that aid memory/recall, planning, attention, problem-solving
- Collaborative Play – resources that support collaborative play between children, to aid turn-taking, spark imagination and curiosity
- Physical Skills – resources that develop fine and gross motor skills
I love the suggestion of using the book, ‘The Colour Monster’ to support with expressing and exploring emotions, are there any ideas on how to best utilise this in early years settings?
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 by Anna Llenas. Our blog ’Using the Magic of Picture Books to Explore Feelings and Emotions – The Colour monster by Anna Llenas’, written by TTS Editor Michelle Reid, highlights 8 activity ideas for The Colour Monster and exploring emotions and feelings.
How do I listen to/access the webinar on-demand?
We’re excited to share the full version of our Little Lockdowners webinar on-demand! Click here or tap the video below to watch the full recording and hear our global panel of experts share insights and solutions to support the development of young minds post-pandemic.
How do I find out more information on the panellists?
Our expert panel are highlighted below with links to further information on their areas of expertise.
- Dr Michael Ungar, world-renowned resilience expert and Director of the Resilience Research Centre at Dalhousie University in Canada
- Erika Christakis, Early Childhood Educator and New York Times bestselling author
- Alistair Bryce-Clegg, Early Years expert and global webinar host
- Professor David Daley, Professor of Psychological Intervention and Behaviour Change
- Dr Suzanne Zeedyk, Global Research Scientist and Infant Specialist.
Is there any form of certificate/proof of attendance?
Yes, a certificate of attendance has been distributed to all webinar attendees, please check your email and junk folders (this will have been sent to the email that you registered for the webinar with).
We also have a #TTSTALKING highlight on our Instagram (@tts_earlyyears) that has more information about our Little Lockdowners webinar and panellists.
