Wondering how to get started with loose parts play? Maybe you want to explain the benefits of loose parts play to parents? Use this guide and printable poster to share the magic of loose parts!
Wondering how to get started with loose parts play? Maybe you want to explain the benefits of loose parts play to parents? Use this guide and printable poster to share the magic of loose parts!
I’ve had lots of people asking me how to combine gardening, play and relaxation spaces in small family gardens like ours, so I thought I’d give you a tour and share some tips.
We have a truly tiny garden, in a Victorian terraced house on the edge of a city in the UK. It has no lawn, is surrounded by a brick wall but we still manage to grow (are you ready for this…) apples, basil, bay, beetroot, borlotti beans, broad beans, chives, cress, cucumber, courgette, fennel, garlic, green beans, lavender, leek, lettuce, nasturtiums, onions, oregano, parsley, peas, pears, peppers, potatoes, raspberries, radish, rocket, sage, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, sunflowers, thyme, tomatoes as well as a variety of pretty flowers and shrubs. We also have areas for play and space for the adults to sit and relax or eat outside.
This week we decided to make a house -warming card for the girls’ aunt and uncle – a great way to play with maths and make some shape pictures! My daughter loved this activity and was so pleased to make something to give as a gift. And all the while she was happily creating her picture, she was learning all sorts of important maths and literacy skills, without even realising it. Here’s how we made our shape picture…
For a fun kids art idea that gets your imagination firing, take the Cut :: Stick :: Draw challenge!
This flower craft for kids comes in four designs, making a beautiful mixed bouquet. It’s made from simple craft supplies, is easy to make, and lovey to give as a gift of have as a decoration to celebrate spring. Here’s how to make each type of flower.
Want a quick email from me each weekend with seven great play-based learning ideas for the week ahead? NurtureStore’s Play Planner is already sent to over 30,000 families every week – so, join us!
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Just as a healthy diet can certainly include cake, so a balanced childhood can include screen time. Family movie nights, skyping with Grandma and typing stories on the laptop are all great fun. It’s just there are so many other fun thing to do if you step away from a screen.
If you’d like to spend a little more time with the kids, and without a screen, whether for an hour, a day or the whole week, here are 100 fun kids activities you could try.
And you can print off the list at the bottom so you really can log off and go play. [Read more…]