Ready to plan your garden? Here’s how we’re using our Garden Classroom this year, with our small vegetable garden plan.
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Midsummer messy play :: solstice sensory tub
Today we’re enjoying some midsummer messy play with a sunshine sensory tub!
Midsummer messy play :: solstice sensory tub
Watch our Sensory Tub Masterclass
Click to play on the video above to see our sensory tub masterclass. You’ll learn how to make a sensory tub for your children using simple materials, the benefits of sensory tubs for children, and how to use a sensory tub to teach children about math, literacy, science and fine motor skills.
You’ll also see lots of ideas for sensory tub fillings plus find out how to get great printables to add to your tubs. Subscribe to NurtureStore’s YouTube channel to get more sensory play videos!
Messy play always brings a smile in our house, so we thought we’d add a little midsummer fun with a sensory tub full of sunshine colours.
I often lay out a cloth or towel when we’re setting up a messy play area, as it seems to work well to concentrate the mess in one area, and it makes clean up that much easier – just gather up the cloth and pour any stray materials back into the tub.
Today we used a gorgeous orange and gold piece of fabric.
You don’t often need to buy in things especially for a sensory tub – just use what you have.
We’ve talked recently about how important it is to have lots of loose parts available for children to use in their play, so today I just sent the kids off to hunt out anything sunshine coloured.
They found tubs, cups, cookie cutters, bottle tops and lids, paper plates and a big sponge.
I filled the tub with lemon scented rice, yellow split peas and some oricchiette pasta (left over from our autumn play dough trees).
This gave a great combination of textures to the sensory play and as all the materials are dry and uncooked, we can store them away at the end of the playing and re-use them many times.
You never know quite how the children will play with a sensory tub.
At first they often like to simply scoop and pour the materials, to enjoy the feel and sound of it.
Very often their little animal characters will make an appearance…
but today they were full of surprises, and set up ‘A Romantic Meal’ that my husband and I were invited to share!
They put flowers on the table, picked some herb salad from the garden, set out napkins and even put on some music for us to listen to. I do love my funny, creative kids!
25 Easter crafts and activities
Whether you’re looking for egg decorating ideas, bunny rabbit crafts or fun ways to decorate your home these 25 Easter crafts and activities have some great ideas for you to try with your children.
25 Easter crafts and activities [Read more…]
Jungle small world :: play dough fun
Some homemade play dough and a few loose parts, together with a child’s imagination, soon make a fabulous jungle small world.
Here’s one way we use play dough for imaginary play and story telling.
Jungle small world :: play dough fun
Watch our Playdough Masterclass
Click play on the video above to see our playdough masterclass.
This video gives you everything you ever wanted to know about play dough: how to make homemade playdough with quick and easy recipes; the benefits of playdough for children; and lots of sensory play activities using play dough including playdough math activities, playdough literacy activities, and playdough fine motor skills activities.
Plus find out how to get printable playdough recipe cards and printable play mats. It’s an excellent beginners guide to play dough!
Subscribe to NurtureStore’s YouTube channel to get more gardening and nature study videos!
On offer today we had some homemade green play dough, some leaves and flowers picked from the garden, and a few stalks of broccoli. What could we make?
A jungle small world! My daughter started off by rolling out her landscape…
and then began adding in all the loose parts we had available.
Play dough is a great material as the base for a play scene – the children can mould it, shape it, and it’s good for holding up other materials, such as our flowers and leaves.
Now her jungle small world might not be exactly true to life, but her play was packed with chatting, imagination and story telling.
Playing with small worlds is a great way for children to test out ideas they’ve learned elsewhere – such as the ideas that giraffes can eat leaves from very tall trees…
and to try out creative ideas – such as fetching a fork from the drawer to see it she could make some grass for the rabbits.
And play dough small worlds are perfect for story telling. These lions are called Leo and Athlete and feature in lots of her stories.
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Our Best Sellers
Here you can purchase a range of e-books and workshops. You can also sign up to receive our free weekly Play Planner. If you have questions, then please refer to our FAQ.
BEST VALUE Better Than Half Price Bundle – save over $150
Includes: NurtureStore Art Camp, The Art Spark Program, Meet Matisse, The Art of Circles, Super Sensory Toolkit, The Amazing Play Dough Printables Pack, Seasons School Spring Curriculum, Sunflower School, Seasons School Autumn Curriculum, Seasons School Winter Retreat, Ice and Snow Unit, Candy Cane Unit, Gingerbread Unit, The Super Fun Not Scary Halloween Unit, Hanukkah Unit and Day of the Dead Unit. $297.78 reduced to $140 – You save over $150!
The Seasons School Complete Year Program – save over $90
The Seasons School Complete Year Program gives you a complete program of spring, summer, autumn, and winter learning, combining nature study, math, science, literacy, arts and crafts, sensory and play, recipes, and more. With 16 seasonal units, over 200 lessons and activities, and over 130 pages of fun, educational printables, all planned and prepped for you, it gives you all our favourite Seasons School Units, at one amazing price.
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The Forest Classroom
The Forest Classroom is a practical beginner’s guide to running a successful forest school. It includes lesson plans, activities, and fantastic printables that make it easy for you to teach a nature-immersed curriculum.
Find out more about The Forest Classroom here or for only $19.99 you can buy it now!
Nature Explorers: Forest
Nature Explorers: Forest is the perfect way to add reading, writing, drawing, and science to your forest adventures. Full of beautifully illustrated pages, this interactive nature journal will guide your children to create a unique science book about their own forest.
Find out more about Nature Explorers: Forest here or for only $19.99 you can buy it now!
Fun Math
Fun Math is an easy to teach programme of hands-on, playful math lessons that give your children math confidence and real skills.
Find out more about the individual Fun Math volumes here or for only $39.98 you can buy the 3 for 2 Bundle now!
The Homemade Play Dough Recipe Book: a beginner’s guide to play dough
The Homemade Play Dough Recipe Book is the perfect beginner’s guide to making, playing and learning with play dough. This practical book will give you easy homemade play dough recipes PLUS 52 play dough activities that incorporate sensory play, fine motor skills, math, literacy, and imagination.
Find out more about The Homemade Play Dough Recipe Book or for only $14.99 you can buy it now.
Super Sensory Invitations To Play: a beginner’s guide to sensory play
Super Sensory Invitations To Play is the perfect beginner’s guide to sensory play. This practical book will give you 52 super sensory play activities covering all five senses and incorporating math, literacy, and science. Plus you’ll get a super useful set of recipe cards featuring all the best, tried-and-true recipes that you can keep in your kitchen or classroom, so you can mix-up your own sensory play materials whenever you want.
Find out more about Super Sensory Invitations To Play, or for only $14.99 you can buy it now.
NurtureStore Art Camp
NurtureStore Art Camp gives you all the resources you need to run a colourful and fun art camp at home or at school. The NurtureStore Art Camp Kit includes project lesson plans, materials lists, planner, invites, certificates, and stickers.
Find out more about NurtureStore Art Camp here or for only $9.99 you can buy it now!
The Amazing Play Dough Printables Pack
The Amazing Play Dough Printables Pack gives you a whole year of play dough printables. With 180 pages and over 50 themes and topics. No hassle, no planning, you’ll always have an activity on hand. Simply print, add play dough, and play!
Find out more about The Amazing Play Dough Printables Pack here or for only $19.99 you can buy it now!
Seasons School Spring Curriculum
The Seasons School Spring Curriculum gives you everything you need for spring learning, all in one place. With 50 engaging activities and over 30 pages of printables to make teaching so easy, it’s the go-to resource for spring.
Find out more about Seasons School Spring Curriculum here or for only $34.94 you can buy it now!
Sunflower School
The Sunflower School curriculum is a full programme of learning, in rhythm with the natural growing cycle of sunflowers. With 28 engaging lessons and activities and 30 pages of printables it’s perfect for schools, families, and gardening clubs.
Find out more about Sunflower School here or for only $19.99 you can buy it now!
Ice and Snow Unit
Everything you need to teach about ice, snow, the Arctic, the Antarctic, polar bears, and penguins. A complete unit including science, math, literacy, art, craft, sensory, play, nature study, and food. Bonus printables included.
Find out more about The Ice and Snow Unit here or for only $19.99 you can buy it now!
The Candy Cane Unit
This kit gives you everything you need to teach a fun and festive program of activities all based around candy canes. With ideas for math, literacy, science, play, sensory, arts and crafts your children will love learning all through the holiday season.
Find out more about The Candy Cane Unit here or for only $14.99 you can buy it now!
The Gingerbread Unit
This kit gives you everything you need to teach an engaging program of activities all based around The Gingerbread Man. With ideas for math, literacy, science, play, sensory, arts and crafts your children will love this deliciously educational unit.
Find out more about The Gingerbread Unit here or for only $12.99 you can buy it now!
Seasons School Winter Retreat
This 21 Day Winter Activities Countdown is one part educational curriculum, one part seasonal celebration, and one part family memory making. With a winter activity for each day it gives you a complete programme of nature, science, literacy, arts and crafts, sensory, and play.
Find out more about the Seasons School Winter Retreat, or for only $19.99 you can buy it now.
Seasons School Autumn Curriculum
The Seasons School Autumn Curriculum gives you everything you need for autumn learning, all in one place. With 75 engaging activities and 50 pages of printables to make teaching so easy, it’s the go-to resources for autumn.
Find out more about the Seasons School Autumn Curriculum, or for only $39.99 you can buy it now.
The Art Spark Program
Everything you need to get started with art and develop a rich and creative art practice with your children. 30+ inspiring process art projects, famous art, world culture, practical tips, and endless possibilities!
Find out more about The Art Spark Program, or for only $24.98 you can buy it now.
Diversify Your Art Curriculum bundle
This art curriculum bundle of five ebooks gives you everything you need to teach 25 art projects inspired by contemporary artists of colour from four continents. Step-by-step instructions, full colour photographs throughout, and biographical art history information for each artist included.
Find out more about the Diversify Your Art Curriculum bundle, or for only $45 $35 you can buy it now.
The Art of Faith Ringgold
This art curriculum gives you everything you need to teach about the art of Faith Ringgold and guide your children through a series of art projects inspired by her work.
Find out more about the The Art of Faith Ringgold, or for only $5 you can buy it now.
The Art of Takashi Murakami
This art curriculum gives you everything you need to teach about the art of Takashi Murakami and guide your children through a series of art projects inspired by his work.
Find out more about the The Art of Takashi Murakami, or for only $10 you can buy it now.
The Art of Alma Woodsey Thomas
This art curriculum gives you everything you need to teach about the art of Alma Woodsey Thomas and guide your children through a series of art projects inspired by her work.
Find out more about the The Art of Alma Woodsey Thomas, or for only $10 you can buy it now.
The Art of Yayoi Kusama
This art curriculum gives you everything you need to teach about the art of Yayoi Kusama and guide your children through a series of art projects inspired by her work.
Find out more about the The Art of Yayoi Kusama, or for only $10 you can buy it now.
Meet Matisse
Meet Matisse gives you everything you need to introduce your children to Henri Matisse: his life, his art, his legacy. With art history guide, hands-on projects, many examples of his work, art criticism lessons, and bonus printable posters. Let’s make our own art inspired by Matisse!
Find out more about Meet Matisse, or for only $9.99 you can buy it now.
Make Your Mark
Make Your Mark brings you 30+ projects that will help your child develop a love of writing, creative storytelling, self-confidence and compassion. Through play, art, language, and writing this book will help your child discover themself, and make their mark on the world.
Find out more about Make Your Mark, or for only $14.99 you can buy it now.
Up! from blocks to rockets
Up! will take your child’s love of blocks and building, and go far and wide across the curriculum. With 30+ projects across math, literacy, science, art, and play, Up! shows you how to support passion-led, hands-on learning. It includes inspiring ideas for mobiles, rockets, airplanes, parachutes, build challenges and more. Includes 100 printables.
Find out more about Up!, or for only $14.99 you can buy it now.
The Art of Circles
The Art of Circles is an art-meets-math STEAM curriculum. It includes lessons on the mathematical properties of circles, their historical and cultural significance, and hands-on art and design projects exploring circles. If you think you’re not arty, or that math is boring, this will change your mind!
Find out more, or for only $15.00 you can buy it now.
Fizz, Pop, Bang! Playful Science and Math Activities
Fizz, Pop, Bang! Playful Science and Math Activities is designed to bring hands-on fun and enjoyment to math and science. It is packed with powerful learning opportunities in math and science, shared through ideas that incorporate art, play, sensory learning and discovery, for a whole-brain approach.
It includes 40 educational projects and 20 printables including a set of build-your-own 3D shape blocks, engineering challenge cards and a range of math games.
Find our more about Fizz, Pop, Bang! or for only $9.99 you can buy it now!
Three to Five: Playful Preschool
Three to Five: Playful Preschool is full of creative, hands-on learning, including math, literacy, science, art and play.
It comes with ten fantastic printables including My First Journal, a city-scene for pretend play, recipe card, and math and alphabet game cards. Find out more about Three to Five: Playful Preschool or for only $8.99 you can buy it now.
Exploring Great Artists
Exploring Great Artists gives you everything you need to teach an exciting art program inspired by the great artists of the world. With profiles of each artist, materials lists, lesson plans, and creative, hands-on art projects for every featured artist you’ll be able to deliver the best art lessons around!
Find out more about Exploring Great Artists or for only $35 you can buy it now.
Zero to Two: The Book of Play
Zero to Two: The Book of Play is packed with fun activities for babies and toddlers.
It includes free printable puppets and fun printable stroller cards. Find out more about Zero to Two: The Book of Play here or for only $8.99 you can buy it now!
The Garden Classroom
Transform your science and math, reading and writing, imaginative play, and arts and crafts all through garden-based activities.
The Garden Classroom offers a whole year of outdoors play and learning ideas, however big or small your outdoor space – and comes with a lovely, free gift.. Click here to print your free Garden Journal, which is also included with the book. Find out more about The Garden Classroom.
The Super Fun, Not Scary Halloween Unit
Make your Halloween fun and easy with The Super Fun, Not Scary Halloween Unit. A complete unit of Halloween resources including math, science, literacy, play, art, craft, and sensory, with lots of bonus printables. No monsters, vampires, zombies, ghosts or mummies – just lots of Halloween fun and learning!
Find out more about The Super Fun, Not Scary Halloween Unit here or for only $14.99 you can buy it now!
Happy Hanukkah Unit
Everything you need to introduce your children to Hanukkah. A complete unit of Hanukkah resources including math, literacy, art, craft, sensory play, games, and food. Including lots of bonus printables to give you a no-prep, fun curriculum.
Find out more about Happy Hanukkah Unit here or for only $9.99 you can buy it now!
Day of the Dead Unit
Everything you need to introduce your children to the Day of the Dead. A complete unit of Day of the Dead resources including math, literacy, art, craft, sensory play, film, and food. Including lots of bonus printables to give you a non-prep, fun curriculum.
Find out more about Day of the Dead Unit here or for only $9.99 you can buy it now!
