Keeping you up-to-date with engaging and inspiring activities that will develop young children and encourage them to learn both at home and in the classroom
Jenny Eaves is a mummy of two small, delightfully energetic boys – five and two – and blogs at Monkey and Mouse. Based in Scotland, she started Monkey and Mouse in February 2015 as a way to share her daily adventures and family play ideas with others. She loves writing about travelling and days out, enjoying the countryside and many places of interest, both in the UK and abroad. Jenny gives us an interesting insight into what can be a controversial aspect of education.
Name of tester: Elizabeth Brown
Establishment name: Acorns Childminding
Age range of children: 6 months to 4 years
Product tested: Grill-and-Go Camp Stove
This imaginative play camping stove includes all the necessary equipment that your child needs to cook-up a pretend outdoor feast! This set features realistic sounds and lights and includes a coffee pot, pan and utensils for hours of camping fun!
National Children’s Day UK (NCDUK) is all about the importance of a healthy childhood and how we need to protect the rights and freedoms of children in order to ensure that they can grow into happy, healthy adults. Children’s Day was originally established in 1954 by the UN General Assembly, and was intended as a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children. NCDUK was launched by the Save Childhood Movement in 2013, and since then they have run yearly campaigns each with a different theme.
Creativity is defined as ‘the use of imagination or original ideas to create something’ and is an essential part of a child’s development. From painting and sculpting to drawing and building, creative play is a process that encourages children to explore all possibilities and try out new ideas.
Imaginative play see’s young learners take on the role of inventors and decision-makers, creating their own world where they are free to express their feelings and experiment with narratives. The Early Years Foundation Stage highlights Expressive Arts and Design as a specific area of learning and development, breaking it down into ‘being imaginative’ and ‘exploring and using media and materials’. Children often draw upon their own experiences and observations to represent their ideas through mediums such as art, dance, music, small world, pretend play and storytelling.
As the evenings get darker and the countdown to Christmas is underway what better time to have a cosy night in and host a family game night? Gather the family together and escape the hustle and bustle that December brings; family games provide enjoyable quality time that boosts little learner’s self-esteem as they take on new challenges.