With the winter solstice just around the corner, being outdoors in Early Years settings takes on a new layer of importance for young children. It might be harder to be outdoors for lengthy periods of time, but it also might now be even more important for their wellbeing and healthy development. In November, the Early …
I recently enjoyed exploring some local residential streets with the team at Growing Wild Outdoor Nursery in Barnsley, and was reminded about the incredible treasury of fascinating and important things to be found in the ordinary, everyday places where people live their lives. These are places we tend to overlook in providing high quality Early …
Earlier this month we introduced a new stream of this blog aiming to bring to attention to some of the longer, more in-depth, sometimes freely available, materials being produced that support outdoor- and nature-based practices, starting with the special issue of Barnardo’s free to download Childlinks magazine focusing on nature-based preschools. This week we want …
This week completes 30 Days Wild 2021 and a wonderful June filled with random acts of wildness. And our final weekly selection of children’s picture book recommendations completes this year’s library for stimulating or responding to young children’s fascination with the natural world, and encouraging and enhancing play in and with nature: On Monday our Creatures …
A book a day for nature play – week 5 of 30 Days Wild Read More »
This week of 30 Days Wild coincides with National Picnic Week, running from 19th – 27th June this year. Picnics bring together everything about enjoying and appreciating being outdoors, and can be a marvellous way to spend time with others – both human and non-human! This week’s contribution for our Nature Play library collection might …
A book a day for nature play – week 4 of 30 Days Wild Read More »
What a Wonderful World is most certainly the theme in nature right now! Spring is close to turning into summer; the longest day is less than two weeks away; and it is so lovely to watch parent birds feeding their fluffy fledglings. This week’s collection of recommended picture books takes us past the halfway mark …
A book a day for nature play – and a global Play Summit! Read More »
Tomorrow (5th of June), World Environment Day falls within the second week of 30 Days Wild, the Wildlife Trust’s challenge for everyone to partake in 30 simple, fun and exciting Random Acts of Wildness across the month of June. The compelling theme of World Environment Day this year is Reimagine: Recreate: Restore – let’s get …
A book a day for nature play – week 2 of 30 Days Wild Read More »
30 Days Wild from The Wildlife Trusts is the UK’s biggest nature challenge! The challenge is for you to do one wild thing a day throughout the month of June. That’s 30 simple, fun and exciting Random Acts of Wildness: we’re hoping that you have plans to participate with your children. It’s official! 30 Days …
A book a day for nature play – week 1 of 30 Days Wild Read More »
Early in March I posted a selection of books for children on the theme of rain – with the assumption that Spring would be wet… Well, we seem to be having the same kind of Spring as last year, which ended up being a drought. Here in Sheffield, we’ve had hardly any rain to speak …
Spring is around the corner – and we all know that in the UK, that means we are likely to have plenty of rain… With a climate that so often results in rain we need to have a very positive attitude to it! Children love the rain and will delight in any opportunity to play …
