My children and I really enjoy reading rhyming books and stories together. As well as being lots of fun, hearing and saying rhymes develops a range of skills. It helps them to recognise and discriminate between sounds, which helps build foundations for learning letter sounds when they begin to read and write. It helps them […]
What does my Reception starter need to know?

Someone asked me recently what their preschooler, due to start Reception in September, needed to know. Should they be able to write their name, for example? And what should they be doing with them, now their nursery is shut, to be sure they are ready for school? So I thought I’d share a few pointers […]
Resource Bank for Self-Isolation
I said I’d soon be back with some resources – and here I am! Covid19 is a terrible thing, and causing many of us real worry and sadness – but one good thing that has come out of it is the way people seem to be really pulling together and trying to help each other […]
Home Educating while in Isolation!
It’s strange times we find ourselves in at the moment! Here in the UK some schools are beginning to close while others are hanging on waiting for the PM to say the word. For those of you with children at school or nursery, while on the one hand you may be looking forward to having […]
100 Years of Magic with Disney on Ice
Disclaimer: These tickets were gifted but all opinions are my own. At the start of the year, we were given the opportunity to go and see Disney on Ice ‘100 years of Magic’ at the 02 Arena. We went last year and were blown away, so I was when I was offered tickets this year, […]
11 Brilliant Garden Themed Books for Kids

As it’s National Allotment Week, I thought I’d share some of my favourite garden themed books for kids this week! I’ve got some fiction (though perhaps this should be called ‘stories’ as several of them are factual) and some non-fiction, as well as some delightful poetry! NB: This post does include affiliate links, which means […]
- Outdoor Play
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Top Tips for Gardening with Children

This week is National Allotments Week. I’m very much an enthusiastic amateur when it comes to gardening, but over the years we’ve grown a few things with relative success! I love spending time outside with my kids and gardening with children is great therapy for all the family. The kids really benefit from just being […]
- Play
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The Power of Play

If you’ve read some of my other articles, you’ll know that play is really what I’m all about. As a teacher and a parent, it is increasingly my belief that providing children with plenty of time and space to play is the best way to foster their natural curiosity and develop a lifelong love of […]
14 Brilliant Space Books For Kids

Recently T and I have been doing a lot of learning around the theme of Space. It’s a happy coincidence that it’s coincided with the 50th anniversary of the moon landings! This has been a topic which has really engaged her, and there’s so many different aspects to learn about which has meant that we’ve […]
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10 Activities to Try This Summer

Looking for some small on cost but big on fun activities to do this summer? Look no further! Here are ten activities you can do with things you’ll probably already have at home!