Play and learning blog

Cherry tree or JCB?

Tue, 14 May 2013 02:54:00 -0400

Childhood has its own way of seeing, thinking and feeling, and nothing is more foolish than to try to substitute ours for theirs. Rousseau

A few days ago my neighbour was walking with her young son. In the middle of a roundabout stood a cherry tree at the height of its springtime glory. Suddenly the child came to a standstill, saying in awe, ‘O Mummy, look!’ She responded, ‘Isn’t it wonderful?’ The child breathed, ‘It’s a JCB!’

Mother and child had eyes for entirely different things!

Did you know that tomorrow, 15 May, is National Children’s Day? Join in with these child-led activities.

Through the eyes of a child

Tue, 07 May 2013 03:32:00 -0400

A few weeks ago tree surgeons removed a dying tree adjacent to my two-year-old son’s nursery. Since then, every odd-shaped piece of wood he finds is his chainsaw. He has a whole collection of chainsaws under his bed. It makes housekeeping interesting – but that’s OK. When we pass a construction site on the way home from nursery, he’s the one driving the digger or the dumper. If imagination is a trait of early childhood that you feel is important, then we have something that you will love!

Through the eyes of a child explores the brand-new Community Playthings PlayFrame through the stories of five children. We see an event in their lives captured in stunning black and white photography while colourful illustrations give us a glimpse into the child’s thoughts. Then we find out how they re-live that experience on the PlayFrame. The result is a delightful picture book which your children may enjoy as much as you do!

Click here to request a free copy of Through the eyes of a child

Why children should play in school

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:49:00 -0400

John Coe, chairman of National Association for Primary Education, recently described a visit he’d just made to a school. Two 11-year-olds had been assigned to tour him round the building. Approaching the Reception classroom the children became visibly eager, hurrying their pace. On entering, they made a beeline for the Sand and Water table where they showed John all they could achieve with hosepipes and pulleys – talking excitedly all the while.

John told me, “The children were intelligent Year 6 pupils. Their spontaneous move to play like four-year-olds is a powerful indication of the denial of the inclination to play (and learn) which is characteristic of too many test-driven schools.”

Motivation levels are high during play. Remember Vygotsky’s words about a child at play being “a head taller than himself.” Schools would do well to include play as a natural part of their curriculum. The learning potential is tremendous.

Click here to download Play and the revised EYFS, our guide to how children’s play naturally fulfils the revised EYFS.

No room for cotton wool

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:19:00 -0400

Sometimes it comes down to stubbornness – the right kind – when someone is sticking up for children. The Bright Beginnings Nursery at the University of Leeds was fought for every inch of the way. It was worth it. After years in cramped “temporary” accommodation, Bright Beginnings is now an airy nursery with spacious rooms, a large upstairs balcony area and terrific outdoor provision.

I spent four delightful hours there with my camera. While many nurseries have babies upstairs with the idea that “they don’t need the outdoors as much as the older ones”, the babies in this nursery are on ground level as staff believe that outdoor experience is equally essential for the youngest. Their garden includes a wide variety of gradients and climbing possibilities and staff encourage the children to take measured risks.

Enjoy this case study and make sure you watch our short video interview with the manager, Angela Foley. What she says at the end is important.

Is our school ready for children?

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 03:32:00 -0400

A head teacher related this story to me:

“We had a severely dyslexic child in our school some years ago. Remedial help only alienated him further, until he had a new SEN teacher with a different approach: she brought an incubator and some chicken eggs! Nine-year-old Warren was fascinated. He monitored temperature and humidity and designed charts to document them. He asked questions and signed out books from the library, something he had never done. When the chicks hatched he cared for them, and the project expanded. Now a young man, Warren has found fulfilling work in two fields: product design and caring for people with disabilities.”

The real question is not “are the children ready for school?” but “is our school ready for children?” Wise teachers understand that their main task is to discover what turns each child on. Once we connect with that inner motivation, there is almost no limit to a child’s eagerness to learn. As Yeats said, “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.”

Click here to download Lighting the Fire, our booklet on hands-on investigation, play and outdoor learning in primary education.

A new way to make friends

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 05:54:00 -0400

I visited a foundation stage classroom last month, camera in hand. The room was humming with activity. I tried to be as unobtrusive as possible so my photos would capture the children focused on their play. Two boys were playing shop under a fabric canopy, and I looked around for something to sit on that would bring me down to their level. Near the door was a very green, very plastic three-legged stool. I lowered myself carefully (it held) and focused the camera. After I got up, one of the boys came over with a conspiratorial twinkle in his eye and said with obvious delight: “You sat on the naughty stool!” The vigilant teacher came over and explained that it was actually a “thinking stool” where we can “reflect on our inappropriate actions”.

But the best was to come. It appears I had joined a select group by sitting on that stool. My new little friend went to the art area, cut out a picture of batman, pasted it on an envelope and presented it to me.

The classroom was full of our wooden equipment, so I was glad that the teacher had chosen a bright green plastic product for the “naughty stool”. If she had used our new child-sized rocking chair, the children would be fighting for turns on it.

I held a lamb

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 05:54:00 -0400

One day when I went visiting,
A little lamb was there,
I picked it up and held it tight,
It didn't seem to care.

Its wool was soft and felt so warm–
like sunlight on the sand,
And when I gently put it down
It licked me on the hand.

–Kim Worthington

Enjoy your Spring break!

A baby is a wide-open eye

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 03:46:00 -0400

Absorbing a host of impressions through all the senses is a baby’s primary task. A person’s entire life is not sufficient to erase impressions absorbed in childhood, because a child’s whole being – like a large eye – is wide open.

Friedrich Froebel’s words are as true now as when he wrote them two centuries ago. In fact, recent neuroscience advancements only underscore his point that the first months of life are crucial in development of mind, body and spirit. In the first two years, neurons are connecting at a more rapid rate than during the rest of life, so impressions at this stage are formative for the child’s entire future.

Anyone who works with babies will be in awe about all that is taking place within the bodies and brains and emotions of these brand new human beings. It’s a privileged task.

For more on caring for babies, see our What happens in the baby room? training booklet.

The real reason people visit Community Playthings

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 07:10:00 -0400

Do you want to know the real reason people come to Community Playthings? In recent years we have had hundreds of visits from schools and nurseries wanting to use our room layout service (or so they say). We have also had countless early years advisors wanting to attend our ‘train the trainer’ sessions (or so they say). But I’ll tell you a secret: they actually come because they can’t resist our cookies! I won’t tell you how many times I’ve heard visitors say “I really mustn’t” – and then eat more than one anyway.

Because so many of you have requested it – believe it or not – I’m going to disclose one of our secret recipes:

Gingersnaps

170g shortening (or margarine)
170g brown sugar
1 egg
90g treacle

Mix the above till creamy. Then add:
355g flour (or a wee bit less if you want flatter cookies)
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon salt

Mix, then form dough into balls. Roll balls in sugar and bake 8 cm apart at 175° for 10 minutes.

Best enjoyed fresh with a cup of coffee and good company. I’m not going to reveal our chocolate chip cookie recipe. You still have to visit us to try those!

P.S. If you still need delivery (of products, not cookies) by the end of March, please call us at 0800 387 457.

How do you best prepare children for school?

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 04:33:00 -0400

My favourite pastime is watching children play, and my very favourite is their open-ended play. For a number of years my office overlooked a nursery garden, and it was endlessly inspiring to observe the children outside. By open-ended play, I mean play in which the children themselves – not adults – decide what to do, how to do it, and what to use. Such play is particularly fascinating because it gives a glimpse into children’s personalities and genius.

In the course of open-ended play, children will portray objects, act out stories or express ideas. This is so powerful. I don’t think we fully appreciate how significant it is! The confidence established as children represent ideas in concrete ways builds a strong foundation for the abstract forms of representation they will need in the future.

If you think about it, written language is a very abstract way of representing ideas. It’s quite a leap to grasp that little squiggles on paper symbolise words. We must not expect children to come to terms with this concept until they have had abundant experience of concrete representation in their play. The foundation must come first!

For more on open-ended play, see our I made a unicorn! training booklet

The Dream Coracle at Northumbria University Nursery

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 10:47:00 -0500

Many Dream Coracles are now in nurseries across the country, but as they are a new concept we have heard people say, “I want to see them in a nursery.”

Since we couldn’t take you all there, in January we asked Siren Films to spend time at Northumbria University Nursery. Siren filmed the under-twos using Coracles and interviewed staff and parents.

Watching the film, what struck me was the way children made the Dream Coracles their own. Nobody needed to tell them what Coracles were for or that they could climb out themselves when nap time was over. If you wonder how the Dream Coracle might work in your nursery or want to discuss the concept with staff or parents, this video is a great place to begin.

Click here to request your FREE Siren Films DVD

P.S. I’m sure you’ll enjoy what Evie’s dad says about boundaries!

Calling all artists

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:37:00 -0500

When I ask people why they like our furniture, they tend to praise its natural wood, flip-up wheels and flexibility. However, the head of a primary school near Exeter gave me a new answer: “It lets me paint the picture”. I thought that was cool, because it answers an occasional complaint that rooms furnished with Roomscapes “all look the same”.

If you don’t have a vision for your room, then it may look institutional in spite of wood furniture. But if you have an imaginative outlook, then the furniture enables you to “paint your picture”. Because of its natural colours, our furniture blends with almost any style of building. It looks “right” in a converted barn or a modern glass-and-steel academy.

The challenge is: What message do you want to convey? What picture do you want to paint? Everyone has a different forte and that’s what makes each setting unique. You could complement wave panels with exuberant African fabrics or add dreamy softness to a corner with pastel gauze flowing down from an arch.

So sit back, take a new look at your rooms and experiment.

If you haven't read it recently, the chapter on Mood in our Spaces training resource has more on this topic.

The Chocolate Machine

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:37:00 -0500

Did you know that Community Playthings makes the world’s best Chocolate Machine? Apparently we do – we just didn’t realise it! Our limited adult vision only saw three wheels, a seat and a pair of pedals. These children saw much more.

Enjoy this YouTube clip of the Chocolate Machine in action, then share it with your friends!

Who will speak for the child?

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:37:00 -0500

The recent government announcements on childcare policy have caused a storm of controversy – filling the airwaves, spawning petitions and conversations – and rightly so. We are a democratic society and policy concerns us all. It will affect the children of this nation for years to come.

At the same time we dare not take our eyes off the individual children our lives touch. Each is a miracle in their own right – and each encounter with a child leaves an impression on them. A few days ago I was waiting at Paddington station for Barbara Issacs from Montessori Centre International. A family cut across the stream of grey, purposeful commuters. Their small child – wearing a red dress – danced her happy way, careful not to step on any cracks (so as not to break her mother’s back). Weaving around, she got in the way of several people, none of whom smiled.

Ten minutes later over a cup of tea, I asked Barbara what concerns her most. Her response was unhesitating: “Who will speak for the child in the next generation?” The answer lies with each of us, individually. For the child today – and the child’s child tomorrow – we have work to do involving hand, heart and mind.

A good place to be Two

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 10:37:00 -0500

Developing quality twos environments indoors and out

Being two is not easy. At times you feel big and strong. You declare your independence in all kinds of ways; you want to be respected and given space. Other times you feel small and vulnerable; the world looms large and scary. You want to be held and hugged and treated like the baby you used to be. Sometimes your special grownups just don’t get it, and then you fly apart!

Working with two-year-olds is not easy either. One moment they are trustful and endearing; the next, they throw their weight around like little teenagers, testing whether you really mean what you say. It’s important to remain patient, to try to understand their viewpoint, to be consistent – and to keep your sense of humour! How can we set up the physical environment to support children in this unique and seemingly contradictory stage?

Click here to download A good place to be Two booklet

Happy Birthday! The Unit Block turns 100

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 09:54:00 -0500

Tell your children and they’ll probably want to build a fantastic tower or enormous birthday cake in the construction corner. This year, 2013, marks the Unit Block’s 100^th birthday.

In 1913, Caroline Pratt was a young teacher working in Manhattan. Having grown up on a farm, she understood about hands-on learning. But she realised that city children were deprived of much of the practical know-how that seemed natural to country kids. This concern, coupled with inspiration from the Froebel course she’d just completed, led Pratt to design the Unit Block. Its mathematical proportions and open-ended nature blend perfectly with Froebel’s philosophy.

Because there is no “correct” use of blocks, children have no fear of failure. Imagination guides their play, and each experiment encourages the next. While observing block play, adults can almost hear a child’s thoughts! Block play allows children to represent ideas in concrete ways – preparing their minds for more abstract forms of symbolism, such as written language. Block play supports knowledge and understanding of the world as children create miniature environments and experiment with concepts like design, symmetry and balance. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright attributed his success to an early love of block play. To learn more, watch this video.

And while some of us are celebrating, this child is busy taking Unit Blocks forward into their next hundred years!

Are you tired of the snow?

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 11:30:00 -0500

Did you notice that while adults were dismayed by this week’s snow, kids were thrilled? Grownups see problems, but children see opportunity! Here in Sussex, the children were everywhere: sledging, sculpting snowmen (and snow-women and snow dragons), having snowball fights or finding solitude under a snow-covered tree. I can’t resist sharing this snowman my neighbours made, as everyone passing on the footpath bursts out laughing!

How is it that children are so quick to reach for the positive, the funny, the awe-inspiring? Something within our own hearts responds to that child-spirit, yearns to share their spontaneous imagination and creativity, their whacky humour, their confidence, innocence and exuberance! There is so much in modern society that undermines these traits; but we can protect true childhood. First, we can be a friend to every child in our lives, sharing their wonder and nonsense (like the dad who helped his kids make this snowman).

We feel speaking out for childhood is important. That’s why we’d love to see you at this event, which we’ve helped sponsor: http://www.flourishsummitlondon.co.uk/

Blending indoors and out

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

What do you think of when you hear the name Dartington – a cider mill or stoneware? I think of Dartington Primary and Nursery School. Their new school is designed to minimise the barriers between outdoors and indoors. Jill Mahon, the Head teacher, wanted each classroom to be an uplifting space. They are. When I visited there recently it felt like coming home. When I mentioned this to Jill, her reply was: “Dartington should feel like home to you. We were inspired by your resources and our shared ideals to create a wonderful place for learning!”

The unique layout of this school could raise some eyebrows. Join us in this photo tour to understand the vision behind it.

A sense of wonder

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

“A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for many of us that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood. If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life.”
–Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder

Looking forward together to a new year of learning from children

Work and play from a child’s perspective

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 06:09:00 -0500

Photographing new products for our catalogue is a lot of work. Fortunately the children involved don’t see it that way. We don’t ask them to pose or to smile at the camera; we just let them get on with their play while our photographer snaps away. After all, they are the play experts, not us adults!

Just for fun, we shot a video of the children playing while we were taking photos of our new Activity panel.

Activity panels were designed in response to your input. We frequently ask nursery managers what they hope to achieve in the under-3s’ rooms and if are there particular elements they would like to include. Mirrors, bars for pulling to a stand and a posting option were common requests. Activity panels offer these activities in one area without becoming prescriptive.

P.S. One member of the design team is doubly proud of this product. His ten-month-old daughter pulled herself to a stand for the first time at the Activity panel!

The advantages of an open-plan nursery

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 03:24:00 -0500

If you’d been with me when I walked into the Bright Horizon’s Towerfield Tots nursery a few weeks ago, you would have heard a sigh. Now there are two kinds of sighs, and this was the kind when something is just right! Nicola Amies had assured me I would not be disappointed. She was correct.

The open-plan nursery allows the staff to move dividers when they have more children of a certain age. The partitions are low enough that younger children can watch older children playing. They find this eases transitions when children move up to a new area.

In this case study we’ve included a video interview with the deputy manager, Susan O’Neill, on the challenges and rewards of working with such a space.

Sarah Hatchell, the centre manager, has put years into getting this nursery to where it is now. Slowly replacing the cheap primary-coloured furniture with solid wood shelving and dividers, she has changed the nursery’s function and feel at the same time.

Enjoy the Towerfield Tots case study!

The beauty of a child absorbed in play

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 04:29:00 -0500

More than a century ago Friedrich Froebel wrote, “There is no lovelier sight than a child deeply absorbed in play.” More recently Ferre Laevers has done excellent work around children’s deep involvement in play. Old or new, these ideas resonate with early childhood professionals, who are accustomed to observing children’s body language and facial expression to gauge depth of engagement and learning. Such professionals know too that the way the room is set up has everything to do with the level of children’s focus.

A room’s layout makes an enormous difference on the quality of children’s play.

Where blocks are provided out in the open, nothing creative can happen; in fact, blocks often get kicked around or used in wild and noisy ways. However, where blocks are provided in a corner, deep-level involvement is fostered. The child in this photo could immerse in his activity because there is nothing to distract his attention. Being in a corner of the room, his creation is not inadvertently bumped by passers-by.

So your room’s corners are particularly valuable. Unfortunately, many rooms have only a couple of usable corners due to placement of doors. In such situations, storage shelves can be placed at right angles to walls to create ‘corners’ or bays for children’s play. These boundaries create activity areas where children can feel secure and become deeply engaged.

For more detail on arranging your room, see our Spaces: Room layout for 0–5 year olds training booklet

Learning through movement and play

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 06:49:00 -0500

About a year ago, Siren Films spent a week in Pen Green’s Baby and Toddler Nest documenting how children discover and learn through playing on the Nursery gym. The resulting film has been available on DVD since January, but you can now watch the full 20-minute film online.

Once children are mobile they’re constantly on the move, exploring and discovering their world. They learn through movement and play. It’s the way their body and brain become coordinated. They need the physical challenges of climbing and clambering – learning to balance. They need uneven surfaces to negotiate and a variety of textures to experience. They need to have slopes to walk up and down and places to slide, jump and bounce. They have a strong biological drive to seek out these sorts of experiences.

Outdoors is the best place to find many of these challenges, but children still have these deep seated needs when they’re inside. That’s why we incorporated some of these features in the Nursery gym.

Watch children explore the Nursery gym at Pen Green in this free online video.

Creative play with Hollow Blocks

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 06:52:00 -0500

Back in June I told about my father inventing Hollow Blocks in the 1950s. Thanks to each of you who wrote a response! Barbara Kenny’s was typical: “I didn’t know your dad invented the hollow blocks – how wonderful. We use them in my school every day and I always tell people that they are the most open-ended and cost-effective resource you can buy – they never wear out...”

Growing up with Hollow Blocks I certainly enjoyed them, but it was only decades later as a teacher that I fully appreciated their value. I lived in the Catskill Mountains of New York where winters are cold. There were days we could not allow the children outdoors because of the danger of frostbite. However, we had a large indoor space and a huge set of Hollow Blocks. The children would keep busy for two hours at a stretch! Those children have since grown up and some of them are very creative thinkers. I can’t know for sure if Hollow Blocks are responsible for this, but I like to think it played a role. Their play certainly gave them a lot of practice in planning, problem solving and thinking for themselves.

In the I made a unicorn booklet, we conveyed with photos some of the imaginative things that happen with Hollow Blocks. But you really need to try them with children yourself. You will surely make some brand-new discoveries, because children keep finding new ways to use them.

Click here to download our open-ended play booklet

It all started with a fire in a church...

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 04:56:00 -0500

In June 2000 a fire raged through All Saints Church in Lambeth destroying the interior. The outside structure was still sound however, and Nelly’s Nursery was invited to be a part of the rebuilding. The result is stunningly beautiful. What struck me as I walked in was the warm brick walls and the height of the ceiling. In other structures such a high ceiling might feel overbearing, but at Nelly’s Nursery it says “this is a place of beauty”. Light streams in from the tall Gothic arched windows. The natural wood furniture complements the rich tones of the interior brickwork.

Take a tour through Nelly’s Nursery

The miracle of a new baby

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:20:00 -0500

As our newest training booklet was coming off the press, something far more wonderful was happening… At the end of that day, I was a grandmother! It was a privilege to work on this resource while anticipating the arrival of my granddaughter – to spend time observing babies, reading about babies, and thinking and writing about how special each one is. If only we were not accustomed to this miracle, we would be totally awed by every little child.

Think about it: Infants are determined athletes, daily pushing themselves to the limit. They are also true scientists, constantly testing their understanding. Linguists too: imagine learning a complicated language from scratch, after first figuring out that sounds coming from human beings are different from other sounds – and before that, realising that human beings are different from other objects in the field of vision! It’s mind-boggling. And most precious of all, that eye contact and communication of the soul. A baby’s whole being is reaching out to connect.

What happens in the baby room? was inspired by amazement over babies and by a desire to support those who work with them. There are beautiful photos in both the booklet and the slide show that comes in the training pack. I’m only sorry my grandchild did not arrive in time for her photo to be included!

Download your free copy here.

The Dream Coracle story

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 10:46:00 -0400

“Inspiring, beautiful… and purposeful!”

“It gives a feeling of security to the baby, and reassures parents.”

“It looks Scandinavian. You just want to touch it!”

“The shape is encompassing – protective but open.”

These comments flew round the room when my husband Martin and I unveiled our newest product, the Dream Coracle, at Norland Nursery. The Dream Coracle is an innovative sleep option for nurseries, allowing young children to climb in and out independently.

Read the story behind the Dream Coracle and see more pictures

Play, a child’s tool for engaging the world

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 05:47:00 -0400

“Go get some muffins, and we’ll jump into the car,” Sophie orders Nicholas. She and Issy run hand in hand to the slide. Underneath the slide their car awaits them – and their plan for a getaway.

Nicholas comes running back, his hands held out. “Here are the muffins,” he says as he hands Sophie and Issy each a piece of warm, buttered air. “I’ll drive,” he says, skootching in to the driver’s seat.

This article on play strikes my fancy because there are great examples of children's play along with the authors’ interpretations. The thought of play as a child’s way of engaging with their surroundings rings true to my experience as a mother and teacher: “For children, play is a dialogue with their surroundings – indoors or out, pretending or exploring, talking or being quiet, alone or with others. The rich complexities and subtleties offered through play provide a base for ongoing development. Not all children have opportunities to play in safe environments, but certainly all children deserve the chance to do so.”

Role play outdoors

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 06:52:00 -0400

Harry and Denise, both four, were playing Daddy and Mummy outdoors. They made stick “children”, and then Denise said, “Let’s make a banquet for our children!” Harry replied, “Banquet! What’s a banquet?” Denise explained, and they laid leaves on a stump as plates. Then they dished out seeds and flowers to represent various foods. They were busy for about 45 minutes, talking all the time.

Many areas of learning were served in this one activity. The teacher witnessed shared sustained thinking. She saw how Denise and Harry learned from one another and used their imaginations in original creative ways. Their play showed initiative and advanced social skills of planning, co-operation and communication.

This is a sample observation from our guide to the revised EYFS. Download your free copy here.

Den building made easy

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 04:47:00 -0400

When you’re helping children make a den in the woods and need a quick roof, it’s no problem – just find a leafy branch or drape fabric over a bare one. The same effect can be created indoors with draped fabric, but finding a way to attach it is often difficult.

We have been advocating using fabric to create an atmosphere or theme in a room because it is relatively inexpensive and easy to change. But some of our customers have told us of the practical difficulties of hanging fabric over areas within their rooms. In some cases because of the material the wall is made from; in others because the nursery has rules against fastening things to walls. Now our designers have sorted the problem and called their solution ‘Branches’ to describe its function. If you have Roomscapes shelves or panels in your room, you already have part of the solution. Simply click Branches into Roomscapes posts, then either thread your fabric though the holes or drape it over the little disc of Velcro on the top.

When it’s time to change the space from a squirrels’ den in the Autumn woods to Jack Frost’s Winter castle, just switch the leaf-print fabric to ice-blue voile, and you’re done!

Martin

PS: You can find our Branches here. For real branches we suggest you head out to the woods!

Eight years on and still going strong

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 04:47:00 -0400

When you enter Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children's Centre, something inside you says, "This is a place for children". Julian Grenier, the former Head Teacher, came and planned the room layouts with us in 2004. After eight years of daily use, the furniture is still in great shape.

Take your own tour through Kate Greenaway with this case study

ToddleBoxes through the eyes of a child

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 03:58:00 -0400

“Finally someone has designed a toy through the eyes of a child!” Catherine Clifton of Haig Day Nursery in Salisbury rang to express her excitement about ToddleBoxes. She and her colleague Grace say their one- and two-year-olds use them in many different ways: playing follow-the-leader round an S-shaped track; driving cars along a ToddleBox road; sitting in a row with steering wheels, pretending to be in a bus. But the children’s favourite is using ToddleBoxes upside-down, especially the hill turned into a boat, with two children sitting inside, working together to make it rock.

I observed similar play while observing a group of babies, aged 8 to 22 months, using ToddleBoxes. Geoffrey, the youngest, crawled repeatedly from one end of the road to the other. He seemed to enjoy being elevated off the floor. When he reached the ramp at the end, he’d always feel the carpet with his finger and then rub his face against it. He also had a fascination with the slits and kept trying to peer through them to the dark underneath!

Eleven-month Marcelle liked to just sit in the smallest Box and watch the action. Her companion Dickon perched on top of a ToddleBox and made a loud triumphant sound as if announcing “Look at me up high!” Twenty-month Peter and 22-month David were very purposeful in their play, demonstrating their understanding of vehicles. They sat back to back in the large curve making car sounds, David steering and saying “Coach! Tractor!”

As in Haig Nursery, the boat seemed to be most popular, and I witnessed a tiff when four children wanted to climb in it at once! However, once the three other children were occupied with other ToddleBoxes, I saw little Lisa, 19 months, claim the boat for her own. She rested her bare feet on the edge and looked a picture of relaxation!

Click here for pictures of children playing on Toddleboxes and purchasing details

How one school took learning outdoors

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 05:42:00 -0400

This past summer I was thrilled to learn how Lighting the fire impacted a school in Tunbridge Wells. Judith Lees, Head teacher of Langton Green Primary School, shared the training with her staff when it became available last autumn. All her teachers became enthused and the entire school made a shift, taking much of the learning outdoors and incorporating play and hands-on investigation in the daily curriculum. During the course of the year, children's enthusiasm reached new levels. They arrived each morning excited and eager for what they might do and learn in school.

The climax came in June when Langton Green had an Ofsted inspection. Judith felt anxious about how the inspectors might react to her school's approach, but she was determined to do her best for the children. I spoke with Judith shortly after the inspection, and her excitement could be sensed over the phone; the inspectors had been tremendously impressed by the children's motivation and confidence.

Langton Green received "outstanding" across all areas of their inspection. The lead inspector commended Judith, saying that children in her school are able to think for themselves. Isn't that the goal of education?

Click here to request your free copy of Lighting the fire (booklet and slide show)

Will any rest mat do?

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 05:33:00 -0400

I was wrong. I predicted that no one would miss our Rest mats. That was about three years ago when we decided to drop them from our product line. We thought that our customers would be satisfied sourcing them from other companies. Then customers started phoning in saying they couldn’t find decent rest mats. Other mats split in less than a year, they claimed, while ours had lasted for years without a problem.

So we set up a sleep product design team. Through numerous field visits the team learned that our previous model was too large. Many practitioners preferred earth tones to the old green and blue mats. They did like the two different colours which helps them remember which side goes on the floor. They also liked the way our mat folded into four, so that the clean surfaces for lying on fold onto each other.

Our new Rest mat is now in production. We’ve improved it while keeping the features you liked: It’s a little shorter, the two sides are different earth tones and the mat still folds into four sections. It is ready for you to order!

But I made another mistake. Because the world is full of cots, I predicted that no one would miss our cot either. Same story… we have had continuous complaints since we dropped cots from our catalogue. We listened. The Evacuation cot and Community cot are back in production.

Tulips in August?

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Why should I write about tulips in August? Because I’ve just remembered something that made my day back in April. I think you’ll enjoy it too.

I was observing at a local nursery. It was a gorgeous spring day and the children had spent the entire morning in the garden, including a picnic lunch. It’s a fab garden with a little slope the children can roll down (or slide down in winter), lots of grass to run across, a huge sand pit, and trees to climb. There’s even a rhododendron thicket the children call “the jungle”. So I’d been watching them busily occupied all morning. Their routine included little chores for each child. For instance, before the picnic one child carefully poured water into each cup – quite a tricky task for a three-year-old!

After the picnic all the children helped again, mainly clearing the table and taking everything back indoors. One child was asked to water the tulips that were blooming in a brilliant display along one side of the garden. The little boy set off confidently with his watering can. The teacher was busy wiping the picnic table so did not see what happened next: With great concentration and obvious love for each flower, the child carefully directed the flow of water to one plant after the other – right into each tulip cup! Well, it makes perfect sense!

Teach me to look with fresh wonder

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

My first school teacher had a big influence on my life. Jane was short of stature, patient and gentle, with warm eyes. She fostered in us children a deep appreciation of nature. Thanks to her, I’m always glad to see a mouse or a grass snake, while some people might run the other way. Jane used to have our class spread out in the woods – each quietly alone in a separate place. Later she’d gather us again and ask what we’d heard or seen. One time my imagination ran away with me, and I described a wonderful fox. Jane questioned me quite closely about that!

It was only years later that I became aware of another side to my beloved teacher – she wrote poetry! Some of her poems have since been published. (You can find her poems on www.janetysonclement.com). I’m going to share one with you, because it moved me to discover what had been in Jane’s mind while she was teaching. Jane died years ago, but her legacy lives on. Anyone working with young children can make a positive impact – not only now but for decades to come.

Child, though I take your hand
and walk in the snow;
though we follow the track of the mouse together,
though we try to unlock together the mystery
of the printed word, and slowly discover
why two and three make five
always, in an uncertain world –
Child, though I am meant to teach you much,
what is it, in the end,
except that together we are
meant to be children
of the same Father
and I must unlearn
all the adult structure
and the cumbering years
and you must teach me
to look at the earth and the heaven
with your fresh wonder.

– Jane Tyson Clement

Mud kitchens

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Jan White has just created something you’ll want to see: a 32-page book full of gorgeous photographs and inspiring ideas.

I loved Making a Mud Kitchen at first sight – perhaps because the photos bring back such happy memories of my own childhood, when my friends and I took our concoctions very seriously. We had a pot of “witchy brew” hidden away in the woods that we added to every time we chanced that way. Closer to home we had a fantastic sandpit and a cupboard where we kept our pots and pans. My husband Martin made "skunk cabbage perfume" as a child – something that can’t be made here (fortunately?) as skunk cabbage doesn’t seem to grow in the UK. Our own children made "granola" in a hole in a stump. I can still see our three-year-old stirring it with a stick, even though he has long since grown up. I’m sure everyone has some form of mud-pie memory, so the photos of makeshift shelving with old kettles and utensils will have meaning for all.

Jan writes that "A mud kitchen includes elements of the much-loved domestic corner and cooking from indoor play, which are then hugely enriched through the special nature of being outside." The fact that all this sensory exploration and deep-level learning (Jan has a whole section on the pedagogical underpinnings of mud play) happens in a role-play context, creates the perfect formula for fully-engaged contented children.

Download the booklet from Muddy Faces' website

And here is Jan’s website so you can learn more about what she does.

I hope you’ll enjoy this new document as much as I do. Have a relaxed summer read, and put it into practice when the children arrive back!

Our magnetic whiteboard has a surprise for you

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Whenever I walk through central London, it brightens my day to see a sidewalk artist chalking away industriously. It reminds me of the scenes from Mary Poppins where Bert creates a world on the pavement that Jane and Michael can jump into. My art skills are not that hot (an understatement) but even if you’re like me, there is something you can do for the budding sidewalk artists in your centre: provide a chalkboard.

Community Playthings’ Art islands are going green, but in a different way: When you flip the whiteboard over, the back is a green magnetic chalkboard made of the same durable enamel coating as the whiteboard. That means each easel can be used for painting, whiteboard markers or chalk. Some of our customers even project onto the whiteboard instead of a screen at staff trainings.

If you have one of our old easels or Art islands and would like a new set of white (and green) boards, you can order replacement boards. If your magnets have wandered off to the science corner and disappeared, now is the time to get replacements so children can put their paper on the easel without tape or bulldog clips.

P.S. This may not be up to Bert’s magic, but it’s as close as we could get.

Unleashing imaginative play

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 14:52:00 -0400

Summer has finally arrived! Perhaps it's a good time to look afresh at your equipment and consider what truly supports children's development. Then remove what does not. Why? Because less is more in children's play, since less equipment requires more imagination.

Last year I was privileged to spend a day with Joan Almon of Alliance for Childhood. We had a marvellous discussion about children’s imagination, sparked by reviewing "Simple materials, rich experiences", a PowerPoint presentation that accompanies I made a unicorn. In the course of our conversation, Joan described a cartoon in which two little girls are playing with their dolls. One brags, "My doll can say fifty words." The other looks puzzled and says, "My doll says anything I want her to!"

So have a good team discussion. Pack away some of the toys and observe what happens. By trimming back, you may discover that a few basic materials enrich – and de-clutter – children's imaginative play.

A day with our Nursery gym design team

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Each Community Playthings design team spends time at the start of the project learning about the early years environment and considering how the product can support child development. Last year our Nursery gym team spent several weeks visiting centres and talking to practitioners. In addition, they asked experts from the field to join them for a day.

Jan White is known for her enthusiasm for the outdoors – so why would she advise a team designing an indoor gym? I met Jan years ago, and we immediately clicked: we shared a love of dens and tree houses, mud pies and slippery slopes (the good kind). We also shared a fascination about why children instinctively pursue such experiences. So she was the natural person to invite when facing the challenge of how to integrate outdoor attributes into our Nursery gym. Jan first showed us snippets from the "Babies, toddlers and twos outdoors" film she produced in collaboration with Siren Films. We discussed what we had "seen", then watched again so we could see more. The rest of the morning was spent on the central role of physicality in children’s well-being and development.

In the afternoon Jan was just "one of the team" gathered round the whiteboard as we tossed ideas around. How could we replicate some of the textures and variable surfaces found in nature? There are no "wrong" ideas at a session like this, and we discussed some wild ones. Many of the suggestions were manufacturing nightmares, but ideas flowed.

The results from this day were the arched bridge, the grooved slats that let you slide over the bridge on your tummy and make cool sounds when banged with a block, the little den underneath, and the sand dune surface that simulates walking on beach sand. The steps, slide, mirrors, captain’s wheel, tunnel, magical roof and Juliet balcony resulted from further sessions.

Watching children use the final product was the reward. If you’d like a FREE copy of The Nursery gym in action at Pen Green (a 20-minute Siren Films video) Call 0800 387 457. Better yet, purchase a Nursery gym and watch the action live!

P.S. Jan's blog is janwhitenaturalplay.wordpress.com

Why you need hide-away wheels

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

While recently visiting some early years settings to gain input for our design team, I heard something surprising: The caretaker of one nursery had been unaware of our shelves’ hide-away wheels! He’d been strenuously dragging shelves from one place to another when attempting to clean the floor. Just prior to our visit, one of the nursery staff had seen him laboriously moving furniture and showed him the hidden wheels he could easily flip into position. He was thrilled to learn that from now on he can simply roll the shelves from place to place with no more back-breaking effort!

Apparently this janitor is not alone. I’ve since heard of practitioners who also were unaware of the retractable wheels and tried to move heavy shelves full of blocks with two people pushing and two pulling – they did not realise how much easier life could be!

Now that you know how simple it is to move shelves around, you may want to do it! With summer here, have you considered a new room arrangement? You might want to enlarge your construction area since role play tends to happen outdoors this time of year (oops – I wrote that assuming the rain would stop!). Or you might want to create a special nook between your book area and home corner that is "just a place to be" for a child to curl up with a book or a furry friend.

Continuous provision does not mean that every area is always in the same place. An enabling environment flows with children’s changing interests. Occasionally altering the room layout also demonstrates to parents that you are truly "tuned in" to their children.

What do you do with an unexpected hug?

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Set in the middle of London not far from Euston Station is one of my favourite places: Kate Greenaway Nursery School. As my colleague and I passed in from the hectic adult world of central London, I could feel the atmosphere change – this was a place where children come first. Eight years ago I had worked with Julian Grenier to create furniture layouts for the rooms. This time Raymond and I brought our cameras to spend a few hours with their youngest children, taking photos for an upcoming resource.

We learned from the staff which parents had agreed to having their children photographed. I settled myself in the outdoor area to try to capture action on the Nursery gym – when suddenly I received a hug! The hugger was around 18 months old, and his hug told me I was welcome. However, that wasn’t the end. A hug means we’re pals, right? And that has consequences! After examining the camera, my new friend toddled off and returned with a picture book. I put the camera aside, and it was story time. The furniture can wait, the perfect shot can wait, but a child cannot wait.

We took away some nice images embedded in the memory chips of our cameras (some of which will appear in a new training resource to come out in September). But I took away something much more precious: embedded in my heart is that moment of trust which only a child can bestow.

Hot off the press – free EYFS training pack to keep children playing

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Play and the revised EYFS is the result of discussions about the fact that play must continue to be at the heart of early years settings. Its thrust is that children at play naturally fulfil all the areas of learning and development. This free training pack consists of a PowerPoint and booklet with cross-references to the new statutory guidance. Divided into sections based on the activity areas seen in most early years settings (role play, wet play, construction, etc), the guide is easy to use. Each section includes a sample observation and describes how play taking place in that activity area realises the seven areas of learning and development. Hopefully this new training will be enjoyable as well as helpful, as it includes some lovely photos (choosing them was my favourite part of this project).

Anne O'Connor supported Community Playthings with this resource and wrote the introduction. She says, "Observing children’s play is the only accurate way for practitioners to assess development across all areas of learning and to gauge the right levels of interaction and support that will enhance and extend the learning experience."

If we design children’s environments based on a sound understanding of their development – and of all that they learn through play – we will not only achieve but surpass the expectations of the revised EYFS.

The free booklet and PowerPoint training are available by ringing 0800 387457. The booklet PDF can be downloaded here.

My father and Hollow blocks

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

When I recently told the head of a London nursery school that my father, Art Wiser, had designed Community Playthings’ Hollow blocks, she said, "What?! That’s like saying someone designed sand or water!" However it’s true – and he still works every day, making Community Playthings. When I last saw Dad two years ago, I told him how much children in the UK enjoy the Hollow blocks. He nodded his head, then said slowly, "Yes… I think that was the best product we ever designed."

Community Playthings began shortly after the second World War.Its founders were a handful of idealistic young couples at a land cooperative in the Appalachian Mountains in the southern US. One of their goals was to raise the living standard of the local people and another was to develop industry using local resources – in other words: Wood. These couples belonged to the peace movement of that time, and one of their beliefs was in a simple standard of living for themselves and their families. They all had young children, by whom their designs were tried and tested. Right from the start, they noticed – and were fascinated by – the fact that children’s imagination is better fostered by simple playthings than by detailed toys! This realisation strengthened their belief in simplicity, which has been a hallmark of Community Playthings designs ever since.

Next month marks my father’s 92nd birthday. When I write to congratulate him, I will tell him that Hollow blocks are still going strong on this side of the Atlantic.

Glimpses into a child’s mind

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Although my years of working with young children are over, I fortunately have friends who spend their days with children and keep me happy by sharing little anecdotes.
Here’s one:

My friend Christine was making the rounds of her nursery and stopped by three and a half-year-old Rani, who was playing alone at the Sand and Water Table. Rani exclaimed, "Miss, water likes purple better than green!" "Really?" Christine asked, "Why do you think so?" Rani replied, "Because it always goes into the purple bucket!" Christine did not dispute the point but quietly observed for a little and then moved on to other children. When Christine returned ten minutes later, Rani said, "Miss, actually water just likes to go down!"

My friend was glad she’d allowed Rani to lead her own experiments and arrive at her own theories – which will continue to evolve through trial and error. Christine instinctively shares Froebel’s feeling that "To have discovered a quarter of the answer to his own question is of more value to the child than to hear the whole answer, half-understood, from another."

Christine’s supportive interest – along with the space, time, and equipment she provides – give Rani and her friends the opportunity to follow their curiosity. And they in turn give her something very special – glimpses into a child’s mind.

Story-telling with blocks

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Many people view unit blocks as a resource used only for construction. It is fairly obvious that children engaged with blocks internalise mathematical concepts such as fractions (half and quarter) and physical laws relating to balance and gravity. But using blocks to tell a story may be a new idea.

Gather a few children and give this a try: Pick up a large and small cylinder and start telling the story of "Little Red Riding Hood". With their inborn imagination, the children know immediately which is the mother and which is the daughter, and all it takes to represent the forest is a few tall blocks on end. Have the children help combine a few blocks for grandmother’s house or make a simple bridge for billy goats to cross. If you need a giant, try standing the tallest block on end. It gets really exciting!

A timid child can be given a block to involve them in the story; a bolder child may take the main character and continue the story. (I know a two-year-old who always wants to "be the wolf!" with his favourite-shape block.) Keep the building simple so the plot doesn’t get lost. The beauty is that children readily imagine detail, and the same block can be a bear, a bed, a car, or a boat. There is no limit to the number of stories you can tell with one set of blocks.

Now consider this – was Red Riding Hood English? African? Asian? Chubby? Thin? It doesn’t matter – she is whatever each child imagines her to be.

P.S. For staff training, meet around a pile of unit blocks and start a story yourself; then pass the main character on. While it’s your turn, you can take the story wherever you wish. Did you know that Goldilocks made goat curry and fed it to the Troll so he would let her over the bridge – we’ve seen the story take all kinds of astonishing turns!

What's a rocking chair for?

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400

I use mine at the end of a hectic day as a place to unwind and (I confess it) fall asleep as my wife reads aloud to our kids. Something about that motion relaxes; perhaps it has roots in being rocked as a child. As you rock the pressures of the day fade. So what use is a child's rocking chair in nursery? Well, children also have hectic days and days where not everything works out. And even if it's a great day, time to rest and reflect is lovely.

What else is a rocking chair for? Moira has no trouble knowing! As soon as she had Jimmy the giraffe to care for, she sang to him, thought about him, fed him, and gave him the cuddle that every good giraffe needs.

P.S. What's better than rocking in a rocking chair? Rocking in a rocking chair with your best friend rocking beside you!

ToddleBoxes: Keep one step ahead of your active toddlers

Tue, 29 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

There was no problem getting children involved during photography for our new ToddleBoxes! They immediately started exploring: balancing along the units, clambering over them, and manoeuvring hills and valleys. One-year-olds learn their relation to the environment through movement. We saw this in action at the photography session. For little people who have lived life “on the flat”, ToddleBoxes offer big adventure!

Turning over ToddleBoxes creates a whole new set of opportunities. Toddlers immediately want to sit in the upside-down units, which just fit their little bodies. Zoe plonked herself in the little personal space formed by an upside-down ramp; the rectangle becomes a social space for two. Josh and Kaitlyn especially enjoyed the overturned hill, now a rocking boat.

For children who have just learned to crawl or walk, this product provides challenge. And because it’s so versatile, the challenge is ever new.

For pictures, pricing and complete information click here

Ready to purchase? click here

Creating child-friendly places at Norland Nursery

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

When Clare Crowther had the opportunity to set up Norland Nursery, she knew from the outset which equipment supplier she wanted to use – Community Playthings. In her words, “Community Playthings puts the child at the heart of design”. So she came to Robertsbridge where she and I had a lot of fun planning the furniture layouts together.

Norland Nursery has 0 to 5-year-olds in key groups crossing all ages since Clare wanted her provision to be like family. It was an inspiring setting to plan and I was thrilled when I had the chance to go to Bath and see it for myself. My colleagues and I got there early and it was heart-warming to see parents and children arrive to a happy welcome. Now it’s your turn to enjoy Norland Nursery through this case study – although photos cannot do full justice to this inviting child-friendly place.

Listening when children speak with blocks

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

On the first of May, Alfie’s village celebrated with a traditional Maypole. The next day Alfie’s teacher asked him to draw the Maypole. He wasn’t keen, but complied by hastily drawing a pole with ribbons.

However, Alfie much prefers working with blocks. Soon with no adult suggestion Alfie and his friend Philip were at work in the construction area, where they spent nearly an hour reconstructing the Maypole experience. When his father came to take him home, Alfie explained everything in detail, from the fact that the ribbons started half-way up the pole, to the people on the benches. Alfie pointed out, "That’s our family on this bench. See, it’s only three people because you were gone that day".

Alfie’s teacher learned so much about his thinking that day. She learned that Alfie is more fluent in the language of block play than he is in the language of mark-making. She learned that he is capable of amazing perseverance, concentration and care when he is motivated from within in contrast to when he is told what to do. Finally, she learned that he understands a lot about numbers: For example realising that his family consists of four people and that one missing makes three. She also witnessed tremendous creativity, imagination, planning, co-operation, and joy in life! What more could you wish for any child?