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Reception age boy wearing a navy blue sweater and climbing over a fallen log in a forest
Article
Active play, thriving minds
Helen Battelley emphasizes the importance of physical activity for children, highlighting its benefits for health, well-being, and cognitive development. She offers practical strategies and engaging activities to help integrate movement…
A girl laughing with her finished painting on an easel behind her.
Article
Building life skills with the Outlast Art Studio
Outdoor learning has huge potential, but is tough to implement. Time, resources, and curriculum demands often get in the way. A new approach using the Outlast Art Studio is helping schools make it a reality.
Three young children gathered around a water play station, experimenting with pouring and directing water. They appear engaged and excited, using ramps and tubs to explore water flow and movement.
Article
Beyond the park
Kathryn Solly explores how to create dynamic, nature-rich environments that spark imagination, encourage risk-taking, and transform outdoor play into a true adventure for young children.
Children collaborating on a wooden block structure outdoors with one child taking notes.
Article
The state of play
Paul Lindley's article highlights the urgent need to restore play to children's lives, drawing on the wider debate sparked by Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation. Paul calls for a new national play strategy, emphasising how play is…
A nursery-aged girl climbing among tree branches, immersed in nature.
Article
A real childhood
What does a real childhood look like in today’s world? For Mandy Richardson, it’s one filled with mud, adventure, and meaningful moments in nature. In this article, she shares how Naturally Learning Nurseries embrace the outdoors to…
Children running through a forest.
Article
Skipping through life
Skipping may seem like just a fun and playful activity, but it holds surprising benefits for children's physical health, brain development, and overall wellbeing. In this article, Ben Kingston-Hughes explores the instinctive power of play,…
A zoomed-in shot of two toddlers enjoying watermelon outdoors. A boy with curly hair is in focus, eating a slice, while a girl in a white shirt is slightly blurred in the background, also taking a bite.
Article
Exploring food through the senses
Children experience food with more than just their taste buds; engaging all five senses can make mealtimes more exciting and help build positive relationships with food. In this article, Sean Cowden explores fun, pressure-free ways to use…
Durability case study thumbnail
Video
The price of real wood
This video features a case study of a nursery in the aftermath of a flood. The staff scrutinize their options, exploring the costs and benefits of choosing real wood.
An infant wearing an aqua shirt holding his hand up in front of his teacher's face
Article
Making your baby room the best it can be
Explore essential strategies for enhancing your baby room with Dr Mona Sakr.
Children having fun with play equipment
Video
The 100 Languages of Children
Take a moment to listen to this poem by Loris Malaguzzi to reflect on the significance of your work with children, and to find inspiration.
three stools around a table
Article
Chairs or stools?
A study on early years seating finds that Stacking stools improved posture, core strength, and concentration.
A child is observing what is going on in an early years classroom
Article
The Story of the Observer Child
What happens when we let children observe rather than forcing them to join in? Dive into the story of the observer child and uncover the secret world of play that experts often overlook.