EYR International Blog

Sand and Water Themed Tuff Tray Inspiration

Due to its amazing versatility, one of our favourite resources is our Tuff Tray. Whether you are using our Mini Tuff Tray or the standard size there are no limits to the amount of activities they can be used in! To give you some inspiration, here are our top 5 favourite ways to incorporate your Tuff Tray into sand and water activities. 1. Create a beach Everyone loves a trip to the beach and by using some sand, water and accessories you can create your very own beach for your... Read More

20/04/2022
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Gardening Benefits & Activities for Children

Spending Time Outdoors Benefits Children’s Health & Well-Being Encouraging children to put down the smartphone and spend time outside can seem like a daunting task. At present, children on average only spend 16 minutes a day outside, and less than 24% of kids meet the daily recommended levels of physical activity. Spending time outside can significantly impact children’s health and well-being. After doing outdoor physical activity, children are 28x more likely to eat healthier foods. They’ll also feel more relaxed, get a workout – whether it’s their upper arms from... Read More

20/04/2022

Ideas On How to Take Learning Outdoors

This blog has been written with the help of industry expert and early years teacher Gemma Unsworth. Gemma’s 18 years’ worth of early years teaching experience includes her roles as KS1 manager, local authority moderator and early years special leader of education (SLE) for the North West. In this post she describes her experience in implementing outdoor learning and offers her tips and advice. “The best classroom and the richest cupboard is roofed only by the sky” – Margaret McMillan The importance of outdoor learning The importance of outdoor learning... Read More

21/01/2022

Choosing the Right Furniture for Your Early Years Setting

The importance of choosing furniture for your nursery or early years classroom Choosing the right furniture for your nursery or early years setting is an important choice that requires some consideration. Not only do you have to think about how you want your setting to look, but the most important factor to also consider is how it will affect and benefit children. You want to maximise opportunities for learning while giving them a sense of purpose in their day to day, all while attempting to keep their attention. That in... Read More

21/01/2022
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15 Ways to Use Crates in Outdoor Play

Better out than in! Outdoor learning has long been advocated as an essential element of early year’s development. It not only refreshes the children’s learning environment but it provides them with a space to explore, gain more experiences and develop an appreciation for nature and their environment that they would not otherwise get from the classroom. Outdoor loose parts are a great resource to promote unstructured outdoor play. Forget the rules and expectations and let the little one’s imaginations run wild. Innocuous items such as H crates and milk crates,... Read More

21/01/2022

How to Engage Children in Literacy

“Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and listen in a way that lets us communicate effectively and make sense of the world.” – National Literacy Trust Table of contents Why is literacy important in education? Why is literacy important for children in day-to-day life? How to improve literacy skills in children So how can this love of literacy be encouraged? Literacy activities for you to try Why is literacy important in education? Reading and writing plays an essential part in learning and can be considered a fundamental backbone... Read More

21/01/2022
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Improving Numeracy in the Classroom

 “Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.” – Albert Einstein Maths is a tricky thing; a lot of children (and people!) either take to it or don’t. One thing for certain is that if a strong foundation of basic skills is provided at EYFS, KS1 and KS2, children are more likely to grasp more complex concepts in secondary school. Improving numeracy in the classroom is consequently critical. EYFS, KS1 and KS2 curriculums are quite varied. There are a lot of areas to... Read More

21/01/2022
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The benefits of tray play

This article has been written by mother of two and tray play advocate, Rachel Moffatt. How does tray play benefit children? Learning through play is the main focus of the early years foundation stage. It is all about making learning fun. Tray play provides a focused area of play with the contents ‘somewhat contained’. Setting out inviting activities with cognitive and physical challenges has a significant benefit to early childhood development. Tray play gives children the opportunity to explore and discover independently, and fosters their creativity and imagination. There are... Read More

21/01/2022
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Imaginative Play Supports Resilience

  This article has been written by Jen Kinsman, EYR Industry Expert, mum of two, and youth theatre leader. In the below she shares her ideas on how imaginative play supports emotional resilience. For more from Jen, visit her Twitter or blog Raising2Children Have you ever felt drained, overwhelmed, or frustrated about a job and all you hear is, “you just need to be more resilient?” I’m glad to say evidence-based research can significantly change those opinions. Resilience is a skill we develop over time with the right kind of... Read More

21/01/2022

How Children Learn through Sand & Water Play

What is Sand & Water Play? Sand and water are the most basic of raw materials and children can use them without being constrained by the ‘right’ way to play with either of them. They promote curiosity, imagination and experimentation. Both sand and water are completely open ended; the child is able to determine the direction and level of their own play. And, most importantly, sand and water play is fun! Sand play has always held intrigue for children and adults too! They can dig, sift, build, pour, feel, smell... Read More