Developing fine motor skills while making ‘pizza.’ . . . #eyfs #nursery #education #earlyyears #looseparts #earlyyearsideas #keepingitreal #earlylearning #playbasedlearning #learningthroughplay #intelligentmaterials #play #eyfsinspiration #continuousprovision #eyfsideas #hampdenwaynursery #imaginativeplay #barnetearlyyearsalliance #allaboutearlyyears #finemotorskillspractice #loosepartsplay #preschool #finemotorskills #finemotorplay #eyfsclassroom #learningenvironments #finemotor

Oil pastels and water colours - magic writing. . . . #eyfs #nursery #education #earlyyears #markmakingart #earlyyearsideas #magicwriting #earlylearning #playbasedlearning #learningthroughplay #learning #play #eyfsideas #hampdenwaynursery #markmaking #barnetearlyyearsalliance #allaboutearlyyears #preschool #teachers #eyfsclassroom #processart

Lots of engagement and language in the garden. They made rainbow spaghetti, fed noodles to their mice and sheep and grated cheese on top. They used their tongs with skill to twirl and lift their noodles as they served each other. They even took it to their rocket to feed an alien. . . #eyfs #nursery #education #earlyyears #languagedevelopment #mudkitchen #keepingitreal #mudplay #chinesenewyear2020 #learning #play #eyfsinspiration #continuousprovision #eyfsideas #hampdenwaynursery #imaginativeplay #barnetearlyyearsalliance #allaboutearlyyears #finemotorplay #finemotorskills #eyfsoutdoors #outdoorplay #outdoorlearning #sensoryplay #sensoryplayideas

While visiting the brilliant #playwell exhibition at the @wellcomecollection, I came across this quote from Constant Nieuwenhuys who worked for 20 years on a project called New Babylon. The design was for a city intended to facilitate play. It was planned to extend across the world through a series of interconnected structures which could be reconfigured spontaneously. Fascinating! . . #play #playwell #wellcomecollection #exhibition #earlyyears #learninglandscape #learningenvironments #learningenvironment #continousprovision #freeplay #childled #childledlearning #childledlearningthroughplay

Buttons, boxes and baskets - counting, comparing, sorting, filling and more... . . . #eyfs #nursery #education #earlyyears #looseparts #earlyyearsideas #keepingitreal #earlylearning #playtray #learningthroughplay #tufftrayideas #play #eyfsinspiration #continuousprovision #eyfsideas #hampdenwaynursery #tufftrayplay #barnetearlyyearsalliance #allaboutearlyyears #trayfortheday #tufftray #preschool #buttons #trayoftheday #eyfsclassroom #learningenvironments #sensoryplayideas

Outdoor cooking - vegetable and noodle stir fry to celebrate Chinese New Year. Delicious! . . #eyfs #nursery #education #earlyyears #earlyyearsideas #keepingitreal #earlylearning #learning #eyfsinspiration #eyfsideas #hampdenwaynursery #barnetearlyyearsalliance #allaboutearlyyears #chinesenewyear #eyfsoutdoors #healthyeating #outdoorlearning #outdoorcooking #learningenvironments #cookingwithkids

Soapy sand - busy hands getting stuck in - imaginative play and working together. We talked about colours and textures, using wonderful words such as squelching, plopping and splatting. Soapy Sand - sand, washing up liquid and powder paint. . . #eyfs #nursery #sensoryplay #earlyyears #messyplay #earlyyearsideas #keepingitreal #earlylearning #soapysand #learning #play #eyfsinspiration #tufftrayplay #tufftrayideas #hampdenwaynursery #imaginativeplay #barnetearlyyearsalliance #allaboutearlyyears #teachers #tufftray #eyfsoutdoors #outdoorplay #trayfortheday #trayplay

So, how do you clean up the tray of yesterday’s soapy sand? Add some more powder paint, some mud and fling it against the wall. They used spoons, spatulas, hands and boot prints to create this beautiful art. So much fun! . . #eyfs #nursery #education #earlyyears #processart #earlyyearsideas #keepingitreal #earlylearning #everychildisanartist #eyfsart #creativity #play #eyfsinspiration #messyplay #messyplayideas #hampdenwaynursery #imaginativeplay #barnetearlyyearsalliance #allaboutearlyyears #eyfsoutdoors #outdoorplay #outdoorlearning #artwithkids

It started with a cry of ‘It’s out of control.’ It turned out he couldn’t turn the taps off. We turned them off and were fascinated by the whirlpool we were witnessing in the bucket. They began to add things, squeezing paint into it and adding different objects to see what would happen. They wanted to create it again and again. The children wanted to make a bigger one. We found a cone, stood it in some tyres and they added water. They used sticks to stir the water, calling out ‘you need to go in the same direction.’ They added paint, bubbles and balls. They tried shaking the cone, turning it and even used an old bicycle pump to add air to it. It was wonderful to observe so much independent scientific exploration going on. . . #eyfs #nursery #education #earlyyears #waterplay #earlyyearsideas #keepingitreal #earlylearning #playbasedlearning #learning #play #eyfsinspiration #continuousprovision #eyfsideas #hampdenwaynursery #stemintheearlyyears #barnetearlyyearsalliance #allaboutearlyyears #stem #eyfsoutdoors #outdoorplay #outdoorlearning #earlyearsoutdoors #learningenvironments

Have you ever painted a sandcastle? I hadn’t until I was sitting in the sandpit and a child said ‘Wait, I need paint.’ So we found the watercolours and painted. Other children joined us, embracing this new idea. It took care and a delicate hand to paint their fragile creations, with beautiful results. . . #eyfs #nursery #education #earlyyears #stemforkids #earlyyearsideas #sensoryplay #playbasedlearning #learningthroughplay #learning #play #eyfsinspiration #sandart #eyfsideas #hampdenwaynursery #sandplay #barnetearlyyearsalliance #allaboutearlyyears #processartforkids #teachersofinstagram #eyfsoutdoors #outdoorplay #outdoorlearning #sandandwater #processart

Looking at shadows, the shapes, movement, who is the tallest, shortest, whose legs are the longest and of course the most hilarious thing to do was try and stand on each other’s heads. . . #eyfs #nursery #education #earlyyears #keepingitreal #earlylearning #learningthroughplay #learning #play #simplethingsinlife #continuousprovision #eyfsideas #hampdenwaynursery #eyfsmaths #barnetearlyyearsalliance #allaboutearlyyears #teachers #shadowplay #eyfsoutdoors #outdoorplay #outdoorlearning #shadows

Imagine being told you can spend money on new books! One of the best jobs I’ve ever been given. There are so many beautiful picture books out there, it would be an impossible task to pick out a favourite. . . #eyfs #getreading #picturebook #picturebooks #bedtimestories #reading #literacy #earlyreading #eyfsliteracy #booksforkids #independentbookshop #bookshop #readingwithkids #picturebookoftheday #picturebooksofinstagram #picturebooklove #storytime #earlyyearsstorytelling #storytelling