Storytime is a special moment for a grandparents and children alike. Sometimes an idea in a book can spark a child’s imagination and shape their play for hours to come... There is no doubt that my granddaughter Daisy loves books. Having a book read to her at bedtime is part of her daily routine, with… Continue reading Children’s books offer more than just a story
Supercubes: numeracy and hands-on learning
Making ‘supercubes’ is a great way for children to explore cube numbers, and what happens when numbers are increased by the ‘power of three dimensions’ At times I see my granddaughter Daisy playing on her own, completely immersed in her imaginary play. At other times, she likes an adult to join her in the play:… Continue reading Supercubes: numeracy and hands-on learning
Learning the uppercase alphabet
For most children, learning the alphabet is an experience that takes place over a long period of time and involves a lot of repetition and familiarisation across many different contexts. There is a lot to learn, from the names of the letters to their order, to the fact that there are lowercase and uppercase versions… Continue reading Learning the uppercase alphabet
Buried treasure: harvesting potatoes with your grandchild
Most parents and grandparents will understand that spending a healthy amount of time outdoors brings huge benefits for children – sometimes the trick is to find those activities which enable children to enjoy the natural world with ease. Planting and harvesting fruits and vegetables is a great way to do this in your own back garden.… Continue reading Buried treasure: harvesting potatoes with your grandchild
Subitising fun with Compare Bears
My granddaughter Daisy has played with my set of Compare Bears on several occasions. By virtue of their varying sizes and colours, Compare Bears allow young children to explore and learn about counting, sorting, patterning, and size and mass comparison in a fun, relaxed way. Now they're supporting Daisy in an important new skill: subitising.… Continue reading Subitising fun with Compare Bears
Olympics give children a glimpse of a diverse world
It’s been a momentous couple of weeks in the world of sports – the Games of the XXXII Olympiad finally began in Tokyo and, more importantly, my granddaughter Daisy participated in her first school Sports Day! Although Daisy has always been a physically active child and has been to several sports classes from football to… Continue reading Olympics give children a glimpse of a diverse world
Nurturing a love of books and reading
As preschool children grow, their leaps into independence become impossible to ignore. With her fifth birthday on the horizon, I’ve noticed that my granddaughter Daisy has become more content to play on her own for longer periods, where previously would insist on the participation of an adult playmate. While her parents cook, do chores, or… Continue reading Nurturing a love of books and reading
Preschool numerical patterns: Numberblocks and number bonds
“Daisy, how many toes have you got on this foot?” I was sitting in the back of the car with my granddaughter Daisy as we travelled home from another afternoon spent rock-pooling at the beach, and Daisy had cast off her wellies and socks. Daisy looked at the foot I was drying and quickly answered… Continue reading Preschool numerical patterns: Numberblocks and number bonds
Preschool colouring fun: learning within the lines
Why do children enjoy colouring so much? Perhaps it’s because, like adults, many children find colouring both absorbing, relaxing and creatively fulfilling. Most adults appreciate that colouring has some parenting value, at least because it holds a child’s attention without much need for supervision – it’s a great way to encourage focused quiet time, which… Continue reading Preschool colouring fun: learning within the lines
A child’s eye view of life cycles in springtime
Here in the UK, our gardens and parks are starting to fill with new growth on plants and colourful flowers have begun to appear. It is an ideal time to take young children out to have a look and to talk about spring and what happens in springtime The world is changing around them –… Continue reading A child’s eye view of life cycles in springtime
Granny Smith's Diary 