In recent weeks we enjoyed a family visit to Colchester Zoo, which recently reopened with a number of changes in place to manage capacity, social distancing and hygiene. We had a fantastic day out – lions, meerkats, giraffes, penguins and hyenas emerged as particular favourites – and the outing only strengthened Daisy's interest in wild… Continue reading Make the most of a zoo visit – with animal silhouettes and matching games
Category: Understanding the World
Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
Take your child for a virtual walk; a guest post by Daisy’s Dad.
The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown presents unprecedented challenges for children in the UK. Most of their comforting routines have been disrupted; many have disappeared completely. Familiar destinations such as schools, cafes and soft-play centres are off-limits and visits to beloved friends and relatives are forbidden. Even with some restrictions now lifted, travel is often limited and… Continue reading Take your child for a virtual walk; a guest post by Daisy’s Dad.
Where am I? A fun activity for grandchildren during ‘lockdown’; Guest Blog by Daisy’s Grandpa
It’s been eight weeks since we last spent time with Daisy. We’ve learned, like so many grandparents, to navigate our way around Zoom, FaceTime and other ways of keeping in touch by sight and sound. We all know that none of these technologies are any substitute for that hug administered in a tangle of bendy… Continue reading Where am I? A fun activity for grandchildren during ‘lockdown’; Guest Blog by Daisy’s Grandpa
Making the most of the daily walk with your young children
Now that we're all having to settle into a very different daily routine it means that we, like most grandparents, cannot spend time with our granddaughter. So instead of describing activities that I've done with Daisy I'd like to share some of my ideas that Daisy's parents are using at home with Daisy. I hope… Continue reading Making the most of the daily walk with your young children
Sharing and Learning from what happens in Autumn
We adults are familiar with the sequence of the seasons and the gradual changes that take place in nature during autumn. As part of beginning to understand the world around her (part of the Early Years curriculum), this year we've started to talk to Daisy about the way trees change in autumn, and to observe… Continue reading Sharing and Learning from what happens in Autumn
The National Children’s Gardening Week: gardening with pre-school children
"What doing Grandpa?" "I'm going to put some plants in the garden." "My help?" (Daisy's preferred personal pronoun is 'my', as in "my do it") Daisy squatted down next to her Grandpa and while he sorted out the small geranium plants; Daisy grabbed Grandpa's trowel and started to randomly dig in the soil. It didn't… Continue reading The National Children’s Gardening Week: gardening with pre-school children
Listening Walks
I'm writing this blog while sitting in my garden, listening to a chorus of birdsong, some distant traffic and the sounds of the breeze blowing through the trees. Last week I read about some recent data that shows, on average, Britons spend five percent of the day (an hour and twelve minutes) outside. While another… Continue reading Listening Walks
How small world animals can inspire early role play
I'm sitting on the dayroom floor playing with Daisy and we are surrounded by her array of small world animals. I can see a variety of animals from her wild animal collection and her Happyland sets that she's had for nearly a year. Daisy regularly plays with them in different scenarios including hiding them in… Continue reading How small world animals can inspire early role play
What to look for in Autumn; a guest blog by Grandpa Smith
Autumn is Grandpa's favourite season so I've invited him to write this - Daisy may be too young to understand the turning of the seasons but she’s not too young to savour the assault on the senses presented by the arrival of Autumn. It is the most sensory of the seasons providing stimulation colour and… Continue reading What to look for in Autumn; a guest blog by Grandpa Smith
Drop Plop Slosh: the security to explore.
In the car as we drove towards the beach I heard Daisy say to her favourite doll, "Look Baby, look! Water!" Daisy had never been to a sandy beach before so I had that deep warm awareness that I was going to experience our granddaughter seeing the sea for the first time. Our granddaughter is… Continue reading Drop Plop Slosh: the security to explore.
Granny Smith's Diary 