Simple play....

Yesterday I looked after my friends boys for a few hours. As my boys are in their teenage years and hers a lot younger, I was in my element to be able to be a play mate.

First things first.... The play mobile came out and and they wanted me to help them set up a caravan park. BUT this wasn't just any old caravan park....by the time they had finished I wanted to book myself in for two weeks or longer.

The imagination, creative skills, sharing, taking turns, listening, language skills that were taking place was a joy to observe. The best bit of all it didn't come a penny.

Then they decided they wanted to make something....the craft box was looking a little low as they had been having lots of fun during the holidays so far.  I spotted that Mum had been shoe shopping for them so we emptied the boxes and had a starting point.  We raided the kitchen and found paper plates, plastic cups, kitchen paper, kitchen foil, the stapler and sellotape.  Add a scissors and some coloured pencils and we set to work on Space themed play boxes for their Lego figures.

We had so much fun, I didn't want to leave....until the next time x

Chocolate Play

 

Image from:
http://sweetlyscrappedart.blogspot.co.uk/p/vintage-valentines.html

Valentine's day is fast approaching.  If you want to try something different with your little ones, how about chocolate cards?

Mix powdered drinking chocolate with water to a smooth consistency and use to paint hearts onto valentines cards or just let them get stuck in and use their hands for prints.

The smell is divine and seriously stimulates the senses.

This can be done at any time not just for valentines. Add resources that children can use to print with or add cars and make the chocolate a little thicker for sensory mud!

Its brilliant, fun, cleans up easily and encourages great language skills as well as an opportunity for great sensory play for all ages.

Even the adults will find it hard not to lick their fingers!

Have fun and have a great Valentine's day.

Sarah x x

Shoe bag...

This shoe bag is simple to put together.  (Size, colour, matching, role play...the list goes on).
The children love playing with the shoes in here.  The extra bonus is that the selection is so vast that the shoes offer a sensory experience too from wooden clogs, to wellington boots to fluffy slippers.

A simple laminated book has been added too containing pictures of a baby shoe, a mummy shoe, a daddy shoe and a giant's shoe.

Everyone has shoes, so simple to do and so much learning from a bag of shoes.

Sarah x

Counting Coconuts - brilliant blogpsot and face book page!

One of the most amazing Education sites I have come across is this one on Face Book.  This lady is amazing!!!!!! 

Take a look at see her amazing work with her children, her ideas are the best ever and so inspiring in helping children to develop.....I just wish I had more hours in the day to make it all !

Www.countingcoconuts.blogspot.com

Just for fun!

As it's the run up to christmas, I thought I would share with you the melted snowman and the snowman poop that I have been working on with my little man for the school Christmas fair.......How do you like yours?

 

 

Amazing sites!

Today I thought I would share some of the amazing sites that do amazing work to support children and their communication skills:
 

I CAN is the children’s communication charity.  Their mission is to ensure that no child who struggles to communicate is left out or left behind. Their vision is a world where all children and young people who struggle to communicate receive the help they need so that they can have a happy childhood, make progress at school and thrive as adults.

http://www.ican.org.uk/

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The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity that believes everyone in the UK should have the literacy skills they need.

One person in six in the UK today has poor literacy. This means they can’t succeed at school, are locked out of the job market, and can’t support their child’s learning and struggle with daily tasks such as filling in forms or reading labels on food packaging.

They are the only national charity dedicated to raising literacy levels in the UK.

http://www.literacytrust.org.uk


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The Communication Trust is a coalition of nearly 50 voluntary and community organisations with expertise in speech, language and communication. We harness our collective expertise to support the children's workforce and commissioners to meet the speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) of all children and young people, particularly those with SLCN.
We do this by raising awareness, providing information and workforce development opportunities, influencing policy, promoting best practice among the children's workforce and commissioning work from our members. The Trust is advised by specialist advisors and works with a broader network of partners.

http://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk

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1000s FREE Early Years & Primary Printable Teaching Resources

1000s FREE Early Years & Primary Printable Teaching Resources

Sparklebox: a great place to find lots of really great resources for young children which are printable!

My work.

I work in a small team that work with parents and children 0-3 years of age, developing early language skills through play as part of a Welsh Assembly initiative known as Language and Play.  I love the job I do and thought I would share ideas, information, creations and links to other amazing sites that are full of brilliant ideas and information too!

Our programmes usually run for six weeks and consist of the following themes (although we have many):

• The importance of talking, playing, sharing books and singing.
• Routines.
• Out and about and every day learning opportunities.
• The importance of books and stories.
• The importance of songs and rhymes.
• Messy play and early writing skills.

I will be sharing ideas and information about these and our early number programme as well as lots more!

There will be lots of ideas for babies too!  

As well as pictures of things to make and do with your little ones.