For this Heart Matters article, I’d love to go on a journey with you and just take a few minutes to think about the wonderful world of woodland learning for young children. Imagine the joy and excitement on a child’s face as they explore the great outdoors, discovering the wonders of God’s creation. It’s not just about having fun (though…
When it comes to issues of sustainability there can be very mixed feelings among Christians. For some we are stewards of the earth and all that is in it, so we have a real responsibility to care for it. For others there can be a sense of everything changes and comes to an end so there is little we can…
Mr Noah’s nursery school has been on an exciting journey. Moving from their original home, A Rural Kindergarten (the ARK) is now fully outdoors. You can hear all about this story in Peter Michell’s webinar. Tickets and the link are available through Eventbrite HERE. Listen to Heart Preschool share their experience of the recent Ofsted inspection. Complete with very useful…
We know that each of the children in our care is uniquely created by our loving God and Father and that He has a plan and a purpose for each of their lives. We know that their needs and interests and learning styles will be different. Psalm 139 says: “For You shaped me, inside and out. I am Your unique creation…… Every detail of my life was already written in Your book.“ (The VOICE) Our…
Imagine that one day someone you love and trust says to you “today you’re going to a special place where you will have to stay on your own. You’ll really like it and it will help you get ready for when you go into your care home in a few years. You’ll soon make friends ” And then imagine you…
Now the Lord God had planted a garden in Eden, in the East; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Genesis 2:8 The importance of the learning environment is very widely acknowledged. The influential ECERS programme is explicit: it is the Early Childhood Environmental Review which prompts our reflection on all that surrounds the young, from the…
A glimpse into the classroom of Elise Hopkins When early years educators speak of the field in a comprehensive context, it is impossible to ignore the trends and accomplishments of settings in the global south. New Zealand, a gem in Oceania, gently leads the way with their quiet insistence to connect, support and develop the family unit. New Zealand’s Ministry…
The reviews on this website are strictly speaking not just for book reviews but resource reviews. The theme of play might suggest all sorts of ‘toys’, but actually the best resources in all the world are natural ones: sticks, sand, insects, mud. We might well add unit blocks, but we probably shouldn’t spend much on resources for children’s play because they…
A childminder’s perspective We have always had a big emphasis on imaginative play in our setting. I love to see the children’s imagination running free. Imagination is such a vital part of faith. God asks us to use our imagination. He told Abraham to go outside at night and count the stars – that’s how many grandchildren and great grandchildren…
It’s great fun to make art that can be moved or changed; by children, adults or even the wind and rain! Transient art is non-permanent, constantly changing and focused on the process of creativity in action. When children work on transient art projects they manipulate, explore and experiment as they work individually or collaboratively, on either large- or small- scale artworks….
