Children are naturally curious and have an instinctive desire to explore, investigate, climb, test boundaries and challenge themselves. Opportunities to take managed risks are an important part of children’s learning and development, helping them to build confidence, resilience, problem-solving skills, physical competence and an understanding of how to keep themselves safe. By providing children with opportunities to… Continue reading Top tips: Managed risk taking
Blog Tag: Tips
Top tips: Inclusion starts here
Creating a genuinely inclusive team doesn’t just happen. It requires nursery leaders to look honestly at the culture they are building, not only policies in the file, but the everyday moments that let each member of the team know they are valued and belong. The following tips are starting points for reflection and action. Top tips for inclusion starts here NDNA products… Continue reading Top tips: Inclusion starts here
Top tips: Encouraging curiosity and why it matters
Curiosity is one of the most important skills children can develop. Curious children are more confident learners, better problem-solvers and more engaged with the world around them. When children ask questions, explore and investigate, they are building the foundations for lifelong learning. Use our top tips to ensure children are encouraged to be curious both… Continue reading Top tips: Encouraging curiosity and why it matters
Top tips: Free summer activity ideas for families
Summer can be a time when parents are looking for budget friendly ideas to entertain the family. Having fun doesn’t have to cost money, so why not create a list of fun, free activities for your families to enjoy, starting with the tips below. NDNA products to support you with this tip Early years parent partnerships: developing positive relationships with parents… Continue reading Top tips: Free summer activity ideas for families
Top tips: Movement matters
Movement comes naturally to young children – they climb, spin, jump and wriggle their way through the world long before they can put any of it into words. However, understanding that movement is good for their overall well-being is something children learn gradually, through experience and through the language and attitudes of the adults around them. As a nursery practitioner, you are uniquely placed to… Continue reading Top tips: Movement matters
Using visual aids and prompts – Early Years Tips
Visual aids and prompts are valuable tools within the early years environment, supporting young children to understand routines, build confidence and develop independence. By providing clear and consistent visual support, practitioners can create a more inclusive and enabling environment where children feel secure and able to engage fully in nursery life. Although visual aids are particularly beneficial for… Continue reading Using visual aids and prompts – Early Years Tips
Tip tips: Supporting parents with healthy eating at home
Supporting families with healthy eating is an important part of promoting children’s overall well-being. By building positive relationships and sharing simple, achievable strategies, you can help parents feel more confident in creating healthy eating habits at home that work for them and their children. Top tips for supporting parents with healthy eating at home NDNA… Continue reading Tip tips: Supporting parents with healthy eating at home
Top tips: Listening to and acting on the voice of the child
Providing meaningful opportunities for the voice of the child requires adults to genuinely listen, act upon what children are sharing and to teach children the power and importance of their own voice. Review our top tips below to assess your daily practice for including the voice of the child in your setting. Top tips for… Continue reading Top tips: Listening to and acting on the voice of the child
Top tips: Peer observations
Peer observations are a valuable approach for developing a reflective and supportive culture that promotes high-quality practice. They provide opportunities for practitioners to learn from one another, share ideas and strengthen collaborative working. For leaders and managers, fostering the right environment is essential to ensure that peer observations are seen as purposeful and beneficial. When embedded effectively, they become… Continue reading Top tips: Peer observations
Top tips: Supporting parents with children’s dummy use
Dummies can be a helpful way to comfort and settle babies, especially in the early months. However, as children grow, it’s important to balance dummy use with lots of opportunities to talk, listen and interact. These tips will help staff to support parents to make confident, informed decisions about when and how to use a dummy and how to reduce reliance on… Continue reading Top tips: Supporting parents with children’s dummy use
Early years activity: Gardening Week – Supporting Communication and Language
Gardening week is a wonderful opportunity to support children’s communication and language as they take part in a range of sensory activities in both the natural outdoor environment and indoor environments. Learning aims Resources Activity outline Extension ideas Create a small flower garden, either in pots or in a section of your outdoor space. Encourage children to take responsibility… Continue reading Early years activity: Gardening Week – Supporting Communication and Language
Top tips: Cultivating Curiosity through Gardening
There are numerous benefits of involving children in gardening experiences, including access to the natural environment, sensory rich activities, working together, promoting curiosity and observing cause and effect. NDNA products to support you with this activity Disclaimer: Activities with children must always be risk assessed, including for allergies or choking. Children must always have… Continue reading Top tips: Cultivating Curiosity through Gardening
Top tips: Conducting productive team meetings
Effective team meetings are essential. Well-structured meetings help staff stay informed, feel valued and work together more efficiently. By making meetings purposeful and engaging, leaders can strengthen teamwork and improve daily practice. Top tips for conducting productive team meetings NDNA products to support you with this tip Supporting Well-being in the Early Years Workforce – Online course Effective Leadership and… Continue reading Top tips: Conducting productive team meetings
Top tips: Menu planning
Menu planning in nursery settings helps ensure children receive healthy, balanced meals that support their growth and development. A well-planned menu provides a variety of nutritious foods, allowing children to experience different flavours, textures and food groups while developing positive eating habits from an early age. Explore our top tips for successful menu planning. Top… Continue reading Top tips: Menu planning
Top tips: Following the child’s interests
Children learn best when they are motivated, curious and deeply engaged. By following children’s interests, practitioners create meaningful learning experiences that build on what children already know and care about. These top tips for following the child’s interests support early years teams to remain responsive and reflective while keeping the child at the centre of practice. Top tips for… Continue reading Top tips: Following the child’s interests
Top tips: Ensuring staff know and understand your policies
On average, early years settings have over 100 policies in place that set out the setting’s practice. Polices are underpinned by legislation and should reflect a setting’s daily practice. Read our top tips on how you can ensure all staff know and understand your policies. Top tips for ensuring staff know and understand your policies NDNA products to support you with this tip NDNA… Continue reading Top tips: Ensuring staff know and understand your policies
Top tips: Maintaining effective communication with parents
Strong communication between nurseries and parents is essential for supporting children’s well-being, development and sense of security. When families feel informed, listened to and valued, it builds trust and creates a consistent approach between home and nursery. Clear communication helps practitioners share important information, celebrate achievements and work together to support each child’s individual needs. Top tips for supporting new staff Support your team… Continue reading Top tips: Maintaining effective communication with parents
Top tips: Supporting new staff
A supportive start for new staff can help them feel confident and valued and know your expectations from day one. Consistent guidance helps practitioners settle faster, follow routines more accurately and build stronger relationships. This early support boosts quality of practice, improves teamwork and can help to reduce stress and staff turnover. Here are some tips to support you. Top tips for… Continue reading Top tips: Supporting new staff
Top tips: Making Reading Fun at Home
Reading with your child is one of the most valuable things you can do. It strengthens your bond, supports their learning and development, and most importantly – it’s fun! Whether you have five minutes at bedtime or a little longer on a quiet afternoon, those small moments together can make a big difference. The key is to keep reading… Continue reading Top tips: Making Reading Fun at Home
Top tips: Encouraging reading at home
Research tells us that one important thing that parents can do to help their child’s education is to share books with them. This can help to develop a lifelong passion for reading and enjoyment of stories in their earliest years. Parents will have a range of experiences of early reading and formal schooling and this may affect their confidence towards reading with their own child. To… Continue reading Top tips: Encouraging reading at home