Early years blog

Empathy in early years: supporting children to empathise

Explore what empathy is, supporting children to empathise with others and the role of the word ‘sorry’.

Early years activity: Shape hunt

A shape hunt helps children develop mathematical concepts, language and motor skills through playful exploration. As they find and name shapes, they build confidence, problem-solving abilities, and curiosity in a fun, hands-on way.

Top tips: Managing local outings

Local outings enrich learning by helping children explore their community, develop social skills, and build confidence. They encourage physical activity, language growth, and real-world understanding while making learning fun and memorable. Here are some tips for managing local outings.

Safe recruitment in nurseries: your responsibilities

Find out about your key responsibilities to ensure safe recruitment in nurseries, from interviewing staff to inductions.

safe recruitment for nurseries - child thumbs up

Flexible working in early years settings: how to make it a success for your organisation

Flexible working isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’ anymore – it’s an expectation. And for early years settings where recruitment and retention are major challenges, building flexible working into your culture can give you a crucial edge in attracting and keeping great people. But how do you make it work in a busy early years environment?

Family voices, stronger nurseries: Tips for parent surveys

Parent feedback is a vital tool in improving practice, strengthening partnerships and ensuring our children’s needs are fully met. Whether you are reviewing your curriculum, planning an event, or simply want to get to know your families better, an effective survey helps give a voice to those that matter.

Summer sensory exploration: What’s in the box?

Using available resources and guided questioning, this interactive summer sensory exploration activity encourages curiosity, descriptive language and a focus on sensory awareness. Have fun with the sights, sounds, textures and aromas of summer.

Top tips: Hot weather safety in nursery

While hot weather can impact everyone, young children are especially at risk as they are less able to regulate their body temperature than adults. In warm conditions, it's crucial for nursery settings to take extra precautions to keep children safe, cool and comfortable. Use these tips to help keep children happy, healthy and protected during hot weather.

Early years activity: Ice rescue mission

In this fun and engaging activity, children work together to rescue small toys frozen in blocks of ice. It's a fantastic way to experiment, explore cause and effect and stay cool in warm weather. The activity encourages teamwork, communication and problem-solving, supporting personal, social and emotional development.

Healthy Ice-cream

As the third Sunday in July is National Ice Cream Day, why not make your own healthy ice-cream for children to enjoy as a summer treat. You can choose your own ingredients to make a range of flavours to suit children’s taste buds.

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