Toddlers love making marks anywhere and everywhere and chalk supports this very well as they can be used on a variety of surfaces, both in and outdoors. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to use and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Chalk can be washed away very easily with water. Here are a few ideas about how children might enjoy using this simple resource. Read more

Whether searching for the ‘Gruffalo’, Going on a Bear Hunt, recreating a fairy tale or going ‘camping’, use our fantastic photographic backdrops, basic art room materials and a little imagination to transform an area of your school into a versatile ‘enchanted’ woodland learning area that everyone will love! Read more

Loose parts were first proposed in the 1970s by Simon Nicholson who believed in their ability to empower creativity!  As we enter the present day loose parts are taking the early years by storm as their abundance of uses allow children to learn in their own unique ways.  So, what are loose parts? How can we use them in continuous provision and how do they link with the learning and development of young children?    Read more

In schools, we tend to associate the idea of enjoying a good book as part of the English curriculum. Here The National Literacy Trust give their top tips on how to promote passion and interest in other subject areas through the use of reading. Read more

Blue-Bot is a user-friendly and Bluetooth enabled programmable robot that is an excellent tool for teaching early programming skills in a fun and interactive way. Read this blog to find everything you need to know to enhance the learning of children in computing lessons and beyond. Read more

In the world of primary education, the concept of maths mastery has gained significant traction. But how can we make abstract mathematical concepts tangible and engaging for children? The answer lies in the power of manipulatives and interactive resources. Read this blog to find out more about maths mastery and discover resources that can help bring key mathematical concepts to life. Read more

Children should be allowed to experience numbers in a relaxed, informal way. It’s important to carefully place numbers throughout an environment so children can use them in meaningful contexts during their play. Think about numbers indoors and out, in the water tray and in the home corner. Read more

You get sneezed on, coughed at and touched by children all day long – and at this time of year with so many bugs doing the rounds, it can be hard to stay healthy. We asked teachers what their top tips were for boosting their immunity: how do they stay out of sick bay, and in the classroom? Here’s what they had to say. Read more

Scratch is a popular and innovative way to teach computer programming, but don't worry if you haven't come across it yet. Here is a simple guide to explain all and get you started! We at TTS spend a lot of time listening to feedback from teachers and the wider education community. One of our many conversations with educators has been around the Computing curriculum and how Primary schools are teaching children to write computer programs. When asked what tools schools are using, the answer more often than not includes the word “Scratch”. Read more

Three wonderful boxes packed full of ideas for learning - to encourage rich language, writing and communication. Alistair has a wonderful and unique flair for understanding children’s interests and how to motivate them. Here, a former Early Years teacher looks at the boxes in more detail. Read more

Chinese New Year is a time for families to be together, celebrating by having dinner on Chinese New Year’s Eve, setting off firecrackers, giving lucky money to children, ringing the New Year bell, sending New Year greetings, Dragon and Lion dancing. As in many festivities, food plays a huge part in enjoying celebrations with friends and families coming together to share meals. Here we share some of the history, traditions, recipes and crafts to enjoy during this period. Read more

Follow this step by step guide on how to make your own model lighthouse. Read more

Do you ever get the feeling that your students are getting a little too precious about their work and working with what’s comfortable and predictable? They have their perfect pencils, their favourite paintbrush and it’s all about control, control, control. Work becomes tight and less exploratory. All accidents are disasters. When expectations match results, but go no further, then maybe it’s time to start thinking about running a 'Making Brushes' workshop. Read more

Dinosaurs, WOW! Young children love dinosaurs. To the youngest minds, dinosaurs are fantastical creatures with extraordinary features. Toddlers love learning about dinosaurs and imagining what the world was like in prehistoric times. They enjoy looking at detailed dinosaur illustrations, hearing stories about the dinosaur world and dancing to songs about dinosaurs. Read more

We know that settings love creating wonderful learning locations. Children enthuse at entering magical worlds where they can immerse themselves in role play scenarios. We also appreciate that sometimes it is the simplest ideas that ignite imaginations. Read more

On a sunny but cold friday afternoon the children had a delivery from the postman. To the children's astonishment it was a letter from a fairy godmother who was missing a fairy. She was believed to be hiding at Forest School. The children's imaginations were ignited with the thought of searching for a fairy. They put on their wellies and coats and explored the site looking for clues! To their amazement, there was fairy dust (glitter)...everywhere!  Read more