On Tuesday 15th December, Tim Peake became the 8th British astronaut to go into space. He spent 6 years training for the mission, beating 8,000 other applicants to the job. Read more

Cooking in school is about more than making a recipe – it is an opportunity to teach safe and simple food preparation techniques, and food knowledge which can make a difference between just eating and eating well. Below we feature 3 recipes for you to follow, two of which are Brazilian Recipes to link with the Olympics being held in Rio this year. Read more

Once upon a time, a little girl discovered a secret. She stood a stool on a chair on a box and climbed on top of the whole teetering pile. Reaching up, she teased a book from the top of the bookshelf with her fingertips, and clutched it to her as she climbed down. She took it into the light and blew the dust from its cover, and as the dust flew into the shaft of light, she saw something that changed her life. That dust wasn’t the normal kind of dust – as it floated and glittered in the light, she knew that it was the sign of something magical. It was fairy dust, and it meant there was a fairy in the book, reading and loving the story, bringing it to life, crying with the characters who are lost, afraid with the girl alone in the woods, laughing with the two jolly knights. This girl, the one who had climbed on a stool on a chair on a box, this girl had found the Phonic Fairy, who had come to share her love of stories with the little girl. Read more

You may be able to recall going into your garden and collecting rose petals and slushing them around in a jam jar. There was something rather wonderful about going out and collecting your own ingredients for your potion, or perfume as you’ll have referred to it back then! In this article I wanted to convey the richness and value of the lovely learning opportunities that can cascade from marvellous, messy play. Here I’ll share some of the experiences and observations from being out and about in settings. Read more

All children should learn to love reading. Help them grow their book wings and develop a love of literacy that will last a lifetime with StoryTime Phonics. Read more

I am a huge advocate for loose parts within every early year’s environment; they’re open-ended, developmentally appropriate and they foster creativity and critical thinking. However, I understand that some practitioners can be wary of the risks associated with loose parts, in particular when introducing them to younger children who use their senses to explore. Read more

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Throughout my teaching career I have had the pleasure and privilege of teaching many pupils with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. Amongst these wonderful pupils there will always be one particular individual who stands out. Read more

Oranges have always been a tradition at Christmas time. In this blog we explore why oranges are special at Christmas and explain how to make a Christingle. Read more

In common with you, children are at the heart of everything we do. The thousands of conversations we have each year with education and childcare professionals make our hearts sing and our catalogues and website burst with innovative creations you’ve told us will make a difference. Many of those conversations take place at events such as Childcare Expo and, with the next show due to take place in Coventry from 30th September, here are 3 good reasons why you may want to grab a few hours (or – gasp – even an entire day) to block out some time for a visit. Read more

These reading assessment fans have been developed for the convenience of all teachers to use with children, in order to assess at what level they are reading. They use a number of short, focussed questions which link directly into the Assessment Focus recommendations for reading. Read more

Children love building and exploring dens and they are a great opportunity for child led learning and development. There has been a great deal of discussion about supporting disadvantaged children and 'narrowing the gap', with additional support for disadvantaged 3 and 4 year olds through the Early Years Pupil Premium. Activities in the den provide a way for young children to learn through a quality, play based approach. When planned carefully with adult guidance and resources, dens become encouraging environments that can promote communication, literacy and mathematics. Read more

When Speech and Language Therapist Sarah Davis worked with us on this innovative workstation, we knew we had created something really useful for children who find focussing on the task at hand a major challenge. Read more

Our Active World Mats complement the Tuff Spot perfectly - instantly transforming a plain tray into the base for a whole new world, bringing small world play to life. Read more

When we go to shows such as Nursery World or Childcare Expo our favourite part is meeting so many passionate people who work in childcare. Sometimes there is negativity in the news, but it does not dampen the spirits of those of you who take pride in working with children during the important first years of their lives. Wanting to hear about what motivates you, we asked "what do you love about your career in early years?" and the response was inspiring. Read more

Give these mini carrot cakes a try and make learning tasty. Cooking in the classroom is made easy with these specially designed, appealing free recipes. They are supported by activities that link the ingredients and practical experience to the curriculum, especially Maths, English and Science. Read more