Google ’Small world play ideas’ and you’ll see a lot of builders’ trays filled with slime and coloured rice. There will be some figures, of course, and many of the activities look like great fun. But what a pain to set up! Do you really have the time to do it? And what a mess […]
33 simple small world play ideas Read More »
It is the spring of 1945. Mussolini is dead and the people of Italy survey wreckage of their country. For two decades, fascism has been the ruling ideology: individual rights and democratic values were suppressed in favour of the state. In a village near the town of Reggio Emilia, the people decide to build a
The Reggio Emilia approach Read More »
One of the first articles I wrote after launching 100 Toys was Three Goodies and a Baddie: Tell Almost Any Story with Just a Handful of Figures. It’s a descriptive title and it gets to the heart of what 100 Toys used to be about – more fun with fewer toys. But it’s a bit
How archetypes help your child’s play Read More »
The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another his mother called him “WILD THING!” and Max said “I’LL EAT YOU UP!” so he was sent to bed without eating anything. And so begins “Where the Wild Things are”, by Maurice Sendak. Like The Three Little Pigs and The
The hero’s journey: The story behind your child’s play Read More »
I want to tell you about the benefits of snakes and ladders and how it is great for teaching children about numbers and the number system. But people don’t like maths. The website’s analytics data prove it. Write about creativity? Lots of engagement. Write about maths? Not so much. I’m running a business, so why
Learn to count with Snakes and Ladders Read More »
When you sign up to 5 Plus, our new course for parents of children over five, you get a quick welcome email. Is there anything you’re particularly struggling with? I ask. Everyone replies. And there’s lots of variety in the responses. But the common to almost everyone is screen time. “I’m a lone parent, so
5 Plus | A course for older children Read More »
Pick up a pencil and start to draw. What is your left hand doing? It’s holding down the paper. Now take some scissors and cut out your picture. Your left hand is busy again, holding and turning the paper as you cut. This is bilateral coordination. It is the ability to use both sides of
Bilateral coordination: using both hands together Read More »
Put on your socks and then your shoes. Wash your hands after you have been to the bathroom. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th. Doing things in order is important – but it’s not always easy. My children still forget to brush their teeth before putting on their school uniform. Someone gets toothpaste on their jumper
Sequencing activities Read More »
A boy is on the beach. He squats down to fill his bucket with sand. A while later, a little girl appears alongside him. She too has a bucket, but also some moulds and a scoop. She digs and fills, tips out and shapes. They don’t talk. They barely acknowledge each other’s presence. They simply
Parallel play | Playing side by side Read More »
Here is a boy. He is doing his own thing. His sister is nearby and they are happy to be together. They trade toys, they share materials, they talk, but they don’t co-operate, they aren’t working towards a shared goal. This is associative play. It is the fifth of the Six Stages of Play. The
Associative play | Doing different things, together Read More »