minibeasts

Our little outdoor critter friends can be an endless source of awe and wonder for children young and old. This fascination can inspire such wonderful conversation and sustained shared thinking which can nurture communication and language development. We can engage in talk about size, shape, colours, the number of legs or spots, differences between the minibeasts we have found and...

Many people dislike insects especially in the summer when we eat outside more. However, there are many reasons to be thankful for insects, here are just a few of those reasons, plus some ways to get involved this week. This blog post provides you with some free or low cost activities that you can do in your setting. Have fun...

Minibeasts are a source of endless fascination for children...and often grown ups too. This interest might stem from finding bugs in the garden, a change in the seasons and the emergence of bees and butterflies or a book the children have particularly enjoyed. Educators can extend this interest, covering all seven areas of learning across the Early Years Foundation Stage...

Getting outdoors to explore nature is a vital part of early years education, and childhood as a whole. A well-planned learning environment, indoors and outside, is an important aspect of pedagogy. It can be as simple as grabbing your wellies and going on a bug hunt. Renowned educator Charlotte Mason shares that you should ‘never be indoors when you could...

Crates are very popular at the moment in play and learn set ups. Not only are they great for storage but they can also be used in a variety of ways to inspire learning in your setting. Here we show 12 of the best ways to use wooden crates in play. Mud Kitchens Create your own affordable mud pie kitchen...

Enjoying an interest in minibeasts and learning through play, whether in a setting or at home, is a great way to embrace hands-on, practical learning in a playful way. What’s great is that to hunt for minibeasts, we need to be outside so not only are we enjoying this focus but getting fresh air at the same time. This means...