Top Tips

The May half term is a lovely, increasingly warm time of year to head outdoors and soak up the fresh air, sunshine, and springtime magic! Nature is a wonderful teacher, people of ages endless opportunities to learn, explore, and play — and the best part? It's at a minimum cost! At Cosy Direct, we’re big believers in simple, sustainable, and...

Welcome back! Term is in full swing, and and if you're like us, you might be itching to get your classroom organised now you've started to get to know your new cohort. Whether you've identifying learning styles, organising your room around new learning areas, or adapting your provision to meet new interests or needs, these early weeks of September often...

It's here! Back to school 2024 has begun, and this post will focus on provision ideas for learners beginning their first formal school year in Reception or EYFS (FS2). This time of year almost always necessitates some 'getting to know you' activities in your classroom or learning space, but there is so much more to providing fun, simple activities in...

Enjoying and participating in physical activity is an important part of the primary curriculum - and thanks to government Sports Premium funding, each year there are new opportunities to improve how your school promotes and supports regular movement. In this post we'll be sharing our top ways of utilising this important funding to support activity for all. Our full range...

In last week's post we shared our ultimate guide to the Cosy Curriculum shed range. From toddler sheds to maths sheds, reading sheds to writing sheds and many more, you have a learning requirement, we've got a shed to cover it! Sometimes, though, you might find yourself with a little more storage than you have resources to hold - or...

We know that creating an enabling environment in the early years is key, that's why it's one of the principles underpinning the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The importance of this lies in fostering a sense of safety so children feel confident and safe to explore, play and learn. We'd suggest that you start by carrying out...

Learning is a joy at any age. While we love the excitement and creativity of preschool and reception classrooms, we also have a real soft spot for baby and toddler provision! In fact, did you know that we have a specialised range just for babies and toddlers, designed for smaller hands, tiny toes and younger explorers? In this post we’ll...

1. Shadow Play: Use a torch or a lamp to create different shapes and shadows on a wall or ceiling. Encourage babies to reach out and touch the shadows, fostering their visual tracking skills. 2. Light Box Exploration: Place various translucent objects, such as coloured blocks or plastic animals, on a light table or a clear plastic container with a...

Written by Creative STAR Going back to school after the holidays is always exciting. If you are getting a new class, then often the first few days are spent on introductory activities which help everyone get to know a bit more about each other. One activity I often used to do was, “Twenty Things You Need To Find Out.” The...

written by Creative STAR Many years ago years ago, I started blogging about accessories that make a difference to facilitating learning and play outdoors. I was participating in a twilight workshop and one of the participants made a sage comment along the lines of being perfectly comfortable knowing her literacy and maths outside but lacking the practical know-how about outdoor...