Cosy Direct Blog

Thankyou for working so hard on behalf of local communities and those further afield in need. It’s been another successful year National Highlights Gaia party- we celebrated  QAE /DKC 50th with charities and civics at Derby Cathedral Met & described cosy project with King Charles and Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace Award Wins Queens award for enterprise – sustainable development Partnership of...

By Juliet Robertson Here’s a few simple outdoor learning experiences and play suggestions to do that can be easily squeezed into the hectic schedules in schools and pre-schools in the run up to Christmas. No more cabin fever. Let’s get out, get more sustainable and get going with free or low cost ideas.  If you work in Early Years, some...

By Kimberly Lawson Your mental health and wellbeing matters and I remember when I was striving to be a successful early years practitioner I would attend courses, read books and reflect on my teaching daily in setting. Yet none of this had the impact I desired when I didn’t have the tools I needed to look after my own mental...

The dreary, dismal weather has been a clear indicator that we’re well into autumn now. In fact, winter is peeping around the corner, ready for us with chilly days, frosty starts and possibly snow. For some, this might signal an end to the enjoyment that the outdoors brings during the spring and summer. Although it might be colder and wetter...

By Juliet Robertson This blog post was originally written in June 2010. Although there is no doubt that the outdoor space will now look very different, the idea of a community celebration of the outdoor space is a great way of enabling children and their families to meet and enjoy the outdoor space. Very often, parents who are very busy...

With Halloween fast approaching, it's a good time to reflect on how you can incorporate this seasonal event into your mud kitchen area. The joy of the mud kitchen lies in its versatility - it's so much more than mud and water! A fantastic way to encourage children to get creative at the same time as nurturing communication and language...

By Juliet Robertson Halloween is a day where dressing up and having fun outside is celebrated. The origins of this festival are a matter of debate but this article is a useful starting point for any teacher wishing to acknowledge the cultural or religious connections. My favourite Halloween took place many years ago whilst I was working in a tiny Highland school with 9...

Why Representation Matters With children growing up in increasingly diverse communities, we really need to reflect on how our settings and schools represent different cultures. Although we are now well into Black History month, this should not be a tokenistic gesture with black culture only celebrated at particular times. Rather, identity, race and culture should form part of our curriculum...

We know that play is a valuable vehicle for nurturing learning and development. Not only that, but children have a right to play, as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989. However, perhaps we now need to question how play is represented through social media and other online mediums. Play can be big...

My experience, by Kieran Wragg This year I swapped Cavtat for Kids Camp. I know what some of you might be thinking - why? Why would I swap a relaxing break in the rural, relaxing sunshine in a villa in Croatia for one camping in a field with 30-something kids? Growing up, I was fortunate enough to go on holiday...