play and learn

This outdoor box is ideal to explore Maths in the great outdoors. There are many ways of using this box and we are sure that children will come up with even more ideas. Simply use discs and sticks provided and encourage children to add natural treasures, such as stones, sticks, flowers, petals, acorns and more. This new Maths crate is...

The outdoor environment can hold tremendous value when it comes to inspiring mathematical play and learning.  There is a whole world of possibilities, free from the confines of the classroom.  In the outdoors, children have greater opportunity to play on a bigger, messier and noisier scale, making it a place where we can encourage future mathematicians. However, it’s important to...

Small world play is a valuable element of an enabling environment in the Early Years and beyond. This type of play is exactly as described – play on a small scale which represents particular scenarios or environments. These play experiences can be set up in tuff spots, on cable reels, under a tree, on a table, in a suitcase…the limits...

We love tray play here at Cosy and Christmas is a fabulous time of year for doing all your festive crafts and activities in your tray. Containing the mess! We have collated all the wonderful Christmas tray play and activity ideas that we get tagged in to inspire you, along with some of our Cosy Creative's Christmas tray play ideas...

We have collated all the fabulous Christmas activity ideas for children here in this post to inspire your festive play. If you want to get merry and bright, join in as much or as little as you like. A new activity theme for each new day, to help inspire some festive play! So if you need some Christmas cheer, the...

Autumn is a lovely time to read to children and talk about nature. There is so much to learn about the seasons and the very visible changes that occur all around us. We know that so many of you use books in your setups and we get tagged in so many wonderful ideas that we felt it would be great...

Autumn is a special time of year and with lots to discover, play with and learn about. Seasons, falling leaves, conkers and lots of natural loose part treasures to collect on your autumn walks. Crates make great locations for setting up areas for children to discover. Crates can be packed up and taken outdoors too. We have gathered some of...

Outdoor play quotes help us to feel inspired to get our children outdoors, in nature. For them to feel empowered and close to nature, they help us to feel deeply about our values and our place in nature. Outdoor play quotes for children, parents and educationalists: 'If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.' Vincent Van Gogh. 'Mother...

Acorns can be used in play in a variety of ways. They are perfect during the autumn months. Acorns usually drop from their trees late summer, early autumn. Acorns are the fruit of the oak tree. They contain the seeds that can grow new oak trees, and falling to the ground is part of the tree's lifecycle – this is how...

Play in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) can involve mess – whether that’s mud, paint, glue or baking ingredients.  Sometimes, just the term ‘mess’ and conjure up negative images of this type of play, making it seem chaotic and out of control.  However, the truth is that mess can be a sensory, hands on, practical experience.  It holds immense...