Visual timetables: Time is a tricky concept to young children so when we are talking about the weeks of the summer holidays or counting down to an event it can help be really useful to help them visualise the days. Try having a weekly calendar with a peg or sticker to mark the days of the week. This also works really well for counting down to holidays or birthdays too!! Prepare for the day: Some children can find it hard to be ‘off timetable’ they like routine and like to know what is happening. That’s why you can often be asked a hundred times when Grandma is arriving! Therefore something I like to do with Mason in the morning...
If you haven't seen it yet, The Baby Club is a new TV programme available on Cbeebies and BBC iplayer to interact and stimulate young babies. Having said that, Mason is four now and he was gripped watching it too! I think one of the main reasons I adore this new show is because it shows parents and carers how household items can provide lots of entertainment at home, which you know is something close to my heart and the reason why I developed playPROMPTS activity cards. And because they're household items, you can have them ready before the shows starts so you can join in at home. If you follow the presenters or The Baby Club on social media,...
When I recently asked my community to share their barriers for playing with their little ones, one of the most common answers was the housework. Sadly, many of us are feeling overwhelmed by the jobs around the house and trying to keep on top of those whilst entertaining a little one can be really difficult. I can totally appreciate this. I get it too. Sitting and playing with your little one while you mentally write a list of things that need doing. So I have complied a list of 10 activities you can set up for your little one to keep them entertained so that you can tidy/ clean/ do things around the house. These mess free play ideas will...
'Play Potential' is a phrase I use a lot but you may be left wondering what on earth I'm on about...don't worry you're certainly not the only one!! Play Potential is a phrase I use to describe the opportunities for play a toy or resource offers. So to put it simply, how many different ways it can be used in play. For a toy, it might be that it has more than one purpose or function. How many times have you bought a toy for a young child that actually offers very little entertainment with only one or very few varieties for play? Trust me, I've been bought many and they are often the expensive ones with bright lights and...
Oh there's nothing worse than feeling under the weather when you have little ones at home to entertain with little or no childcare. It's tough. On these days you do what you can to get through the day and it might mean sacrificing those baby groups or not doing your daily visit to the park. Let yourself rest so your body can recover, don't beat yourself up about it. Just do what you can to meet your child's needs and look after yourself. If you are looking for some ways to entertain the little ones then here are 10 easy ideas you can set up to entertain the kids which require minimal energy so you can rest! 1. scavenger hunt...
