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Learn through fun outdoor play!

Playing outside is an essential part of a child's development. From making mud kitchens, to getting to know nature, learning and playing outside will help little learners form key developmental skills such as physical health & self-confidence!

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Half Term Already?

Learning Resources Posted On Oct 24, 2014

Just as it feels like the children have just gone back to school after the summer holidays, half term will be beginning for many schools across the UK today! That means we’re on the slippery slope to Christmas!

Are your children ready for the rest? Squirt is still at nursery so she doesn’t have half term, but I can imagine six weeks of learning can be a long time for the very young learners in the Foundation Stage of school, and in fact other children too. Whether you’ll be using the half term to chill out, or have a jam-packed week planned, I hope you have some hands-on fun!

I wonder how many Loom Band creations will be in production throughout homes this half term. They’ve taken off in popularity so quickly and even though they’ve had a little bit of bad press, still seem to be one of the most popular craft resources on the market. Squirt isn’t quite old enough for them yet, they’re a bit too fiddly for her little fingers, but it’s certainly something she’ll love in the future. If your youngsters are into loom bands, we’d love to see what they come up with this half-term!

Mumsnet.com have a great topic board for getting out and about this half-term, with suggestions for all over the UK. Head over and take a look at what’s happening where you are over the next week or so.Â

Netmums.com have provided a list of things to try to make the most of half-term, there are some great ideas that I’ll be doing with Squirt when we’re at home together!

Have fun in the garden! This time of year provides a different aspect of outside play, such as leaf collecting, puddle jumping and mud pie kitchens!
Get cooking. If the weather isn’t so great, then getting in the kitchen can provide hours of fun, if you’re happy to get a bit messy! Pumpkin pies and anything flavoured with pumpkin spice are very popular this time of year, there are some great recipes on Pinterest.com! Paul Hollywood has a Baking with Kids section on his website - http://paulhollywood.com/home/bake-kids/fun-games/
Try a new activity. Trips to soft play areas can get a bit boring (maybe for the parents more than the kids!) so try something everyone can enjoy together! If the weather permits, go on a hike! Perhaps try a new board game or one that hasn’t seen daylight for a few years. My favourite is the classic Monopoly, although Squirts favourite at the moment is the Robot Face Raceâ„¢!
Get Away on the cheap. If it’s warm enough for camping, get out and explore a new area without spending a lot of money. Take a look at Netmums.com for some recommended camp site from parents.
Clear the clutter and make some extra money. The children will lured into getting involved if they know their unwanted toys will provide a little extra half term spending money!
Check out a theme park. Squirt can’t wait to go to Legoland, there is so much to do at a theme park, and going in the autumn months means it won’t be as busy as the summer! Keep an eye out for buy one get one free coupons too!
Catch a new film. There are plenty of new films coming out this time of year ready for the half term holidays! If you’re on a budget, why not plan a movie afternoon, or a Disney Day! One of Squirts favourites at the moment is Alice in Wonderland.

Have a great half-term!

Until next time…

Laura

Half Term Already?

Netmums.com have provided a list of things to try to make the most of half-term, there are some great ideas that I’ll be doing with Squirt when we’re at home together!

Have fun in the garden! This time of year provides a different aspect of outside play, such as leaf collecting, puddle jumping and mud pie kitchens!
Get cooking. If the weather isn’t so great, then getting in the kitchen can provide hours of fun, if you’re happy to get a bit messy! Pumpkin pies and anything flavoured with pumpkin spice are very popular this time of year, there are some great recipes on Pinterest.com! Paul Hollywood has a Baking with Kids section on his website - http://paulhollywood.com/home/bake-kids/fun-games/
Try a new activity. Trips to soft play areas can get a bit boring (maybe for the parents more than the kids!) so try something everyone can enjoy together! If the weather permits, go on a hike! Perhaps try a new board game or one that hasn’t seen daylight for a few years. My favourite is the classic Monopoly, although Squirts favourite at the moment is the Robot Face Raceâ„¢!
Get Away on the cheap. If it’s warm enough for camping, get out and explore a new area without spending a lot of money. Take a look at Netmums.com for some recommended camp site from parents.
Clear the clutter and make some extra money. The children will lured into getting involved if they know their unwanted toys will provide a little extra half term spending money!
Check out a theme park. Squirt can’t wait to go to Legoland, there is so much to do at a theme park, and going in the autumn months means it won’t be as busy as the summer! Keep an eye out for buy one get one free coupons too!
Catch a new film. There are plenty of new films coming out this time of year ready for the half term holidays! If you’re on a budget, why not plan a movie afternoon, or a Disney Day! One of Squirts favourites at the moment is Alice in Wonderland.

Have a great half-term!

Until next time…

Laura

Learning Resources Posted On Oct 22, 2014

I was honoured to visit the UK October 7-12 as Nancy B! This is the first time Nancy B of Nancy Bâ€™s Science Club made an official international appearance and I am pleased to say I was treated like royalty in the UK.

The idea of my trip began earlier this year when Lisa Guili, MD of Educational Insights, suggested that I meet with Fun Learningâ€™s store managers and explain the features and benefits of both the Nancy B line of science products and the GeoSafari Jr. products. As such, my trip began with a visit to Fun Learningâ€™s office in Wandsworth. I presented EIâ€™s 2015 products as well as the Nancy B line and recent GeoSafari Jr. new products to an enthusiastic and inquisitive group of store managers. The Fun Learning office is in a very interesting and beautiful building that at various times in the past has been an orphanage and an asylum!

From there, Chris drove us to Kingâ€™s Lynn where I had a lovely dinner with my UK colleagues. The next morning I was excited to finally see the beautiful, bright and colourful Learning Resources office. I presented the 2015 EI product line as well as the Nancy B products and the new GeoSafari Jr. products. The Learning Resources team gave me lots of great feedback which I have been relaying to the EI team in California.

From there, Peter kindly drove me to the beautiful Jarrold Department Store in Norwich where I was pleased to be part of a public Nancy B event. Children completed Nancy B science activities for a chance to win Nancy B products and prize money.

The following morning, I took a lovely train and Tube ride back to central London and arrived at the London Science Museum for a fabulous public event there. Children and their mums and dads (and mindersâ€”a new British word for me) came through in droves to use the Nancy B, GeoSafari Jr. and Primary Science toys. We went through a LOT of vinegar and baking soda, shined quite a few pennies, and identified a lot of fingerprints. It was a great (and exhausting!) experience. The day ended with a super fun (and very late) dinner with a lively group from the LR/UK office who happened to be attending the TES Special Educational Needs Show in London.

Last but not least, on Saturday Chris and I participated in a Nancy B event with Fun Learning at their store at the Bentall Centre. This was another extremely busy event involving much vinegar and baking soda and lots of viewings of the ceiling of the mall with a Nancy B MoonScope.

Nancy Bâ€™s first official international public appearances abroad went extremely well thanks to the hard work and planning from the Learning Resources team and Chris Beardmore, Sammy Willetts and Helen Ferri Wilson in particular. Thank you to everyone involved.

Nancy B - My time in the UK

Learning Resources Posted On Oct 21, 2014 | Learn

Hi all

Young children are very inquisitive and natural problem solvers. They learn to walk and talk by having a desire to attain their goal, by mimicking others, by trying things out, by making lots of mistakes and adjusting strategies accordingly, and by gradually gaining in confidence.

Building Maths Skills

Hi all

Learning Resources Posted On Oct 15, 2014

“We feel we might be lost.Â We can hear the distant pounding of the waves but it seems hours and miles since we left Cley Next The Sea. The shingle underfoot is unforgiving and seems to stretch to the near horizon which is shrouded in an eerie mist.Â Is that really a dead seal over there? Slowly on our right the barrels of giant World War 2 Howitzers rear out of the murk.Â Have we slipped through a wormhole in time?Â No we have just come across the Muckleburgh Museum and we know we canâ€™t be far from Weybourne and the final push to Cromer (although itâ€™s not as near as we think)!”

That was Day 2 of our charity walk to raise money for our local Little Discoverers group. Â We six from Learning Resources had over a thousand pounds riding on the challenge of walking from Hunstanton to Cromer along the bleak and beautiful North Norfolk Coastal Path in just 48 hours.Â

Day 1, while not just a walk on the beach, had also not seemed so taxing.Â The weather was fine, balmy in fact, the terrain was firm and level we had the confidence of fresh legs and un-blistered feet. We arrived in Wells Next The Sea footsore and stiff in the knees just ahead of a biblical thunder storm. We found shelter at the YHA Hostel and hot food and cooling beer at The Crown. Â 22 miles down we thought, about the same distance to cover tomorrow? Err wrong!

We had trained for this; eight mile walks weekly after work, a couple of longer walks at the weekend as the event approached.Â What we hadnâ€™t considered was the effect of walking that distance on consecutive days, and the effect of discovering that the actual distance on Day 2 is actually close to 26 miles.

Day 2 started so magically.Â The sea mists drifting along the creeks giving the marsh a dreamlike quality, the spider webs hung with dew that glittered in the pale morning sun, the mournful cry of the curlew and the raucous gabble of gathering geese, the weathered boats with their faded peeling paintwork.

But we had billed this as a challenge, and challenge us it did. For after our posh deli lunch in Cley we encountered the shingle (see above), the surprisingly hilly path to Sheringham and the dispiriting and seeming endless inland trek before the bracing vision of Cromer Pier.Â When, one mile from Cromer we came across a sign that said â€˜Cromer 2 Â½ Milesâ€™ some of us wanted to cry! Itâ€™s true to say that everyone in or team; Liz, Helene, Sammy, Jo, Nick and your humble author had to dig deep in our own ways just to keep going.Â

Bur of course we did it, to the delight of friends & family & colleagues (and hopefully our chosen beneficiaries).Â And all we will remember is that inspiring camaraderie that only a shared struggle to a goal can deliver.Â That and the views and the fact that we seemed meet every dog in Norfolk on the way!