Around the Nursery

An A to Z of enhancements - A is for authentic objects

Activities | Around The Nursery | Equipment & Resources | The Learning Environment | Practice

What are ‘enhancements’ and when should they be used in the early years? In the first part of a new series, Amy Jackson starts with a real tea set

Around the nursery, part 11 - Toddler time

Practice | Around The Nursery | The Learning Environment | Birth to Threes | Around the Nursery: Penny Tassoni

In the toddler room, children’s speed of development is very quick – and settings need to make sure they cater for that, explains Penny Tassoni in the final part of her series

Around the Nursery, Part 9 - A brick at a time

Practice | Around The Nursery | The Learning Environment | Early Years Curriculum | Understanding the World | Around the Nursery: Penny Tassoni

Construction play – what it is, its developmental benefits, and how settings can best provide, support and resource for it. By Penny Tassoni

Around the Nursery, Part 8 - Purpose built?

Practice | The Learning Environment | Around The Nursery | Early Years Curriculum | Personal, Social and Emotional Development | Around the Nursery: Penny Tassoni

Routines are beneficial to both a setting and its children – but they have to be useful and meaningful. By Penny Tassoni

Around the Nursery, Part 7 - Out of this world?

Practice | Around The Nursery | The Learning Environment | Early Years Curriculum | Areas of Learning | Understanding the World | Equipment & Resources | Around the Nursery: Penny Tassoni

What is small-world play, how does it benefit children, and what can settings do to make sure it is provisioned in ways that ensure quality and diversity? By Penny Tassoni

Around the Nursery, Part 6 - A rich palette?

Practice | The Learning Environment | Around The Nursery | Expressive Arts and Design | Early Years Curriculum | Around the Nursery: Penny Tassoni

Painting, collage and junk modelling have many benefits for children beyond self-expression and creativity, finds Penny Tassoni

Employer Zone

Can we double the number of men in childcare?

Work for an expanding award-winning nursery group

How Fennies supported their staff wellbeing throughout a pandemic

Around the Nursery, Part 5 - Cover to cover

Practice | The Learning Environment | Equipment & Resources | Early Years Curriculum | Areas of Learning | Literacy | Around The Nursery | Around the Nursery: Penny Tassoni

How should settings provide books and storytimes for children across the age groups, and what is the...

Around the Nursery, Part 4 - Pressing needs

Mathematics | Practice | Around The Nursery | The Learning Environment | Early Years Curriculum | Areas of Learning | Expressive Arts and Design | Around the Nursery: Penny Tassoni

Dough and other malleable materials have a role to play across the early years curriculum, explains...

Around the Nursery, Part 3 - In on the act

Practice | Around The Nursery | Early Years Curriculum | Areas of Learning | Expressive Arts and Design | Personal, Social and Emotional Development | Equipment & Resources | Around the Nursery: Penny Tassoni

Advice for settings on how to plan and resource role play for all age groups. By Penny Tassoni

Around the Nursery, Part 2 - Make a mark

Practice | The Learning Environment | Around The Nursery | Early Years Curriculum | Literacy | Stages of Development | Around the Nursery: Penny Tassoni

Ensuring enjoyment, challenge and meaning in children’s mark-making. By Penny Tassoni

Nursery Equipment: Planning - First principles

Nursery Equipment Supplement | Enabling Environments | Equipment & Resources | Around The Nursery | Practice

A nursery's design, from the way spaces are laid out to how books are stored and the furniture and...

Around the Nursery: Part 1, Sand and water - Making progress

Understanding the World | Practice | Early Years Curriculum | The Learning Environment | Around The Nursery | Around the Nursery: Penny Tassoni

How can settings ensure their sand and water provision meets the requirements of the new Education...

Guides & Resources

Nursery Equipment: Loose Parts - Feeling empowered

Equipment & Resources | Nursery Equipment Supplement | Practice | Enabling Environments | Around The Nursery

Providing children with access to loose parts materials enables them to use their imaginations in an endless variety of ways. Nicole Weinstein provides some examples of useful resources

Early Years in School: Continuous Provision - Space out

Learning & Development | Early Years Curriculum | Practice | Enabling Environments | Equipment & Resources | Around The Nursery | The Learning Environment

It is important to provide a range of resources that children can access and use independently in the Reception classroom, writes Linda Pound

Nursery Equipment: Communication & Language - So to speak

Equipment & Resources | Early Years Curriculum | Learning & Development | Practice | Enabling Environments | Communication and Language | Nursery Equipment Supplement | More on Communication & Language | More Communication & Language | Around The Nursery

Use targeted resources that are meaningful to children to get them talking, says Judith Stevens.

Nursery Equipment: Sleep Time - Zzzzz...

Enabling Environments | Nursery Equipment Supplement | Practice | Around The Nursery

Whether sleeping indoors or outside, the key is to cater to every child's needs, writes Katy Morton.

Enabling environments: Continuous provision, part 4 - The right stuff

Early Years Curriculum | Child Development | Practice | Enabling Environments | Practice Guides: Continuous Provision | Continuous Provision | Around The Nursery

In providing resources for playful learning we need to remember the process in which they will be used, not just the outcome at the end, says Anne O'Connor.