Hollie Mayes Educational Design

Hollie Mayes Educational Design 🧸 Designing spaces rooted in educational philosophies
✨ Experts in childhood development
💌 DM for online & in-person consultations

02/09/2026

Numicon tiles let your child see multiplication before they ever have to recite it. Lay out groups of tiles that correspond with the numbers you’re multiplying and count the holes together to find the answer.

The shapes make grouping, arrays and even doubling visual, so the number facts actually make sense instead of just being memorised.

Grab your own set at home by commenting NUMI below. I love using these on weekends, afternoons when the kids are home or during long breaks to keep their skills sharp.

The IKEA catalog makes it look so easy. And it can be tempting to try and recreate that setup room for room, right befor...
31/08/2026

The IKEA catalog makes it look so easy. And it can be tempting to try and recreate that setup room for room, right before the new school year starts.

But the pieces that actually set your child up for a strong start aren’t always the obvious ones...

That’s exactly why I put this list together, so you can set the space up right before the school year begins, not scramble to fix it in week three.

Comment IKEA and I’ll send you the links directly 🤍

28/08/2026

One unused corner. A puppet theatre, a magnetic whiteboard, and a roleplay zone that work beautifully together or completely independently.

You don’t need a dedicated playroom to create intentional learning spaces at home. You just need the right corner and a little guidance. Designed smartly, even the smallest space can set your child up for a brilliant school year.

Comment CONSULT if you’d like to create something like this in your home, together 🤍

5 back to school books I recommend as a mum and teacher 👇🏼1️⃣ My Mummy’s Secret Adventures by Helen Farmer2️⃣ The Kissin...
27/08/2026

5 back to school books I recommend as a mum and teacher 👇🏼

1️⃣ My Mummy’s Secret Adventures by Helen Farmer
2️⃣ The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
3️⃣ The Colour Monster Goes To School by Anna Llenas
4️⃣ Invisible Things by Anna J. Pizza and Sophie Millers
5️⃣ The Worry Balloon by Mónica Mancillas

As both a teacher and a parent, I know that going back to school brings up a lot for little ones.

New classrooms, new teachers, new friendships, and all the big feelings that come with them.

Reading together before the school year begins is one of the simplest ways to open those conversations. The right book gives children the language for what they’re feeling before they ever have to find the words themselves.

These five are the ones I come back to every single year. Comment BTS and I’ll send my full reading list 🤍

25/08/2026

Mums, do this before school starts to make life a little easier 🤍

The routines that feel hard in September usually come down to the setup, not the child. Three small shifts now save you the daily nagging over lost supplies, boredom meltdowns, and morning chaos once term starts.

Comment CONSULT below if you’re not sure how to set these up in your own space for a 1:1 consultation to get you started, or book a full eDesign with me no matter where you are in the world 🌎

22/08/2026

Comment CONSULT if you want help setting up a space that works for the whole school year.

Back to school prep isn’t just about the backpack and the lunchbox. It’s a great time to reset their spaces too.

Before term starts, I always encourage my clients to look at these areas before the school year begins. Smart changes and setups now save you a lot of chaos come September.

19/08/2026

Comment BTS and I’ll send you my full back to school reading list straight to your DMs 📚

Books are one of the most powerful ways to teach children the things that matter most.

These stories are all about helping and sharing. The same values that shape how a child shows up in a classroom, makes friends, navigates conflict, and learns to think about others before themselves.

The best thing you can do before the school year begins? Get these on their shelf 🤍

17/08/2026

Comment ART and I’ll send you my full list of art corner essentials that will keep little ones busy for hours this summer, straight to your DMs 🤍

You’ve bought everything, set it all up beautifully, and five minutes later they’re bored and you’re no closer to finishing your coffee.

Sound familiar? You’re not doing anything wrong. The setup just needs two small tweaks that make all the difference in how a child actually engages with a space. So simple you can do both today.

15/08/2026

Comment NUMI and I’ll send you the link to grab these before the school year starts 👇🏼

Numicon tiles are one of the first things I recommend to every family I work with.

Here we’re using them to practise number bonds and making tens, and the reason they work so well is simple. Children can see the numbers, touch them, and physically fit the pieces together.

Abstract concepts stop being confusing the moment they become something a child can hold in their hands. And once it clicks, it stays with them.

11/08/2026

5 teacher-approved TV shows for kids 👇🏼

Every one of these chosen for low stimulation visuals, narrative-rich storytelling, and the kind of calm, thoughtful pacing that is genuinely gentler for little nervous systems.

1️⃣ Puffin Rock on Netflix
2️⃣ Jojo and Gran Gran on Apple TV or BBC iPlayer
3️⃣ Tumble Leaf on Prime Video
4️⃣ Trash Truck on Netflix
5️⃣ Still Water on Apple TV

If screens are part of your home, I always recommend choosing low-stimulation content with calmer colours, slower scene changes, and thoughtful pacing. A much gentler choice for little nervous systems.

Want my full list? Comment SCREENS and I’ll send you everything, including where to watch 🤍

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