Young Friends Kindergarten

05/09/2026

Scraps of fabric. Bits of wire. Small hands, big concentration.
Our Hedgehogs have been busy making fish — woven and twisted into shape, hung from the ceiling where they catch the light and remind everyone that the ocean is worth caring about.
Part of a bigger conversation about the sea, what lives there and why it matters. Part of everyday life at Young Friends, where scrap materials become something worth keeping and children under two make things they are genuinely proud of.
They are. And so are we.
What do you see when you look at a child's face the moment something they made goes up for everyone to enjoy?

04/09/2026

Sunflower season is nearly over — so this week Kit sat with the Foxes and Badgers to celebrate it properly.

Real sunflowers as inspiration. Banana leaves (no longer needed elsewhere) as petals. Recycled cardboard as the base. The results were, genuinely, spectacular.

They talked about the seasons changing, why sunflowers matter — the seeds, the oil, the bees, what the plant gives long after the flower fades. Then they made something beautiful from what was already there.

Nothing bought. Nothing wasted. Just children, plants and a very good idea.

What are you noticing changing in nature right now? 🌻

03/09/2026

Our Hedgehogs have been planting their own herb garden in their room — tended by the children who water it, smell it and name it. These same herbs will find their way into cooking, sensory activities and snack time. Seed to plate, from the very beginning.

02/09/2026

Braiding. Binding. Twisting. Starting again when it unravels.

Our Foxes made harvest dollies with Sally — one of the oldest craft traditions in Britain, and one that turns out to require a very particular kind of focus that young children are completely capable of.

No plastic. No kit. Just raffia, small hands and time.

28/08/2026

28/08/2026

Meet the team - Pt. 2

27/08/2026

Job done.
Every day at Young Friends, snack is made from scratch by the children themselves. Plant-based, seasonal, nutritious — and today, gloriously orange. The Hedgehogs roasted, blended and tasted their way through this one, then ate it with the kind of satisfaction that only comes from making something yourself.
This is what seed to plate looks like at its earliest and most joyful.
What does snack time look like where you are?

27/08/2026

Job done.
Every day at Young Friends, snack is made from scratch by the children themselves. Plant-based, seasonal, nutritious — and today, gloriously orange. The Hedgehogs roasted, blended and tasted their way through this one, then ate it with the kind of satisfaction that only comes from making something yourself.
This is what seed to plate looks like at its earliest and most joyful.
What does snack time look like where you are?

EarlyYears BabyRoom FoodEducation SustainableChildhood ShapingUs EarlyChildhoodMatters HoveKindergarten BrightonAndHove EcoKindergarten ChildLedLearning

26/08/2026

Meet the team: Part 1

24/08/2026

Lavender scent bags to hang in our quiet room