Pumpkin Early Years Consultancy

Love this! So true!

One thing I've been asked about a lot recently, both in person and via message, is what can we do with babies? What experiences can we provide them with that is safe?

Another common question is - they like to put everything in their mouths, what can I use?

Over the next few days I'm going to demonstrate some activities which are safe for young babies.

The first one is edible paint.

-cream
-food colouring.

It is edible so completely safe to use! I like to pair this with different textures so today I'm using foil! You can also use cotton, paper, whiteboard or the tuff tray. It is incredibly easy to clean! For young children it is perfect for marking making. To extend for those older children why not ask them to write their name or high frequency words?

A fantastic reminder from BBC Tiny People about the importance of Nursery Rhymes and Songs.

🟠World Book Day🟠

One of my all time favourite days as an Early Years Teacher!

The joy of celebrating a whole day of books is every readers paradise.

Here is one of my all time favourite books, a class favourite and now one of my children favourite bedtime stories!

A demonstration of process rather than product.

Another way of focusing on the process is creating large scale art and then using pieces of this art cut up to make a card/ gift or display. Large scale art helps to strengthen so many muscles and helps children with turn taking and building on their social skills. Examples of large process art pieces could be marble rolling in string, large brushes and paint on a sheet or spray painting with bottles and water. When I work with children on a large scale, I love talking to the children about what are they are engaging in and taking photos of them at work.

Just one more day to nominate your setting for a free consultation. The winner will be drawn at 8pm tomorrow!😊

Happy Saturday everyone!

This quote from child well-being resonates my Early Years philosophy - child lead, Individualised learning. Remembering it's the process that's important rather than the end product.

To celebrate random acts of kindness day, I am offering either a nursery setting or school setting a free Early Years Consultation with myself. To be in with a chance to win, leave your name or setting name on this post and I'll draw the winner on Monday Evening!

Feel free to share with other settings that may be interested 😊

Good luck!

Here I have attached an example of my February Key Dates planning pack. The pack contains lots of different teachable moments and invitations to play for key dates across February. The example I am sharing is focused on Pancake Day.

The full pack along with the March Key Dates pack and Story planning packs will be available on Sunday when Pumpkin's website launches!

Hello!
I am Natalie.
Welcome to Pumpkin (North West) Early Years Consultancy.
As a teacher, senior leader and qualified SENDCO, I offer a bespoke consultancy service to schools, nurseries, childminders and parents. I am passionate about Early Years Education and firmly believe that children and staff flourish when they feel heard and respected. Through my bespoke service, I work with settings and parents to support adults in providing high quality interactions, environments and understanding of a child's development. Children are at the heart of what I do and I am excited for settings to share their journey with me.