Blog

When it comes to toys, in terms of development and creativity, less is more.  Full blog

Much of the negative reputation of tech and screens is way ahead of the research, and schools need to recognise the reality, says professor Andrew Przybylski.  Full blog

Long-term impacts of play deprivation during early child development include isolation, depression, reduced self-control and poor resilience.

Educators, parents and policymakers should all be concerned at the rapid decline in unsupervised free play for children, which may damage early child development and later social and emotional learning, according to research.  Full blog

We often hear about the benefits of reading storybooks at bedtime for promoting vocabulary, early literacy skills, and a good relationship with your child. But the experts haven’t been in your home, and your child requests the same book every single night, sometimes multiple times a night. You both know all the words off by heart.  Full blog

As part of a recent parent survey, we asked parents if they could change one thing about Little Forest Folk, what would it be? The vast majority responded ‘nothing’, which is always lovely to hear.  Full blog

Play is not only important for physical development and as a way to have fun, but play builds children’s brains, and gives them the tools they need for coping and resilience in a rapidly changing world.  Full blog

This article will examine the importance of effectively communicating both the risks and benefits associated with outdoor education programs to parents, in order for them to provide informed consent for their child to participate.
An overview of the current social context in which we are operating, as well as an examination of how and why risks are perceived in certain ways will be presented. Finally the practical impact this could have on risk communication strategies will be offered.  Full article 

In his 2005 book, “Last Child in the Woods,” Richard Louv wrote about what he called nature-deficit disorder, and cited about 60 scientific studies looking at the benefits of nature and the problems that can come from being too isolated from the natural world. Today, Mr. Louv said, there are more than 700 studies (abstracts can be found on the website of the Children and Nature Network, of which Mr. Louv is the co-founder).  Full blog

We spend much of our lives doing our best to keep our children safe. We bundle them up when it’s cold. We feed them healthy foods. We put plug covers in the electrical outlets. We put child safety locks on all the cabinets. We buckle them safely into their car seats.  Full blog

Recently, I was called down to the main office in the middle of my planning period. I needed to pick up an item that a parent dropped off for their child. Thinking it was something like an inhaler or money for dinner, I was happy to go retrieve it.  Full blog