9 top tips for a stress free family Christmas

Claire Burgess, Head of Research, Consultancy & Training

Twitter: @belles28

Katie Crouch, Early Years Consultant

Twitter: @crunchiekatie

Christmas Day is the one day of the year which can be the most exciting day but also one of the most stressful. We all want the festive period to be one of fun, happiness and just like we see in the movies… however it doesn’t always turn out that way! In the same way that we are writing lists to make sure that we don’t forget anything and to help us to be fully prepared, we need to think about how we are preparing our children. We often think that children will just accept the changes and surprises (which can actually translate into shock for children) that the festive period can bring, but, very often, it can have the opposite effect to what we had planned.

The connection of communication

Katie Crouch, Early Years Consultant

Twitter: @crunchiekatie

Learning language and communication is an exciting journey, which children first embark upon whilst still in the womb. Through sounds, in our environment and our spoken words, children slowly begin to absorb the meanings of noises and verbal communications. Communication is a fundamental life skill, which we all need to connect us to our social world. We use connections to build relationships with others and in order to carry out tasks. Early childhood is widely seen as a critical period for forming language and communication strategies, and is therefore, a golden time for us to get to know our children and their developing personalities.

7 top tips for preparing you and your child(ren) for starting school

Claire Burgess, Head of Research, Consultancy & Training

Twitter: @belles28

Katie Crouch, Early Years Consultant

Twitter: @crunchiekatie

Traditionally, the first day of school tends to start with pictures of the little one(s) standing proudly, and nervously, in their brand new and immaculately pressed school uniform by the front door. These pictures help to form special memories and also mark a moment of reflection for the parent. For many, this moment can cause a flourish of memories of your past four, or five, years with your child(ren). Recollections flash by from pregnancy scans, first smiles, magical first steps to bumped knees. All of these emotions can be overwhelming and therefore makes it completely understandable that you and your child(ren) may be apprehensive about starting school. 

My first year at Norland is over

My first year at Norland is over

Author: Abi Kohen, Set 40

My first year at Norland College has come to a close. Despite the deadlines, learning to live independently and several cooking and sewing disasters later, I have to say it is a year I would happily relive all over again. I always knew the first year was going to be a huge and exciting learning curve, but nothing can compare to the invaluable knowledge and experience I have gained. 

Things to do during the Summer with 1-'2'-5 year-olds

Throughout 2017, our 125th anniversary year, we asked Norlanders, Norland students and staff to suggest activities for 1-'2'-5 year-olds. Here are their suggestions for things to do during the Summer months.

53. Go on a bug hunt, take a magnifying glass, turn over a log and see what you discover. This will encourage children to explore and investigate their world and a conversation about the needs of living creatures will further enhance their learning.

54. Take a trip to the seaside and explore the smells, sounds and sights. Collect pebbles along the way. Children learn by using their senses and the seaside is a wonderful place to stimulate that learning - especially when you add in ice cream! Sarah, Set 25

55. Practice pouring skills with sand, jugs and cups. Discuss full and empty. A simple fun activity which is easy to sweep up and good for fine and gross motor skills. Maria, Set 22

56. Number one... JUMP... Number seven... JUMP! Use coloured chalks to draw numbers onto a patio space. The caregiver shouts out a number and the child has to jump to that number as quickly as possible. Great for number recognition and physical development. Bliss, Set 32

57. Make a miniature fairy garden in a container using a mixture of items found out and about, such as tiny pebbles, fir cones, homemade clay, toadstools, miniature fairy tepees and washing lines. Great to stimulate a discussion about environments and to encourage role play and imagination. Louisa, Set 24

58. Make a lavender bag in the summer. Use the bag to prompt recall and discuss the scent. Lucy, Set 35

59. Prepare homemade lemonade on a warm summer's day. Helps children to understand the provenance of everyday drinks. Lucy, Set 35

60. Design butterflies from different materials. Creativity and imagination will be prompted. Lucy Draper, Set 35

61. Design a stage with a shoebox and narrate a story with toys. Perfect activity for storytelling and imagination. Helen, Set 30

62. 'Magic Painting': all you need is an old paint brush and water. Let the children paint outside on the patio and watch the paintings disappear. It's great for reinforcing letter and number formation with the older children and early discussions about evaporation. Quick hint - if a child has spent a while painting a picture make sure you take a photo so they can show the family later! Steph, Set 35 and Mel, Set 25

63. Assemble an aeroplane using cardboard boxes and some imagination. Then fly to your favourite destination around the house. The activity will prompt recall and imagination. Jemima, Set 13

64. Take a couple of pieces of chalk outside on a sunny day and draw each other's shadows. Great to prompt a discussion about the sun and why some shadows look bigger than others. Becky, Set 32 and Mel, Set 25

65. Pick your favourite doll, fill a washing bowl with bubble bath and water and wash with soap. After the doll is clean, dry the doll with a flannel. This activity can help with naming body parts and discussing water safety. Kathryn, Set 11

66. Combine corn flour and conditioner to make homemade playdough. Kathryn, Set 11

67. Mark out a maze with decorative tape. This activity helps with problem solving and concentration. Dorcas, Set 29

68. Revisit holiday photos and draw what you see in the pictures. This activity is great for discussion and concentration skills. Dorcas, Set 29

69. Practice the alphabet by drawing letters in sand trays. This supports children's fine motor skills as well as their letter recognition. Michelle, Set 26

70. Make a tie-dye top. A good activity for creativity and understanding the different effects that can be created. Francesca Thorn

71. Take pictures of butterflies on a walk and identify the different species online or in a book when you get home. Lisa Philpott

72. Plant flower seeds, wait patiently and measure as they grow. Helps children to understand the needs of living things and how to care for them. Susie Somerville

73. Create tissue paper flowers. Take two circular pieces of tissue paper, place one on top of the other using different colours. Screw them into a rose or flower shape. Attach a pipe cleaner to the base (doubled over for strength if needed). You can put them in a vase or tie them like a bouquet. Great alternative to real flowers and last forever! Kate Morgan

74. Practice washing up at the kitchen sink with a tea set. This activity is good for role play and fine and gross motor control.

75. Re-create a drum kit out of metal mixing bowls and wooden spoons. Then drum along to your favourite song. This helps children develop an appreciation for rhythm, as well as the development of gross motor skills.

76. Practice finger painting.

Norland student helps deliver her friend’s baby!

Preparing for birth is a magical time, from decorating the nursery, to preparing the overnight bag. There is one thing however that cannot always be controlled; exactly when the big day is going to arrive.

Norland student, Lauren Sherrin of Set 39 shares her remarkable account of how her invaluable experience at Norland College prepared her to facilitate one of life’s greatest moments.

Things to do during the Spring with 1-'2'-5 year-olds

Throughout 2017, our 125th anniversary year, we asked Norlanders, Norland students and staff to suggest activities for 1-'2'-5 year-olds. Here are their suggestions for things to do during the Spring months.

32. Draw around a hand and decorate with paint, glitter, crayons or even pasta. Go wild and it always looks effective. This activity encourages children's creativity and you can introduce new vocabulary to describe the textures and patterns. Sarah, Set 25

33. Make your own multi-coloured crayon blocks! Take your old crayons, crack them into a muffin tin. Melt in the oven for a few minutes and you have your own crayon block. This will allow for a great discussion about the effects of heat on wax and the change of state it creates. Becky, Set 32

34. Design a pair of tin can stilts. Make a couple of holes either side of two empty tin cans, thread a long piece of string through each can and use them in the garden to try and walk. Helps children to concentrate on their gross motor skills and co-ordination. Anita, Set 30

35. Create artistic characters from paper plates and let your imagination run wild. Lucy, Set 35

36. Once you’ve made the bird feeder, play Eye Spy and draw what you can see - good for the development of phonics but can be adapted for younger children by using colours or shapes as clues. Elizabeth Harvey

37. Celebrate St. David's Day by making daffodil decorated biscuits with a star-shaped pastry cutter. Cooking with children enables such deep learning - quantities, numbers, watching as the liquid becomes a solid, the development of small and gross motor skills - the learning is endless! Sarah, Set 25

38. Print with different objects such as toy bricks, plastic cars, toothbrushes, cotton buds. Be as creative as you like! Kathryn, Set 11

39. Decorate four lollipop sticks, glue corners to make a square, print out a favourite picture and you have your very own photo frame! Becky, Set 32

40. Play alphabet recognition bingo and use stamper markers to keep score. A great game for on the go which helps to develop an awareness of phonics. Dorcas, Set 29

41. Construct junk model musical instruments. Collect tissue boxes and elastic bands to make a guitar. Join a few kitchen roll tubes together to make didgeridoos. Fill cartons with metal bottle tops to make a rattle. Decorate the instruments using paints and see how colourful your band can be. Experiment with different sounds and express yourself through music. Lucy, Set 31

42. Go to the woods and discuss the wildlife and flowers. Talk about the seasons and the buds growing on the trees. Talk about some of the sounds you can hear. Replicate the sounds you hear by rustling leaves and banging sticks to make the wind and the birds. Laura, Set 26

43. Make a mud pie. Francesca Thorn

44. Cut out a flower shape to create a stained glass daffodil picture. Use pieces of torn tissue paper to stick to the underside of the flower shape. Once dry, attach to a window. You can use this activity to explore with children the effects of light passing through the coloured tissue paper. Sarah, Set 25

45. Hide toy figures and statues around the garden and play hide and seek. Helps develop memory and attention. Jenny Peacock

46. Make your our own beach by setting up a paddling pool and a sandpit. Collect shells from a previous visit to the beach and decorate a sand castle. Bury some costume jewellery in the sandpit and pretend to be a pirate digging for treasure! Use this activity to prompt recall about favourite holidays. Naomi, Set 35

47. Weave bits of old fabric through railings and create patterns to improve fine motor skills. Francesca Thorn

48. Go on a peg hunt indoors or outside. Hide clothes pegs for the children to hunt. Peg them at various heights, on trees, to toys, on curtains, on teddies and anywhere you can think of. Use bright pegs to help the children spot them. Great for visual discrimination. Gemma, Set 16

49. Cover the floor with a messy play mat, squirt with some paint and let children explore the different colours and textures through body painting, printing and drawing. A wonderful sensory experience which can be used to extend creativity and language. Jess, Set 28

50. Construct your own bird feeder. Collect an old kitchen roll tube, spread with peanut butter and roll in seeds. Tie some string through the tube and hang outside on a tree. Watch the birds come along for a snack and discuss wildlife and nature. Becky, Set 32

51. Fill a mist bottle with water and clean all of the leaves in the garden. Great for fine motor skills development. Elizabeth Harvey

52. Re-create Elma from a recycled milk bottle and tissue paper. Use this to prompt recall about the book. Lucy, Set 35