Here's a look at some of the play, learning and creative ideas that we have done over the last month. I thought I would try a new type of blog post this week - a look at a few of the different things we have been up to at home over the last month. We have enjoyed some water play, colour matching, bookish play, wet felting and small world play. I love to set up play invitations and get creative with my girls. I hope you find some inspiration today to help create some playful m

So simple to make ... so beautiful for play! Colourful loose parts are used to create these simple jars! We love loose parts play ideas! This one is a simple way to use little tiny loose parts and some jars to make a beautiful resource that can be used for light play, building and more! These have been used for building towers and other creations with. We have also used them on the light panel several times now since making them. You could glue the lids on (or tape them) if y

A quick look at our current play space set ups to invite play. Our small world table - all ready for imaginative play! A big welcome to you if this is your first time visiting the blog and welcome back to our Playful Learning community email subscribers! It was time for a quick refresh and tidy up of our kids play space at home. Our kids art space and small world table were looking very messy and not getting much attention. This is how I know when it is time to make a change

Let's get creative and explore light + colours using a light panel and beautiful resources ... Learning through play - exploring colour and capacity on the light panel Light play is not only beautiful, but also offers many opportunities for learning through play in a hands-on and enjoyable way! Simple materials, when added to the light panel can create the most inviting and engaging invitations to play. We have an A3 sized light panel that we use at home for play. It is store

Let's celebrate the Christmas season with some fun themed invitations to play and create! A red and green Christmas themed tinker tray of loose parts for open-ended play The wait until Christmas is such an exciting time! It can also be very busy, so I use the same types of setups/play ideas each year with my kids to make things simpler. This blog post has 13 simple Christmas play ideas and crafts for kids. I have a box of fun play things for the kids for Christmas that I put

One easy to make sensory base = lots of fun! See how we reused this for extra play time ... Snowy sensory play tray - Perfect for easy winter themed play! Sensory play trays are so much fun! All 3 of my kids enjoy playing with this type of tray. Not only are they simple to put together, but they can easily be reused over multiple days/even weeks for extra play time! Sensory play can be very calming and it's also a great way to develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination,

See how these reflective circles make a beautiful addition to any loose parts play collection. Perfect for the exploring the ✨MAGIC ✨ of light and reflections! Exploring the reflective surfaces in the sunlight to create shadows and light using different materials. I'm really excited to share this easy D.I.Y. project with you today as it really makes for the most beautiful play and exploration of light and reflections! We have had a great time over the last week exploring the

These are such simple & beautiful loose parts - perfect for play and learning! A tray of loose parts ready to create with our DIY coloured wood slices and gem wood slices in the middle. Loose parts for play don't need to be really fancy. These simple wood slices were so simple to make colourful and will be able to used for many different types of play! These could be used for stacking, building, for small world play, for decorating loose parts printables, for pretend cooking,

Let's have fun getting creative + take a mindful moment with this cute monster printable! Loose parts are a fun way to use this monster themed printable! Having fun creating with loose parts to decorate the monsters! This loose parts play printable + mindfulness prompts for kids are so simple to use, with many options for play and creating. Let's take a look at how we have been using them so far ... *IMPORTANT: Please ensure all play and art is actively supervised by an adult

Let's explore 2D shapes in a PLAYFUL way with these easy to make colourful shapes! Light panel play idea - colourful 2D shapes Light play is so magical and perfect for creating a sense of wonder & awe ... but finding materials that work on a light panel/light table can be expensive. These colourful shapes were an easy and inexpensive way to create a fun learning tool for some light panel play! These 2D shapes were so simple to make using some coloured cellophane. I have inclu

Looking for something simple to help enjoy the Easter season? Try one of these fun ideas at home! A fun sensory tray: Rainbow rice + coloured eggs Let's enjoy the special time before Easter with some simple play ideas! Keep reading to find some inspiration ... These Easter play ideas for kids are all things that we have done over the years at home in the lead up to Easter. We now have a little collection of Easter themed play items that we use each year including the followin

Getting creative + taking a mindful moment is really easy with these printable play mats! Loose parts are a fun way to use this magical themed printable! Loose Parts Play + Mindfulness made easy! Taking some time out of our busy days is important to help our kids take a break and enjoy a quiet moment or two. Loose part and art materials are perfect materials for encouraging children to create and enjoy mindfulness time, focussed on the present moment. This doesn't need to