This innovative Australian book explores opportunities for creativity within an early childhood environment. Challenging existing educational practice this book offers an alternative way of learning about program planning and observation, and will provide you with the underpinning knowledge to support the design and implementation of a creative children's program. It covers: play and leisure; opportunities, organization and experience for children; observation - use and interpretation of; records, facilitation of the design, coordination, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programs; and the development of programs for children with additional needs.

_______________ The 50 Fantastic Ideas series is packed full of fun, original, skills-based activities for Early Years practitioners to use with children aged 0-5. Each activity features step-by-step guidance, a list of resources, and a detailed explanation of the skills children will learn. Creative, simple, and highly effective, this series is a must-have for every Early Years setting. 50 Fantastic Ideas Inspired by Famous Artists uses well-known art as a visual inspiration to develop expressive art and design skills in the Early Years. It is much easier now to access art online and to bring inspirational pieces into a setting without having to buy postcards or visit an art gallery. Drawing on these readily available online sources, Judith Harries presents 50 ideas featuring a range of diverse artists from Lubaina Himid and Friedensreich Hundertwasser to Mary Delany and Picasso, and famous art including pop and street art, sculpture and portraiture. Using art supplies easily found in and outside the classroom such as paints, clay, pipe cleaners and natural resources like leaves and flowers, the interactive activities found in this book are ideal for inspiring creativity and fun at the same time!

Features 365 activities for toddlers, including games, art projects, and songs, that are intended to foster creativity, stimulate cognitive development, and encourage inventiveness.

Religious events and cultural celebrations form an important part of societies throughout the world. They are key to social development and understanding, for celebrating diversity, as well as finding common ground. Covering a wide range of festivals from around the world, this book shows practitioners and teachers how they can introduce young children to some of the ideas behind these events and encourage them to have fun, get creative and work together. Aimed at those working with children aged 3 – 7, Using Festivals to Inspire and Engage Young Children covers a range of cultural celebration by each calendar month, explaining the background to these events and provides fun and imaginative activities and stories based around each one. Features include: a basic outline of each festival; a wide range of activities to suit children at different stages in their development; development and learning aims at the end of each chapter; suggestions for working with parents and links with home; top tips for creating your own activities relating to celebrations; story models that can be adapted and used to suit different events. Highly practical with an emphasis on fun and hands on learning, this book is a fantastic resource for Early Years practitioners, Primary School teachers and those that want to inspire young children and celebrate the world we live in.

Inspiring Ideas to Support Early Maths and Literacy takes a play-based approach and draws on popular stories and rhymes to cover the key areas of mathematics and literacy. Full of practical, tried and tested ideas for developing understanding in mathematics and literacy, this book aims to help practitioners make these areas of learning exciting and meaningful for young children. Each chapter shows how learning can be reinforced and brought to life through resources made from everyday materials, providing children with an enjoyable and positive learning experience. Key features include: • clear instructions and full colour photographs on how to make practical resources for indoor and outdoor environments • vocabulary lists for inspiration and ideas for developing a new play space or overhauling an existing space • key questions to consider when planning and designing an indoor or outdoor play space • links to the Early Years Foundation Stage that will guide the development of a future playground and challenge providers to enhance their practice. This practical resource will be essential reading for primary teachers, early years practitioners, students and all those interested in developing young children’s confidence in mathematics and literacy. .

What is it that Inspirational teachers do differently? In short, they plan for their pupils to be inspirational. Many teachers who join the teaching profession do so because they were taught by inadequate teachers and they feel they can provide a far better and more exciting education for youngsters than they received themselves. Whereas other teachers speak with clarity of detail about stimulating and influential teachers who inspired their lives and now they want to do the same. This book is an examination of what our most inspirational teachers do in order to get creative and inspirational responses from children. It aims to put fun back into teaching, provide a framework for creativity in the twenty first century and act as a book of hope for the new curriculum proposals.

**How to Foster Creativity in Your Child** Unlock your child's creative potential with *How to Foster Creativity in Your Child*, a practical guide designed for parents eager to nurture their child's imagination and innovation. This short read offers actionable tips and strategies to create an environment where creativity can flourish. Discover how to craft an inspiring environment that fuels your child's creativity. Learn the importance of setting up a dedicated art space, incorporating elements of nature, and providing open-ended materials that spark imagination and encourage self-expression. Curiosity is the gateway to creativity. This guide reveals techniques to foster curiosity through thought-provoking questions and exploration of divergent thinking. By supporting these essential elements, you’ll help your child generate innovative ideas and develop a lifelong love for learning. Nurturing imagination is central to fostering creativity. Explore ways to provide unstructured time, limit screen time, and encourage outdoor adventures. Learn how to support artistic expression and introduce your child to a variety of art forms, enhancing their creative experiences. Celebrate and value your child's creative efforts with practical advice on displaying their creations, encouraging sharing and collaboration, and providing positive feedback. Emphasize the importance of focusing on the creative process rather than the outcome, and support self-evaluation to boost your child’s self-esteem and motivation. As a parent, your role in modeling creativity is crucial. Engage in creative activities together, show genuine interest in your child's ideas, and cultivate a growth mindset. This book guides you on encouraging risk-taking, persistence, and providing opportunities for reflection, ensuring that your child’s creative journey is both enriching and fulfilling. With a comprehensive table of contents covering every aspect of creativity, *How to Foster Creativity in Your Child* is the ultimate resource for parents ready to inspire and support their child's imaginative growth. Order your copy today and start fostering a creative and innovative environment for your child!

Rewilding Children’s Imaginations is a practical and creative resource designed to engage children in the natural world through folktales, storytelling, and artmaking. The guide introduces 21 folklore stories from across the world alongside 99 creative activities, spanning nature and the four seasons of the year. Using the lens of folktales and myths of the land, children are encouraged to explore a variety of activities and exercises across different arts media, from visual art making to storytelling, drama, and movement. This resource: Helps teachers and group facilitators to build confidence in offering a range of creative learning experiences, inspired by nature. Provides a collection of easy-to-use, cross-curricular and storytelling activities. Allows children to connect with nature, their imagination, and folktales from around the world. Builds new skills in oracy, artmaking, collaboration, wellbeing, care of the environment, diversity, respect, and tolerance, and more. Inspires children to tell stories and make art both individually and collaboratively, helping them build confidence as active creators in their community. Shares creative tools and positive learning experiences to inspire children, teachers, and parents across the school year. Rewilding Children’s Imaginations brings together nature, art, and oral storytelling in easy and accessible ways to help children connect with the world around them, as well as with their own emotional landscapes. It is essential and enjoyable reading for primary teachers and early years professionals, outdoors practitioners, therapists, art educators, community and youth workers, home schoolers, parents, carers, and families.

Offering an approach that is tried, tested and proven to work, this book supports practitioners in planning and resourcing a series of topics based around popular themes and interests in the early years. Each topic is open-ended and introduced in the form of a problem that the children have to solve and can be led by their knowledge, thoughts and ideas. Using Characters and Themes to Inspire Early Learning aims to nurture children’s natural curiosity and imagination, encouraging them to become the facilitators who are empowered to solve problems, explore solutions and take ownership of their learning. There are links throughout to the seven areas of learning in the EYFS and practical guidance on how to document the children’s learning. Features include: An exciting range of characters, themes and objects to inspire children. Photocopiable pages and online resources to use in the classroom. Session breakdowns to set the scene and make planning easy. Creative ideas and activities to prompt children’s thinking and develop discussions. Packed with ideas for extending learning and practical resources that can be printed out for use in the classroom, this book is essential reading for all students and practitioners who want to provide inspiring learning opportunities for the children in their care.