Sally's Blog

2008-09-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

Hi

Well it is back to school, and hello to the new EYFS. It is enouraging to see that Enabling Environments is one of the main strands of the new curriculum, especially since one of our prime goals here at Elemental Learning is to provide inspirational toys and resources that will enrich the play and learning environment, enabling children to interact with the environment positively. We look forward to continuing to come up with positive and inspirational ideas that will enable setting to move forward and embrace the new curriculum with confidence. If you would like to become part of our email programme and recieve regular updates on new and exciting ideas, then simply email me at sally@elemental-learning.co.uk, and we will be pleased to include you!

Sally.

2008-08-01T05:20:00.000-07:00

Hi

Just thought I should tell you that we have found some lovely new fairly traded musical instruments to add to our range. A wonderfully resonant 'boing' stick for sound effects and rhythm play, an ocean hand drum which when tilted from side to side will bring sounds of the seaside to your children, a very cute and friendly little caterpillar shaker and some wooden claves from India. Log on to www.elemental-learning.co.uk or www.elementaltoys.co.uk to see more about them !

Sally

2008-07-02T06:52:00.000-07:00

Hi

The EYFS is in the news again, with the Government Education Advisor, Mr Jim Rose, under pressure to review what are widely regarded amongst professionals as inappropriate early learning goals for Literacy.

From the BBC News website -

"The Open EYE education campaign has been running a petition on the Downing Street website which has more than 7,000 signatures.
Dr Richard House of the campaign said: "Just because some children can be drilled into meeting essentially arbitrary literacy targets at age five says nothing whatsoever about whether they are developmentally appropriate.
"There is simply no existing evidence that these goals are appropriate for five-year-olds, and plenty of evidence to the contrary - so the government is effectively playing grossly irresponsible Russian roulette with our young children’s early learning."

Couldn't agree more!

But

"shadow families minister Maria Miller said "The focus should be on making sure trained professionals are in place to help young children with reading and writing."

But surely only when the children are ready for this, which most professionals I know would insist is not during the Foundation Stage!!

Sally

2008-06-11T02:07:00.000-07:00

Hi

We have just bought in some new animal glove puppets from the fair trade organisation that we work with in Chile.

Each is a black glove, with an applique animal on the back. We have crab. tortoise, snail. butterfly, ladybird and ant. They are great for using along with stories that are familiar to the children like 'The Bad Tempered Ladybird' etc. Not only that, but the colourful puppet gloves encourage children to learn to put gloves on by themselves, so contribute to their learning of self help skills.

Sally

2008-06-03T01:30:00.001-07:00

Hi

We are delighted to have been included in an article the Bristol Evening Post are running on eco/ethical businesses in Bristol.

http://www.epost.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=241967&contentPK=20772960&folderPk=83730&pNodeId=241966

The photograph is a bit dodgy (!) - but the article stresses our ethical and green approach, not just to the products we sell, but also in the way we conduct our own business operation.

We are keen to buy from suppliers whose own efforts to support environmental issues are evident. The article also highlights the point that although many of our fairly traded products come from overseas, the low intensity methods used in their production means that their environmental impact starts off low, and by insisting on sea freight, rather than air freight wherever possible, we do our best to keep it that way.

By working from home, and being happy for other members of our team to do so, using public transport wherever possible, using electronic communication rather than paper, and only recycled and recyclable materials for packaging, we are cutting down as much as possible on our own environmental footprint.

Why not have a read for yourself!

Kind regards

Sally.

2008-05-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

Hi

We were invited to exhibit at a conference organised by Redcliffe Early Years Centre yesterday, on the subject of 'Understanding Play', and were lucky enough to be able to sit in and listen to some inspirational speakers on the subject of learning and progression through play. Particularly, how important it is for children to be encouraged when initiating their own play and learning and how essential it is for the process to be valued by professionals, parents and carers. All the findings were backed up by qualitative research, and some of the case studies of children's play scenarios were so exciting to hear. It was a wonderfully successful day and very well recieved.

Sally.

2008-04-30T04:20:00.000-07:00

Hi

These days, with the credit crunch, it is more important than ever to make sure that we are getting value for money when we buy toys for our children! We certainly don't want to be spending out on a novelty toy that will be played with for a week and then shoved under the bed!

Toys that are good for children with fantastic play and learning value are also those that have longevity, and will grow with the child. As they will last for years, that means that they must also be good value for money! So investing in a good set of bricks, some dolls, some animals and some vehicles to avoid a mountain of plastic making both a hole in your wallet and an unused heap in your childs bedroom!

Sally

2008-04-28T02:46:00.000-07:00

Hi

Have you seen our new Ladybird Tower and Butterfly Habitat kits on both Elemental Learning and Elemental Toys websites?

Each habitat comes with attractant and a field guide to help you identify the butterflies or ladybirds which are visiting your garden.

Great for enriching the outdoor experience for small children, who are usually thrilled by minibeasts! They have been very popular so far, so get in quick if you would like one!

Kind regards

Sally

2008-04-08T04:39:00.000-07:00

Hi

See us soon at EYPT Manchester on 18th and 19th April 2008. We will be bringing our Giant Ball Run, so that practitioners can see it in action, as well as our cardboard building bricks, our wonderful Block and Tackle and our cardboard Rocket. Come and see us on stand EP50a to collect a catalogue and order on the day for a 10% discount!! We love going to early years exhibitions as we love to meet our customers and get some feedback and new ideas. Hope to see you there.

Sally

2008-03-27T03:16:00.000-07:00

Hi

Hope that everyone had a very enjoyable Easter break and that local arrangments for the school break are not too confused!

Things are busy here. Our recycled cardboard building bricks, which we recently introduced to our range are proving extremely popular. They are wonderful because children can build lovely big walls and structures, with no fear of hurting themselves when they get knocked over. Since they come in three different proportionate sizes they are also great for early maths understanding. They are so strong that small children can also stand on them without them getting squashed! We have recently been taking them to Early Years Exhibitions and they have had so many positive comments from professionals. We are thrilled!

In fact you can see them in action if you like. We have recently posted some videos of many of our products in use by children onto the individual product pages on our website. Just go to www.elementaltoys.co.uk or www.elemental-learning.co.uk , find the cardboard bricks in the construction section and click on 'why is this great' to see the video.

You can also see video of our Block and Tackle set, our Marble Run, our Bauka construction set, our Giant Ball Run, and many of our puppets, which are so much better to see in real life than on the page!

How exciting!

Sally.

2008-03-19T04:34:00.001-07:00

Hi

We have been having some lovely feedback regarding our Playtips newsletter programme, which parents seem to have been finding very valuable. There are lots of ideas for creating great play experiences for young children, which will help them learn with confidence, so if you are interested, have a look on the Elemental Toys website - www.elementaltoys.co.uk and click on 'playtips'. Our newsletters are available to down load and you can sign up to join the programme at the same time!

Look forward to hearing from you

Sally.

2008-03-14T03:01:00.000-07:00

Hi

We have a fantastic new competition for all our Elemental Toys customers. Just go to our home page and click on the link to get details of a fantastic box full of goodies that we will be giving away to the lucky winner. All you have to do is answer one simple question! www.elementaltoys.co.uk (click here!). Good luck.

2008-03-05T08:56:00.000-08:00

Hello,
As you may have heard, the BBC Whistleblower programme tonight is said to feature some alarming findings from a BBC journalist working undercover at a day nursery in London.

Although we are not involved directly with childcare, Early Years' welfare is a real passion for me personally. If you have any concerns you might find it helpful to visit the National Day Nurseries Association website, where they have a useful guide to selecting a day nursery. You can also read about the National Child Minders' Associations quality assurance schemes if you visit their website.

I hope that you have found this helpful. Please feel free to pass this email on to any other parents that you think might benefit.
Best wishes

Sally,

2008-02-25T03:32:00.000-08:00

Hi

We had our four younger nieces and nephews around for tea at the weekend, which was a real treat as they don't live too close to us. I was a bit worried though, that they would be bored, as our house is very grown up and teenager'ish these days!

I needn't have worried! They asked if they could make a 'den' with all the sofas and cushions in the front room. After an initial hesitation, (when I had to remind myself that the mess would be temporary and didnt really matter), I said that of course they could, as long as they put them all back afterwards!!

They had a wonderful time, and played a lovely game that bridged a six year age span, for ages!

It just goes to show that sometimes the most successful play experiences rely on mum and/or dad allowing the children to be spontaneous and play according to their own interests, and putting their own concerns about mess and disorganisation to the back of their minds!

Children love making dens, as they are able to be creative and constructive in order to make their own little world, where they can be away from adults prying eyes! And it is of coursereally good for their developing sense of responsibility to realise that they must then help you tidy up afterwards!

Another way of giving them control over den-making is to allow them to decorate one of our cardboard playhouses, see them at
http://www.elementaltoys.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Shop_Play_Buildings_and_Vehicles_51.html

Choose from rockets, teepees, houses and pods (lunar modules!) So easy to find one that will pick up on their interests. The wonderful thing about them is that they can remain a work in progress for ever, with them adding more features every time they play if they so wish!

Sally.

2008-02-13T05:35:00.000-08:00

Hi

There was so much in the newspapers over the weekend about young children and television. Firstly there was research reported that too much television viewing in early years is hampering mathematical ability, reading recognition and comprehension in later years. But also that too much television is linked to sleeping problems, and obesity.

I dont think this is telling us anything that we dont know is it! But I understand that when Mums are busy, the temptation to let the telly babysit for a while is very strong! I relied on the television plenty of times when mine were little. I wish I had really understood at the time though, that a really good quality toy that fires up a young persons interest and imagination can be just as effective a babysitter as the television, and, because they are playing and learning actively, rather than passively, will be far better for their development as well as giving Mum a well earned respite. Watching children and picking up on their interests to provide toys that will naturally engage them is the way to go for a quiet and fulfilled life for the whole family!

It is easy to be taken in by people who seem to know what they are talking about though. For instance, it seems the lady who invented the Teletubbies has done it again and come up with a new show - In the Night Garden - which she feels apparently will help childrens thinking skills develop. Good grief! It is a very well excepted fact that young children learn the most when they are active. Children deserve far more than the second-hand learning that they get from programmes such as these.

So switch off the set, and switch on to your childrens individual interests to find good toys that will prompt their first hand, active learning in the real world! Have a look at my playtips on the Elemental Toys website - www.elementaltoys.co.uk for ideas of where to start!

Speak soon

Sally.

2008-02-12T01:49:00.000-08:00

Hi

Just got back from a really exciting weekend at the International Toy Fair in Nurnberg. Exciting because this year there was SO much more to choose from that has been produced by Fair Trade organisations or companies with a true interest in protecting the environment. I am already proud of the range of toys we already have, but it will be great to add to it with more toys that encourage play based learning which have also been produced with respect for the planet and those that live on it! Keep an eye on our website and over the next weeks and months you will gradually see these new products coming on board. If you would like to register for regular email updates as our range grows, then email me at sally@elemental-learning.co.uk, and we will be glad to include you.

Sally.

2008-02-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

Hi

Off to the big toy trade fairs this week to look for developmentally suitable resources and toys for Elemental Toys and Elemental Learning, but only those that have been ethically sourced with respect for our environment and the people involved in their production. Easier said than done, unfortunately! But so far I dont think we are doing badly, and feedback from our customers is really encouraging. We are really proud of the breadth our range of toys and resources is developing while managing to stay faithful to our ethical principles.

So if you are looking for something in particular that you think we should be including in our range, then please email me at sally@elemental-learning.co.uk, and I will bear it in mind whilst on my travels this week!

Kind regards

Sally.

2008-01-17T06:02:00.000-08:00

Hi

Gosh , lots of controversy about the new Early Years Foundation Stage legislation, with the OPEN EYE campaign keen to make us all think twice about the validity and value of such a framework.

I would argue that for any Early Years practitioner with sound training in child development and understanding of the conditions under which a child learns best, such a detailed document is not necessary. For those Early Years practitioners whose training is not quite so recent, the use of such a long, wordy document may simply make the process of working with children overly bureaucratic and worrying.

But it is an interesting debate and one which is sure to go on and on!

Sally.

2008-01-11T07:21:00.000-08:00

Hi

Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 hosted a discussion about letting small children play with toy guns and weapons earlier this week. Opinion was of course divided as to whether this is something that grown ups should allow.

Of course as all parents and early years practitioners know, if a child does not have a toy gun or weapon to wield, he/she will find another item ( perhaps a stick) to pretend with! Children use role play to make sense of what they see in the world around them, or on television, and at this stage are perfectly able to use any item symbolically in order to achieve this aim!

I think it is therefore nigh impossible to stop a child playing in this way if he/she has a determination to do so! In my opinion, the important thing is that when grown ups witness such play, they make a great effort to put guns and weapons into a correct context for children and to explain the dangers and moralities surrounding the use of weapons as simply as possible.

Sally

2008-01-03T09:19:00.000-08:00

Hi

You may have noticed that we stock some resources from a Fair trade producer that are based on Montessori principles. These have always gone down well with our customers and have also proved very popular with customers that we meet at Early Years exhibitions and conferences. We are thrilled to have now agreed sponsorship of the quarterly Montessori International magazine for 2008.

Whilst Montessori is a particular curriculum framework that may not suit all settings in its entirety, it is always good for professionals to keep abreast of other frameworks, and their principles and resources, in order to 'cherry pick' ideas that would work well with children in their own particular settings. The Montessori framework does much to encourage a child's independence, which is why we like to include resources based on their principles in the Elemental Learning range. And these resources are Fair Trade too - so even better!

Happy New Year

Sally.

2007-12-19T22:20:00.000-08:00

Hi

It's in the news that the Childrens Society have published research into what parents think of Christmas. In a poll of 2,500 parents, nearly half (48%) thought that there was competition between parents to buy their children the best Christmas presents, while 64% of those polled said that they felt Christmas had become too commercial.

Their free guide, Batteries not Included, shows how quality family time does not have to revolve around expensive toys and gadgets. It provides more than 100 ideas of things to do and games to play. It gives tips on making Christmas decorations and special things to eat, such as chocolate reindeer droppings! You can obtain a free copy of the guide by calling 08707 809 875

Children will of course retain precious memories of these sort of experiences, long after their expensive computer games have been superceded by the next must have gadget!

Sally.

2007-12-17T02:30:00.000-08:00

As part of the Childrens Plan, the government are proposing that children with birthdays in August should have the option of starting school later, maybe even the following year.

My youngest daughter, whose birthday is August the 12th, started school when she had been four years old for just two weeks. Although she was socially very competent, her concentration skills were lacking and she was unable to do much of what was asked of her. Just after her fifth birthday, she was in Year One, with no toys in sight! Now aged 11, she is only just getting over a severe lack of confidence in her own ability which I am sure stemmed from that time.I am confident that she would have benefitted from starting school later, when she was more able to cope academically.

The Early Years Foundation Stage is a good start towards improving learning conditions for our youngest children. Lets hope the review of the whole primary curriculum helps schools to take the pressure off all our children as they move up through the system.

Sally.

2007-12-05T06:14:00.000-08:00

Hi

You may have seen our Dinosaur Scooter featured in the Guardians Ethical Gift Guide last week, as well as the Sunday Times 'Style' magazine and Saturday's Telegraph. We new it would be popular, and it has been! If you want one, do let us know soon!! The Dog Scooter is particularly handsome too! They look great in the pictures, but in real life they are absolutely beautifully made and finished - really lovely Xmas presents that will last as well as being great fun!

Sally.

2007-11-20T03:35:00.000-08:00

Well, what do we think about the Conservative target to have every child reading by the age of six? Are we a little bit worried that such a target may not be appropriate for every child? Personally I would hope that children are not going to be placed under any pressure to meet such a target, which could make some children feel bad about themselves and their abilities and lock them into a cycle of failure. Myself, I would prefer to see targets at this age orientated towards self confidence, exploration, resilience, persistence and creativity- the skills that set children up for a lifetime of excited, confident learning. What do you think?

Sally

2007-11-12T03:46:00.000-08:00

Hi

Just back from the National Child Minding Association conference and exhibition in Torquay. It was lovely to meet such an enthusiastic group of people and talk to them about Elemental Learning. If you were there, then thank you for your interest! The woollen animal puppets that we stock , which are made by a fair trade organisation in Kenya, were extremely popular, especially the sheep!

Have just developed a series of regular newsletter emails that will be going to our Elemental Toys customers, elaborating on the play tips and advice contained in the website. If you, or anyone you know would be interested in signing up for these, then email us at playtips@elementaltoys.co.uk. The newsletters offer great ideas on developing your child through play, written by myself, (a mum, former pre-school practitioner, and honours graduate in Early Years Education Studies!) Sometimes it is hard to know that you are doing the right things to help your child develop, and these emails will offer parents the confidence to use play as the key to learning.

Look forward to hearing from you !

Sally.

2007-11-06T04:04:00.000-08:00

Hi

Have had a wonderful week with lots of positive comments coming via email about the Elemental Toys website.

One lady was asking wether we had considered including a search facility by age. It was lovely to recieve her input, and I am so grateful to her for raising this really good question. The reason that we have not done this is because all children develop individually and in their own time, and this fact is a key Elemental Toys message. We feel that a search facility by age may therefore undermine the integrity of the Elemental Toys offering. Instead, we have organised the web-site in 'interest' groups, so that parents and those buying for young children can easily find toys that will engage and involve their children. Engagement and involvement are key factors to the potential value of the childs play and learning experience. Since most of our toys can be played with at differing levels of complexity, and will grow with the child, we feel that the emphasis does not need to be on age.

Reading our play tips on the website will give ideas on how to decide what to buy for individual children, but I am happy to give suggestions if anyone wishes to email sally@elemental-learning.co.uk

Bye for now

Sally.

2007-10-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hi

Back onto the Early Years conferences this week, for three weekends running. Elemental Learning is off to Taunton for the local PSLA conference on Saturday, to Torquay for the NCMA conference the following weekend, 9th and 10th of November, and to Brighton for the TACTYC conference on 16th and 17th November. We will be taking plenty of our smaller stock items for delegates to buy and take away with them if they wish; such as our textured cards, beadlers, CD's and musical instruments; and samples of some of our other popular items, which are too big for us to carry in quantity, but which always create a talking point with other professionals. It is always nice if we can find somewhere to hang our Block and Tackle set, and space to display some of our wonderful construction sets and one of our recycled cardboard playhouses. All of these are available to order via the website or the catalogue, and any orders placed on the day would be with customers the following week. If you are going to any of these events it would be lovely to meet you and show you our range!

Meanwhile, Elemental Toys is standing by and ready for the Xmas rush! We have been doing lots of work refining the website and are really proud of how it looks. The products all look great. Great for kids and Great for the planet!

Sally.

2007-10-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hi

Yet again it is in the news that many children do not have the expected level of communication skills by the time they are beginning school.

Play is the way that children learn....so at home and in nursery, they need to have good quality toys that they enjoy playing with that will encourage them to communicate with others. They do not need a playroom with plenty of toys that beep and flash at them. They need to learn to communicate in the real world, about real events, ideas and relationships. For example, Building bricks are perfect for learning to listen, to negotiate with others and learning how to put their own thoughts into words. If you watch a child who is involved in his play, wether it is solitary or with other children, he or she will likely be providing themselves with a 'running commentary', putting their thoughts into words as they play out their ideas. If they are playing with others they will also be learning to spend time listening to the ideas of others, which, of course, is another important communication skill - especially useful when starting school!

A simple set of bricks together with a childs imagination, wether playing alone or with others children can aid the development of communication skills. Easy!

Sally.

2007-10-16T05:02:00.000-07:00

Hi

I wonder if anyone read in the news about the recent Primary Review that identified our young children are increasingly worried about items they see in the news about climate change, global warming, pollution and the gap between rich and poor. The Review also established that 'where schools had started engaging children with global and local realities as aspects of their education, children were noticably more upbeat'

I am thrilled that this has been identified, as this is one of the strands of thinking behind Elemental Learning and Elemental Toys. If we can open up a dialogue, with even our youngest children, in a context that is meaningful to them, about global realities, from their earliest years it can only be helpful to their understanding as they progress through their childhood. What more meaningful context can there be than talking to them about the toys they love, where they come from, who made them, how they made them and why!

If any of our customers would like more background information on any of our toys and the organisations that produce them, we are only to happy to supply it. Just e-mail sally@elemental-learning.co.uk.

Look forward to hearing from you

Sally.

2007-10-08T02:26:00.001-07:00

Hi,

Finally had time last night to read one of the Sunday supplements from LAST Sunday! There was a wonderful article about Flexi Schooling in there, and stories of some families who are trying it. The idea is that your child is registered with a school and the school recieves full funding, yet through negotiation with the school head, home education for a couple of days a week is a possibility. This means that the need of the child to be treated as an individual with time and resources to learn creatively and through play is met when they are at home, yet their need to socialise and learn to be part of a structured environment is met when they are at school. If I had my time again with my girls in their primary years, with the benefit of the knowledge that I now have about the best way for children to learn, this is definitely something that I would have considered. I wonder if some of the parents that are trying it would like to buy some of our toys!!

Sally.

2007-10-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

Hi

We had an extremely busy time at The Education Show in Olympia last weekend. So much interest in Elemental Learning and our products. Particularly popular were the textured alphabet cards. Probably because there was a very well attended Montessori seminar happening there! But we were also thrilled to get such positive feedback on our Block and Tackle, our recycled Cardboard playhouses and smaller things such as the Beadler and the story telling gloves. Once again we were very happy to meet existing customers and hear how much the children in their care are enjoying their new resources.

Elemental Toys is now completely up and running, offering an ethical choice of really good quality learning toys to parents, grandparents and all those buying for young children. You may have read the news last week on the BBC website that many children these days are suffering from Play deprivation, with parents feeling worried to let their children out to play, and unsure what to provide instead to help their development. All our toys have been chosen for their ability to stimulate the communication skills, collaborative ability and creativity of children who use them. Our web-site also offers play tips and advice for parents who would like to create top quality learning experiences for their children.

Sally.

2007-09-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

Hi,

We have finally been able to send out our Textured Alphabet and Number cards, which many of our customers had been waiting so patiently for.

After an unprecedented initial high demand, we put in a further order from our Fair trade supplier, who is in Bangalore! Unfortunately the order took much longer to arrive than had been anticipated, so we are very grateful to our customers for their patience, and hope that they and the children are enjoying them now that they have eventually arrived!

The textured cards are a wonderfully unpressurised way for children to learn about the shape and formation of letters and numbers. They can sit and stroke them while they are listening to a story perhaps, or even use them creatively by doing crayon rubbings of them! Anyway, obviously lots of our customers agree that they have great learning value and we are so pleased that they have been so popular!

Sally.

2007-09-21T00:07:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Plenty of positive feedback at the Early Years Conference in Roehampton last week, and hoping for more at The Education Show at Olympia at the end of next week.

Our knitted glove puppets were particularly popular. They are made by a fair trade co-operative in Kenya, where the ladies knit in order to afford to send their own children to nursery/school. Although there are pictures on our web-site and our catalogue, they are a resource that need to be seen to appreciate how lovely, warm, friendly and inviting they are. They generated a lot of excitement amongst exhibitors as well as delegates.

The other resource that was much appreciated was the Beadler - our threading toy for younger children. Beautifully tactile, made from Lacware, coloured with vegetable dyes, and made by a Fair trade organisation in Bangalore. It has a little face to engage children and a wooden 'needle' (no points obviously!!) on the end to cut down on frustration with the threading process.

We even met some delegates that were already customers of ours! That was a good feeling! One of them was able to give some particularly positive feedback on the cardboard rocket, and what fantastic play value it had been for the children in their setting. So all in all a positive experience.

This week has seen the launch of our Elemental Toys website www.elementaltoys.co.uk , and the Toys catalogue has come back from the printers. Everyone that has seen them so far has been very complementary - which is pleasing as it has been such a lot of work to pull it together. We have high hopes that parents who are concerned for their childrens development and also concerned for the future of the planet will find it a natural place to shop for their childrens toys.

Sally.

2007-09-13T07:39:00.001-07:00

Thursday afternoon and just off to drive to Roehampton for the Early Years conference tomorrow and Saturday.

It has been a busy week, as we are just about to launch Elemental Toys, and final amends to the website and catalogue have been happening.

We are going to be offering pre-school settings the opportunity to use the Elemental Toys catalogue as a fund-raiser for Christmas. The idea is that we will allocate each participating setting a uniquely coded set of 50 catalogues to pass to parents. Anything that is ordered through those catalogues will be registered to the setting, and, after Christmas, we will issue an Elemental Learning credit note for 10% of the total value ordered. We think this will be a really popular way to fundraise - Great for Kids, Great for the Planet and Great for the Pre-school too! Just e-mail feedback@elemental-learning.co.uk if you would like to find out more.

Sally.

2007-09-10T08:06:00.000-07:00

Hi

We had a lovely two days last week at Bristol Early Years Conference, which is why I haven't posted anything on my Blog for a few days. It was fun to meet prospective customers and show them our range, but also interesting to have the opportunity to talk and hear about current early years issues and developments. I thought it may be a good idea to publish details of other conferences we will be attending in the coming months, in the hope that we may get to meet some of you!

At the end of this week we will be attending the Conference organised by EYE at Roehampton in London. Saturday 6th October will see us at the Pre-School Learning Alliance conference in Nottingham. The 9th and 10th of November will find us at the NCMA conference in Torquay, and the weekend immediately after that - the 16th and 17th November we will be at the TACTYC conference in Brighton. If you will be at any of these, come along and meet us and take the chance to enter our free prize draw!

Sally

2007-08-29T22:56:00.000-07:00

Hi

Thought it was worth commenting on the recent story reported in the press that the standard of Early Years settings has gone down. I am sure if you read the story, as I did, you will have noticed that it is the proportion of good settings that has fallen. Considering the recent rapid growth in the industry, I dont think this is as horrifying a tale as the press are making out!

It has also been reported that pre-school policy implementation and increased government investment in Early Years over the last six years has failed to make an impact on children's achievement so far. It seems there is still a good way to go to make sure that all children are getting the best start to their education. What no-one seems to comment on is how hard Early Years professionals work with children in their care, how much it takes to keep on top of new developments and the dedication and time needed to constantly be evaluating and improving our provision. The extra burden of bureaucracy versus getting on and doing the job! I think we should all give ourselves a pat on the back for our hard effort!

Sally

2007-08-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

Hi

Since our personalised puzzles had gone down so well as an Early Years Resource, we decided to launch a website, purely for the puzzles, so that anyone could upload a photograph quickly and easily to order a puzzle. Have a look at www.elementalpuzzles.co.uk

Personalised puzzles are wonderful to engage children with puzzling - working on the theory that children learn more when they are excited by a toy that engages and involves them. Using images that are familiar to children to make their own personal jigsaw puzzles is an inspirational way to do this, and is proving really popular.

It made our week when one new customer emailed us to say "they arrived today and I am thrilled with them - the quality is great and the finish is super!..." It is great to know that we are on the right track. Our puzzles also each come in their own presentation box, so they are good for presents too.

For those of you in the Early Years profession, why not think about capturing learning stories with a puzzle - children can then revisit their learning again and again, and they can be kept within the setting to contribute to a sense of history for the children that attend. One pre-school sent us a group photo of all the children that had left this year, so that their contemporaries that remain next year, may remember all their old friends when they play with it. Great idea!

Sally.

2007-08-24T02:35:00.000-07:00

Hi,

We are currently working really hard to get our Elemental Toys catalogue and internet site up and running for the Autumn, so that we can offer a range of ethically produced toys, that are also great for early years development; directly to parents. We are of course, aiming for those parents who care deeply about the learning opportunities that they offer their children, but who also are concerned for the welfare of the planet and everyone on it!

Feedback from the Early Years profession when we launched our Elemental Learning business earlier this year was great. We have been contacted by many professionals who are thrilled by the inspiring range of resources that we are offering, and so happy that they can feel confident in our ethical sourcing policy. Buying from the Elemental Learning range means that a setting can feel confident that they can begin to create an environment where the values of global citizenship can surround children from their earliest years.

It has been so thrilling to know that we are beginning to fill such a gap, and that our efforts are valued. And it became even more exciting when we began to be asked when we were going to make our 'Great for kids;Great for the planet' proposition available for parents. The answer is - September - with good luck and a following wind! The website is nearing completion, but still with plenty of work to do inputting details of all the wonderful products we have found. The catalogue is also in the final stage of production. We are so proud of it as it looks so inspiring and vibrant. Everything in it offers great opportunities for young children to learn and develop, as well as being sourced from either fair trade producers, companies that are using recycled materials and also from companies with very sound environmental and social policies in place. So exciting!!

Sally.

2007-08-09T09:37:00.001-07:00

We are pleased to launch our revamped website, we hope it offers all the information and resources you need. Please let us know