This book explores creative development in babies and shows how practitioners can support even the youngest child’s natural curiosity and help them to develop their ideas, thoughts and feelings. It provides engaging, cost-effective and achievable activity ideas to support the developing creative mind, covering the outdoors; communication and language; and personal, social, emotional and physical development. Including discussion boxes, case studies and reflective points in every chapter, Day offers guidance and insight into key topics and well-known theories, including how and why to facilitate creativity, adult-baby relationships and attachment, the environment and resources that enable creativity and outdoor exploration and play. Discover Creativity with Babies is a wonderful guide for early years practitioners looking to support and cultivate the curious and creative side to every child, however they may choose to express it.

Discover Creativity with 2–5 Year Olds explores young children’s creative development and shares important insight as to why and how practitioners can encourage their natural curiosity. It will help early years practitioners and professionals to rediscover the joy of working creatively with young children and how to support them in developing their ideas, thoughts and feelings through creative expression and opportunities. The book provides an in-depth account of what creativity is and how best to support children in their creative endeavours. Covering the prime areas of the early years foundation stage, it is packed with engaging, cost-effective and achievable activity ideas to support the young creative mind. Including case studies, discussion boxes and reflective points, the chapters consider key topics underpinned by theoretical perspectives including: - Understanding he unique differences and needs of toddlers and pre-school children - Forming respectful relationships and understanding the impact they can have on creativity - Developing the environment and resources that enable creativity - Exploring outdoors and how to make the most of time with young children outside - Encouraging a process over product mindset - Understanding the role of the adult in supporting creative thinking and exploration This wonderful guide will inspire practitioners and equip them with the tools they need to fully support and cultivate the curious and creative side to every child.

Winner of the 2015 Parent's Choice Award The perfect starting point for creative play, this is the ultimate book of ideas for arts and crafts, building and tinkering, writing and rhyming, singing and dancing, and more! For parents who don't feel they are creative, this book provides an easy entry point for raising creative kids. Creativity is an essential ingredient for a happy childhood, and this is the ultimate collection of ideas for arts and crafts, building and tinkering, writing and rhyming, singing and dancing, and more! With 500 unplugged, hands-on activities for children ages two to twelve, this book goes beyond the simple arts and crafts found in most kids’ creativity books and offers fun ideas for a generous range of imaginative and creative play—all in one giant book. You have the power to encourage creativity in your child’s daily life, whether you feel creative yourself or not. This book is your guide for being a creativity mentor, your handbook for raising kids rich with creative habits and skills, and your toolbox full of ideas and activities. So say YES to creativity! Encourage your child to dabble in all kinds of activities, and discover the magic and beauty of imagination.

Bringing Hygge into the Early Years is a “how-to” guide for every early educator who wishes to bring more calmness and balance into their day, in turn, leaving them feeling empowered to teach and live well. Drawing from the author’s experience of embracing the Scandinavian way of living well, “hygge,” this book explores how this approach can have a positive impact across your early years setting, from improved mental health and wellbeing, to embracing child-led play and high-quality outdoor provision. With step-by-step guidance on how to embed the approach alongside examples of hygge from early educators around the world, the book is divided into four main parts: Re-balance you The hygge environment Slow teaching Embracing nature Throughout each chapter, case studies and activities provide the opportunity to reflect on existing practice and support you as you make positive changes to both your wellbeing and provision. This guide will be essential reading for all early years professionals, offering further support to improve mental health and wellbeing, as well as valuable tools to lead early years practice with confidence and joy.

These proven, practical early childhood teaching strategies and techniques help teachers identify young gifted children, differentiate and extend the curriculum, assess and document students’ development, and build partnerships with parents. Individual chapters focus on early identification, curriculum compacting, social studies, language arts, math and science, cluster grouping, social-emotional development, and finding and supporting giftedness in diverse populations. The text includes current information on brain research and learning; rigor and complexity; and integrating creativity, the arts, and higher-level thinking in accordance with learning goals. Scenarios and vignettes take readers into teachers’ classrooms. The book includes extensive references and resources to explore. Digital content includes customizable forms from the book.

Can creativity be taught? Absolutely! And Meador shows you exactly how to nourish creativity and problem-solving abilities in your students. After presenting valid models of creative thinkers appearing in outstanding children's literature, she offers a variety of activities you can use to develop creative processes through fluency, flexibility, and originality. In addition, there are lists for further reading and guidelines for adapting lessons. Grades K-4 (adaptable to other grades).

5 Stars! Doody's Book Review Creative, challenging, and interesting physical education lessons in pre-schools and elementary schools are essential. Movement Discovery: Physical Education for Children is designed to change traditional thinking in physical education and bring a breath of fresh air to movement lessons. Written to help early childhood and elementary school teachers value simple, strenuous, and enjoyable activity, this text provides the foundation they'll need to give such experiences to young children. This text includes: background information to provide an understanding of why programs are as they are information about child development and skill development to give guidance to teachers material to start an on-going Movement Discovery program that capitalizes on the innate human urge to discover ones' physical capacities and enjoy them Movement Discovery encourages teachers to provide challenging yet gratifying physical education lessons. If students can derive satisfaction in their increase in skill, and if these skills have a link with their future education and the world in which they live, there is a good possibility that activity will continue throughout life.