Invitation to Play in Adelaide, South Australia | Local business

Invitation to Play

Locality: Adelaide, South Australia

Address: Adelaide 5000 Adelaide, SA, Australia

Website: http://www.invitationtoplayaus.com

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25.01.2022 Same activity, varying levels of difficulty. Im often asked how homeschooling works with a child of school age and a toddler or preschooler in the house, and my answer is its been surprisingly easy so far! My youngest one has always just wanted to be part of whatever we are doing so I can pretty much modify a task or invitation so that its at a more appropriate level for her. This was a fine motor activity we did a while back with wool felt balls and you can see that I j...ust adjusted the equipment so that both girls could participate at the same time. Now that shes a little older, she could try the activity again with the golf tees instead of the mini egg cups! So fortunately its not about reinventing the wheel each day - many invitations can be tweaked if necessary to allow children of varying ages to take part. If there is a reason where one cant be, I always have some other quick and easy back ups ready to bring to the table so that Miss 4 feels like shes still engaged in something meaningful to her - think puzzles, playdough, kinetic sand, other fine motor tasks etc. I always say that the beauty of homeschooling is the freedom to follow your childs interests and this goes for ALL the childrens interests - even those who are not of official school age yet. Sometimes my girls share an interest (super handy for preparing and collecting materials) and sometimes they dont, but definitely dont be put off the idea of homeschooling just because you have a younger child or children. Often, we just learn as a family, with little modifications and tweaks along the way to suit the needs of both girls at the time.

25.01.2022 So the florist dramatic play corner seems to have run its course here, so Im chatting with the girls about what could be next. Our baby nursery here was a red hot favourite back at the beginning of the year, but then again, weve been talking about a market stall too. Miss 7 is also super interested in the world at the moment so I was even thinking perhaps a travel agency/tour guide type situation. So many possibilities! Tell me, what dramatic play set ups are a favourite in your house? (Also - we got our beautiful Miniland dolls pictured here from @daisyandhen - they still have some in stock but only one more restock before Christmas so if you are after one for December, best to secure one earlier rather than later - take it from the mama left it last year til the pressure was on! )

25.01.2022 Are these not the most beautiful spinning tops youve ever seen? I was lucky enough to pick up some goodies at @oskarswoodenark today and I couldnt go past these amazing dice tops. They will be perfect for some maths play - so many ways to utilise them! Younger children can spin a number and represent that number with loose parts Spin them all and add up the numbers - who has the highest number? Who has the lowest?... use them for place value activities use them for probability games or for graphing But even if you dont have dice spinning tops - there are so many fun ways to incorporate these beautiful toys in playful learning - check out my stories for more ideas!

23.01.2022 There are no relief teachers in homeschooling. No one to call in when youre sick or injured to teach your class. This week I somehow managed to injure my back - theres no cool story unfortunately, no heroic actions or superhuman strength that resulted in my untimely injury - I simply went to bed Sunday night feeling fine and woke up Monday morning feeling not fine at all. And as the week has progressed it has annoyingly felt worse. But there are no relief teachers in home...schooling, so in some ways, the show must go on. Except the beauty in our journey is that we can adapt and change to suit the needs of our family at any given time. Sure - there are no relief teachers, but I do have two beautiful, capable daughters who recognise and understand that mama is hurt and cant do things at full capacity this week. So we improvise. Revision or simple invitations like this one sweep in, a lot more self directed and independent play occurs and above all, we learn what it means to serve and to assist others. I cant bend down to pick that item up, so they help. They fix their own snacks or breakfast. They allow me to rest when I need it and bring me heat packs to help manage the pain. This is it. This is truly doing life together. Its not all adventures and whimsy. Its not all sunshine and rainbows. Its pain, its inconvenience and its frustration at times - but through the temporary ugliness of those times - true beauty emerges. True character development. True relationship building. True gratitude for what we are creating together. So while there are no relief teachers in homeschooling, I am provided relief in so many other ways. Its not always easy, but for me, its always worth it.

22.01.2022 Tonight! www.invitationtoplayaus.com

21.01.2022 This nut sequencing board from @qtoysaustralia has been a real hit with Miss 4 recently. It contains some pattern cards for children to recreate and is a great little tool for fine motor practice, hand eye coordination, problem solving, sequencing and much more! These are the sorts of things we pop in a bag to take to restaurants and appointments where there might be a wait so that their fingers and minds stay busy. Light and portable, theyre a great resource to have handy.

20.01.2022 And just like that, our florist is closed. Its been a corner in our home that has provided much joy and engagement with friends and family alike, but its definitely time for a change. Dramatic play is such a valuable form of play. It is an amazing vehicle for language development, social skills and self regulation. It can extend and support literacy and numeracy skills and allow children to go deeper into areas of interest. Dramatic play is also a powerful and safe way to i...nteract with new concepts and experiences. I love engaging in dramatic play with the girls - the opportunity to role play social situations together in a dynamic and fun way is always a highlight (and Id be lying if I said I didnt completely enjoy being different characters along the way!) No need to worry if you dont have the resources or space for elaborate set ups either. Cardboard boxes and household items always make fabulous dramatic play scenes - just think of it as Play School in your own home!

20.01.2022 Sweet scented tea parties - just what I needed after a long day at work. Ive long said that tea tastes like flowers (despite my British heritage, Im not a tea fan!), so I thought that wed cut straight to the source tonight. We combined dehydrated flowers and Himalayan salt with our beautiful @makemeiconic tea set. The result was an aromatic feast for the senses and a chance to unwind and play pretend with my youngest, who makes the finest cup of tea in the land (just ask her!)

19.01.2022 After somewhat smugly avoiding sickness for a few months now, I have been struck down by the dreaded lurgy this week (not ideal timing as I have a full day first aid course in the city tomorrow and the idea of puffing into a mannequin is a bit beyond me right now - I could well be the one needing resuscitation after that! ) But I am thankful to have on hand some natural ways to support my system in its recovery. So heres part of todays tool kit! Epsom salts for the bath t...o help relieve the aches and pains - I pop some essential oils in those too - ones like Tea Tree and RC to help with the congestion. Essential oil roller bottles allll over the throat and feet and spine. Then Thieves in my beautiful aroma pod from @banksiagifts - this is sitting right next to me on my bedside table as I write! These little natural diffusers are so beautiful and functional and the lovely crew at @banksiagifts have offered my followers a 15% discount with the code PLAY15. Theyd make gorgeous Christmas presents! Special shout out to my long suffering friend Mel @ournaturalnook for being my go-to oils girl - if you want more info on how essential oils can support your familys health and wellbeing - shes got the knowledge! So the girls are having a day-bath (bless those day baths!) and Im going to continue resting for now. Think of me and that poor mannequin tomorrow - not sure who needs your prayers more!

19.01.2022 Sometimes the simplest set ups create the most joy! Pairing a thrifted wine rack with these beautiful @sandies_sandbags I bought recently for an old fashioned side-show style game! Getting some gross motor skill practice in as we aim to throw the sandies into the holes and increase our distance each time. Thinking Ill adapt this for a maths activity this week and give each hole a points value so the girls can use mental computation to add their score as they go along. So many ways to play!

19.01.2022 We still have a few of these beautiful @mirustoys products left in the store - stunning heirloom learn and play pieces that will grow with your family. You can find them in the available category.

18.01.2022 **TIME FOR A CHANGE** Sometimes life throws things your way that give you cause to reassess your priorities. To stop, reflect and take stock. To search deep within yourself and discover, or perhaps rediscover, what sets your soul alight and what it is you want to devote your energy and time to. If life has taught me anything this year, its that nothing is guaranteed. That life can be impossibly short, that even the dreams that you hold tightest to can be shattered in the bri...efest of moments and then nothing is ever the same again. Its not all doom and gloom of course - while these are difficult realities to face, they have taught me, and continue to teach me, lessons I needed to learn, that time is fleeting and how we spend it matters. And a big lesson I have needed to learn is that I cant do it all. Mother, wife, daughter, sister, auntie, friend, homeschooler, teacher, student, small business owner - its a lot of hats to wear - and I dont even look good in hats! But when I look at that list, theres only one thing on there that doesnt bring me abundant joy anymore and thats the hat of small business owner. Truthfully, Ive never been as brilliant at it as I would have like to have been and its often brought me more stress than joy - although there have been valuable lessons learned, friendships formed and contributions made. Yet I feel like I achieved what I aimed to achieve - to highlight the vital importance of play and the protection of childhood and to provide families with quality items to assist in those things. But business - this is not my calling. My calling, my God-given calling, has always been to mother and to teach. To journey with children and families. And in my life right now, I am blessed to do that with both my own children and others. I have some exciting opportunities coming up in my teaching career and I continue to relish the role of homeschooling mum and for now, thats more than enough for me. So 2019 will be the final year of Invitation to Play as a store. We will close in late December. I am completely at peace with this decision and would like to wholeheartedly thank each and every person who has played a role in the success of my business to this point. You have blessed me in so many ways. Saturday night will see the store reopen and as current preorders continue to be shipped out, we will begin clearing our remaining stock. Please note that current turnaround on orders will be 1-2 weeks so please factor that into your planning. All orders will be shipped in time for Christmas of course. From the bottom of my heart - thank you for sharing this part of my journey with me. It truly warms me to know that a piece of my heart resides in so many homes with the products I have shared with you. Much love, Suze xx

18.01.2022 Tonight 8:30pm Adelaide time - 10 more tuff trays will be released when the site reopens. As always, please read the full product description and allow 2-3 weeks for these to be shipped because all current and existing preorders will be shipped first. Tuff trays cannot be combined with other products from the store for shipping and have their own shipping rate to be chosen. Please note that as we are closing at the end of the year, when the site reopens tonight, you need to c...hoose only the available category to shop from. We are having some technical difficulties removing the other ones at the moment. Turn around time for shipping on non-tuff tray orders is 1-2 weeks currently. Products may be added to the available category throughout the week as we access them and if you already have a pending order thats not a tuff tray and wish to add things as new items are added, we can combine shipping on those orders prior to them leaving. Any questions, please DM me! Love, Suze xx

18.01.2022 It started again yesterday afternoon, buying Christmas pyjamas for the girls. Hot tears on my cheeks as I felt so strongly that I should be buying three pairs of matchy-matchies and not two. The familiar sting of the unfair. Its due date week. And despite enduring the past few months, subconsciously, my mind sometimes still thinks it could get what it knows it cant have. But there will be no baby born this week. Celebration instead replaced with sorrow. Tears forever on sta...ndby. A permanent lump in my throat. A raw wound in my life that just hurts and cant be fixed, waiting to at least be eased with the passage of time. Sometimes we just dont get what we want. And today, despite knowing a stubborn, persistent hope, despite knowing I can still delight in the good things, I just dont feel it. Theres not always a gift-like takeaway. My son died. Theres no gift in that. Hope? Yes - even when it feels hopeless. But no gift. No baby. Because our first hello became our final goodbye.

18.01.2022 As Ive reflected on the many beautiful responses I received to the news that I would be closing the store at the end of the year, I have been filled with gratitude to have had a season in my life that has brought joy and value to families beyond what I could have hoped for or imagined. But I must admit, it has left me feeling a little unsure about what the next step is for this page. Im sure weve all been in a social media funk before, and this is where I find myself now -... wanting to be grateful for the platform I have to share the things Im passionate about, but also wanting it to mean something and to add value to peoples lives. I dont want to be another page that makes people feel guilty or less than, another page that makes a life of play seem unattainable or only for the wealthy. I want to continue to support small businesses by sharing products that I believe in or find helpful, but I dont want to be a salesperson. I want to share my love for homeschooling without making people feel like its the only educational option worth considering. I want to learn and grow with people, sharing my knowledge and experiences while being authentic enough to acknowledge that I am still learning daily and dont know it all. I find myself in a regular love-hate relationship with social media - believing it to be both a wonderful source of inspiration and community but also, if Im not careful, a colossal time waster and sometimes a place where spending time here makes me feel woefully inadequate. Ive been incredibly blessed to form friendships with some beautiful people in these squares, have had some amazing opportunities and been uplifted and educated through my time here. But like my time in any facet of life, I want to make it count. I want to be real, I want to serve and I want to share. As I consider the direction that I take here, I would be ever so grateful if you could send me a message in regards to how you feel my page could help you or provide value to you or your family. Im feeling so grateful for the opportunity to grow and change and thankful for new seasons and I look forward to sharing the next one with you. Much love, Suze xx

17.01.2022 Find them at www.invitationtoplayaus.com - please ensure you select tuff tray delivery option and understand that they are seconds only due to these marks in the plastic - functionally they great!

16.01.2022 We were so fortunate to win a competition from @writingsfromthewild where we have been receiving beautiful handcrafted letters from a different animal each month. My little animal lovers have delighted in opening letters addressed to them and learning about the animal who has written to them. This month the animal we received a letter from was the red fox. Filled with fascinating facts and information, these letters have become a much loved addition to our home and to our homeschooling study. You can subscribe to receive a letter for you let children each month too - head over to @writingsfromthewild and check it out!

16.01.2022 We paired our Christmas sensory tray with our beautiful Christmas memory game from @forevertoyshop for some search and find fun!

15.01.2022 Loose parts Christmas trees might be some of the most beautiful Christmas trees out! These boards from Kmart made a perfect base and I picked up a bunch of bells, beads, bows and wooden laser cuts up to pair with our felt wool balls. The girls had a lovely time creating various Christmas trees and I thoroughly enjoyed watching their creativity at work!

14.01.2022 Micah, I never got to smother your face with kisses daily, but I spilled a million tears over it instead. I told you I loved you, knowing I would never hear those words back. I looked at those tiny, perfect hands, knowing they would never hold mine. Yet you will be a part of me forever. A piece of our family most will never see, but will always know is there. So today, on your due date, I tell you again - I love you - knowing I will never hear it back. If love alone could hav...e saved you, Id be holding you today instead of grieving your loss. You are forever wanted. Forever missed. Forever loved. Forever mine. Xx

11.01.2022 Theyre here and theyre perfect! Is there anything Sandie @purelyfeltcraft cant do?! These sweet little critters in their beautiful leaf pouches are getting popped into the girls stockings this Christmas and I know they will adore them. The love and care Sandie puts into every piece she creates is tangible and her creations have become much loved additions to our small worlds and play spaces. Each piece is so detailed and gorgeous! Thank you beautiful Sandie for sending so much joy out into the world!

11.01.2022 Does your family do a December 1st box? For the last few years, Jingle (our elf) arrives on December 1 and brings with him a little crate of goodies to help celebrate the festive season. Contained within it are usually a pair of Christmas pyjamas each, a Christmas dvd, a couple of Christmas books and some Christmas chocolates. But this year I look forward to adding this stunning Christmas memory game from @forevertoyshop to it and enjoying some Christmas themed games together... as a family. The illustrations on this game are so beautiful and timeless and the cardstock is thick and durable. Im sure it will become a much loved addition to our festive season year after year. If youd love one in your 1st of December box, head to @forevertoyshop and enjoy 10% off with the code INVITATION10

11.01.2022 Its not all me. Of course I love setting up play invitations for my girls. Of course I love sourcing toys and resources that I believe will enhance their imaginations and provide open ended play opportunities. But it means nothing if its not about them. So it cant be all me. Oftentimes I do nothing. Baskets laden with treasure lay around, just waiting for a child to notice to them, to be whisked away in a moment of inspiration or imagination. The tables sit waiting, ready for stories to be unfolded upon them. And the children do notice and the stories do unfold. There is so much beauty here - witnessing the outworking of their imaginations. So much joy in the process. This belongs to them. Their set up, their ideas, their narrative, their world. It belongs to THEM. And I hope it always will.

11.01.2022 It’s seems so surreal that after running my little store for 3 years, it will be gone come January. There have many so many highs and a few lows in amongst this small business life and while I know without doubt that I have made the right decision to close this chapter, part of me will miss popping together sweet orders and choosing new products with thought and care. In saying that though, I will be most grateful to have my house back and to have additional time for family. So in a current bid to clear my remaining stock please use the code ‘clear15’ for 15% off all purchases while stocks last. No end date - just until it’s all gone. There’s still some really sweet pieces that would be perfect as stocking fillers - but please allow a one week turnaround for shipping at this busy time of the year. Xx

11.01.2022 If youve watched my stories recently youll know that my girls are loving a good obstacle course lately. So when @qtoysaustralia sent us these amazing geo shapes on stands to try out, the kids didnt waste much time putting them to use! These versatile shapes were perfect additions for crawling through, kicking balls through, throwing objects through - and I can see them being perfect for shape and colour recognition for younger children too. I look forward to using them for maths games, sorting activities and other gross motor skill games. Movement is so vital in childhood!

09.01.2022 Hi Facebook friends! Head over to Instagram to join in this giveaway! GIVEAWAY In celebration of their Cyber Week Sale, Ive teamed up with @educationalexperience to give away one of their Explorer Trays! With a whopping 56 compartments, your little explorers will finally have a place for all their treasures or craft supplies!... This gorgeous wooden tray is double layered, with removable trays at the top and closes with a beautiful hinged clasp. Its 44cm wife, making it perfect for all those collections we end up with! To enter, like this post and follow both @invitationtoplay and @educationalexperience and comment below telling us 4 items your child would store in this tray. Tag some friends for additional entries! Stories shares of this giveaway will earn an additional 5 entries also. Giveaway closes Sunday 1st December at 8pm and is not endorsed by Instagram - open to Australian residents only. Accessories not included with tray. Good luck!

08.01.2022 Our beloved art hutch (or cabinet of curiosities) is in need of a clear out. Its looking pretty hectic on (and in) there! But I do love looking at the hodgepodge shelves - the beeswax, paint brushes and dried flowers - and being reminded of what a gift it is to embrace creativity freely. To experiment, to enjoy the process rather than being overly product focused and to share in the discoveries unleashing creativity can bring. To curate a collection of preloved items and give them a second life - one that brings such joy to ours. Yes this hutch is a jumble. But its our jumble and I love it.

08.01.2022 Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. This is Christmas. I love the trees, the mince pies, the gifts, the lights and the seasonal merriment and I delight in it all, but this - this is the heart of Christmas for me. A baby born so that I might live. A baby born so that in the devastating absence of my own son, I have assurance that I will be with him again. A baby born to demonstrate perfect, unconditional love. And because of that baby, even in the heaviness of grief, I can sing - Joy to the world, the Lord is come.

07.01.2022 ADELAIDE FAMILIES! Who would like to win a family pass to @santaswonderlandsa Running until Christmas Eve, Santas Wonderland is a festive smorgasboard of decorations, rides, activities and shows. Enjoy a tobaggan ride or go ice skating as a family! Ride the dodgems or have a photo with one of the colourful characters. You can even ride a reindeer!... Entry into this competition is simple - simply follow @invitationtoplay and @santaswonderlandsa and leave me a comment telling me your favourite Christmas tradition. Then tag some friends who would love to win too! Competition closes Friday night at 9pm and winner will be announced in stories and in comments - not endorsed by Instagram and open to South Australian families only.

07.01.2022 Nothing like a playspace shuffle! We needed to move our small world table into the corner we usually use for dramatic play setups to make way for our Christmas tree, so I set up a create your own small world corner for the girls. They have so enjoyed taking ownership of their small world play lately so rather than setting up something and hoping theyll engage with it - Ive left it all to them! And by the sounds of the play and chatter coming from that corner as I type - I...d say that was a good move! A combination of nature finds and beautiful handmade pieces have been placed for them to select from, and as we head closer to Christmas, Ill leave out some Christmas pieces too for them to include if they wish. Imaginative play owned by children - there truly is nothing better.

05.01.2022 A wise person once said, invite them, and they will come. Ok, Im paraphrasing somewhat, but you get the idea. Early learning doesnt need to be enforced because children are wired to learn! By their very nature, children are curious beings, always trying to make sense of the world around them, creating connections between play, learning and living. I have never once sat down and explicitly taught my girls to count. Never given them a lesson or lecture on what one-to-one co...rrespondence looks like. Yet they can both count. Sure Ive modelled it from time to time, as part of daily living. But mostly, Ive invited them to discover more about it for themselves. The invitation to play should not be underestimated as a powerful way to allow children to learn and create knowledge and meaning for themselves. Thats not to say that intentional teaching has no place at all, but Ive always found that takes place more authentically by observing children in play and then helping them with their questions as they arise. This simple invitation for Miss 3 sat on our table for a week and in that time she came and went from it and I observed the following - she was independently able to recognise all numbers but one and when she couldnt recognise the last number she asked for help. She was independently able to place the correct amount of gemstones into each piece. She began to trace and form the numbers through the appeal of the indented pieces (thank you, @qtoysaustralia !) She then traced them into the sensory base. She chose to get a scoop and scoop piles of lentils onto each piece - 3 scoops for the number 3 and so on. She ordered the pieces into ascending order. She talked about the size of the gemstones and which ones would fit better when there had to be more of them. She sorted gemstones by colour, by size and by shape and talked about that process to her sister. So much to be noticed when we invite children to play. So much learning takes place here. Let them play. Allow them the time and space to revisit invitations and build upon their first use. Notice them. Be available, but not always in their space. They are learning, this I can promise you.

05.01.2022 Thrifting tip? Buy the yarn. Yarn is such a great resource to have on hand for so many reasons - we have used it for wrapping sticks and pinecones, when making puppets, for maths activities, for pretend play, for science experiments, for handicrafts and threading/weaving practice, for wrapping presents, for making mobiles - the list goes on. But I have bought none of my yarn new. Most op shops have a craft section and there always seems to be wool and yarn available at a reasonable price. Repurposing that, particularly when Im not a knitter so never need a certain amount of a certain colour, makes so much more sense to me than buying it new from the shops. What art or craft items do you buy secondhand?

04.01.2022 Lest you think our homeschool life is all sunshine and rainbows, allow me to be real with you and tell you that today was hard. Both girls were struggling with some big emotions and frustrations and I felt that it didnt matter what I said or did, it didnt help. Any sense of rhythm or connection normally found in our home seemed absent. You see, even understanding child development and knowing why certain behaviours are presenting in the way that they are doesnt always help.... It can still leave you feeling helpless and full of self-doubt at times. Questioning yourself and wishing there was a magical reset button that you could reach for to just try again. I felt like I was being understanding and empathetic. I felt like I brought out all the strategies - we even went to the park to try and recalibrate - none of it changed anything. I still felt exhausted and a touch frustrated and the girls still seemed out of sorts. You know what? Sometimes thats all ok. Some days are just funky days. What I can tell you for sure is that today I tried my best. Today I believe my girls tried their best, within the scope of what it was they were thinking and feeling. Today we held each other, said sorry a few times, talked things through and tonight my girls can lay their heads to rest and I can feel assured that tomorrow is a fresh start. But all of this, we do it together. The good, the bad and the ugly. And I wouldnt want it any other way.

03.01.2022 Sometimes I want to be a minimalist and sometimes I find Christmas tree chopping boards and toadstool Christmas decorations...

03.01.2022 They. Have. Arrived. At 2pm yesterday hundreds of tuff trays descended on my doorstep for the last time! Shipping began today but as they can only be sent in small daily batches due to their size, it may take 2-3 weeks to get them all out so please dont stress if you havent seen a shipping notification yet! If you selected local pickup, I will be emailing you in the next couple of days with some of my availability for collections and an address. Until then, dont forget ...that @snuggletimestories make beautiful wooden stands at various heights that fit our trays perfectly! Hope you love your tray when it arrives and dont forget to tag us in your photos as we love to see how you use them - also we created the hashtag #onthetufftraytoday for the same reason so feel free to use that too! Thanks for the beautiful image of your tuff tray in use @growing_up_grounded

02.01.2022 Sometimes you are blessed with a piece you never knew you needed until you have it. This stunning potions/science/art/sorting station was gifted to us by the talented @naturalwoodgiftsandresources and its so very beautiful. With pipettes, jars and a handcrafted bowl and mortar and pestle, it literally has everything you could want to create whimsical potions or wonderful science experiments or divine works of art. And even better - it is perfectly suited to two or three chil...dren working with it at a time due to its design of having elements available at both ends. Its sturdy and incredibly well crafted and most importantly, my girls adore it. With Christmas coming up, this could be such a beautiful addition to the gifts under the tree - a versatile gift that is sure to be loved in so many ways! @naturalwoodgiftsandresources create pieces for kindys and ELCs as well as private customer orders. They ship interstate and even internationally if required. Please show them your support! Xx

02.01.2022 Simple numeracy invitation for a much needed slow morning. Miss 4 is expressing a desire to write and form letters and number correctly but before I get too enthusiastic about popping more pencils in the hands of children, I like to get them to experiment with different ways to form letters and numbers as theyre learning. Correct pencil grip and correct formation requires a level of fine motor development not all young children are ready for at the same time and so allowing ...practice in a variety of ways with a variety of materials allows those skills to develop in an age and stage appropriate way. This morning we used our @qtoysaustralia natural counting board as a starting point - tracing the number on the board after counting out the marbles and then using a nice chunky paintbrush to form the number in some risoni (and before you ask me - the tray was thrifted so I cant tell you where it comes from sadly! I bought two at the time and theyve been perfect for sensory tracing etc - I think they may have been napkin holders in a former life?) This sensory approach is so helpful in children retaining information and skills - what the hand does the mind remembers! We want children to be immersed in the process - this kind of experience is far more effective and engaging than simply just popping a tracing worksheet and a pencil in front of them. But it doesnt have to be extra elaborate either!

01.01.2022 After a hectic (and oftentimes emotional) few weeks we are desperately in need of some slow and intentional time together at home. Tonight I popped together a Christmas sensory play tray for the girls for the morning. I simply added some cinnamon to our plain rice to scent and lightly colour it and placed in some Christmas loose parts. Touch, sight, smell and sound are all catered for in this tray and I cant wait to see how they explore it. We have been talking about what Christmas means to them in incidental conversation lately and I love hearing their reflections on this season. The tray is filled with many symbols of Christmas and Im looking forward to listening to what they represent to the girls as they play.

01.01.2022 Its seems so surreal that after running my little store for 3 years, it will be gone come January. There have many so many highs and a few lows in amongst this small business life and while I know without doubt that I have made the right decision to close this chapter, part of me will miss popping together sweet orders and choosing new products with thought and care. In saying that though, I will be most grateful to have my house back and to have additional time for family. So in a current bid to clear my remaining stock please use the code clear15 for 15% off all purchases while stocks last. No end date - just until its all gone. Theres still some really sweet pieces that would be perfect as stocking fillers - but please allow a one week turnaround for shipping at this busy time of the year. Xx