This fortnight we're heading outdoors to explore, collect, create and discover all the wonderful things nature has to offer! 🍃 1. Download your new Play Drop so you have it forever. 2. Check the resource list on the last page, you'll probably have most things already! 3. Choose one activity and enjoy some playful moments together. A little tip for this fortnight: Try the Nature Treasure Hunt before setting up your Nature Soup water play. Your little one can collect leaves, flowers and other natural treasures to use as ingredients. Two activities that work beautifully together! 🌸 Our song this fortnight is Tap Your Sticks by Hap Palmer. It's a little more challenging, but such a wonderful opportunity to practise patience, listening and following instructions. It also encourages children to cross the midline of their body, reaching across the imaginary line that divides our left and right sides. This is an important skill that supports coordination and everyday activities like drawing, getting dressed and using both hands together. Remember, little ones don't need to master every movement. Watching, trying and having fun are all part of the learning! 💕 I'd love to see what nature-inspired play you get up to this fortnight, so please share a photo in the comments. 🎃 And a little sneak peek, our next Play Drop will have a Halloween theme (not spooky)! Cheering you on, Zoe x

This fortnight we're heading In the Kitchen with lots of simple opportunities to scoop, pour, create, pretend and play using things you probably already have at home. I observe that kids LOVE pretend kitchen play. 1. Download your Play Drop so you have it forever. 2. Check the resource list on the last page. 3. Choose one activity to try In our house lately we've been keeping play really simple, lots of drawing, pulling out weeds in the garden, painting with tempera paint discs and games of Connect 4. I'd love to see what you're playing too! Share a photo below if you try something from this fortnight's drop. 💕 Cheering you on, Zoe x

It has a Tinker & Wonder theme this fortnight, lots of opportunities to explore, experiment and create without worrying about an end result. 1. Download the new Play Drop #5 so you have your copy forever. Keep it digital or print it. 2. Work out what resources you need to source. The list on the last page makes it easy to scan. 3. Choose one activity and watch the magic unfold. A little reminder for this fortnight: you don't always need to show your child how to play. Sometimes the best thing we can do is put out a few interesting resources, step back and see what happens. It can be SO tempting to jump in, show them how something works or help when they're struggling (teacher and mum over here 🙋‍♀️), but there is so much learning happening when children have the time to tinker and figure things out themselves. Try swapping instructions for curiosity: "I wonder what will happen if...?" "What else could you try?" "What did you notice?" Or sometimes, say nothing at all and just observe. 💙 This fortnight I'm going to pull out a cardboard tube and some cars for the Ramp & Roll activity. Such a ridiculously simple setup, but I know my kids will love experimenting with what they can send flying down it. 😅 Have a fab fortnight and please share a photo of a Play Drop activity in action. I LOVE seeing what actually happens with these ideas in your homes, especially when your child's play takes the activity in a completely different direction! I'm always here to help. Cheering you on, Zoe x

I hope you’re having a great start to the week and have found something from the latest Play Drop to give a go! I quickly set up the ocean water play for my kids when they got home from childcare today. It took a few minutes — some animals, a little pool paint and water — and it did just the trick for that post-childcare wind-down while I got dinner sorted. Win-win! 🙌 We’ve also been loving having paint sticks available and simply colouring all over cardboard boxes left over from the supermarket. And my kids have really enjoyed using their imaginations building with the Plip kit from Fat Brain Toys, so that’s definitely been on high rotation this fortnight! I was working on next week’s Play Drop today and I’m excited for lots of open-ended play and creativity to come ✨ Don’t forget to download your Play Drops so you always have them to come back to. Now I’d love to see what’s been happening in your house! Drop a photo in the comments below 👇 Have a fabulous week. As always, I’m here cheering you on. 💙 Zoe

We made the jellyfish craft yesterday with ribbon and cellophane. It is now my 3 year olds best friend and had to come in the car today 🤣.