Category: Educational

What is a sensory bin?

A sensory bin or sensory box is simply a container filled with objects. It can be anything from sand and shells to stones, pine cones and coloured buttons.

If you are looking for a fun, simple activity to do with your child, consider making a sensory bin. This is a great way to encourage exploration and creativity while providing an enjoyable learning experience for kids. 

It is a great learning tool. By providing different textures, colours, and sounds, you can help your child learn about their environment and the world around them. And if your little ones are obsessed with all things construction – you can even make a construction-themed sensory bin. They’re sure to love it!

How to make a construction-themed sensory bin?

 All you need is some simple supplies that you may already have on hand:

• A plastic container
• Play sand
• Twigs
• Rocks
• Construction toys

Fill your plastic bin ⅓ full with play sand and to make the whole thing more genuine, create a few holes and heaps so that it resembles an actual construction site. Add several stones and pebbles and use twigs to create trees. You can go a little bit more creative and build little tunnels, roads or even a quarry!

Once you’ve prepared the surface, add some small construction vehicles, including excavators, trucks, cranes and dump trucks.

Now that you’ve put together all the elements, your little builders can finally start digging, building, moving things around, exploring and enjoying various textures, sounds and materials. This will help to stimulate their mind, whilst supporting their creativity and sensory development.

To make your sensory bin safe for younger children, you can use edible items like black beans, rice, pasta shapes or nuts. Jelly beans, marshmallows and fruit will also work great.

Benefits of using sensory bins

Sensory bins and boxes are a great way to keep your child occupied, engaged, and learning. 

They provide hours of fun for children of all ages and can be tailored to fit any interest or theme. The different textures, colours, and sounds in each bin can promote development in various areas. If you’re looking for a new activity to keep your little one busy, consider giving a sensory bin a try.

Construction seems like a dull and uninteresting field, but it is actually quite fascinating. The construction industry has been around for centuries and it never ceases to amaze. If you’re interested in learning more about how buildings and structures come together, read our blog post and discover some interesting, little-known aspects of this ever-evolving industry!

1. The Eiffel Tower moves

One of the world’s most famous buildings is arguably the Eiffel Tower, which was built in 1889. This Parisian landmark has become an international symbol for France and one of the most recognisable structures on Earth. But did you know that it actually moves? The immense structure is wind resistant and will sway during a storm. The heat of our sun also affects this huge tower causing its iron components to expand or contract up to 7 inches.

2. The Burj Khalifa weighs approximately 450,000 tonnes which is an equivalent of 100,000 elephants

The Burj Khalifa is a huge monument to human ingenuity and determination. It took an army of people, from architects to engineers, scientists, builders and more just to construct the building that stands as one of the most recognisable structures in the world today. One of the most mind blowing Burj Khalifa facts is how much it weighs. To put things in perspective, 100 thousand elephants’ worth of concrete was used to build this building!

       3. There are 10 million bricks in the Empire State Building

The Empire State Building is one of the most famous buildings in all of New York City. It’s hard to believe, but this immense project took only 20 months from start-to-finish and 10 million bricks were used in the process. But did you know that the construction process came with a human cost? At least five workers were killed during its construction. While it may have been completed ahead of schedule and under budget, this tragedy cannot be overlooked or forgotten.

     4. The largest machine in the world is the Large Hadron Collider. 

The Large Hadron Collider is the biggest machine that man has ever built. It was designed and constructed to study subatomic particles. It lies in a tunnel 27 kilometres (17 mi) in circumference and as deep as 175 metres (574 ft) beneath the France–Switzerland border near Geneva.

  5. The filming of the Teletubbies was done using two JCB generators for power

The Teletubbies series was a hit show for children and adults alike. But did you know that filming of their famous episodes required two JCB generators? These machines were used to power the necessary equipment while creating the artful content we all loved so much.

We hope you have enjoyed reading about the fascinating world of construction, and that it gives you some facts to show to your children. If so, we encourage you to share it with anyone who also might find it interesting!

We all know that kids spend too much time in front of the screen nowadays. Whether you’re a parent, educator or just someone who spends time with children, it’s important to encourage them away from screens and into a more active environment.  Luckily, there are ways we can help them break out of their digital bubbles and get back outside.

With our tips below, you’ll be able to teach your child healthy habits for an engaged life without screens – no matter what age they are. Read on for some insights into how technology has changed childhoods forever – but also hints at what we need to do about it going forward together.

Children who spend more time in front of screens are at a higher risk for developing mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Parents should limit screen time, monitor their child’s use, and make sure they maintain other activities like physical exercise even if it is just walking around the house.

Encourage Other Activities

If you want to limit your kids’ screen time, encourage them to do other activities. When it comes to limiting screen time for children and teens, most experts agree that less is more. But the question remains – what are they supposed to do instead? Encourage kids of all ages to get up off their screens by doing something else – anything! This could be reading a book or magazine, colouring with crayons or markers, or playing outside in nature.

Create Technology-Free Zones

When it comes to the benefits and drawbacks of screen time, there is no black and white answer. The key is moderation, which we all know can be hard with our plugged-in society. This doesn’t mean that you should ban screens from your child’s life entirely—it just means that they need a break every once in a while too. Consider instituting “technology free zones” where kids are not allowed to use their phones at particular times throughout the day or week to give them some much needed breathing room. Make sure these technology breaks are spent on activities like reading books together as a family, playing outside with friends, doing arts & crafts projects at home or visiting relatives who don’t have internet access.

Schedule Family Activities

As a parent, establishing boundaries and imparting responsible screen usage to your kids is crucial. For effective screen time management, consider scheduling family activities. Explore JCB Explore’s website for ideas on how to spend quality family time. You can find plenty of engaging and fun activities here!

Whether it’s a family movie night or a thrilling theme park trip, engaging activities not only divert kids from screens but also strengthen familial bonds among household members.

Keep Your Child’s Bedroom Screen-Free

If you’re worried about the amount of screen time your child is getting, there’s a simple way to mitigate this problem. Make it a rule that televisions and video game systems don’t go into their bedroom. Instead, they can use these items in other spaces throughout the house where you are able to monitor how much they are using them. This will still allow your children to watch television or play games while you are taking care of chores or relaxing, but at least then you will  know what kind of content your  kids are consuming when not under supervision.

As you can see, there are many ways to get your child off of their screens more often. We hope these screen time reduction  ideas have helped you find the solution that is right for your family. It is important to teach kids the balance of offline and online activities so they can enjoy their childhood while also being safe on the internet.

Playing with mud is a great way to spend time outside and get messy. It’s an absorbing and exciting activity for kids of all ages, but it also has some pretty amazing benefits that you may not have thought about! In this article, we’ll explore what playing in the mud means for your child, how to do it right, and why. We’ll also cover some ideas on how to make your own “mud kitchen” at home so you can encourage creativity and conceptual thinking in the most natural way possible.

There is more to playing in the mud than you might think – it’s not just about getting messy! This messy activity has a number of benefits for children that range from physical health and safety, creativity, social skills and emotional wellbeing! Let’s explore some of these below:

How Playing With Mud Can Help Your Child

• Mud play can help foster creativity and conceptual thinking
• Mud can provide a safe space for children to experiment with their physicality
• Playing in the mud helps them develop skills like balance, coordination, problem solving, and persistence.

How To Play In The Mud Right: Considerations For Safety And Hygiene

The temperature of your child’s skin should be taken into account – if they are too hot, playing in the mud could lead to hyperthermia or heat stroke! Make sure to have regular breaks to drink water.

Mud play can be messy! Make sure it’s ok to have some dirt in your house by doing an outdoor clean-up before you start playing.

Keep an eye out for any cuts on your kids’ bodies as this might increase risk of infection by introducing bacteria from the outside environment. Be sure that all wounds have been well cleaned before you let anyone play with dirty hands, and thoroughly wash afterwards. 

The Importance Of Mud Play For Kids: Why It Matters

Engaging in mud play supports the development of crucial skills like balance, coordination, and problem-solving, all of which prove indispensable throughout a child’s life. These foundational abilities not only contribute to their overall growth but also lay the groundwork for potential future careers that align with their interests, such as pursuing roles in construction or architecture.

Participating in mud play provides numerous advantages for children, fostering constructive play that goes beyond mere entertainment. This interactive and messy activity helps them acquire essential life skills while sparking creativity and imagination, setting the stage for potential vocational interests and fulfilling careers in the future.

Ideas On How To Play With Mud

Try playing in the mud with your fingers, using a toy (like a car) or making shapes.

• Put some cooking ingredients into containers made of different materials like paper, foil and plastic cups to create a ‘mud kitchen’
• Use paint brushes dipped in watery soil to draw on the ground – you can try drawing animals such as bunnies or turtles which will offer an opportunity for storytelling too and help your child get creative!

Mud Kitchen Activity: How To Create A Realistic Scene In The Soil And Sand Area Around Your Home For Kids

For younger kids aged three and under who might not be able to use a knife safely, this is one of the best ways to introduce them to cooking:

Get some cooking ingredients from your cupboards and draw out a scene in the soil (or sand) around your home.

Let your child use their imagination when it comes to what they might enjoy making for dinner – you could have an ice cream sundae or pizza! Or maybe they’re into more healthy foods, like fruit and vegetables.

If needed, help your child by providing more structured ideas such as ‘We can make pasta with tomato sauce’.

This will provide lots of opportunities for storytelling too and encourage imaginative play while also teaching kids about food.

Ideas For Mud Play With Toddlers And Preschoolers

“Why don’t we try playing with our hands in the mud and pretending it’s…cake mix?”

“We could pretend that this is a chocolate pudding.”

Many preschoolers love to throw things, so get some soil or sand on their clothes and see what they can come up with. For example, if your child has chosen play dough as their object of choice: “What would happen if you threw it onto the ground? What happens when you add more water/oil/cream of tartar to make ‘dough’?”

Don’t be afraid if mud covers up all their clothes – that’s part of the fun!

A few other ideas for how to use dirt include drawing pictures using sticks or leaves, building tunnels out of boxes (or even just kicking piles of dirt around), digging holes – anything.

The ultimate goal is to let your child be creative and explore their surroundings, helping develop key life skills.

As children  and even as adults, we are told about the importance of spending time outdoors and getting some fresh air. 

With children now back at school and with temperatures starting to rise, we could soon see more classes moving to outdoor learning environments – and this, in many cases, can prove very beneficial. 

It’s widely known  that spending time outdoors has a lot of benefits to our health and can also foster the process of learning and development.

In this article, we take a closer look at some of the ways children can benefit from an outdoor learning environment.

What is outdoor learning? 

Outdoor learning involves a range of activities during which children connect and engage with nature, as well experiment and interact with the elements of the outside world.

Outdoor learning isn’t just about doing what is done in a classroom and doing it outside but it involves a range of engaging activities, such as residential school trips, sports activities and even multi-day expeditions. 

In short, outdoor learning is all about encouraging children to embrace and discover  the world around them while gaining the benefits associated with spending time in nature.

Benefits of outdoor learning:

Develops Problem-Solving Skills

Outdoor learning serves as an effective platform for honing problem-solving skills in children. Engaging with the natural environment presents a myriad of challenges that require creative thinking and strategic decision-making. Whether it’s navigating unfamiliar terrain, building a makeshift shelter, or identifying plants and animals, these experiences foster critical thinking and adaptability. By actively problem-solving in real-world scenarios, children not only enhance their cognitive abilities but also gain a deeper insight into the complexities of the world around them.

Boosts Physical Health and Well-being

The advantages of outdoor physical activity extend beyond mere exercise. The connection with nature has been shown to have positive effects on mental health. The outdoors provides a refreshing change of scenery, offering a break from the daily routine and reducing stress levels. Additionally, exposure to natural sunlight aids in the production of vitamin D, contributing to overall well-being. Incorporating outdoor activities into a child’s routine not only promotes physical fitness but also nurtures a holistic sense of health that encompasses both the body and the mind.

Develops an Appreciation for the Outdoors

In the hustle and bustle of modern life, the appreciation for nature can sometimes be overshadowed. By introducing learning experiences outdoors, children not only rediscover the joy of being outside but also cultivate a genuine love for the natural world. Through hands-on exploration, they develop a connection with the environment, fostering a sense of stewardship and responsibility towards preserving nature. This newfound appreciation extends beyond the learning environment and influences their lifestyle choices, promoting a more environmentally conscious mindset.

Keeps Them Off Screens

The omnipresence of technology in contemporary society has led to an increased reliance on screens, especially among children. Outdoor learning offers a welcome respite from the digital realm, encouraging children to disconnect from screens and engage with the tangible world. This break from constant screen exposure not only mitigates potential negative effects on eyesight and posture but also allows for a healthier balance in their overall lifestyle. The fresh air and sunlight experienced outdoors contribute to improved mood and better sleep patterns, further enhancing the overall well-being of the child.

As you can see, the great outdoors has a host of benefits for your youngsters to explore and make the most of. This is why both parents and teachers should actively encourage outdoor learning as often as possible, especially post-lockdown. A variety of outdoor activities should ideally be included in school curriculums for the benefit of both pupils and teachers. By going on adventures and playing outside, your kids can learn to love nature for all its glory and can gain and  develop a range of skills!

Part of children’s development is interacting with the world around them and manipulating the objects to help gain a greater sense of understanding the surroundings. Using materials and objects to play is very important in this process. Constructive play focuses around the use of various objects and materials to play, like, for example building towers or creating something new from existing elements.

Constructive play is part of a larger concept in the theory of a child’s development, called functional play. Often, it comes naturally without too much thinking, but being aware of the idea of constructive play can help the parents and teachers expand a child’s knowledge and help encourage cooperation, team work and creativity.

Functional play is essentially any play with toys or objects according to their desired function, like rolling a ball or pretending to feed a doll. Constructive play, however, goes a step further. 

Constructive play focuses on constructing things using materials and toys to build and is focused on a specifically intended goal. 

Let’s take a closer look at some examples of constructive play and why it should be encouraged as part of children’s development. 

Examples of constructive play

There are numerous ways to encourage your child to engage with constructive play. Here are just some of them:

• Building sandcastles
• Digging holes 
• Playing with construction toys 
• Building blocks (Lego, Duplo, etc)

In essence, any activity that involves interacting with a child’s environment and creating things from it can be deemed as constructive play –  the possibilities are endless.

How does constructive play help children to learn & grow?

Constructive play is an extremely powerful way for children to discover and grow their skills as it holds numerous learning possibilities. It provides children with the opportunity to explore: 

• Creativity – Children are encouraged to think freely and test their ideas. By being able to design their own play, they are also able to take an idea and see it through.
• Curiosity – Learning is being promoted by allowing children to  explore objects with an interest.
• Problem-solving – Constructive play is heavily focused towards an end goal, therefore, children are encouraged to work out the best method in which to complete this goal.

How do construction toys help child development?

Think about a construction site, is there any better place where logical thinking, creativity and building skills come together? What if your child could be the manager of their own construction site? Sounds great, doesn’t it? 

That’s where construction toys come in. 

It may seem obvious, but construction toys and constructive play go hand in hand. 

Take playing with a toy digger, for example. Children are able to learn how machinery works and operates, the concept of space and direction, all while engaging in free play. 

For older children, construction ride-on toys not only offer an opportunity to play builder, but also help increase spatial awareness. 

How To Encourage Constructive Play?

Encouraging constructive play in kids is a wonderful way to stimulate creativity, problem-solving skills, and overall development. Here are some strategies to foster constructive play:

Provide Open-Ended Toys

Offer toys that can be used in various ways, promoting open-ended play. Items like building blocks, digger toys, and art supplies allow for limitless creativity.

Create a Designated Space

Set up a specific area for constructive play, equipped with building materials, art supplies, and other tools. This signals to children that it’s a space for exploration and creation.

Participate in Joint Activities

Engage in constructive play with your child. Whether it’s building a fort, crafting, or playing with construction toys together, your involvement enhances the experience.

Encourage Problem Solving

Pose challenges or scenarios that require problem-solving. This could involve building a structure that can withstand a “storm” or finding creative solutions to unexpected obstacles during play.
Celebrate Imagination:

Embrace and celebrate your child’s imagination. Encourage them to create stories, imagine new worlds, and express their ideas through play.

As you can see, encouraging constructive play brings a lot of benefits and facilitates the learning & development process. What’s more, it can even trigger a passion, that your child may turn into a lifetime hobby or even a career!