Terrific Twos....

The main occupation for children aged two is play, which is crucial for their learning and development; one of the ways to encourage this, is through heuristic play i.e. child-led free play with a range of natural and household items for discovery and investigation, without adult intervention. 

This handy guide written by early years practitioners in Harrow, provides an insight into the characteristics and development of two year-olds; it covers attachment, communication, children with SEND, what parents can expect their child to be capable of and finishes with useful website links.

Community Playthings provides resources for nurseries; the 'Learning Library' section of their website covers a range of topics with supporting articles, case studies, videos, training resources and guides; click on a topic listed on the left of the page and you will find related guides displayed on the right.

Professional Body for Playworkers

A recent survey has found that 96% of practitioners would be interested in joining a new playworkers body - more than 9 out of 10 playwork practitioners think that a new membership body is needed for the profession in the UK. Karen Benjamin and Adrian Voce, members of the steering group of play experts behind the initiative, are now planning to set up a new charitable organisation. Many practitioners also raised concerns that a new body should not compromise the work that is already being done to support playwork and its development by other sector organisations.