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Do you feel like you've tried everything to help your child improve their spelling skills, but nothing seems to work? Are you fed up with the arguments about spelling practice? Tired of hunting for scraps of paper and thinking of fun activities?  Learning to spell can be stressful enough, so why not introduce a spelling basket into your child's life? Since setting one up for my son, spelling practice has been a much more laid-back experience. I just ask him to get his basket and select an activity. There's far less huffing and puffing (from both of us) and he prefers it when I'm not breathing down his neck while he practises! What is a spelling basket? A spelling basket is a simple tool that can help turn spelling practice into a fun and engaging activity.  First of all, find a basket or box which is large enough to hold your spelling resources.  Then fill it with all or a selection of the following: Whiteboard and dry wipe pen Chalkboard and chalks Plain and coloured paper, notebook Variety of writing materials - pencils, pens, crayons Spy pen for writing secret spellings A printed-out keyboard for 'typing' spellings A magnifying glass for writing tiny spellings An LCD writing tablet Rainbow scratch notes A timer for writing the spellings as many times as possible in 1 minute! You can find resources for your spelling basket in my Amazon storefront!* How does my child use the spelling basket? Each day, ask your child to choose how they would like to practise their spellings.  Ensure that they have the list of words in front of them and let them get on with practising!  The night before the spelling test, check which words your child is still unfamiliar with and go over these together. What are the benefits of using a spelling basket? The great thing about the spelling basket is that it gives your child ownership over their spelling practice. Your child will enjoy reaching into the basket and pulling out an activity, and they'll be more motivated to spell out words when they're using fun resources!  Plus, by using a variety of different items, you can keep things fresh and interesting. So, if you're looking for a simple yet effective way to help your child become a spelling superstar, try introducing the magic of a spelling basket into their routine! You might also enjoy the following blog posts: 10 fun spelling activities for key stage one Help with handwriting 15 essential tips for engaging reluctant readers *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Teaching doubles should be one of your favourite things to teach. It's such an easy concept to plan practical activities for - which is great news for kids! Even better, those fun activities for teaching doubles are really quick to set up - which is great news for you! What are doubles? Doubles addition means adding the same number twice, for example, 2+2 or 5+5. You can explain to children that a double is two lots of something. Doubling is first introduced in Reception class at school. The Early Learning Goals state that, 'Children at the expected level of development will automatically recall number bonds up to 5 and some number bonds to 10, including double facts' and 'will explore and represent patterns with numbers up to 10, including double facts' (Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage). Instant recall of doubles is a useful mental maths tool as it paves the way for more complex maths, such as halving (the opposite of doubling), the two times table and near doubles. Near doubles are when two numbers are added, with one number being one more or one less than the doubles fact. An example of this would be 3+2 or 6+7. Children can use their knowledge of doubles to quickly solve the additions. Activities for teaching doubles Here are six practical ways to teach doubles addition. You probably have the resources to hand already and setting the activities up should be a doddle. If you have any more fun ideas, don't forget to add them to the comments section! 1. Visual Doubles Go on a hunt around school and the local area looking for real-life examples of doubles. You might spot shoes (1+1), wheels on a car (2+2), egg cartons (3+3), legs on a spider (4+4), or fingers (5+5). 2. Doubling Dice Children can roll a die and then double the number. Alternatively, they can roll two dice and identify whether they have rolled a double or not. Begin with 1-6 spotty dice, then move on to dice with numerals. When children are confident with doubles to 12, give them 1-10 dice instead, so that they can learn their doubles to 20. 3. Mirror Mirror Plastic mirrors are a brilliant way to teach doubles. Children use the mirror to find and count double the number of counting manipulatives. Encourage them to use language like 'two lots of', 'double' and 'altogether makes'. 4. Tens Frames Give children two sets of coloured counters. They place one of each colour on each line of the frame to represent 1+1, two of each colour on each line to represent 2+2 and so on. Children can clearly see how the double is made using this approach. 5. Domino Doubles Children sort through dominoes and find the ones that have the same number on both sides. They can record the doubles additions on whiteboards. 6. Paint Times Two Fold a piece of paper in half and open it back out. The child then paints a given number of spots on one half of the piece of paper. Fold the paper in half again, press down and open it back out to see double the number of spots. You could get arty and draw a ladybird or butterfly outline first! What next? You might like to read the following popular blog posts: Phase 3 Phonics: The Lazy Teacher's Guide Counting in 2s, 5s and 10s: 10 Awesome Activities Bingo Dabber Activities for Children You can purchase the 'mirror reflections' activity in my shop Find hands-on addition and subtraction activities in my Amazon store. *.* *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Winter is a magical time in the classroom, especially when it comes to continuous provision. This time of year provides endless opportunities for children to explore the natural world, learn about seasonal changes and to develop their creativity and imagination. These 10 inspiring activities will spark the curiosity of every child! 1. Winter Wonderland One way to incorporate winter into your continuous provision is to set up a winter wonderland small world area. You can use fake snow, pinecones, loose parts, cotton wool balls and small toy animals and people to create a snowy landscape for your class to explore. By doing so, you will encourage children to use their imaginations and engage in imaginative play. 2. Science Experiments Winter is a great time to introduce science experiments. For example, you can teach children about the properties of ice by setting up an ice-melting experiment. Fill a container with ice cubes and encourage children to observe what happens over time. Ask the children to predict what will happen if you move the container near to a radiator or put it outside. 3. Arts and Crafts Don’t forget about art and craft activities! Winter is the perfect time to explore a range of art materials and create winter-themed artwork. You can use colour mixing to create a winter scene, make a snowy image using white chalk and black paper or design winter landscape collages using torn paper and glue. 4. Elves Workshop An Elves Workshop is another great activity to add to your winter-themed classroom. You can set up a workshop area where children explore, create and make gifts for their family and friends. You can include materials such as wrapping paper, ribbons, tape and scissors, as well as small toys for children to use as gifts. This activity can help children develop their fine motor skills, creativity and social skills. 5. Home Corner A winter-themed home corner is a lovely way to incorporate the season into your continuous provision. You can set up a cosy area with blankets, cushions and fairy lights to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. You can also include winter-themed books, such as stories about snowmen or winter animals, to encourage children to read and explore the world around them. Finally, put out some winter writing mats or black paper and white chalk to encourage children to write about the season. 6. Winter Maths Games and Activities These winter-themed addition and subtraction games will be a huge hit with your class! Simply print them out, place them inside reusable pockets, grab some playing pieces and go. Children will also love putting together winter and Christmas-themed number puzzles. They can practise sequencing numbers up to 20 alone or with friends. If your pupils need some extra counting practice, these winter clip cards will be another popular activity! Your class will use pegs to clip the correct number of images on each card. Counting winter-themed loose parts with the help of a tens-frame is another fun activity for you to add to your continuous provision! 7. Playdough Snowmen Winter malleable activities are a great way to encourage children to explore different textures and materials while also learning about the season. Provide children with white playdough and various materials such as buttons, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes to create their own snowmen. Encourage them to use their imaginations and creativity to build unique snowmen. Overall, winter malleable activities can help children develop their fine motor skills, creativity and sensory awareness. 8. Build a Winter Village Winter construction activities are a great way to engage children in hands-on learning experiences. Encourage children to work together to build a winter village using blocks, cardboard boxes and other materials. They can create houses, shops, and other buildings and decorate them with winter-themed decorations such as snowflakes and icicles. 9. Ice Sculptures Fill large containers with water and leave them outside or in the freezer overnight. Once the ice blocks are frozen, bring them into the classroom and provide children with tools such as chisels and hammers to create their own ice sculptures! This activity can help children develop their fine motor skills and creativity. 10. Winter Animal Habitats Encourage children to create habitats outdoors for winter animals, using natural materials such as twigs, leaves, and pinecones. They can create shelters for squirrels, rabbits, and birds and decorate them with winter-themed decorations. This activity can help children develop their knowledge of the natural world. Overall, incorporating winter into your continuous provision is a great way to keep your pupils engaged and learning throughout the season. By choosing activities that are fun, creative, and educational, you can help children develop their skills and knowledge in a meaningful and enjoyable way! What Next? Discover a range of time-saving winter resources right here in my shop. From number games to phonics resources, loose parts to books - you need to visit the No Worksheets Allowed Amazon page* now! Read the blog post, 10 continuous provision ideas for autumn. Read the blog post, 10 continuous provision ideas for spring. *As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Phase 5 phonics is typically taught throughout Year 1 of primary school in the UK. It builds on the foundation laid in the earlier phonics phases and introduces a range of new phonemes and graphemes, as well as more complex spelling patterns. What is taught in phase 5 phonics? One of the key aspects of Phase 5 phonics is the introduction of alternative spellings for the sounds that children have already learned. For example, they might learn that the sound /ai/ can be spelt as "ai" (as in rain), "ay" (as in play) and "a-e" (as in cake). Children also learn about split digraphs, such as "i-e" (as in mine). They are taught to recognise these sounds in words and to spell them. Phase 5 phonics also includes a list of irregular (tricky) words, such as "oh", "people", and "Mr", which cannot be decoded using phonics rules alone. 5 tips for teaching phase 5 phonics Here are some handy tips for teaching phase 5 phonics: Teach phonics regularly: It's important to practise phonics skills on a daily basis. Children need to hear and see the sounds and words repeatedly in order to remember them. Make it fun: Keeping phonics activities engaging and fun is crucial. Incorporate games, songs and hands-on activities to make learning phonics enjoyable for children. Use a variety of resources: There are many resources available to help teach phonics, including books, flashcards and online games. Use a variety of resources to keep children interested and motivated. Encourage reading: Encourage children to read as much as possible. Reading helps children to practise their phonics skills and to recognise words in context. Be patient: Remember, every child learns phonics at their own pace! 5 fun activities for phase 5 phonics As a parent or teacher, it can be challenging to come up with fun and engaging activities to help children practise these skills. Here are some ideas for phase 5 phonics activities: Fly Swat - Children splat the fly that shows a specific phase 5 sound or high-frequency word. This is the perfect low-prep activity for your phonics continuous provision! Just laminate for longevity. TIP: If you don't have any fly swatters, you can easily make some out of cardboard! 2. Tricky Word Watches - Children will learn to read the phase 5 tricky/irregular words with this FUN phonics activity! They should cut their watch out and then wear it for the day. An engaging way to get children excited about phonics! 3. High-Frequency Word Games and Activities - This activity pack is ideal for teaching the 25 phase 5 phonics high-frequency words (decodable and tricky words). Simply laminate, cut out and have fun! The games and activities could be used with small groups, for intervention work or even sent as homework. 4. Phonics Flashcards - These stunning nature-themed flashcards include the phase 5 phonics sounds and high-frequency words. They are provided with three or four cards per page and have a beautiful natural design. They're deal for displays or use with the whole class, groups or individuals. You could provide children with a variety of words and ask them to sort them into different categories based on their spelling patterns or phonemes. 5. Free Phonics Carpark Mats - Children will learn to recognise phase 5 phonics sounds and words as they park their toy cars. They won't even realise that they're learning! This free activity is perfect for home or school and will be a real hit with car fans. These are just a few ideas to get you started. Remember, the key to successful phonics activities is to keep them fun and engaging for children. What next? Take a look at the following blog posts: Tricky words, simple activities Hands-on resources for teaching phonics

When it comes to teaching 2D shapes, hands-on activities are a great way to engage young learners and the perfect way to help them learn the shape names and properties. Here are 10 fun and interactive activities that you can use at home or school to teach 2D shapes: 1. Shape Painting Children can paint their own pictures of 2D shapes on paper. Alternatively, they can just use water and large brushes to paint large shapes on the ground outside - less mess to tidy up! 2. Musical Shapes Place 2D shape stickers on the keys of a keyboard. Encourage children to say the shape names as they press the keys. They could make up a tune and draw the shapes so that their friends could learn to play it too! 3. Shape Bingo Create bingo cards with different 2D shapes and ask children to identify the shapes as they are called out. You can find ready-made bingo cards in the No Worksheets Allowed shop! 4. Loose Part Shapes Provide A4 printouts of 2D shapes and ask pupils to cover each of the sides with loose parts. Examples of loose parts to use are feathers, conkers, shells and buttons. Click for loose part shape mats. 5. Shape Art Encourage your class to create art using different 2D shapes. They can use stencils, shape sponges, gummed paper shapes or shape stamps. 6. Shape Build Provide children with a pipe cleaners or pieces of spaghetti. Which 2D shapes are they able to make? Encourage children to describe the properties of the shapes as they undertake the activity. 7. Geoboard Shapes Ask children to make different shapes using elastic bands and geoboards. Provide a set of 2D shapes to help them and talk about the number of sides and corners. 8. Shape Scavenger Hunt Hide 2D shapes around the classroom or outside and ask your class to find and identify them. They could sort the shapes into sets, according to the number of sides or corners. 9. Shape Playdough Provide pupils with playdough and 2D shape mats and ask them to create the shapes using playdough. This activity gives children a fine motor workout too! 10. Fuzzy Felt Shape Art Using a set of 2D fuzzy felt shapes (you can buy a set or make your own like I have), ask children to create their own picture of anything they like. Can they write a caption to go with the picture, describing the shapes which they have used? By using these hands-on activities, you can make learning about 2D shapes fun and engaging for your class! Free Fun 2D Shape Resources Click now for these free resources: Hammer that Shape! Call out a shape name - children hit the correct one with a toy hammer! Sign up to the newsletter to receive a free 2D shape bingo dabber download! Buy Engaging 2D Shape Resources You can also find a range of interactive 2D shape activities in the shop: Drive and Learn 2D Shapes: drive a toy car along the road and name the shape you pass. Shape Tracing Road Mats: drive a toy car around the outline of each shape. 2D Shape Watches: children colour their watch, cut it out and wear it for the day! Shape Challenge Cards: place these cards in your continuous provision as challenges. 2D Shape Posters: ideal for display boards, or use with the whole class or groups.

Fine motor skills refer to the small movements made by our fingers, hands and wrists. They allow us to perform all sorts of tasks, from writing and drawing to cutting and buttoning up clothes. Developing these skills is especially important for young children at school, as they begin to develop their independence and learn how to write. You can find out more information in this fine motor skills blog post. Fortunately, there are many resources available to help children improve their fine motor skills. Here are some tried and tested examples which you can use at home or school: 1. Hole Punchers Hole punchers are a great way to develop fine motor skills, as they require children to use their fingers and hands to manipulate them. You could use hole punchers in a maths activity. Write a number on a piece of paper and ask children to punch out that many holes. 2. Playdough and Tools Playdough is an excellent tool for developing fine motor skills, as children can squeeze, pinch, and roll the dough. Using tools can add even more of a fine motor workout to the activity! 3. Activity Boards Using activity boards is an fun way to develop fine motor skills, as children have to use their fingers to twist and turn different screws and tools. An engaging activity for children who love building and construction! 4. Lacing Threading and lacing are great activities for developing fine motor skills, as they require children to pick up and manipulate small objects. Hand-eye coordination will also be improved because concentration is needed to thread the lace through such small holes! 5. Pegboards Pegs and pegboards are an ideal way to improve a child's pincer grip. Pincer grasp refers to using the forefinger and thumb together to ‘pinch’ or grasp an object. Pegboards also fun for making patterns and creating pictures! 6. LCD Writing Tablets These tablets are an anxiety-free way for children to practise mark-making and handwriting. If they make a mistake it doesn't matter, they can simply start again! 7. Pipettes The design of a pipette means that they're perfect for developing the pincer grip! This is the same grip needed for holding a pencil. You could challenge children to transfer a drop of water into each section of an ice cube tray! 8. Geoboards As children manipulate elastic bands over the nails, they'll exercise the small muscles in their hands. Not only that - they'll also improve their hand-eye coordination! 9. Magnetic Blocks As children build with the blocks, they'll begin to improve control over small hand and finger movements. This in turn will help them to perform activities such as writing or using scissors. 10. Tweezers Sturdy tweezers require a little more force to squeeze them, making them perfect for school-age children. They also support an efficient pencil grip, as they generally have moulded finger placements. In conclusion, developing fine motor skills is essential for children! By using resources such as those listed above, plus puzzles, scissors, beads, and colouring books, children can improve their fine motor skills and enhance their overall physical and cognitive development. So why not try some of these resources today and see the difference they can make? Find all of the resources above in my No Worksheets Allowed Amazon shop. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You may also be interested in the following blog posts: Help with Handwriting Bingo Dabber Activities for Children D.I.Y Fine Motor Activities for EYFS

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, it's time to start thinking about planning for the big day. No need to worry though, we've got it all sorted for you! Here's a list of fun Valentine's Day activities for children to do at home or school. Valentine's Day Picture Puzzles Practise and review sequencing numbers to 20 with these FUN differentiated Valentine’s Day puzzles! Children should order the numbers to complete the picture. Engaging hands-on learning for your Valentine’s continuous provision! Simply print, laminate and cut along the solid lines! Alternatively, the black and white versions can be printed on paper for children to colour and then use as a cut-and-stick activity. Valentine's Doubles Addition Activity Little ones will love these Valentine’s Day-themed activity cards for learning doubles to 10+10! Children will use a child-safe mirror to reflect the images in the activity cards and count the doubles total. Perfect doubles facts addition fun for your math continuous provision at school or as an engaging activity to set up at home. Children will learn their doubles in no time! Valentine's Day Writing Templates Your class will love these Valentine's-themed picture prompt writing mats. They’re great for encouraging children to write simple phrases and sentences. Perfect for Valentine’s Day independent writing or to send as homework! With real photos and beautiful illustrations, even your most reluctant writer will be drawn to this activity! Valentine's Day Counting Cut and Stick This is a simple yet FUN hands-on learning activity for practising counting this Valentine's Day! Children will count cute ladybirds with this maths activity. They then select and cut out the correct numbers and stick them beneath the pictures. Not only do they practise counting but also get a fine motor work out! The perfect low-prep activity for your Valentine’s continuous provision! Valentine's Day Positive Notes Home These positive notes are for you to send home with your pupils. They include editable and non-editable notes in a variety of designs.  Celebrate behaviour, effort, attainment - in fact, anything you like, with these adorable Valentine’s Day-themed notes!  Children love to take these home to share with their parents!  Simply print and then write your message in the space provided. Valentine's Counting Clip Cards Teach your child to count and recognise numbers to 10 with this fun Valentine’s Day count and clip activity! Children should count the cute Valentine’s images and then use a clothes peg to choose the correct answer. Two versions are included, one with numerals and one with number words. Engaging hands-on learning for home or school! Simply print, laminate and cut out! Valentine's Day Heart Craft This gorgeous sun catcher is sure to brighten up any home or classroom! To make, fold a piece of thick paper in half and draw half of a heart. Cut out and then cut out the centre of the heart, leaving a 2-3cm border. Cut white tissue paper to the size of your heart and then stick in place. Next, your child can stick red and pink paper tissue squares onto the back of white tissue paper. When the heart is covered, loop a piece of ribbon and stick it to the top - now you can hang your sun catcher! You might also enjoy the following blog posts: Help with handwriting Phonics continuous provision - 10 activities Subitising in maths: what on earth is that?

Whether you're a teacher or a parent, it's important to teach addition in a way that's engaging and easy to understand. Initially, children should work with small numbers and learn to confidently add within 5. They will then progress to addition within 10 and then addition within 20. There's no need to rush your child into working with larger numbers! Here are the expectations... By the end of Reception, children are expected to: automatically recall (without reference to rhymes, counting or other aids) number bonds up to 5 (including subtraction facts) and some number bonds to 10, including double facts (EYFS Statutory Framework, December 2023). By the end of Year 1, pupils are expected to: read, write and interpret mathematical statements involving addition (+) and equals (=) signs represent and use number bonds within 20. add one-digit and two-digit numbers to 20, including 0. solve one-step problems that involve addition, using concrete objects and pictorial representations, and missing number problems. (National Curriculum, September 2021) By incorporating the following activities into your teaching, you can make learning addition enjoyable for your little learners! Finding One More A good first step to teaching addition is to practise finding one more than a number. Give your child a digit card (0-4) and ask them to represent the amount with objects. Can they then find one more than that number? Use language such as, 'How many are there now?' and 'What is the number after...?' Part-Whole Model With part-whole models, children break down a number into parts and then put them back together to form the whole number. They can physically move objects to show how adding two numbers creates a larger sum. This helps children to understand the different compositions of numbers. For example, they can see the different ways to make 3; i.e. 3+0, 2+1, 1+2 or 0+3. You can also use part-whole models that have three parts to show the addition of 3 numbers to make a whole. Hands-On Addition Activities One of the best ways to teach addition is through hands-on activities. Use manipulatives like counters, toys, dominoes and dice to help your child understand the concept of adding numbers together. Ask them to combine the two groups of objects by counting them all. This will help them to see the physical representation of addition. Tens Frame Addition Tens frames are another great tool for teaching addition to young learners. Tens frames have 10 boxes arranged in two rows of 5. By using tens frames, children can visualise the numbers they are adding and understand the concept of regrouping. You can use tens frames to start with simple addition problems and gradually increase the difficulty level as children progress. Adding by Counting On Counting on is the next stage in teaching addition. With counting on, encourage your child to start with the largest number and then count on to find the total. Ask them to count on from the first group of objects to the second group of objects to find the total. You may need to cover the largest group with a digit card to help your child with this concept. Number Line Addition Number lines are great tools for teaching addition using the counting-on strategy. They give a visual representation of numbers in a sequence, usually from 1 to 10 or 1 to 20. To use a number line to add, start with a number and then count on by moving along. For example, if the problem is 3 + 2, you would start on number 3 on the number line and then count on two more numbers, which would give you 5. Doubles and Near Doubles Doubles and near doubles are important concepts that can help children to learn and memorise addition facts. Doubles are addition problems where both numbers are the same, and near doubles are addition problems where the two numbers are close to being the same. Recording Additions At an early stage, children record their additions by drawing pictures. They might draw two sets of objects or perhaps draw their own part-whole models. Once children are confident with practical addition, they can begin to record more formally.  To record number sentences for addition, children use the "+" symbol to represent addition and the "=" symbol to represent 'is equal to'. Teaching addition to young learners can be a fun and engaging experience for both parents and teachers! By incorporating the activities shown above, children can learn the concept of addition in a way that's easy to understand. It's important to remember that children progress at different rates, and it's fine to take things slowly! It's also important to encourage children to record their additions in a way that's appropriate for their level. Fun Addition Resources The No Worksheets Allowed shop is full of engaging addition games and activities! Addition Within 5 Addition Within 10 Addition Within 20 Doubles Further Interesting Blog Posts Fun activities for teaching doubles Activities to teach addition and subtraction

With spring finally here, it's time to start thinking about how to incorporate the season into your classroom's continuous provision! Continuous provision refers to all of the different provision areas (e.g. maths, art, role play, outdoors, etc.), learning opportunities and resources which are available for the children in your class to use. So, what kinds of enhancement activities can you include in your classroom's continuous provision during the spring season? Here are a few ideas to get you started: 1. Spring art Use spring as inspiration for your art area! Offer a variety of materials such as pastels, paper, scissors and glue for children to create their own spring-themed artwork. They might do observational drawings of flowers, make tissue paper blossom pictures or collages of a spring day. Children could be encouraged to create their own 3D spring animals such as the one shown. Provide cardboard tubes, paints, googly eyes, feathers, pens and a selection of spring animal pictures and let the children's imaginations run wild! 2. Outdoor spring provision Spring is the perfect time to set up an area to grow flowers or vegetables. Encourage children to help plant and water the seeds. They can then compare the height of their plants as they grow and use standard or non-standard measures to measure them. Another idea for your outdoor area is a bird-watching hide. Challenge your class to build a hide using a den-building kit! Provide chairs, some binoculars and a bird identification guide. You could set up a bird feeder and a birdbath to encourage more feathered visitors! 3. Spring counting activities Children will enjoy counting leaves, petals, spring wooden loose parts or fluffy toy chicks with these spring counting mats. They read the number and then count out the correct number of items. Another idea would be to count sets of spring objects and then use a peg to find and clip the corresponding number on a number line. Alternatively, children in Year 1 could count the spring items in groups of 2, 5 or 10. 4. Spring role-play Encourage imaginative play by setting up a spring-themed role-play area. This could be a garden centre, a farmer's market or a picnic area. Offer props such as hats, aprons, plants and baskets for children to use during their play. Children can use the items they create in the art area to resource their role-play set-up. They can also make signs and badges, design their own seed packets and fill out forms. Don't forget that you'll need a till and some money to make purchases too! 5. Spring fine motor activities There are many ways to incorporate fine motor activities into your spring continuous provision. You could cut out butterfly shapes from cardboard and punch holes around the edges for children to thread string through. Seed sorting also provides a fabulous fine motor workout. Simply gather different seeds and ask children to sort them using tweezers. Geoboards are another excellent way to improve finger strength. Provide spring photos and challenge your class to use rubber bands to create leaves, flowers or animals. 6. Spring writing This spring, encourage children to write a poem using descriptive language to describe the sights, sounds and smells they experience. They could also keep a journal about the process of growing plants. Ask them to document the different stages of plant growth, from planting the seeds to watching them produce flowers. On your writing table, leave out these spring writing mats. Your class will love the spring-themed picture prompts - they’re great for encouraging children to write simple phrases and sentences! 7. Butterfly farm kit A butterfly farm kit can be a wonderful addition to your classroom's continuous provision enhancements during spring. They're a great way to teach children about the life cycle of butterflies, as children can witness the stages first-hand. This can help them to understand the concept of growth. A butterfly farm kit can be an exciting way to engage children in hands-on learning about the natural world, teach them about responsibility and care and also provide opportunities for language and literacy development! What's not to love? 8. Spring phonics blending activity This spring phonics blending activity is a fun and engaging way to help children develop their reading skills. Draw and cut out pictures of lambs and add them to your farm small-world play. Then place magnetic letters on each of the lambs to make a word. Ask a child to drive a toy tractor along, sounding out each letter of the word. Can they then blend the sounds together to read the word? You can differentiate this activity depending on the ability of the child you are working with. 9. Spring jigsaws These spring and Easter number jigsaws can provide several benefits for children. They can help to improve their cognitive skills, hand-eye coordination and problem-solving abilities. Not only that, but they're also a fun and engaging way for children to practise their counting skills! In addition, they can help children develop patience and persistence as they work towards completing the puzzle. A must-have for your spring maths area! 10. Spring addition You can use cardboard to create a tens frame and provide children with spring-themed counters to use for counting and adding. For example, you could use flower, bird or butterfly-shaped wooden counters. You can also use real flowers or petals for counting and adding. Encourage children to use the tens frame to represent the numbers and to add them by counting the total number of counters on the frame. A fun and interactive way to help children develop their maths skills this spring! By incorporating these activities into your classroom's continuous provision, you can provide opportunities for children to learn whilst having fun! If you have any further ideas, I'd love to hear them. Please feel free to add them to the comments below! You may also enjoy reading: Ten continuous provision ideas for autumn Ten continuous provision ideas for winter Continuous provision in key stage one Phonics continuous provision: 10 ideas Spring learning resources: Spring and Easter resources

Teaching children about money is an important life skill. Recognising and understanding the value of coins are essential concepts that children will use throughout their lives. While it may seem like a simple topic, teaching money to children can be a challenging task. However, with the right approach and some fun learning activities, they can quickly begin to recognise coins and their value! Here are ten engaging money activities to get you started: 1. Magnifying Glass Coin Recognition Children can look at the front and back of each coin using a magnifying glass. They can carefully examine the designs, numbers and shapes. This can help them better differentiate between different types of coins and to understand the value of each one. Additionally, examining coins with a magnifying glass can be a great way to practice observation skills! 2. Coin Rubbing Coin rubbing activities are a creative way to make art while learning about coins. Children place a coin underneath a piece of paper and then use a crayon or pencil to rub the coin's design onto the paper. It's a simple and inexpensive activity that can be done at home or in the classroom, and it's a great way to encourage creativity and learning! 3. Money Splat Scatter coins or coin flashcards out on the floor and give each child who's playing a fly swatter. Call out the value of a coin and see who can be the first to splat that coin with a fly swatter! 4. Bingo Dabber Coins Bingo dabbers are a fun way to help children learn to recognise the different coins. With this bingo dabber activity, children have to search for and dab the correct coins using a bingo dabber or crayon. Leave out a selection of real coins to help them with the activity. 5. Coin Hunt Why not try a coin hunt as a fun money activity? Hide coins around the house or classroom and ask children to search for them. Once they find a coin, ask them if they can identify it and its value. You might ask them to draw and label each coin that they find. 6. Money Manipulatives Use cubes, counters or buttons to represent each coin’s value visually, starting with the 1p, 2p, 5p and 10p coins. For the 1p coin, the child will put out one cube or counter. For the 2p, 5p and 10p, explain that although there is just one coin, the value is greater than one. Children should put out the correct number of manipulatives to show this. 7. Money Sorting Mat A money sorting mat is an excellent tool to help children categorise coins based on their value. Children simply move the coins into the correct section of the mat. You could challenge them further by asking them to sort all of the coins before a timer runs out! In the No Worksheets Allowed shop, you'll find time-saving money-sorting mats. 8. Cut and Stick Money Cut-and-stick money activities are a great way to match the coins with their values. Children can look at pictures of different coins on a chart and then cut and stick their corresponding values. They could also sort the coins from smallest to greatest value. 9. Money Spinner Use a circle of card, pens, a split pin and a paper clip to create a spinner. Label the sections of the spinner with the different coin values which your class are working on. Then play a game where the children spin the spinner and choose the coin that matches the value on which the spinner landed. A great way to teach about coin values, while also having some fun together! 10. Play Shop In this activity, children can practice making the exact total with just one coin. Use a range of toys and label them with price tags: 1p, 2p, 5p, 10, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2. Encourage children to use only one coin to pay for a toy. For example, if a toy costs 2 pence, they use a 2p coin to pay for it. So, there you have it, 10 fun and engaging ways to teach children about coin recognition and value. Hopefully, they'll bring your little learners on in leaps and bounds! I’d love to hear your money activity ideas too – feel free to add them to the comments below! What Next? Head over to the shop where you'll find a variety of engaging money activities. Check out this blog post about teaching addition to 4-6 year olds. Read 5 Fun Activities for Phase 5 Phonics.

It's finally summer, even if the weather doesn't always quite catch on. It's time to bring some fun and excitement into your learning environment - it's time to enhance your continuous provision! Keeping your class entertained and inquisitive during the summer months can be a challenge, but with the right activities, you can create an environment that promotes exploration, creativity and learning. Here are some fun continuous provision ideas that are perfect for the summer season! 1. Summer Continuous Provision Maths Area Your class will be drooling as they practise addition with this fun hands-on ice cream activity! Children choose an addition sentence, place the correct number of scoops of ice cream (pom poms) in each of their (brown paper) cones and add to find the total. With such an enjoyable way to practise, they'll master their addition facts in no time! You'll also find a great range of differentiated summer addition and subtraction games in the online shop. Why not set them up outdoors? 2. Summer Shadow Art This is a lovely outdoor activity which requires very little preparation time, just lots of sunshine! Lay out sheets of paper on the ground behind the children's favourite small-world toys. You may need to weigh down the corners if it's windy. Challenge the children to draw the outline of a toy's shadow before the sun moves! They can then use watercolours to paint their shadow drawing. Talk about how shadows are made and explore how their position and size change throughout the day. 3. Summer Outdoor Water Play Set up a water tray outdoors with containers, pans, egg cups, bottles and measuring cups for exploring volume and capacity. Teach your class to compare the capacity of containers and to measure using non-standard measures. Children can use water (or sand, rice, marbles, etc.) to find out which container holds more, and which holds less or to measure the capacity of different containers. You'll find capacity activity cards (complete with poster and recording sheets) in the No Worksheets Allowed shop. 4. Summer Continuous Provision Small World An under-the-sea scene is fairly easy to set up and a great way to enhance your continuous provision! Use blue fabric to create the sea. You can add some yellow fabric to create an island or beach. Rocks, pebbles and shells will make the scene even more realistic! You can buy plastic or wooden sea creatures to complete the set-up. An under-the-sea small world scene is sure to capture children's imaginations and encourage them to build wonderful storylines! Find more ways to provide small world play on a small budget here. 5. Summer Construction Area Enhance your construction area with laminated pictures of summer structures. Encourage children to use the photos to help them build small or large-scale models of things like sandcastles, a beach hut, a lifeguard station, a hotel or a plane. Can they design their model first, listing what they will need and planning how to make it? When the children have made their models, they could measure them using standard or non-standard measurements. 6. Summer Phonics/Literacy/English Why not put some phonics readers outside? Find a shaded area, put out some beanbags and then add a basket of books. Being outside promotes a sense of well-being and has a calming effect, so it's the perfect place for some relaxed reading time! Children could also practise writing their tricky words using water and a paintbrush on the ground. How long will it take before the words evaporate? You'll also find summer-themed phonics games and writing mats in the online shop. 7. Summer Role Play Transform your role-play area into a campsite, complete with a tent, sleeping bags, chairs and maybe even a guitar for some singing around the campfire! Children will love to play and engage in imaginative camping-themed scenarios. Alternatively, you could create a travel agents, airport or beach. Whatever you decide on, make sure that you add plenty of writing materials so that children can experience writing for a purpose! 8. Shape Bubble Wands Shape bubble wands are not only exciting but also help children to learn about shapes! Here's how to make them: Make a pipe cleaner into a 2D shape and twist the ends together. Loop another pipe cleaner around the bottom of the shape pipe cleaner. Twist where the pipe cleaners meet to secure. This is the handle for the bubble wand. Thread beads onto the pipe cleaner handle. Fold the end up so that the beads don't fall off. 9. Euro 2024 Activities If you have children in your class who adore football, then you need to kick off the Euros with the great range of football resources in the No Worksheets Allowed shop, including writing and phonics activities! Another idea you might want to try is to display a map of Europe on the wall so that children can find out where their favourite players and teams are from. Outdoors, provide some cones and footballs to ensure that your little footballers can practise their dribbling skills! 10. Playdough Ice Cream Parlour Transform your malleable area into an ice cream parlour this summer! It's a brilliant way to encourage children to communicate with each other and develop their social skills. You will need sandpaper or stiff paper to make cones, different coloured play dough, an order form, ice cream tubs/old yoghurt pots, empty sauce bottles, ice cream scoops, a till and some money. Encourage your class to make posters, opening times, price lists and menus for your ice cream parlour! By incorporating these fun continuous provision ideas into your classroom this summer, you can create an interactive and engaging learning environment that keeps children excited about learning all summer term! For the final week or two of the school year, make sure you take a look at '10 end of school year activities for the exhausted teacher'. It might just help you to crawl over the finish line. You might also enjoy the following blog posts Why take EYFS literacy outdoors? 10 continuous provision ideas for spring 10 continuous provision ideas for autumn 10 continuous provision ideas for winter Continuous provision in key stage one Phonics continuous provision: 10 ideas

What is continuous provision? Traditionally, continuous provision has been associated with early years classrooms, however, more and more key stage-one teachers are using it each year. Continuous provision refers to all of the different provision areas (e.g. small world, water, maths, art, science, construction, role play and outdoors), learning opportunities and resources which are available for the children in your class to use. It should be linked to children's needs and interests and build on the learning happening in your class. Continuous provision should provoke learning, motivate and challenge children. It needs to be available at all times and shouldn't just be used as a time-filler, a reward or during wet playtimes. Why should I have continuous provision in key stage one? The transition from reception to year one has long been thought of as problematic. The EYFS environment is hands-on, play-based, active and fun. Conversely, the key stage one classroom is more formal, there are long periods of sitting down and children perceive there to be few or no play opportunities. Yet research has consistently shown that formal learning does not benefit children in key stage one. Countries such as Sweden and Finland perform better academically than the U.K., despite children not starting formal schooling until age 7. According to Jay Giedd, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Diego, up to the age of 7 or 8, children learn better through active exploration than academic instruction. In a small survey on the No Worksheets Allowed Instagram page, I found that 53% of year one classrooms had continuous provision and just 25% of year two classrooms. Yet 86% of people who responded believed that there should be continuous provision in key stage one. Hardly surprising, as play helps to improve attention span, develops communication skills, teaches turn-taking and conflict resolution, and improves well-being. Not only does it develop a breadth of skills but if it is well planned it also helps children to meet the national curriculum attainment targets! What areas of continuous provision should I provide in key stage one? When planning your continuous provision, you should ensure that you build on the children's EYFS experiences and don't simply repeat them, whilst also meeting the requirements of the national curriculum. You need to consider the children's interests and learning outcomes to provide areas of continuous provision that are going to be beneficial to your class. Use assessment to determine which skills children need to master and think about the areas that will help them to make the most progress. If children need to work on their fine motor skills, set up a fine motor area. If they need to work on communication, you might consider a role play area. You only need to set up areas of provision which will benefit your class! How do I set up continuous provision in my classroom? Think about how you will arrange your classroom. What space do you have available? Do you have your own outdoor area or access to a shared area? Try to have a clearly defined space for each area of your continuous provision. Can you move furniture to create cosy corners and quiet spots? Can you create interactive displays? Additionally, you need to think about how you are going to resource your continuous provision. Which resources are going to be beneficial to your pupils' learning? Is there a classroom budget or will you need to use networks like Freecycle, ask parents for donations or approach local businesses? What are continuous provision challenges and enhancements? Continuous provision challenges are independent learning challenges which you set up in your continuous provision. They are usually linked to academic achievement or a specific skill like turn-taking. Enhancements are things which you add to an area of provision to promote interest and engagement. You might add resources which link to a book, the season, a celebration, a subject or a topic. Alternatively, you might add resources which develop a specific skill. How will I manage continuous provision in my classroom? Lesson structure At the beginning of each lesson, you will still probably want to do a whole class or group input. Following this, you will most likely have one or more focus groups (working with an adult). The rest of the children will work in the continuous provision (either independently or with an adult supporting, challenging and observing their learning). You might choose to rotate the groups so that you work with more than one focus group during a lesson. Teaching children how to use the continuous provision Children should already be used to using continuous provision, but you will still want to set your own rules and expectations. Introduce the different areas and explain what they are for. Have signs for each area and talk about the rules and boundaries. How will you ensure that children don't just visit one area and engage in low-level tasks? Do they need to record their learning? Can specific areas only be used by a certain number of children? Is there a time limit on how long a child can stay there? What should the noise level be like? Don't forget to explain what the continuous provision should look like when tidy. You can include photos of how you expect each area to look at the end of the lesson. Model how to use the different areas, share good work and revisit expectations regularly. Enhancements Your continuous provision should be set up for the children to explore freely. Most of the provision will stay the same pretty much all year round. Each half-term or from time to time, you might decide to enhance one or more areas of your provision. For example, at Christmas, you might make your construction area into an elves' workshop. When studying a certain book, you might add puppets or story props to your reading area. If an area is underused, you might think of resources to add to attract interest. Enhancements need to be manageable - don't try to enhance every area every week! Challenges Each week, you will also want to plan differentiated challenges for your continuous provision. To begin with, this may just be a couple of challenges. This can gradually be increased to 4-6 challenges each week, depending on what needs to be developed. Introduce the challenges to your class at the beginning of the week. Demonstrate how to do the activity and what your expectations are. You will probably need to revisit and address any misconceptions throughout the week. Think about how you would like your class to complete the challenges. You might ask them to record what they have done in a book, on an iPad or on Seesaw. They could take a photo or use recordable talking pegs. Another option is to use a challenge book. Once the child has completed a challenge, they should take it to an adult to show them. If the work is of a good standard, the adult can then sign that challenge off. Check at the end of the week that each child has completed their challenges. What next? You might also enjoy this blog post on how different colours can aid learning to help you when setting up your classroom. Check out my shop which is full of hands-on learning resources.