Kids love being outside. The outdoors is their natural playground. It enables them to explore themselves, their friendships and the world around them. More and more early years providers are adding elements of a Forest School approach to their structure. It is a great way of gently introducing them to the wonders of the natural world - and a respite from long days inside a nursery or pre-school. Insects, mud, trees, flowers, colours, walking and fire are the order of the day here. You name it, they will love it.  So, what are some of the benefits of this approach?   Fresh air Granted, pure fresh air is hard to come by in major towns and cities, but this doesn’t stop toddlers and children being able to experience the sense of breathing fresh, cold air during a cold winter’s day. Compared to previous generations, children are spending longer, and longer periods of time cooped up inside – especially during the winter months -- where their body becomes accustomed to central heating. Allowing their body to experience different temperatures at different times of year whilst out breathing fresh air could help fend of viruses.    Connecting with nature it is well known that being outside in natural surroundings can bring us fantastic physical and mental benefits as human beings. This still runs true with children in early years. Some may not have experienced many opportunities with nature, so exposing them to it from an early age may persuade them to seek it out throughout their life as a child and later as an adult. Simply allowing them to be present in an outdoor environment will increase their concentration, focus and the beginning stages of being able to appreciate the world in which they live.    Developing their senses Being outside utilises our human senses. Even more so than for little children. They are learning how their senses operate and what they mean for them as people. When they are young, senses can be very sensitive, so what better way to explore them than being outside? Being able to touch and play with various consistencies and materials such as plants, dirt and wood will intrigue their brains. Connections will be made to new textures. Curiosity will begin.  Being outside during season changes such as Spring and Autumn will expose them to beautiful colours and smells. Once again curiosity will follow. Why do leaves fall? Why do they change colour? They may ask. Just the simple sniff of a daffodil may conjure up some imagination in their tiny minds.  Going for a long walk in the local woods will treat them to tremendous noises. They may see and hear insects and animals they have never seen or heard before. A butterfly may land on their friend’s coat, queue a crowd of intrigued kids gathering around.    Teamwork Teaching them to work together as part of a team will stand them in good stead for when they begin formal education and beyond. Learning how to gather material in order to build a fire can teach them the concept of being unable to enjoy themselves until the important things are complete.  Pairing off or being in small teams in order to complete an outdoor task can be exciting for their young minds. It can spur their imaginations into life a little more than whether they are inside sat at a table. Register as a  job seeker  with Jobs in Childcare to apply for jobs and to receive information on excellent international tutor, nanny and governess vacancies worldwide. If you are an  agency  then sign up to post on Jobs in Childcare to connect with the best candidates worldwide!

Whether you are considering working with children and young people in a residential setting as a full-time employee or as a member of bank staff, it is a good idea to inform yourself on what to expect.   Desire to improve the outcomes of service users. Just because children and young people are in residential care, does not mean they have any less ambition and expectations than somebody who is not.  Knowing their strengths and finding a way to work together to develop the youngsters will help them strive toward reaching their targeted goals.  Giving them a voice when they find communication very difficult or unheard, helps them realise they do matter. And their self-worth and esteem can increase – as can their life outcomes.    Shift work is the norm. Working with children and young people is not a Monday-Friday 9-5 role. Due to service-user needs and complexities, it will more than likely encompass a mixture of early starts, evening shifts, as well as weekend and bank holiday working. Some care agencies allow you to pick your preferred shifts, giving you that freedom to work to suit your own home life.  Local authority run settings will have set rotas to work – some of which can be negotiated at interview.  If you are looking for full-time employment, you can expect to work occasional sleep-in shifts (upon successful completion of training), where you are effectively on-call should a need arise for your attendance. This will be compensated accordingly.    Environment can be challenging at times. Working in this environment can be a hugely rewarding role. Seeing kids thrive and develop is amazing to be part of. It is worth remembering; however, these youngsters are vulnerable members of society – some may have experienced trauma or abuse of some kind. Some may have learning disabilities and struggle to make sense of the world around them. This can sometimes manifest itself in behaviour which can challenge staff members and other residents.  It is important for a worker to possess a skill to remain vigilant and respond to incidents which may require de-escalating. Thinking ahead and knowing the youngster well will stand you in good stead in being one step ahead of any possible situations occurring. Ability to empathise and remain patient is essential. You may work with children and young people who are on the autism spectrum. They will see the world differently to you. Something which you experience in your every-day life such as a sudden change of plan may be extremely difficult to cope with for somebody with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is therefore necessary for you to be able to put yourself in to their shoes to see the world from their point of view. This will boost engagement between you both and will ultimately ensure their time spent in the residential setting become more comfortable.  A capability to just have fun. Kids who are in care will have had a tough start to their young life. They need to still experience similar things to their peers who are not in care. So, creating a fun atmosphere for them will be vitally important in allowing them to feel safe and secure in a homely environment. Expect to work 1-1 and in small groups in creating fun, engaging activities to suit their needs. Having a sense of humour is another great ingredient in making their overall experience more positive. Setting firm boundaries, but keeping things appealing will be a great starting point with your time in residential work. Register as a job seeker with Jobs in Childcare to apply for jobs and to receive information on excellent international tutor, nanny and governess vacancies worldwide.  If you are an agency then sign up to post on Jobs in Childcare to connect with the best candidates worldwide!

Working in childcare and developing cold sweats at the idea of crafting with toddlers? As a nanny , there's actually a lot of fun – albeit it with lots of mess – to be had with toddlers and art projects! Here are some craft ideas for toddlers that will keep them engaged, having fun, and making a mess.   Painting Painting is an obvious choice for a craft activity, and when done with a little help from an adult, can actually make a beautiful gift worthy of the wall of the family home! Place a piece of card with a dollop of 3 or 4 different paints into a ziplock bag – you can tape the top for good measure – and get your charge to push the paint around the bag using their hands, utensils or toys. Take another piece of card and cut a heart out of the middle, then place into a frame, placing the dried painting behind; and you've got the perfect Mother's or Father's Day gift. Use letter stamps to include a 'To... Love from...' message inside the frame.   Card making Making a card is all part of the job as a governess, and a necessity when family birthdays start to creep up. Luckily all you need is a hand or foot, and some paint. A hand or footprint can be used to make a heart, a bunch of flowers, a fish, a dinosaur, an alien, or anything that you can think up; it’s a great opportunity for you to get creative with your charges. And who cares if it turns out looking nothing like what you intended it to...the thought is still there. You could also do some fingerprint painting; check out these great ideas on Pinterest here!   Time to get messy!   Paper bag jellyfish If you or the family have any paper bags lying around, you could cut vertically from the opening until ¾ of the way up, and ask the children to paint them and stick googly eyes on to make the jellyfish. You can find a detailed explanation of how to make your jellyfish here.   Mosaic shapes Print or draw some different shapes, the best are those that the children in your care are familiar with – such as fruit, vegetables or sports equipment – and provide them with cut up pieces of paper so that they can make a mosaic! You can find a video explanation of how to do this by following this link.   Printing Use wooden blocks, cut up vegetables, sponges, or DIY your very own stamps to print paint onto paper and use as placemats at dinner time. You can find detailed instructions here .   Bubble wrap paint Get messy painting any bubble wrap that might be lying around, the family home, and then print onto paper or card for an abstract art piece. Full instructions here !   Toilet roll toy binoculars As a nanny, it's your job to utilise all of the household rubbish that could be used for craft! Paint two toilet rolls and stick or tie them together with string, and you have a pair of toy binoculars that you can take into the garden for a nature watch. There are actually loads of things you can do to 'recycle' empty toilet rolls - have a look at this great video on youtube for some ideas. Get creative with some homemade binoculars!   Stained glass window   A staple in any home with children! Find a disused plastic lid, and get your charges to decorate it by sticking on lots of different colours and sizes of tissue paper. You can even make ornaments for the Christmas tree .   Paper plate animals Ask the children to choose an animal each, and provide them with a picture. They can then paint paper plates, followed by adding limbs and faces to turn it into their favourite animal. Try and get some cotton wool or shiny paper and similar resources, and check out this link for some additional inspiration .   Nature plate Another great paper plate craft to do with toddlers! Take them to collect small garden items (think leaves, twigs and flowers), then cut the middle out of a paper plate and replace with contact paper, which the children can then stick the garden items to, and hang in front of a window.   Weekly letter craft   Write one letter of the alphabet each week onto an A4 piece of paper, the children can then decorate them with paper, paint, glitter, jewels, or even turn them into animals! You can then try asking them to name as many words as possible beginning with that letter – with a little help from you of course –, so that as well as getting crafty, you'll be helping them to get a head-start on phonics. Check out a wide selection of alphabet crafts here !   Sticker name This is a great idea for a toddler who wants to put their name onto their door in big and colourful letters. Start by writing out the child's name, then let them decorate the letters with multi-coloured stickers.   Pasta necklace This is incredibly straightforward, and makes it great for younger toddlers who can work on their motor skills whilst getting messy! Get some dried penne pasta and have them thread the pieces onto a string before painting to make their very own pasta necklace. Full instructions here !   A pasta necklace can make a great gift!   A self portrait   Get the children to lie on the floor on top of a large piece of paper, then trace them. Afterwards they can draw a face and clothes to make a self-portrait.   Paint with trucks   Great for kids who have an obsession with toy fire engines! Put some different coloured paints onto a plate for the children to drive their truck through, before driving across a piece of paper to make tire tracks. Click here for a demonstration !    When crafting with toddlers, the most important thing to remember is that you might need to make it big. If children are not yet able to contain their mess, then let them make a big one by investing in a huge reel of paper or old newspapers and heading into the garden. Using unconventional materials will keep their attention for a little longer, and by incorporating movement you'll make the most of the bounds of energy that little ones have! Go and have some fun! Register as a  job seeker  with Jobs in Childcare to apply for jobs and to receive information on excellent international tutor, nanny and governess vacancies worldwide. If you are an  agency  then sign up to post on Jobs in Childcare to connect with the best candidates worldwide!