A huge range of stands at the Nursery World Show 2009 will feature displays and products ranging from maths and literacy resources to management training and software programmes.
Visitors can enjoy opportunities to look at new ways to support and encourage the learning and development of the children at your setting, and the professional development of the staff as well.
The drive towards a graduate-led early years profession means more practitioners are looking at ways to develop professionally and upgrade their qualifications. There are several routes to Early Years Professional Status and the teams manning the university stands will help you find the best one for you. Universities represented at the show are Bath Spa, Greenwich, Kingston and Winchester.
Professional Associations
Professional associations for childcare practitioners will be out in force, with National Day Nurseries Association, National Childminding Association, Pre-School Learning Alliance and 4Children all taking stands.
Their staff will be able to provide advice and guidance on key issues affecting the sector, such as recruitment and retention, implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the new Ofsted inspection regime.
Montessori St Nicholas aims to raise awareness and understanding of its uniquely child-centred approach to learning with its stand and a stage demonstration on Friday, 23 January with children from the Gower Montessori School, London. It also aims to encourage more early years professionals to embrace Montessori principles and practice in the workplace.
Montessori Centre International is Europe's largest teacher training college and runs an extensive training programme for new teachers and also qualified practitioners who seek continued professional development.
Active and outdoor play
In the four years since its launch, children's yoga specialist YogaBugs has grown so rapidly that there are now 1,200 teachers and 27 regional franchise managers across the UK, while 40,000 children each week attend classes.
YogaBugs offers creative, imaginative and fun yoga for children aged two-and-a-half to seven years. Yoga postures, breathing and relaxation techniques are drawn together into wild adventures and heroic journeys where children fly on magic carpets, travel on mystical birds, ride on dolphins, take space rockets to the moon and dance in underwater palaces. The children are always the heroes of the stories and this helps them develop confidence and self esteem.
Plane and Simple is a family-run firm based in Kent that specialises in helping its clients make the most of their outdoor play areas. It manufactures natural wooden play equipment, from sustainable sources, as well as landscaping outdoor areas.
Resources
A wide range of early years resources will be on display, from toys to teaching aids. Several exhibitors will be launching new products at the show.
Children's documentary specialist Child's Eye Media will be promoting the national 'Safer strangers, safer buildings' campaign at its stand. The award-winning campaign was launched at the House of Commons, and gives children advice about what to do if they get lost, including how to identify responsible adults who would be able to help them in an emergency and buildings they can go into to ask for help. Child's Eye's 'Keeping healthy, staying safe' DVD Plus was highly commended in the Personal, Social and Emotional Development category in the recent Nursery World Awards.
Boblins, an activity programme on DVD tailored to the EYFS, will be launched at the show by Filmbank Distributors. Created with the help of chartered psychologist Julie Casey, it is divided into ten-minute episodes supported by activities and games based on the early learning goals.
Mantra Lingua will be displaying new books, posters and resources, including its RecorderPEN, which allows children to record themselves, save their recordings on soundspots in books or on posters, and then listen back to them instantly. The wire-free, portable device comes with a speaker system to use with large groups. The RecorderPEN can also playback songs, rhymes, sounds and stories, along with narrations in multiple languages.
Mantra Lingua will also be launching the Our Lives, Our World series of books featuring children from around the world sharing their experiences and bringing a global perspective to the EYFS. Meanwhile the interactive folktales series brings traditional stories to life. Mantra Lingua is launching the first set of five books, including The Three Billy Goats Gruff and Goldilocks, at the show.
Step by Step will be showcasing its new Creation Station, designed to provide endless creative fun and opportunities for learning. These durable trays made from tough plastic come in three sizes, making them suitable for a variety of activities, both outdoors and inside. Outdoors, they can be used to help children explore the natural world around them, creating a mini garden, a sand pit or a water play area. Among uses indoors are combining Creation Station with themed or textured mats to provide a backdrop for mini-world adventures.
Shanticot will be displaying its space-saving bunk cot for toddlers and babies, which are suited to any nursery and childcare environment where space is always at a premium.
Another new launch at the show is the 'Add A Smile!' chart from the Victoria Chart Company, maker of the Encourage & Praise range of children's reward charts. The motivational charts will assist early years practitioners in targeting the specific needs of children in their care. They can also provide a focus for families in the home and promote positive adult and child engagement.
Learning to care for others is a key element of the Positive Relationships strand of the EYFS, and animal welfare charity the Blue Cross says it is never too soon for children to learn about caring for animals. The charity has a nationwide network of volunteer speakers who are prepared to come into your setting and give a free talk.
'The children enjoy learning about pet care, and we feel it is vital to encourage nurturing and respect for animals from a young age,' says Tracy Genever, Blue Cross children's education officer. 'The talks can be linked to any projects you may be undertaking.
'The children can learn about pet care and dog safety using puppets and props. Many volunteers are able to bring their dog to meet your group too. All dogs in the scheme are temperament-tested and they love to meet the children.'
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!
A special demonstration stage at the show will entertain and inform visitors throughout the two days with a series of presentations.
- Yogabugs will be displaying its techniques for holding yoga sessions for young children.
- Lafour Prima will be demonstrating its dance sessions for children aged three to seven (pictured).
- Montessori St Nicholas will be bringing along children to show aspects of the renowned Montessori approach.
- Steadyco will have a nutritionist on hand to demonstrate making healthy snacks for young children.
CHILD'S PLAY IN OUR CRECHE
Visitors to the Nursery World Show 2009 can bring their own children along and drop them at the creche to be supervised and entertained while the adults attend the exhibition and seminars. The creche is run by the Pre-School Learning Allliance and Eibe Play, with equipment provided by Step by Step and GLS.
