The Nature of Play: A book that "connects nature, children and parents"

It has been a pleasure walking down memory lane recently reading Fanny & Alexander's latest book 'The Nature of Play: A handbook of nature-based activities for all seasons' - a beautifully articulated and thoughtfully illustrated collection of nostalgic seasonal activities for children. It is a well-timed and welcome source of inspiration to encourage children to 'sit less and play more' - in a way that is not only good for their learning and growing - but in creating memorable moments

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Little Wings converts an existing NZ state home into a delightful and warm centre for young impressionable learners

  A collaboration between Early Education Centre Owner Tina Liu and Architects Emma Morris (of Emma Morris Architecture) and Katrina Keshaw (of Keshaw McArthur) sees 'Little Wings' offering a home-like nest hidden in the bustling heart of Ellerslie in Auckland, New Zealand. The architects and centre-owner Tina Liu have worked to transform an existing 1930's state house into a centre that retains the intimate, domestic scale of 'home' - a concept that is important

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A CENTRE THAT TRANSFORMS EXISTING WAREHOUSES INTO A NEW BENCHMARK EARLY LEARNING FACILITY FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS ALIKE

  Lady Gowrie is a not-for-profit community-based organisation providing over 30 ECE (Early Childhood Education) centres across Tasmania, Australia. Their latest exemplary centre showcases their integrated and "through the looking glass" model, offering facilities for not only children's' learning and care, but family support services and staff training, becoming an early learning community "hub". The new 2320sqm state-of-the-art facility is the result of intensive collaboration and

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A small yet boldly inviting centre in Japan that uses an existing building

Japanese (and early childhood specialist) architects HIBINOSEKKEI and Youji no Shiro are at it again with the MK-S Nursery - a small (160sqm) centre that inhabits an existing residence and disused 2-storey shop. Restoring the existing fabric of the building with new ply internal linings and a perforated "starry" metal screen with house and square shaped windows the result is a tidy and yet fun new building for the community's young children. The low-grade (so cheap) plywood lining walls are

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