We can’t get over how amazing this summer has been - whether the hot, hot, hot weather or the torrential downpours that have made everything turn from brown to green and shoot up. Here are our favourite products - and best sellers - this summer…
First of all, our summer has been about end of year performances and celebration. And what better way to do that than with our Half Hexagonal Stage with 3x Panels. It encourages children to express themselves creatively and creates an area to support music, drama, communication & language… and with that in mind, we’re really excited about our Musical Trail - 4 (featuring Chime, Rattle Wheel, Steel Drum and Xylophone) or (for those with a bit more space) our Wooden Musical Trail - 7 (a wooden musical trail with seven panels, including Bat Pipe, Bell, Chime, Tongue Drum, Rattle Wheel, Xylophone and Washboard Panels) - just think how much noise you could make with all that! Wait… you want more? That’s good, because we’ve got more. Why not add to it our Rattle Wheel Panel (with posts). It has one large and one small rotating disc with two distinctive sounds. And finally… what’s a summer party without a steel drum? With our Wooden Steel Drum Panel children can play soothing sounds (or not so soothing sounds) and experience different tunes and rhythms.
We’ve also seen plenty of schools and settings, as we were going into the summer, thinking about other ways to take learning outside and to make it fun.
Abacus Panel Play Panel (Double Sided) with 2 Posts is a great way to take maths and counting outdoors - even for little children. Numerical challenges can be solved visually and physically by sliding the tactile, durable plastic rings along the stainless steel bars. And, whilst our Mirror Play Panel (Double Sided) with 2 Posts is great for emotional understanding and development, this double sided item features a durable, acrylic wipe clean mirror, that can be really handy when paired with the abacus, for learning about maths in connection with mark making and numeracy skills… just like our Post Mounted Creative Drawing Trail, with a chalkboard, whiteboard and clear perspex board - ideal for bigger groups.
Don’t worry, summer isn’t all about work and no play. We’ve loved seeing so many schools and settings including panels for games challenges. Our Double Sided Spin, Time, Score Play Panel is a 60-second sand timer with scoring panel and two chalkboard areas. With a spinner and customisable chalkboard on the other side what more can you need for outdoor games and challenges? That’s right… our Noughts & Crosses Play Panel (Double Sided) with 2 Posts and colourful plastic counters that can be spun from both sides and reset for endless games.
Of course it wouldn’t be summer without a special feature for Early Years - who have to keep on going through all of the summer months. This summer it’s been about three things:
First, Sand & Water play. As we talked about in our recent blog, with the possible exception of ice cream we can’t think of anything that means summer more than sand and water… after all… it’s what you get at the beach! And there have been three, winning products that have stood out this summer.
1. Free Standing Scales - a great addition to any sand pit
2. Sliding Lid Sandpit (Inc sand) - wait, what? You don’t have a sand pit? How about this one?
3. Large Water Play Basin - and while you’re at it, how about a basin so children can slosh about and learn about pouring and why things sink and float.
Second, it’s summer Role Play. We all know that role play and imagination are a fundamental part of EYFS and touching on all areas of the framework, helping children to develop creativity, confidence, communication and problem-solving skills, as well as a greater awareness of physical literacy. Importantly, imaginative and role play gives children a fun way of exploring and learning about real-life roles, as well as fictional stories. We put some ideas down in our latest blog. (Unfortunately the sale has finished now though) There have been four of our products flying out to settings this summer:
1. Play House - in every great story, first, you need a home to live in or defend from evil pirates. Our wooden Play House is perfect for the smallest children!
2. 2m Timber Play Cabin - so you have somewhere to live but maybe you want to imagine that there’s a shop or office too? That’s where our Timber Play Cabin comes in.
3. Rollover Bridge - but wait… what’s this storming over the Rollover Bridge towards us?
4. Pirate Ship - it’s pirates! They’ve sailed into port and are streaming towards us… it’s time to defend our wooden play village from them (and a couple of sea monsters that have got swept up in things).
Finally, after all that excitement what we need is a spot of Shelter & Shade. We spend a lot of time talking to settings complaining of limited space… and we remind them that their outdoor space can be an extension of their indoor space with a shelter, outdoor classroom or sun shade.
1. Hang-out Hut - the circular formation of the seating in this timber shelter encourages face-to-face interaction, as well as being ideal for storytelling and other group activities.
2. 3mW x 6mL Timber Rectangular Shelter Polycarbonate Roof - this customisable timber shelter can go right up to your main building and the waterproof roof not only lets in light but blocks virtually all UV radiation. Best of all it includes include guttering so you can channel rain water away and maybe into a water butt for your plants!
3. Shade Sail - our hyperbolic square, triangle and overlapping shade sails are available in various sizes and colours. They’re perfect for settings with limited space or those wanting to create shade in hard to reach areas.
If you’d like to talk to us about any of these products, you can contact us here.