Spending the morning at Budleigh Salterton was so much more than a walk on the beach.
We watched Lola crouch down, pick up stone after stone, turning each one over, comparing them, choosing which ones were worth keeping. That’s scientific thinking. That’s decision making. That’s early maths.
Walking a pebble beach is harder than it looks — every step on shifting ground is building core strength, balance, and coordination.
And time with granny? That secure attachment with a trusted adult beyond her primary caregiver is one of the most valuable things we can give our children.
We didn’t plan any of it. We just showed up, had a coffee from our favourite @fiftydegreesnorthcafe ☕, and followed her lead.
That’s play-based learning. Unhurried, child-led, and completely free. Never underestimate the power of play 🩷
#budleighsalterton #eyfs #playbasedlearning #devon #devonmums
This is the childhood I want for her.
Slow, messy, hands-on days.
Not rushed. Not overfilled.
Just space to explore and be little.
Let them explore.
#slowchildhood #devon #devonwithkids #learningthroughplay #homeschool
This is what sensory development looks like in the wild...
Hands in the sand, finding a shell & sharing a treasure 🩷🐚
No screen, no toy, no plan — just a curious little mind doing exactly what it’s meant to do.
✨ What Lola's learning ✨
Handling different textures strengthens the neural pathways involved in fine motor development. Finding the shell, examining it, bringing it to share — that’s early scientific thinking. Noticing, questioning, communicating. All of it happening in her formative preschool years, in the most natural way possible 🩷🐚
#playbasedlearning #slowchildhood #devonlife #earlyyears #topsham
The Smocklings & @nook_devon make BIG PAINTINGS in the park!
We can always trust The Smocklings to bring the colour and they really did! These little artists worked solidly for an hour which is very impressive considering the child height to canvas size ratio 😀
How lovely are these gardens full of grasses, flowers and ladybirds? 👏
I wonder what The Smocklings will do next... 🤔
@pippadaymusic
NookCIC
#devon #topsham #bigpainting #lttleartists
Never underestimate the power of play, of outdoor learning 🌱
With her magnifying pot she’s:
✨ building language as she talks about what she finds
✨ developing understanding of the world through real exploration
✨ strengthening fine motor skills with careful, hands-on play
Children should be learning this way for so much longer than our UK school system allows. It's important we stand up for them and keep this vital and most natural part of their education thriving 🌸🌼
#outdoorlearning #devonmum #eyfs #earlyyearseducation
The amount of times we're having a bit of a tricky morning and then the second we step outside eeeeeeveryone feels better.
Turns out children can’t 'bounce off walls' if there aren’t any! Get them outside and watch what happens — their energy shifts, creativity kicks in, and the learning is completely natural 🌿
#devon #OutdoorKids #NaturePlay #OutdoorLearning #ChildledPlay
The Power of Play!
🍓 What she’s actually learning when she plays with her toy kitchen:
🗣️ Language – naming foods, describing, storytelling
🤲 Fine motor – gripping, transferring, pouring
🔢 Maths – sorting, counting, size & shape
🌍 Understanding the world – how meals are made, home routines
🎭 Imagination – role play, creativity, symbolic thinking
🤍 Emotional development – nurturing, confidence, independence
Never underestimate the power of play! 🍳✨
#eyfs #toddlerplay #learningthroughplay #earlyyears #toddlermum
I can't tell you how much peace and joy our allotment brings us. We share it with my sister and mum so it's become a very special family haven 🩷🌸
Lola is her most content here, outdoors and digging in the mud (as am I) 🌼🦋
And in case you're curious...
🌱what Lola’s learning: grip and pouring control, hand-eye coordination, understanding that plants need water and care to grow, and sensory exploration through soil and texture 🌱
Thank you to @saraheelizabethx for the brilliant dandeLION idea 🦁🌼
#nookdevon #eyfsideas #homeschool #gardeningwithkids
Gardening kit from @amazonuk
We do a lot of art in our home but I find it hard to relax into the chaos of it all and sometimes keep things too neat.
So I'm consciously trying to go bigger and messier (for both of our projects) and started by repurposing a side board in our wee kitchen to be a painting station. Super easy and a good start to growing our art work together 🌸🩷
And now it's warmer I think a canvas up the allotment is in order! 🌞
How do you cope with your kids crafty chaos?! Advice welcome!
🌱 what Lola’s learning: large arm movements that build the shoulder and core strength needed for writing, hand-eye coordination, colour mixing, and the freedom to make marks on a big scale 🌱
#nookdevon #artwithkids #budgethome #devon
Every week, I walk through these doors with my daughter… and we’re reminded how lucky we are to have our local library 💛
It’s where my daughter is learning to read.
Where we borrow books and play library games together.
Where she learns to sit, listen and imagine.
Where stories become part of her world.
But it’s not just for children.
We see people popping in to chat with the librarian, ask for help with computers, find the right book, or just feel a bit less alone.
Our library isn’t just a place to borrow books or use a computer.
It’s a community hub.
It’s a lifeline.
It’s a safe, welcoming space for everyone.
Hours have already been reduced… and now more cuts are being discussed.
📖 Libraries matter
📖 Children matter
📖 Free access to learning matters
Please help us spread the word:
✨ Protect our libraries
✨ Protect our communities
✨ Protect every child’s right to learn to read for free
#ProtectOurLibraries #LibrariesAreEssential #CommunityMatters #ReadingForLife #FreeToLearn 📚✨💛
Thank you to our amazing journallers! Our Saturday and Wednesday groups came to an end this week! It’s always so bittersweet saying goodbye.
We’re taking a break for a while but are offering a 4 part monthly course at @thebabyroomexetercic on Saturday afternoons January-April 2026 limited spaces remaining. See bio for link.
And coming in the new year join @lizzyhumber & @ceribakerflow for yoga and journalling @exeterphoenix on the last Friday of the month 1-3pm. (Booking opens soon)
Huge thanks to @amy_adkin & @nook_devon for collaborating on these courses, and to Exeter Phoenix and The Baby Room for hosting us.
Thanks to @tnlcommunityfund@tesco for supporting this project and for @maternaljrnl for supporting our growth
#creativityandparenthood #matrescence #motherhood #pregnancy #exeter
