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We’ve all done it! Our child brings us a painting or shows us something they’ve made that they’re proud of and we say … ‘what is it?’ Well I have an alternative for you that will help your child to talk about their thoughts and creative process in greater detail! And this can be used with children who aren’t speaking yet! Add this method to your day and you’ll notice a huge difference in your child’s conversation skills!

Today I am sharing a tip that works for me and has had a HUGE response on Instagram! Try it and let me know!!

This week I shared how I was feeling overwhelmed with parenting, running a house and a business. Sometimes there aren’t enough hours in the day! The playHOORAY! community kindly jumped in with their support and suggestions for managing the feeling of overwhelm so I wanted to share those with you. I’ve also recently discovered Mel Robbins and her 5 second rule which I think you will like! Have a listen and then come and let me know what you think! Happy Playing! Claire

Today I am sharing a snippet from an interview I did at the beginning of the year with lovely Natalie Costa, award winning coach helping children to deal with big emotions. This part of the interview I ask about parents feeling overwhelmed and Natalies tips and advice were super useful as always! Please go and check out lovely Natalie and enjoy her helpful content on Instagram @powerthoughtsnc

This month we are celebrating learning through play in May! So today I am talking about learning through play how to set it up in the home the benefits of learning through play and the resources you will need if you want to set up playful learning experiences with your young child! Come on over to the playHOORAY! website to see our new and exclusive learning through play bundles only available in May! And come and find me over on Instagram @play.hooray where I will be sharing lots of ideas throughout the month of May! Happy Playing!

Personal one for me today, here I am sharing my thoughts and feelings after six months of having Leo I looked at an old photograph of myself and dare I say it miss the old me! After sharing with my community the response was overwhelming from mums who felt the same way, mums who could appreciate with how I was feeling and those who sent their love. I hope this helps anyone else feeling the same way. And please, do come and connect with a lovely group of like minded parents, carers and educators in our playHOORAY! Community Facebook group where you will be welcomed with open arms! Big hugs, Claire x

In this episode today I am recording for my garden on Earth day with the Sun on my face listening to the birds singing, how lovely! And I am talking about encouraging our children to play outside whether that’s a garden or a public space. The benefits of children exploring and learning about nature and how you can be creative with the resources you’ve got. I also asked if you noticed any change in the way that your children play outdoors and I’d love to hear from you! Also don’t forget that April is outdoor month for playHOORAY! And for this month we have exclusive outdoor bundles available on the playHOORAY! website which will help you to find new ways to play outdoors! Visit www.playHOORAY.co.uk to find out more and come and chat to me over on Instagram and Facebook @play.hooray

I ask you for your patience in this episode as the only opportunity I had to record it was whilst out walking with the baby in the pram...busy mum life!! So talking over the tractors driving by and the birds singing in the background, I share lots of easy ways you can support and prepare your child for starting school this September. It’s a big step I know from being both a Reception teacher and parent, I have experienced it from both sides! With lots of easy tips and ideas, I hope this episode helps ease your worries! And remember to head to the playHOORAY! website to check out our extensive blog post which includes a recommended book list. Happy Playing!

In this episode I talk about the use of screen time after school, the pros and cons and share ways we can encourage kids to play even when their tired! I’d love to hear what works for you so do drop me an email or DM on Instagram or Facebook! And our playPROMPTS plus pack of activity cards available on the playHOORAY! Website includes after school activity ideas so do check them out! Happy Playing!

In this episode why messy play is good for young children’s development and ways you can make it manageable at home. I also share ways you can encourage children who don’t feel comfortable getting messy! | The Messy Play Recipe Cards mentioned in the episode can be found in the shop www.playHOORAY.co.uk alongside many other playful products and activity cards! | Please come and say hi to me @play.hooray for lots of daily inspiration and community support! | Happy Playing!

Today I am recording this in the middle of half term, during lockdown oh and it’s winter so the weather isn’t great! So it felt appropriate to chat about SCREEN TIME! I know! Perhaps you’re noticing the kids are watching more than normal, perhaps you’re feeling guilty about screen time or maybe you’d like to take back some control of screen time with the kids? Well today, I’m sharing what works for me and my family and posing some questions that might help you when thinking about how you use screen time in your house. I’d love to chat to you so as always come and find me on Instagram @play.hooray visit our website www.playhooray.co.uk or email me with any playful topics or guest suggestions! In the meantime Happy Playing!

Join me chatting to lovely Susie founder of Totter and Tumble, the amazingly, beautiful play mats for all the family! We chat all things play, home life and of course have a giggle along the way! Please visit Susie to say hi and check out her awesome play mats on Instagram @totterandtumble www.totterandtumble.co.uk | And I always love to hear your suggestions for playful brands, people and topics you’d like me to cover so do drop me an email and come and say hi, I always love to hear who’s listening! | Never be stuck for play ideas, playHOORAY! is always here to help through podcasts, community, social media, blog posts and playPROMPTS activity cards! Visit www.playhooray.co.uk for support and inspiration! Happy Playing!

In this episode I will share how and why I chose to write The playHOORAY! Handbook and will also read an extract from the book that I feel is really important for our children’s development. The playHOORAY! Handbook is now available to buy in lots of bookshops and online, do head to www.playhooray.co.uk for more information about the book and any other play products we sell. | I would love to hear your subject or guest suggestions so come and find me on social media @play.hooray Happy Playing!

I am super excited to have our first guest on the Happy Playing podcast! Of course it had to be my buddy Emma from the wonderful world of Instagram! We found each other during the early days of starting our businesses and have cheered each other on ever since! In this episode Emma shares the important role of play in both her business and home life! Please go and say hi to Emma and check out her awesome kids hats and accessories @littlehotdogwatson or www.littlehotdogwatson.com | As always I would love to hear from you too if you have any playful people or business guest suggestions or topic ideas send them over to me @play.hooray | Please note we have a few technical issues with the sounds so my sincere apologies but it was too good not to share with you! I’m still learning so appreciate your patience! | Happy Playing!

The podcast has returned!! Previously known as the playPROMPTS podcast there are previous episodes worth listening to! This episode is all about planning your play, having tricks up your sleeve so that you don’t feel daunted at the idea of a full day at home with babies, toddlers and kids! Today I share an exercise I do both at home and school to come up with lots of new play ideas all linked to a theme whether it’s their interest or a book! Grab a pen and paper because we’re going to get planning! Do come and find me on Instagram @play.hooray and join our wonderful Facebook community of playful parents, carers and educators who are willing to help you if you get stuck! I’d love to hear the theme you have chosen for your play! As always...happy playing! Claire x

To celebrate the launch of our NEW playPROMPTS plus pack tomorrow, today I am talking about ways to help our older children to play after a long day at school! So our children grow older they seem to rely on TV when they’re bored rather than turning to play. So here’s my five top tips to encourage big kids to keep playing! Come and chat all things play with me on social media @play.hooray Happy Playing!

To celebrate the launch of our new packs of WEDDING playPROMPTS, here are my five top tips for entertaining young children at a wedding! To browse the range of playPROMPTS head over to www.playhooray.co.uk or come and join the play conversation on Instagram and Facebook @play.hooray

After the school places were announced this week lots of us are starting to think about how we can prepare our children for school so here’s my 5 top tips. To read more about this please head to the playHOORAY website for a blog post containing lots of ideas and a book list! Come and join the conversation on social media @play.hooray #playprompts or head to www.playhooray.co.uk where you can sign up to play post emails for freebies and downloads as well as browse the range of playPROMPTS!

My 5 easy tips to keep little ones entertained when trying to prepare dinner! Activities you can grab from around the kitchen that can keep your kids busy to avoid them clinging to your legs! Come and join the community on @play.hooray or browse the playPROMPTS activity cards on www.playhooray.co.uk

5 easy ideas to jazz up your outdoors before you race to buy all the garden toys now that the weather has got better! Join the conversation on Instagram @play.hooray and for inspiration join our community pages on Facebook! Our YouTube channel playHOORAY! TV has lots of new videos and to browse the range of playPROMPTS head to the playHOORAY website! Happy Playing!