Synopsis: In this book you will find a lively selection of activity ideas to support early learning across the curriculum. The theme of 'Exploring my World' is developed through chapters covering: .Using My Senses .Messy Play .What's Outside? .Colours and Shapes .Materials

Review: This is a guide for practitioners, from the Play Foundation series, which helpfully links to the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance through using the same, overlapping, age bands, Development Matters statements and reference to Enabling Environments, The Unique Child and Positive Relaionships themes. At the beginning of the book there is also a chart linking 'Look, Listen and Note, to the various sections of the book, so that practitioners are given ideas on where to focus their observations while supporting children trying out these activities.

Each activity page follows the same format: Age Range,Development Matters Statement/s (referred to as objectives!) Setting Up, Getting Started, Let's Talk, Top Tip, Differentiation and Further Ideas. I thoroughly approve of the activities themselves, which include things such as water play for 0-11 months and allowing babies to explore food; "You cannot separate early feeding from sensory play". Hear, hear, except that this is then spoilt by the differentiation suggestion of a "gentle hand over hand to guide younger babies".

Another activity sensibly states that some children are not keen on messy play and suggesting we make them, however gently, explore food with their hands, before they come to explore it in their own time, could lead to this kind of distaste for messy experiences.

The 'Let's Talk' section for every activity is very helpful, giving practitioners support in modelling language, through commenting and the use of simple vocabulary, rather than a barrage of questions.Where questions are used they are appropriate to direct the child's attention or extend their thinking rather than to test their knowledge.

There are one or two activities which state 'one adult for every baby' or 'one adult for every two children'. While it is important for practitioners to spend one to one time with children, it would have been helpful to suggest how they might achieve this when the required ratio is one adult to three babies. Otherwise some will simply state that it cannot be done and ignore those activities completely.

Overall then, this could be a very useful resources for practitioners looking for ideas for stimulating activities to do with the under threes. Unfortunately, I would be unable to recommend it for one simple reason. It states that the emphasis is on child initiated learning. Every activity is carefully planned for an adult to carry out, with ideas for differentiation and an intended outcome. How can this be child initiated? Even one titled 'It's your choice',where materials for junk modelling are set out on a large plastic sheet for children to explore, says 'Move into model-making and sticking.' That, in my book, is adult initiated and for practitioners who struggle to understand what child initiated play is, and it's importance, this is only going to confuse things further.

So, sorry but it's a thumbs down from me, which is a shame because it has many redeeming features.

2008-03-24