Newest Childrens Furniture

We've just completed some more childrens' furniture from recycled timber. This time he was lucky enough to collaborate with Olwyn Avery, the renowned and Tres, Mucho, talented artist, poet and jewellery maker. I've created a quick bio for Olwyn below, photos of the new furniture are underneath that.

As mentioned above Olwyn is a very talented artist, poet and jeweller. Her work has featured in a number of exhibitions. She is the proud mother of four beautiful children and she currently resides in Newcastle. She is the proprietor of White Footprint Designs. You can visit her Facebook page and see all work here or message her on Twitter here.  And I'd have to agree with her Twitter page, she is more than 'a bit awesome'.

New Childrens' Furniture 

Scallywags, Long Daycare Centre, Bathurst

I was recently sent some photos of another completed project, this time in Bathurst. Scallywags, with the help of  a local contractor, has completely changed the face of their centre to the point where the Director mentioned in an email that staff noticed an immediate change in the childrens' play patterns. She stated that the children were calmer and more centered in their activities, even when the playspace had all age groups in attendance.

Playspace, Before, 2013 

Playspace, After, 2014

Playspace, Before, 2013 

 Playspace, After, 2014

Playspace, Before, 2013 

Playspace, After, 2014

Playspace, Before, 2013

 Playspace, After, 2014

Playspace, Before, 2013

 Playspace, After, 2014

Playspace, Before, 2013 

Playspace, After, 2014

Playspace, Before, 2013 

Playspace, After, 2014

Playspace, Before, 2013

Playspace, After, 2014

A. A. Gill: Schools Are Ruining Our Kids | Vanity Fair

A. A. Gill: Schools Are Ruining Our Kids | Vanity Fair

Read the full article from the link above.

'In the 100 years since we really got serious about education as a universally good idea, we’ve managed to take the 15 years of children’s lives that should be the most carefree, inquisitive, and memorable and fill them with a motley collection of stress and a neurotic fear of failure. Education is a dress-up box of good intentions, swivel-eyed utopianism, cruel competition, guilt, snobbery, wish fulfillment, special pleading, government intervention, bu­reauc­racy, and social engineering.'

The Humble Bumble of the Bee | Anarchy & the EYLF Pirates

The Humble Bumble of the Bee | Anarchy & the EYLF Pirates

 I have to admit that I've always been uncomfortable with blind compliance, the "we do it this way because we've always done it that way" mode of thinking that I saw so much when I was a teacher and director. I always thought that unless something continues to evolve it stagnates and that really good ideas can get bogged down in the paperwork.  To challenge the status quo is not non-conformity because the status quo is made to be broken. 

This is a fantastic blog that really challenges thinking about early childhood practice - read it!