PLAY! This mode of joyful exploration and children’s learning is at the heart of Playhood. While often spontaneous and organic, a huge amount goes into the design of our nursery experience: expert Montessorian-guided, yet also informed and influenced and featuring a range of complimentary approaches to early education, too. There’s enough common pedagogical ground (things like self-direction, creativity and cooperation, sensory and real world experience in beautiful environments) to harmonise these methods while finding our own path.

A growing body of research evidences how a strong ecosystem supporting families and children in early years’ care and education settings lays the foundation not only for thriving in school later, but a lifetime of mental and physical wellbeing. Dr Montessori was a physician whose holistic pedagogy developed in the early twentieth century is being reinforced by such findings to this day. Our pretty unique nuance at Playhood is taking the intentions to integrate the whole family into the everyday by having parents working on-site and involved in every stage of planning and practice.

Over a series of blog posts to come we will share reflections on various schools of thought to show our workings a bit, unpack how we’re applying pedagogical thinking in a highly responsive environment, and maybe even inspire our Members and friends in other settings to find out more.

Our ‘recipe’ for the Playhood Studio:

A contemporary iteration of a Montessori Children’s House; growing independence, respect and peace in a custom-built studio space
A collaborative, creative community honouring Reggio-Emilia
Immersed in a green and nurturing Forest Schooling garden experience, with curiosity about wildschooling and outdoor learning movements
Appreciative of Froebel’s kindergarten model and the range of European thinkers who championed play-based learning
Ongoing learning from non-western educational traditions and cultural approaches, gathered from Playhooders’ own experiences, our wider community and research
Informed and updated by theories in neuroscience, emerging child development research, and conscious child caring too

Georgia Norton is a strategy and communications consultant and mum to a 8 and 4 year old.

Follow us on Insta @playhoodclub

The Blueprint for a Playful Early Education: Reviewing & reworking pedagogy at Playhood