Fabulous Gifts for FOUR Year Olds

Believe it or not Miss M is almost FOUR! I started this blog when she was 9 months old so if you've followed me for a while you would have seen her grow up before your eyes. She is such a little lady now with amazing language skills, so chatty and really interested in learning. Her confidence has bloomed and she has surprised me with all the new things she's tried and accomplished over recent months. It feels like we've only just had Christmas and Little Man's birthday - but now it's almost time to give Miss M a special celebration!

I always love sharing gift ideas with you - especially for specific ages. Friends with children of the same age are always asking for ideas, and I stalked my favourite internet stores to bring you some fantastic new ideas that you may not have seen before!

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Nature Play at it's BEST {Wild Imagination}


This post is sponsored by Wild Imagination. All opinions are my own.

It was a few weeks ago now that Miss M, some friends and I attended Wild Imagination - a nature play event in the Adelaide parklands. A unique vacation care program like no other, which also opened up for "family days" to cater for the under school aged children to come along with their parents. We were not disappointed! It was absolutely amazing and I could not fault it at all. It was the actual BEST.

Miss M and her friends were kept busy with the huge variety of activities for three hours! No waiting in lines with plenty of nature play experiences to do. It was really well organised and staff were always nearby to help and guide where required. I cannot express how awesome it is that an organisation is embracing nature play whole heartedly. Wild Imagination's mission is to encourage our children to get back into nature play and experience all it has to offer. All the things that we used to do when we were kids before anyone had an iPad addiction.

Miss M's first time on a tyre swing. 

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Following Up With The Sunshine Collective {GIVEAWAY}

Since I went back to work, Miss M has been super interested in "school work". She wants to know what the kids do all, day. I bring home spare worksheets for her to colour in and our dining table has quickly been taken over by "art". Endless pieces of paper, mini books, crayons and pencils, scissors and glue. And the best part is that she wants to learn! Her pictures are really starting to look like actual things with more detail. She explains what she's drawn and writes her name and numbers. She draws treasure maps and then we go on adventures in the back yard, and tick things off our scavenger hunt list as we go.

And she's almost four! It really is an awesome age!

Do you remember this product review I did for The Sunshine Collective? In particular we worked our way through the Preschool box, ideal for Miss M's age. Well on Friday afternoon we zipped to the post office before they closed to pick up our Foundation (reception/prep/first year of school) box to try out. Keep reading to find out how you can win one tailer made for your child.


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How to Promote Language at Home {Guest Post}

We have another wonderful guest contributor today at Teacher Types. Molly from The Speech Teacher is going to share some practical tips of how to encourage your child's language development at home in your day to day activities and interactions.


You may remember this post when I interviewed my friend Kate who is also a Speech Pathologist and it's been one of my most popular! Seems like many parents can be concerned about their child's speech and language development and want to know what they can do. Obviously all children develop at their own pace, some are quicker to talk than others (classic example Miss M vs Little Man. She was saying way more words than him at his age). 

Molly comes to us all the way from New York (a city I've never been to but have always wanted to visit). Welcome Molly! xx

*Photographs by me - Lauren @Teacher Types

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A Ferret Named Phil {The Sequel}

Remember this little guy?


If you don't, click here before you read on.

Phil the Ferret is back with a new story filled with fun and excitement at the circus - "A Ferret Named Phil and the old Ferris Wheel". Key themes of resilience, bravery, kindness, confidence, forgiveness, honesty, and remorse are woven throughout. In schools these are crucial for a student's emotional development. Aimed at children aged 3-8, both books are teaching valuable life lessons.

Gifted for the purpose of this review.

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1 Minute Maths {With ORIGO Education}

Thanks to ORIGO Education for sponsoring this post.

Teachers - today I'm talking to you!
(Parents, if you're interested in learning about how you can teach your school aged children Maths at home, please keep reading!).

So we all have to do professional development. The latest trends in education are always changing and evolving, so it's important for us to be life long learners. Just like we aim for our students to be. For me returning from maternity leave AND being in a new (older) year level, this is even more important, especially when it comes to Maths.



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Teacher by Day {Eliza}

I'm loving my Teacher by Day interview series - and today's teacher biz mum is Eliza from Healthy Active Mums. We connected in the Mums with Hustle Biz club and I just love what she's all about. Meet Eliza!



How long have you been teaching for? 

My first year of teaching was in 2011. I was really fortunate to gain a full time teaching role in PREP in Mackay-8 hours from home. I was then transferred west of Mackay to a very small town called Dysart a mining community. I spent the next two years teaching Prep and Year 4. Since 2014 I have been on Maternity Leave. I returned to work at the end of 2014 to continue teaching as a relief teacher. My degree is a Bachelor of Education Middle School-Majoring in lower primary. I am qualified to teach grades Prep-10.

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Setting up a Play Kitchen to Encourage Imaginative Play

Our play kitchen has been one of our most used areas by both of the kids. Miss M got it for her second birthday, and since Little Man turned one, he has become more interested in it. He opens and shuts the doors, presses buttons, bangs on the pots and empties out baskets (we are entering that "trash the house" phase with him). Miss M's interest comes and goes, but it's always sparked when we add something new or change it up a bit.

We've added to our collection of resources over time (some #gifted for features on the blog and social media) - so this post aims to be a bit of a "one stop shop" if you're looking to set up a play kitchen or want to add some new things to your existing one. If you don't have one, it's the ideal present for a toddler or preschooler.

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Play Ideas From Your Kitchen Cupboard {Guest Post}

Sometimes I find the best play ideas are the simplest ones. The activities which don't require many materials. You don't even need to go to the craft shop. In fact you probably already have these items in your pantry, utensil drawer or kitchen cupboard. That's the theme of today's guest post by Amy from The Egg Box Parent. She has some fantastic ideas to share with you all today (and something for all ages!).

Thanks Amy! The floor is yours!
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My name is Amy I am mum to a very busy one year old. I have lots of qualification in early childhood and I am currently finishing my masters in Child Development. I have worked within early years my entire carer both in Australia and in the United Kingdom. My most recent role led me to work with some of the most disadvantaged children and families in Australia. Upon meeting these families it soon became apparent that these children needed to gain the same skills as any other child, without any toys, flash cards or printouts. Through this my Instagram page The Egg Box Parent was born. My philosophy leans heavily towards education. I believe that children do not need copious amounts of toys to help them achieve their developmental milestones and we already have all the resources we need to get them there. We all know that the favourite present at Christmas is the box the toy came in, I have embraced this and try to create as many learning opportunities as possible with what I can find in the cupboard at home.

- Musical pots and pans
- Tissue box scarves
- Fine motor with cotton balls
- Pasta in a tub!

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Fairy Play Five Ways

Imaginary play is a key ingredient in any childhood and there is something just so magical about fairy play! It's enchanting, special and allows children to escape to another world. I love those opportunities when I just get to observe Miss M at play and listen to the stories and scenarios she comes up with!

Just a few simple materials can enhance a fairy play experience and there's a few different ways to go about it... So today I'm bringing you fairy play - FIVE ways.


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Walk a Mile in a Teacher's Shoes

When you think of a teacher at school, how do you picture them?
Sitting at their desk marking?
Standing out the front of the classroom teaching?
Circulating around the classroom assisting?
Or racing around like a headless chook?

Well let me tell you, a day in the life of a teacher is a combination of all of the above.
PENNi Sandals by FRANKiE 4 Footwear

I recently got the opportunity to collaborate with FRANKiE 4 Footwear! You may have seen super stylish Insta gals rockin' their shoes such as Nikki @Styling You (who even has a shoe named after her), Alex from What the Teacher Wears (who is going to have a shoe named after her), as well as Adelaide bloggers Jenni @Styling Curvy and Sonia Styling. FRANKiE 4 shoes are designed by Caroline, a podiatrist and physiotherapist which is what sets them apart from other brands. They’re comfortable and kind to your feet, but still dressy enough for school. With lots of casual options as well depending on your school dress code, plus various heel heights and some little numbers that you could certainly wear on a night out! (If you still went on nights out I mean #teachermummy)

TL - Nikki, TR - Jenni, BL - Sonia, BR - Alex wearing some of my faves!

Anyway, this is how far I would walk on a typical day at school...
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