All over the world Christmas is celebrated on 25th December, Christmas Day. At Christmas, Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

It’s that time of year again, the shops are filled with chocolate Santa’s and the streets are lit up with beautiful lights which can only mean one thing, it’s time to celebrate Christmas again!

Diwali is held in honour of Lakshmi – the Hindu Goddess of Wealth. Hindus believe that she can’t enter a house that is dark so every household burns special Diwali clay lamps called Diyas to light the way.

Remember, remember the 5th of November gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason that gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.

Halloween occurs on the night of the 31st of October, the eve of All Saints’ Day and is often celebrated by children dressing up in frightening masks and costumes. Houses are decorated with scary props and the children go trick or treating, which is perhaps now the most common Halloween tradition.

Spring Half Term is quickly approaching, and it’s a good idea to plan some activities for the family early. A short search online can bring up some great local activities that are perfect for all ages, everything from craft fairs and fetes to more educational activities such as city tours and local theatre.

Starting school is an exciting time for children and their parents but it can also be a daunting prospect too. Even if your child has been to nursery or pre-school the move to ‘Big School’ is quite a change for the whole family. At ELF we have some top tips to help you prepare your child (and yourself!) for this big step so that come September you both have a big smile on that first day.

Halloween is almost upon us and pumpkins are now synonymous with this Autumn festival. Many of us will be buying a pumpkin to hollow out and make into a spooky Jack O Lantern but there are lots of other things you can do with a pumpkin.

Every classroom should have an area designated to reading, it should be a fundamental part of each school day and consistent through each stage of school from nursery through to secondary school.

Autumn is officially here – days are getting shorter, there’s a chill in the air and the leaves are changing colour. There are some great activities to do at this time of year with young children – here are a few ideas to keep you busy over the next few months:

Play is a vital factor that contributes to the development and growth of all children. It’s a chance for children to explore be creative and experience all kinds of emotions. Whilst a child is playing, it is not just play time - it’s much more!

For children starting primary school for the first time, day one is imminent! Depending on your school, your child might be starting full time straight away, will have some half days to begin with or might have weeks of mornings or afternoon sessions until they eventually go full time. Whichever it is, the first day will come soon enough and we have some tips for coping with day one and beyond.

With primary school places at a premium in some areas of the country, the school admissions process can be very stressful for many parents. And D Day, on 16 April, was when thousands of families found out which primary school place they got for their child starting school in September.

Planning a party for your young child can be very stressful, not to mention expensive. The average cost for a child’s party is £300 with some parents spending over £800! There is often peer pressure to do something new, amazing and memorable and that peer pressure is not usually from other children but from parents.

Physical activity is necessary with young children in order to strengthen their bodies, maintain a healthy weight and prevent illnesses. It is important to instil an active mind set at an early age so that your child is more likely to have a healthy lifestyle in the future.

There are many fun things to do in the Summer Holidays, whether it’s splashing around in a refreshing paddling pool or inviting your friends round for an unforgettable play date, all these things will make your summer one you will never forget…

Easter is one of the oldest and most important Christian celebrations. Although today the giving of chocolate Easter eggs is a very popular tradition there is a much deeper meaning to Easter.

If your child is starting school this September it may seem far too early to be thinking about buying school uniform. After all, there is a whole summer ahead of us before we even need to think about school.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is considered the holiest month by Muslims. Muslims believe that Allah first revealed the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad during the month of Ramadan. The Qur’an is the sacred book of Islam.

Outdoor learning is enhanced by an environment that is resourced with play materials that can be adapted and used in different ways. These non-prescriptive play resources can be used in imaginative ways as the children can make up their own games with them. Some of these outdoor resources include:

Every child thrives on attention and when a young child is entering the ‘toddler’ stage it is extremely demanding as their needs then become a little more challenging.

Decorating your classroom walls is an absolute must in the early year’s stages. A good classroom display not only stimulates children but it encourages them to learn and excites them about the topic at hand. It enables and encourages children to interact with their environment and a good display can be used an additional teaching tool and learning resource.

Displays are a vital component to any learning environment. Most schools have wall mounted notice boards in classrooms, corridors and halls but have you thought of using a portable display board? Display boards are the perfect way to show off anything, from the creativity of your students to important visitor information and news.

It’s that time of year again, the shops are filled with chocolate Easter Eggs galore which can only mean it’s time to celebrate Easter again. What better way to get the children into the swing of it than with some Easter craft.

Children play because it is fun, however, when they’re engaged in play children develop life skills without even realising it. Here are some of the many benefits of playing with your children.

For most schools it is the time of year to review school budgets and either ‘use it or lose it’. Your school might have some budget left over which you need to spend before the end of March 2015. At Early Learning Furniture we want you to spend your budget wisely. We don’t want you to waste it just because you have to.

Returning to work can be a daunting prospect for any parent who has been away from the workplace looking after their baby or young child. After having a baby some people return to work within weeks, others not for years.

Pancake day more traditionally know as Shrove Tuesday, it is the last day before Lent – a day Christians confess all their sins and a last chance to feast before Lent starts on Ash Wednesday.

St. Valentine’s Day started as a festival that was celebrated in Rome around mid-February each year. In the late 400s Pope Gelasius officially declared it as a day for honouring St Valentine. During the 1600s St. Valentine’s Day took off in Europe when the day became associated with love and romance. The first mass-produced Valentines were sold in the 1840s.

Not only are they great for the class but there are so many other reasons that whiteboards and lapboards would be a great addition to your classroom. For example they are also eco-friendly helping to cut down on paper wastage and helping to save countless trees, not to mention saving you countless hours of grading papers.