Where the wild ones learn curriculum

16/04/2026

Meet Marnie and Arnie, two curious little explorers who see the world with wide‑open hearts and wonder‑filled eyes. Marnie is bold and full of questions, while Arnie is gentle, thoughtful, and always ready for the next adventure. Together, they discover the magic tucked inside everyday moments: tiny creatures, rustling leaves, shifting skies, and the quiet stories nature whispers when we slow down enough to listen.

This wholesome, heart‑warming story celebrates curiosity, outdoor play, emotional growth, and the deep connection children build with the natural world. It’s the kind of book that invites kids to pause, notice, and fall in love with exploring, whether they’re in a forest school, a classroom, or their own back garden.

If you loved our first book, you’ll adore this next chapter in the Wild Ones world. It’s gentle, imaginative, and full of meaningful learning woven through story. We can’t wait for you to bring Marnie and Arnie’s adventures into your homes and learning spaces.

https://payhip.com/b/2uyaM

15/04/2026

🌟 Nora and the Whirly Brain 🌟

Here’s my friend’s little girl reading Nora and the Whirly Brain, and honestly, it’s such a joy to see!

Not only is it a gorgeous children’s story that helps little ones understand big feelings and neurodiversity, but the illustrations are absolutely stunning, full of colour, movement, and emotion.

If you haven’t discovered it yet, this book is a gentle way to start conversations about how our brains work differently, and how that’s something to celebrate.

🌟Perfect for home, settings, or bedtime story shelves.

A beautiful reminder that every child’s brain is wonderfully unique.

Get your here - https://payhip.com/b/tMiVe

15/04/2026

🌿 Childminders... can we talk about what’s happening right now?
Because honestly, it’s a LOT.

Recently the news has been full of the heartbreaking story from Doncaster, where a little girl with complex needs slipped through a gap in a fence while with her childminder. It’s shaken so many of us, not because of blame, but because it highlights the real, daily pressures childminders face:

supporting SEND, managing risk outdoors, juggling ratios, and trying to be everything for every child.

And on top of that, April has brought a wave of changes:

✨ Ofsted is moving to a 4‑year inspection cycle, meaning more frequent inspections for everyone.
✨ New screen time guidance for under‑5s landed last month, and settings are expected to follow it.
🌟New sleep guidance

✨ New statutory guidance includes some big wins for childminders:
• the right to monthly payments from October
• exemption from publishing fees online
• and the new 97% pass‑through rule to get more funding into your pocket.

It’s no wonder so many childminders are feeling stretched, overwhelmed, or worried about what’s coming next.

But here’s the truth:
You are doing one of the most important jobs in the country, and you deserve support, clarity, and a community that actually understands the reality of your day‑to‑day.

If you’re feeling the weight of all these changes… you’re not alone.
If you’re questioning your practice… you’re not alone.
If you’re exhausted from trying to keep up… you’re definitely not alone.

I’m here, and so is this community.
Let’s talk about it. Let’s support each other.
And let’s make sure childminders’ voices are heard, loudly.

🌿 Tell me below: what’s worrying you most right now?

Your voice matters

We also have a new free community on our App comment APP if you would like the link

15/04/2026

🌟Outdoor learning is becoming central to education.🌟

The DfE Sustainability & Climate Change Strategy (2022–2030) is actively shaping how schools and early years settings approach:

🌱 Outdoor learning
🌱 Climate education
🌱 Resilience
🌱 Nature connection

This is no longer optional practice. It’s directional.

Comment YES to find out more about our Nature Practitioner Level 2 CPD training

14/04/2026

🌟 Children are speaking all the time, you’re just not hearing it 🌟

Children don’t start with sentences.

They start with storying.

In outdoor play, children are constantly communicating through movement, repetition, sensory exploration, and imagination.

The problem is, most adults are only listening for spoken language.
But communication is already happening long before words are polished.

If we only respond to speech, we miss the richest parts of early communication.

This is where oracy begins.

🌟 Comment Oracy for a link to our workshop

If you work with children, this will change how you see play.

14/04/2026

Did you know we now have a Home Education page? Drop us a follow 🥰

13/04/2026

🌟 Childminders can we just pause together for a moment? 🌟

Because honestly, as a childminder myself, I’m hearing the same worries everywhere, and I’m feeling them too.

Worried about MTD.
Worried about the new sleep guidelines.
Worried about the screen time changes.
Worried about inspections.
Worried about the constant updates that seem to land all at once, without a breath in between.

And we’re trying to hold all of this while caring for the most precious little people
while planning after hours
while keeping up with accounts, learning records, parent messages, paperwork
while juggling our own families and our own wellbeing.

It’s a lot.
It’s overwhelming.
And it can feel like we’re expected to be superhuman.

That’s exactly why I created the Wild Ones App, because I needed a space like this too.

🌟In the FREE Wild Minds community🌟

You’ll find a community‑led chat where we can share worries, ideas, inspiration, and support each other without judgement.

I’ll also upload a free mini activity pack every month, something gentle and helpful when your brain is already full.

🌟In the PAID Wild Minds Hub🌟

For £10 a month, the paid side of the app includes:

🌱Resources and guides (including Outdoor Curriculum + MTD support)
🌱Bi‑weekly live sessions
🌱Monthly webinars
🌱And me in the community, answering questions, offering guidance, and walking this journey with you

Whether you join the free space or step into the deeper support, you’re not on your own.

We’re in this together, childminders supporting childminders, building something calmer and kinder in a profession that asks so much of us.

You deserve a community that understands you 🌿💛
https://jodie-s-community.mn.co/share/yHE9PgadZHjtTzn5

13/04/2026

Check out this lovely video about our Caterpillar and Butterfly Nature Study get yours here https://payhip.com/b/dMEQA

Check out Home Edventures’s video.

13/04/2026

🌿 We can’t quite believe it!! 🌿

Nearly 50 members have joined the Wild Ones App since Thursday evening!

Thank you so much for all of your support, it means the world to see this community growing so quickly.

The Where the Wild Ones Learn App is a gentle, nature‑led space for educators, parents, and families who believe in child‑centred, outdoor learning and neuro‑affirming practice. It brings together everything we love about Where the Wild Ones Learn, connection, creativity, and calm support, all in one place.

🌟Inside the free areas, you’ll find:🌟
🌿Wild Minds Childminding – A mini pack resource each month a community where childminders can connect
🌿Wild Early Years – A mini pack resource each month a community where early years practitioners can connect
🌿Wild Families Home Ed – gentle, curiosity‑led learning for home educators
🌿The Wild PDA Parent Space – calm, compassionate support for PDA families

These spaces will always stay open and free to join.

🌟For those who choose to become paid members, you unlock deeper support and connection:🌟
🌿More 1:1 guidance and personalised help
🌿Webinars, training sessions, and replays
🌿Live sessions and Q&As
🌿Exclusive resources, planning tools, and curriculum support
🌿A closer, more connected community experience

We’re so grateful to everyone who’s joined and helped make this space feel so special already.

Here’s to growing something beautiful together

https://jodie-s-community.mn.co/share/yHE9PgadZHjtTzn5

11/04/2026

🌟 Rewild Your Child Challenge Day 9 🌟

🌟 Natural Resources Storytelling 🌟

Using sticks, stones, leaves, pinecones, shells, feathers and other found treasures to build and tell stories outdoors.

🌱 What Children Are Learning

🌟 Language & Communication
Developing rich descriptive vocabulary (smooth, rough, curved, tiny, heavy)

Sequencing ideas: beginning, middle, end

Using objects symbolically to represent characters or events

Building confidence in speaking and storytelling

🌟 Imagination & Creativity
Transforming natural objects into story elements

Inventing characters, problems and solutions

Exploring narrative through open‑ended play

🌟 Cognitive Development
Symbolic thinking (this stone is a dragon)

Problem‑solving as stories shift and change

Memory and recall as they retell stories

🌟 Social & Emotional Development
Turn‑taking and collaborative storytelling

Expressing feelings through characters

Building empathy by exploring different roles

🌟 Connection to Nature
Seeing natural materials as valuable, meaningful resources

Noticing textures, shapes and patterns outdoors

Developing a sense of belonging in natural spaces