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November 2008
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This month sees Sue donning her glad rags again for another award ceremony. This time it is the Nursery World Awards at the prestigious Hurlingham Club, Fulham, where The Complete Set and Playscope Playmat have been shortlisted for the Birth to Threes Award. Sue has also been shortlisted for the Trainer of the Year award. Watch this space for the photos! Sue will also be exhibiting at a local show, The Colchester Mother and Toddler Show, where she will be providing free Treasure Basket demonstrations.
Orders for resources have been flooding in - keeping local craftspeople and the members at the various centres very busy.
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October 2008
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October was a busy month for Play to Z with the nasen inclusive Primary Resources Awards at the Russell Hotel on the 16th – where two of the Playscope range - the Playscope Complete Set and Fidget Floor Mats were named amongst the top four resources in the UK. The Special Needs Show in Islington was very well attended, and as well as running a workshop, the Playscope range attracted a huge amount of international interest from organisations, embassies and schools from around the world.
The Playscope large Treasure Basket and Activity Cards were also on show in Switzerland at the World Didac Show. The UKTI is taking the Playscope resources to shows around the world, next stop Hong Kong, to showcase excellence in sustainable teaching resources. The Playscope Complete Set was reviewed in Nursery World where it was described as . Playscope resources have been featured in the Times Educational Supplement, Nursery World and Special magazine five times this month.
The four Playscope Top-Up Sets, brushes, metal, wooden and natural, were launched at Special Needs London and are already proving to be very popular. Each gingham bag contains 10-12 unusual items, great for supplementing a treasure Basket, using in a toy library, inspiring a focus on properties or Design Technology among older children.
The training arm of Play to Z has also been busy with training events taking place in Rugby, Merton, Staines, Islington and Colchester this month.
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September 2008
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Well we have just heard that our Playscope Playmat has been shortlisted for the 2008 Nursery World Awards. At the Scottish Learning Festival in Glasgow, a new addition to the range - four Top-up sets of unusual items such as brushes, metal, wooden and natural objects is being launched.
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August 2008
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The review and trial of the new Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy Activity Cards is still underway; with some fantastic feedback received so far.
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July 2008
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Thanks to the fantastic feedback we are receiving from all our satisfied customers, Playscope Complete Set and Fidget Floor Mats have now been shortlisted for the nasen awards. This is a fantastic endorsement for our range of products - more soon.
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April 2008
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We have got lots of new products available including new multicolored sets of Fidget Floor Mats designed to further increase their play value.
This week we submitted the Playscope Complete Set and Fidget Floor Mats for the nasen Inclusive Primary Classroom Award 2008. Thanks to all those who provided case studies, testimonials and feedback on the use of these resources with children with SEN.
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March 2008
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Congratulations to Sue for winning a Special Recognition Award from the Global Women Inventors and Innovators Network (GWIIN) click here for further details. Thanks to everyone who visited our stand at the Education Show in the NEC earlier this month. We have had an exceptionally busy few weeks to meet all the orders that came in towards the end of the financial year, and we are really grateful to all our customers from across the UK. We have also had orders from a number of European countries and even as far afield as New Zealand! We’re looking forward to the Early Years & Primary Teaching (and SEN North) 2008 at the GMEX in Manchester on 18th and 19th April and hope to see you there.
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February 2008
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Group Lotus Plc, manufacturers of some of the finest British sports cars and based locally, has recently agreed to supply PLAY to Z with high quality Scottish leather left over from their upholstery process. We are using this to make key ring fobs for the Playscope Complete Sets, and we’re delighted to help Group Lotus find an alternative use for this fantastic resource.
This month saw the harvesting of the latest crop of organic Willow that we use in all our Treasure Baskets - (see our Sustainability page for more details).
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Sue Gascoyne has just been shortlisted for the British Female Inventors and Innovators Awards 2008! Nominated by colleagues at the Essex Development and Regeneration Agency (ExDRA) Sue will be travelling to Cardiff in March for the awards ceremony so watch this space! Our website has now been updated with the full range of Playscope resources including our new Floor Mats (see image, right) and a new smaller Treasure Basket for Parents to use at home.
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January 2008
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February, March and April will be show time! Education shows that is, what with: The Education Show at the NEC in Birmingham from 29th February - 1st March; Milton Keynes on 13th and 14th March and the Early Years & Primary Teaching & Special Needs North Exhibition at the GMEX in Manchester on 18th & 19th April, it will be a busy spring for all of us at PLAY to Z.
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November 2007
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It has been a particularly busy time for PLAY to Z. In the last few days we’ve been exhibiting Playscope resources and running workshops at four different events - and that’s just in Essex!
On 2nd November Playscope 4 Parents was launched at the Mother, Toddler & Baby Show in Colchester. After receiving so many requests for resources that parents can use in the home, we have put together a ‘starter kit’ for parents and carers. Sue also lost her voice the night before and spent most of the time whispering to people!
Childrens reactions to the resources very much speak for themselves, the stand was busy with children playing with sand, water and the Playscope Treasure basket for most of the weekend. One three year old played with the basket of objects, sand and water for nearly two hours. Meanwhile an eight year old played for an hour then returned twice more!
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October 2007
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The play value of Playscope resources is set to increase further as after discussion with a Primary School Head Teacher, work is underway on producing a series of ‘stories’ about some of the unique Treasure Basket items. Examples include ‘The story of the loofah /jam jar/pottery pebble’, etc. These will provide some interesting facts about the item but with an emphasis upon providing a colourful real life story that will inspire young children, teachers and practitioners.
Subject to demand, Teacher Facts Sheets for Key Stage 2 may be added in the future. Stories may set out the background to the resource, craft or production process or give an insight into the people behind each item, e.g. the centres for adults with learning disabilities involved. This has come in response to practitioners interest in the often touching stories behind the many handmade objects which bring history and geography to life. It is also in response to a forthcoming research project into education on sustainable development.
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Our prize draw winner has now been selected! Everyone visiting our stand at Olympia last month was invited to enter the free draw. In total 68 entries were received. This week Sue Gascoyne returned to Orchard Barns Private Kindergarten - where Playscope has been successfully trialled for the last 10 months, to invite children to help pick a competition prize winner. “It is fitting to come back to the nursery - winner of ‘UK Nursery of the Year’ (2006) which has been so instrumental in the trial of this innovative resource.” After nearly an hour of fun-filled play with the resources, the children took turns delving in the Sensac to pick the prize winner.
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We’re pleased to announce that Anne Paul, Director of Abbs Cross Day Nursery in Rainham, London, has won a full set of Playscope resources, comprising a Playscope treasure basket of 50 items, a Sensac and both sets of Stepping Out activity cards - worth over £150. When Anne heard the news of their success she told us:
“We will really enjoy using the equipment with the children. I’m sure the children will thoroughly enjoy it.”
Nursery Trials pay dividends!
Orchard Barns Nursery manager, Susan Moss-Thomas was then presented with a free set of Playscope resources by Sue Gascoyne as a thank you for the nursery’s active involvement in the trials.
“From the very first time I saw the children’s responses to this resource I knew it would be something we would use to support children’s learning over and over again. Inspirational, fun and flexible, Playscope provides a resource which can be used spontaneously or as part of a planned activity. It’s great!”
Susan Moss-Thomas, Nursery Manager, Orchard Barns Private Kindergarten, Ardleigh
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September 2007
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The resources have now been trialled for 10 months in 3 age rooms. The feedback has been so good that the games are still being played in three different age rooms in the nursery. Not only have children asked to play the games again and again, but they have adapted many to make them their own. The resources have also got the staff’s creative juices flowing – with ideas for new games emerging and great feedback from the children and staff.
Another trial is also underway in Kiddi Caru. Playscope has received a great reception with both staff and children in the 16-36 month age room. The nursery manager described the Treasure Basket, Sensac and games as an “excellent learning resource”.
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August 2007
Since January 2007 Orchard Barns Private Kindergarten in Essex, winner of UK Nursery of the Year, 2006 (Nursery World Award) has trialled 200 innovative games.
As Sue Gascoyne Managing Director of Play to Z Ltd (and inventor of Playscope) explained, Footy is one such example. ‘I almost didn’t included this game for 3 to 5 year olds as some said it might be too difficult. Even the nursery practitioner wasn’t sure how it would go, but she had the courage to give it a go and sat amazed as the children not only played the game but quickly extended it and made it their own. Footy involves passing a beanbag from child to child just using their feet. When played however, the children quickly decided to try passing the beanbag using other parts of their bodies, showing real creativity and ingenuity as they used, elbows, noses and ears instead!’
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