Welcome to early years expertise
The Ovivio Blog
Early years insights, activities, summaries and more,
written by early years experts.
Running a nursery gives you plenty to think about. This is where we share practical nursery management advice, early years insight and childcare resources to make the day feel a little smoother. From the ins and outs of running a setting to children’s learning, regulation and parent relationships, there’s plenty to explore. Start with our nursery management resources, find fresh inspiration in EYFS activities, or catch up on Ofsted guidance for nursery teams.
Lucy Lewin – Supercharge Your Nursery Finances
Lucy Lewin is the founder and owner of the Profitable Nursery Academy and Little Angels (Uppingham), and has dedicated her...
Outdoor Maths Activities EYFS: Creative Ways to Teach Numeracy Outdoors
This post was written by Jamie Victoria Barnes of Everything Early Years fame. Mathematics is a core element of the...
10 ways to improve parental engagement
‘Fast paced’, is a phrase I would use to describe today’s society; we are always busy with engagements, work, social...
The Importance of Early Years Leadership and Effective Management
Leadership in any job role is important, as you will know those in management positions are the facilitators of the...
Nursery Manager Interview Questions: How to Find the Right Leader
Hiring the best educators and managers for your setting most likely sits as a high priority for your nursery business....
How to increase occupancy in my nursery business
It’s no secret that maintaining and scaling nursery occupancy is an ongoing effort. Throw in constant government changes and it’s...
The MITEY UK and other methods: how to get more men to join the EYFS
Recently Ovivio interviewed Shaddai Tembo, lecturer in Early Education and Childhood Practice at Perth College UHI. He is currently pursuing...
How to Create a Meaningful ‘Loose Parts’ Play provision in Your Setting
Loose parts play, a concept first dated to 1971, encourages curiosity and inventiveness in children by offering open-ended materials. Creating...
Promoting Health and Wellbeing in Early Years: 5 Fundamentals for Mentally Healthy Habits
It’s easy to identify factors that will likely impact children’s mental health. The difficult part is how to ensure our...
The day of an EYFS Ofsted inspection
Nursery Ofsted inspections can understandably make you and your team anxious. They aren’t designed to trip you up, your Ofsted...
Ofsted 3 I’s in early years for 2026 inspections
A lot changed with Ofsted in 2025. There’s a renewed framework and a whole suite of supporting documents to get...
How to address your nursery staffing issues by hiring the right people
Staffing issues in Early Years settings is not news to the sector, but the Covid-19 pandemic has seemed to have...
Meaningful Present Ideas to Appreciate Your Nursery Staff
Hiring the best nursery staff for your business is one step, but childcare settings across the UK are struggling to retain...
4 STEM Activities for Preschoolers to Try
STEM is not a new term for childcare settings. But why exactly is it beneficial for children’s learning and development,...
Plug safety at your nursery setting: ‘Free of charge’ EYFS safeguarding advice
Are you certain that your children are in a plug protected environment whilst at your setting? Not only plugs, but...
EYFS Inclusive Practice: How to Strengthen SEND Support
Is your inclusive practice truly supporting every child with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)? Moving past surface-level efforts, true...
How to effectively implement the Curiosity Approach across your nursery
Since the invention of the iPad 12 years ago, the methods in which our children play and interact have changed....
Why the Early Learning Goals are important and 5 activities to master them
Early Years as a field is ‘definition rich’, as we have all the abbreviations and acronyms under the sun to...
What to do and when to do it: parental engagement activities to help your child thrive!
Your child hears their first sounds in the womb, which means that even before they are born into the world,...
Does Your Story Time Cut It? The Importance of Talking and Language in Developing Early Years Literacy Skills
Literacy is one of the seven areas of learning and development. Strong Literacy skills are essential for active participation in...
How to Prepare for HMIE Scotland Nursery Inspections: A Complete Guide
As all early learning and childcare services in Scotland are subject to inspection, you can expect the proverbial ‘knock on...
Islamic New Year 2025: 5 fun activities to celebrate Al-hijra in Early Years
Al-hijra and Muharram is just around the corner (starting on 16th June 2025). Now is the perfect time to brush...
Childcare apprenticeships: how to tackle the recruitment crisis
It may be an understatement to say that Early Years apprentices are in high demand, as nursery settings nationwide are...
Father’s Day ideas to try in Nursery Settings: crafts, gifts, and cards
Father’s Day can be a creative opportunity to celebrate the prominent male figures in children’s lives. It can also be...