Author Archives: Jane Round

Name Change on it’s way

Posted on April 13, 2015

Well, it’s been a long time. How have you been? I have been slogging away, trying to find work in this recession ravaged environment that was once alive with arts and play projects! It must be happening somewhere – just … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The Art of taking the right kind of break

Posted on March 15, 2013

BBC’s Horizon programme about Creative Insight saw Californian Professor of Psychology, Jonathan Schooler exploring what made people have creative insights or ‘aha’ moments and whether these could be deliberately increased. Experiments in thinking were set on the beach front; people came along to try lateral … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How not to waste 50 plastic bottles

Posted on March 7, 2013

February half term saw another project for South Staffordshire Council’s SUSSED programme of activities – this time it was ‘Glow In the Dark Bugs’ made from pop bottles with a glow stick inside. The good staff at the Council offices … Continue reading →

Posted in Reuse/recycle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Top 10 skills children learn from the arts

Posted on February 8, 2013

This was written by Lisa Phillips is an author, blog journalist, arts and leadership educator, speaker and business owner. To learn about Lisa’s book, “The Artistic Edge: 7 Skills Children Need to Succeed in an Increasingly Right Brain World,” click here. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Beautiful images of play from around the world

Posted on January 30, 2013

These images by Steve McCurry show how play is one of the things that unites us as humans. What I love is that they include adults as well as children. These would be wonderful to have around a play room … Continue reading →

Posted in Play | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Some great play resources from a USA Children’s Museum

Posted on January 15, 2013

From the Providence Children’s Museum, Rhode Island: Unstructured, self-directed play is essential for children’s healthy development. But due to a number of factors, children today have fewer opportunities to engage in open-ended play. Here are some resources for more information … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Play | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bob Hughes – Play theorist and activist

Posted on January 14, 2013

Just want to share a link for the wonderful Bob Hughes, a lifelong advocate for free play and play as a fundamental and essential part of human development. A Taxonomy of Play Types in which he identifies 16 types of play … Continue reading →

Posted in Play | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

10 Mental Blocks to Creative Thinking

Posted on November 2, 2012

10 Mental Blocks to Creative Thinking 1. Trying to Find the “Right” Answer One of the worst aspects of formal education is the focus on the correct answer to a particular question or problem. While this approach helps us function in society, … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

What happened when I swapped my children’s toys for beads and cardboard?

Posted on September 20, 2012

This is an article I thought worth reproducing as it maps the journey of a parent who changes her way of thinking about the kinds of toys and equipment her children need in order to have great play experiences.  http://www.dailymail.co.uk … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Play | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

As Children’s Freedom Has Declined, So Has Their Creativity

Posted on September 18, 2012

Published on Psychology Today (http://www.psychologytoday.com) As Children’s Freedom Has Declined, So Has Their Creativity By Peter Gray Created Sep 17 2012 – 11:15am If anything makes Americans stand tall internationally it is creativity.  “American ingenuity” is admired everywhere. We are not the richest country (at … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Play | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments