New research blog up and running!

**butterfly** · 13-04-2012, 04:51 PM

Thanks to mama2three for the title suggestion, my new blog 'Play, naturally' is online and running!

For those of you who don't know I'm about to embark on my PhD, hopefully investigating what happens to children's play in a childminding setting where all the toys are taken away and replaced with open-ended materials.

Many people on the forum expressed an interest in following the progress of my project so I have set up an online blog where I will post my research diary entries over the course of the project.

Please feel free to have a look at my website and subscribe if you'd like to follow my progress. It's a skeleton at the moment but I will be adding to it furiously over the next few weeks as my pilot study gets under way! Feel free to comment but please remember I am using the blog as part of my research and therefore any posts may be used as part of my project. Please don't identify yourself or others in the posts as confidentiality must be protected at all times.

www.playnaturally.co.uk

jumpinjen · 13-04-2012, 05:24 PM

Looks great - I just joined! Jen x

**Jo Jo** · 13-04-2012, 05:26 PM

Looks fab well done

BucksCM · 13-04-2012, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by jumpinjen

Looks great - I just joined! Jen x

Yep, me too!
Debb x

**flowerpots** · 13-04-2012, 05:37 PM

Ive just joined too, look forward to reading more.

**Christi** · 13-04-2012, 07:30 PM

Can't wait to read more! I think I'm a long way back on the path you're on, but finding it fascinating watching the children and coming to some similar realisations.

**Playmate** · 13-04-2012, 08:23 PM

Just signed up too

**The Juggler** · 13-04-2012, 08:27 PM

PHD! wow butterfly. you are officially insane. Are you still working as well????

gonna take a look now.

**pinkellifun** · 13-04-2012, 08:39 PM

It's all sounds great to me, butterfly. I can't wait to read what you find. What you've described is brilliant and so true.

Good luck!

**SandCastles** · 13-04-2012, 08:41 PM

I've just signed up as well - all my plastic battery powered toys are swamping me.

**samb** · 13-04-2012, 08:47 PM

Sounds really interesting and your page looks really good already. I have signed up

**mama2three** · 13-04-2012, 09:00 PM

Looking forward to following you , good choice of name!!

**tashaleee** · 13-04-2012, 11:18 PM

Have signed up as well

**mayberry** · 14-04-2012, 03:49 AM

looks good I've joined

Dawn x

**VeggieSausage** · 14-04-2012, 08:21 AM

Love the look of your site

**The Juggler** · 14-04-2012, 08:34 AM

i was on wimbledon common yesterday with my kids and their friends whihc we love to do. i invited along an ex mindee mum and the mindees to join us. the kids had great fun. we let them be out of sight in the trees (big age range and group from 5-12) so looking after each other and staying together. They climbed trees, used the bouncy ones as see saws, used them as horses and houses they built with sticks.

They climbed trees, played cops and robbers with stick guns and got on really well. We were walking back - me with 5 year old and he says to me a bit bemused - 'but there's no playpark here or anything!' he sounded surprised and I say but look at all the fun you've had climbing trees and playing with them. He just nodded and sort of agreed in a five year old way.

that's what play and freedom is all about. it was good to be able to let them play with this freedom which I could not have done if I was minding as I'd have had to be in view and supervising all the time.

**mindingmummy08** · 14-04-2012, 10:24 AM

I will be watching your blog with interest I find what you're doing so facinating. All the best!!

**lauraj** · 14-04-2012, 01:47 PM

just signed up too, cant wait to read your blog, your page looks great and its very interesting what you are going to do. I remember when I worked in a nursery years ago we took all the toys out of the room and just sat back and watched what the children would do and they spent ages coming up with different things to play and do with each other with out any toys.

**Heaven Scent** · 14-04-2012, 01:56 PM

Signed up and made a small contribution.

**butterfly** · 16-04-2012, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by The Juggler

PHD! wow butterfly. you are officially insane. Are you still working as well????

gonna take a look now.

Yep! I'm working full time - Mon-Fri 7-5.30 - but asI discussed with my tutor this project will be my work so it won't actually be extra except writing it up which you guys have made much more interesting by wanting to read my research diary!

Thanks for your support! I'm just confirming the ethics side of things with my tutor and then it will be full steam ahead!