Nice to meet you, I'm Toni.
I’m a walking contradiction and confidently identify as an introverted, extrovert who loves to socialise but hates groups of people. Put me in a room with strangers and I'll disappear into the background as fast as possible, but in front of my friends I can talk all night long. For me writing on the internet feels like being in a room full of friends.
It's also not unusual to find a jelly small world setting in the fridge, or fizzing science experiments being prepped in the freezer. And we won't even talk about the recyclables stash I have set aside for crafting... you all have one of those hoards too right?!
Our love affair with play began when our big girl started speech therapy at 18 months old. I learnt a lot about play therapy and we utilised it in speech sessions and at home. It really helped her come out of her shell and cemented a love of learning through play in our household, which lead to lots of sensory play, small world play, nature play, bookish play... basically all the play!
We've done thousands of different play activities and I'm working my way through blogging them all, so you can try them with your kids {or students} too.
WHY I LOVE TO SHARE PLAY
I’ve always had an innate desire to work with children in some way. I wanted to be an early childhood teacher in my early 20’s, but because I knew I had fertility issues I never initially pursued it as a career. I didn’t think I could handle seeing children every day when I was longing for my own {especially when there was a very real possibility I would never have any at all}.
Now that I've had my own children, I'm even more passionate about helping children learn and play. I've had experience curating and facilitating playgroup sessions at my kids school and I plan on going into teaching. For now I'm sharing my ideas here, to help inspire and make it easier for other parents, educators and children to connect and learn through play.
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| Activities pictured: Dinosaur egg small world | DIY lava lamp | Turtle life cycle small world | DIY playdough stamps |
WHY THE NAME FINDING MYSELF YOUNG?
When I started my blog back in 2012 I felt like I was rediscovering who I was as a person and getting in touch with my inner self for the first time in years. I was moving into a new stage of life as a mum, but I also felt like I was winding back the clock a few years to my younger self when I was happier. So it was a combination of the cliché saying finding myself again and a nod to how I felt like I was going back in time, hence the moniker Finding Myself Young.
Many people who blog as long as I've been doing it often regret their original blog name, but I actually still love my blog name and still think it’s completely relevant. I’m still finding myself young, because I’m reconnecting with my inner child every day, and creating the childhood that I always wanted, but for my own girls.
WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER HERE AT FINDING MYSELF YOUNG
- Play Activities for children of all ages
- Children's Book Reviews & Activities
- Honest Parenting Moments
- Toy & Kids Product Reviews
- Craft Ideas for many occasions
- Discounts & Sales from our favourite stores
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| Activities pictured: Fairy small world | Magnetic tile play ideas | Halloween spider sensory bottle |
I hope you'll find lots of ideas here to get you inspired to spend time with your children and connect and learn alongside them.
To keep up to date with my latest posts and play activities you can sign up to my email list or follow me on Instagram, Pinterest & Facebook. I'd also love for you to join our Facebook community of parents from around the world.
Toni x
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