Storytime Scarves

Storytime Scarves Welcome to Storytime Scarves, where every thread tells a tale. It is a tool for helping children understand their place in the world.
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From our home in Chislehurst, we create beautiful, ethically-made storytelling toys that invite families to explore global cultures and spark a child's own imaginative journeys. Celebrating Cultures: The StoryTime Scarves Journey
We believe a toy's purpose is not merely to entertain; it is also to foster imagination and creativity. It is a mirror that allows them to feel seen, and a window that op

ens their eyes to the vibrant tapestry of the global community. That philosophy is woven into every StoryTime Scarf we create. More than just a play scarf, this is an invitation to explore. Designed for open-ended play, the possibilities are as limitless as your child's imagination. With these thoughtfully crafted pieces, your child can build worlds, tell stories, and make sense of their community. The diverse and culture-focused designs provide a powerful opportunity for children to see themselves reflected in their play, fostering a deep sense of belonging while sparking curiosity about the world beyond their own experience.

Has Facebook gone a bit quiet for anyone else lately? Over the last few weeks I've realised I've stopped seeing posts fr...
14/07/2026

Has Facebook gone a bit quiet for anyone else lately?

Over the last few weeks I've realised I've stopped seeing posts from so many of the people and pages I genuinely love following in the early years world.

Then I had the slightly worrying thought that maybe they've stopped seeing mine too.

I've even managed to miss comments and notifications, so if I've not replied to you or cheered on something you've shared, please know it definitely wasn't intentional.

So if you're seeing this, come and say hello

What have you been up to recently?
What are the children in your world interested in at the moment? What are you exploring, making, reading or wondering about?

I'd genuinely love to catch up on everything Facebook seems to have quietly hidden away

I've been thinking about how children don't just play with toys, they build worlds.A few blocks become a village.A small...
04/07/2026

I've been thinking about how children don't just play with toys, they build worlds.

A few blocks become a village.
A small figure suddenly has neighbours.
A bridge appears because someone imagined it should.

The toys are only part of the story. The real magic is in the world a child creates around them.

I'd love to learn from practitioners and parents.
What's the most imaginative world you've seen a child create from everyday objects?

I'm genuinely interested in the stories.

There's something really special about being part of a community that genuinely wants to lift each other up.I was so exc...
02/07/2026

There's something really special about being part of a community that genuinely wants to lift each other up.

I was so excited to receive the latest edition of Claire : Editor Not Just a Childminder Magazine ™ Magazine and to see both my article and a lovely review of Storytime Scarves featured inside.

Writing the article gave me the chance to share some of the thinking behind Storytime Scarves and why I believe play can be such a powerful way for children to explore stories, imagination and the world around them.

I'd genuinely love to hear what you think if you have a chance to read it. Your thoughts, questions and different perspectives are all part of helping me learn and grow.

A huge thank you to Mini Marvels - Tiney Home Mini Marvels - Tiney Homeiew. It means so much when fellow early years professionals take the time to use, reflect on and share their experiences. Your support really does make a difference.

And finally, thank you to Not Just a Childminder Magazine for creating such a beautiful publication that celebrates our profession and gives practitioners a space to share ideas, reflect and inspire one another.

Community really is at the heart of everything we do.

A few weeks ago I gifted one of my Storytime Scarves to a dear friend, who runs .I didn't tell her how to use it. I didn...
29/06/2026

A few weeks ago I gifted one of my Storytime Scarves to a dear friend, who runs .

I didn't tell her how to use it. I didn't send activity ideas or suggest what it should become. She simply laid it out, added a few open-ended resources, and stepped back.

What happened next is exactly why I started Storytime Scarves.

The children didn't see a scarf.

They saw possibility.

Over the next couple of hours, they built their own world. Wooden blocks became homes, translucent gems became rivers, animals found places to explore, and loose parts slowly transformed into stories I could never have planned.

These aren't styled photographs or a carefully curated photoshoot. They're real moments of children following their own ideas.

I've realised that's the difference I'm trying to create.

I'm not interested in designing resources that tell children what to think or how to play.

I'm interested in creating invitations.

Resources that leave enough space for children to bring their own imagination, experiences and stories.

Because the most important part of the play isn't what I design.

It's what children do with it.

I'd love to know... when you look at these photos, what do you see first?

Be More Bonnie. Since watching the new Toy Story 5 film with my own children, who are now 7 and 10, I've found myself s...
29/06/2026

Be More Bonnie.

Since watching the new Toy Story 5 film with my own children, who are now 7 and 10, I've found myself saying something I never expected: "Let's be more Bonnie."

Don't get me wrong, we loved the film. But I couldn't help noticing that this time it felt much more like the Buzz, Woody and Jessie show. What I found myself missing was Bonnie, the child whose imagination brought the toys to life in the first place.

There's nothing wrong with technology. My children enjoy it, just as most children do. But over the years I've noticed how easily screens can begin to replace the kind of play that asks children to create the story for themselves.

Bonnie reminds us that children don't need endless entertainment or the latest gadget to create something extraordinary. A cardboard box becomes a rocket. A blanket becomes a castle. A flowerpot becomes... well, whatever this little one imagined it to be.

As a childminder, I see that same spirit every day. A stick becomes a fishing rod. A handful of leaves becomes a magical potion. A scarf becomes a superhero cape, a river to cross or dragon's wings. Children don't need us to tell them what something should be. They simply need the time and space to imagine.

At a recent tiney inset, I heard Greg Bottrill Can I Go And Play Now..? speak about the idea that every adult still has an inner child. His words stayed with me. Perhaps "Be More Bonnie" is my own version of that reminder.

It's an invitation to stay curious. To notice more. To remember that imagination isn't something we leave behind when we grow up.

That's why, when I design Storytime Scarves, I never want to tell children what to imagine. I simply want to offer something that might spark a new story, one that belongs entirely to them.

So here's my gentle reminder, to myself as much as anyone else:

Let's leave a little more space for wonder.
Let's trust children's ideas a little more.
Let's all be a little more Bonnie.

I'd love to know...
what does "Be More Bonnie" mean to you?

Tomorrow's the day! I'm so excited that the latest issue of is landing, and I'm incredibly grateful to have an article ...
28/06/2026

Tomorrow's the day!

I'm so excited that the latest issue of is landing, and I'm incredibly grateful to have an article featured inside.

You'll also find a lovely review of Storytime Scarves, which means so much.

The article is all about making space for wonder and trusting children's curiosity, something that's become such an important part of my own childminding practice.

If you're reading the magazine tomorrow, I'd love to know what resonates with you. Keep an eye out, and if you spot my article, let me know what you think.

Over the last few days, the heat has changed the rhythm of our play.The children have still been exploring, chatting and...
24/06/2026

Over the last few days, the heat has changed the rhythm of our play.

The children have still been exploring, chatting and creating, but everything has felt a little slower. There has been less rushing from one thing to the next and more lingering. More sitting in the shade, watching. And simply being.

It's made me think about how often we, as adults, feel pressure to keep children busy.

We can find ourselves wondering whether we've planned enough, provided enough or done enough. Yet some of the richest moments I've observed this week haven't come from carefully prepared activities at all. They've come from children having the time and space to follow their own ideas.

One afternoon, a scarf became a cool den stretched between two chairs. Later, the same scarf became a picnic blanket for a gathering of small world animals. By the end of the day, it was wrapped around shoulders as children retold stories and invented new ones.

The scarf itself didn't change. What changed was the child, their needs and their imagination in that moment.

That's one of the reasons I love open-ended resources so much. They don't tell children what to think, what to create or how to play. They simply offer possibilities and become whatever children need them to be.

This week has been a gentle reminder that learning doesn't always have to look busy, and play doesn't always have to be energetic.

Sometimes children need us to do a little less, so they can do a little more.

Have you noticed children's play changing in the heat?

Not every child wants to sit still and listen to a story.Some want to build it. Explore it. Change the ending. Create a ...
20/06/2026

Not every child wants to sit still and listen to a story.
Some want to build it. Explore it. Change the ending. Create a world only they can see.

A simple piece of fabric becomes an ocean, a forest, a starry night sky, or something that exists only in their imagination.

Because when we give children invitations instead of instructions, they stop waiting to be told what to do.
They begin to tell their own stories.

✨ Explore the collection via link in bio.

One of the things children teach me every day is that belonging isn't about being the same. It's about knowing there is ...
14/06/2026

One of the things children teach me every day is that belonging isn't about being the same. It's about knowing there is space for you exactly as you are.

In early years, we often talk about helping children feel included, but belonging feels deeper than that.

Inclusion says, "You can join in."
Belonging says, "You matter here."

I see it in the child who takes a little longer to join a game. The child who wants to watch before taking part. The child who brings a completely different idea to what everyone else is doing.

Belonging isn't created by asking children to fit in. It grows when children feel safe enough to be themselves.

Perhaps that's why some of the most meaningful moments in early years don't come from what we've planned. They come from children realising they are accepted, listened to, and valued exactly as they are.

I'd love to know:

What helped you feel like you belonged when you were a child?

Not every child wants to sit still and listen to a story.Some children need to step inside it.To move through it.To buil...
04/06/2026

Not every child wants to sit still and listen to a story.

Some children need to step inside it.

To move through it.
To build it.
To question it.
To make it their own.

That's why Storytime Scarves were created.

They aren't just scarves.

They become play mats, small worlds, storytelling prompts, conversation starters and invitations to imagine.

One day they're a moonlit celebration.
The next they're an ocean adventure.
The next they're a place where children explore family, culture, belonging and the stories that matter to them.

Because play isn't separate from learning.

It's how children make sense of the world.

✨ Open-ended.
✨ Child-led.
✨ Designed to spark stories, curiosity & connection.

What story would your child create?

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