At Bright Little Stars, a group of nurseries based in London and Hertfordshire in London, technology is never just a shiny gadget in the corner. It is a purposeful, carefully chosen tool that enriches learning while keeping the child at the very centre of the experience. Our approach encourages curiosity, problem-solving, and hands-on discovery while maintaining healthy limits on screen time. Every activity is designed to spark wonder, promote active engagement, and build real-world skills that last well beyond the early years.
Listening to Our 800 Families: Shaping the New Curriculum
In preparation for our September 2025 relaunch, we consulted parents across all six nurseries through surveys and informal discussions. The message was clear: families wanted a curriculum that is modern, exciting and relevant to the world their children are growing up in, while keeping the warmth, care and hands-on learning that define Bright Little Stars. They asked for more real-world problem solving, safe and guided opportunities to explore technology, and a strong balance between academic readiness, creativity and well-being.
Our approach is also informed by national evidence. The UK House of Commons Education Committee has highlighted a sharp rise in young children’s screen exposure, linking more than two hours of daily recreational screen use to reduced attention, slower processing speed, language delays and disrupted sleep. Similarly, a 2025 survey of reception class teachers reported that many children now start school lacking some basic physical skills, such as climbing stairs, with excessive screen time and reduced active play among the contributing factors.
These findings strengthen our belief that innovation in early years education is not about adding more screens but about integrating technology meaningfully within our curriculum which also prioritises movement, outdoor exploration, hands on learning and social interaction. By combining purposeful technology with rich STEAM experiences, we hope to prepare children for a digital world while protecting the physical, social and emotional foundations they need for lifelong success.
Early Coding Without Screens
We see coding as the language of logic, sequencing and problem solving, skills that even our youngest learners can begin to develop. We introduce coding through unplugged, active learning and child-initiated methods that never require a mouse or monitor.
We chose programmable floor robots to allow children to design instructions, predict outcomes and watch their ideas come to life. They might press a button to set a sequence, forward, turn left, forward again, and then watch as the robot follows their plan. This trial-and-error process mirrors real coding, but in a tangible, age appropriate and playful way.
Alongside this, our Tinkering Tables and projects plan to invite children to build simple machines and investigate mechanisms that demand logic and problem solving. These open-ended engineering experiences encourage collaboration, creativity and perseverance.
Why We Code Early: Benefits for Life
Coding in the early years nurtures:
- Problem solving and critical thinking – breaking challenges into smaller steps and finding creative solutions
- Collaboration – many coding activities are group based, encouraging communication and teamwork
- Resilience – trial and error teaches children that mistakes are part of learning
- Creativity and storytelling – using coding to animate stories or move robots through mazes
- Cognitive development – supporting memory, sequencing and attention skills that prepare children for school
STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths in Action
Technology embeds into our new broader STEAM framework; where science and engineering meet art and maths in playful, immersive ways. For example, in our Lighting and Colour Exploration Project:
- Science: learning about light and shadow
- Technology: using multi sensory rooms including interactive projectors
- Engineering: designing and building light displays
- Art: exploring colour mixing and stained-glass effects
- Maths: studying symmetry, patterns and spatial reasoning
STEAM at Bright Little Stars also includes projects such as designing weather stations in the garden and exploring magnetism through hands on experiments.
Everyday Learning in Continuous Provision
We recognise that STEAM is not confined to special projects; it is woven into everyday experiences:
- Water Play – capacity, flow, buoyancy and problem solving
- Mud Kitchens – imaginative role play plus science of materials and measurement
- Gardening and Allotments – predicting growth, testing conditions and comparing results
- Cooking and Baking – weighing, sequencing and observing changes in state
- Loose Parts Play – construction, design and problem solving
Imagination and Creativity: Artist Projects and Beyond
Our “Imagination and Creativity” strand includes specialist-led projects that give children immersive artistic experiences. For example, children work with real materials such as clay, textiles and paint, learning both techniques and creative thinking. Music, dance and drama specialists bring rhythm, movement and performance to life, enabling children to explore self-expression and storytelling in new ways.
These experiences will be complemented by our Artist of the Month focus, where children study a famous artist’s style and then create their own interpretations, from Van Gogh-inspired sunflowers to Yayoi Kusama dot art installations.
Storytelling Through Simple Animation and Phonics Integration
One of our most popular technology experiences is story animation. Using simple, child friendly tools, children create short, animated stories, selecting characters, building settings and sequencing events. In doing so, they can be creative, develop narrative skills, sequencing and early digital literacy.
Introducing AI the Playful Way
Artificial Intelligence might sound advanced for early years, but in our nurseries, it will be slowly introduced in playful, age-appropriate ways. During a space exploration week, for example, children might ask a voice assistant a fun fact about Mars, then weave it into their role play. In our nature project, they might use AI-powered image recognition to identify a leaf or flower they have found in the garden. These activities encourage curiosity, questioning and cause-and-effect thinking, while showing that technology can be a helpful resource.
The Third Teacher: Our Learning Environment
We embrace the concept of the environment as the third teacher. Our learning spaces are designed to inspire:
- Corners for experimentation
- Tinkering Tables stocked with real tools
- Outdoor classrooms for Forest School, gardening and loose parts
- Animal encounters to promote curiosity about nature
- Sports sessions to develop coordination, balance and confidence
- Open-ended resources that encourage design, testing and modification
By seeing the potential in every resource, we help children find the science, technology, engineering and maths in their everyday world.
Balancing Innovation with Well-Being
All technology use is anchored in emotional health, self-regulation and resilience. This means:
- Activities that encourage movement, creativity and face-to-face interaction
- Technology as a tool, never a distraction
- Opportunities for children to reflect on their learning and feelings
- Adults modelling purposeful technology use
We also ensure plenty of time for unstructured play, outdoor learning and social interaction, protecting children from the negative effects of excessive screen exposure.
Why This Matters
In a world where digital media is everywhere, our role is to help children become curious, confident and capable users of technology while protecting the magic of early childhood. UK research reminds us that screen exposure in early years has real developmental implications, but also that technology, when used well, can enhance learning.
By keeping screen use purposeful and balanced, embedding it in rich STEAM experiences, and offering specialist-led creative projects, we prepare children not just for school but for life. Our September 2025 curriculum relaunch will bring this vision to life, blending the best of modern technology with the timeless value of play, curiosity and human connection.
Author: Mandy Guttadauro, Operations Director at Bright Little Stars Nursery.
Also published in the Early Years Educator (EYE) September/October Edition.
