Every year the Nursery World Show in London delivers a great opportunity to check out the latest resources and services, and enjoy the buzz that comes from getting everyone together under one roof.
In addition to this year's expanded seminar programme, the exhibition floor will feature the Playzone, where companies including Shanticot, Organic Child, Fawns, Timotay, Nexus and Red Monkey Play will display their best-selling ranges and give visitors the opportunity to browse at their leisure.
The live stage is very much a focal point of the hall, with free presentations running throughout both days. Asquith Day Nurseries' CV Workshop kicks off the proceedings, followed by appearances from LEYF, Community Playthings, training company Play to Z, Bushboard Washrooms and resource supplier TTS (full details at http://www.nurseryworldshow.com/live-theatre-1).
There is also the opportunity to meet with exhibiting nursery chains such as Bright Horizons and Asquith, who will be explaining their values and ethos with a view to meeting potential employees. It is a chance to find out how these leading childcare providers support practitioners in developing their careers.
Health and hygiene
At the show, any nurseries wishing to give their washrooms and toilet cubicles a makeover will be able to consult experts from Bushboard Washrooms.
The company has added a number of redesigned digital prints to its nursery range. Combined with options such as reduced height doors and vanity units, anti-finger trap hinges and magnetic door catches, Bushboard's nursery range is bright, safe and fun.
Being at nursery is an ideal opportunity for children to learn good hygiene habits, and Teal makes the most of this by showcasing its Kiddiwash range of warm water hand wash units that are designed for young children and are also portable.
Also on the health front, Pharmaceutical manufacturer Thornton and Ross will be promoting Care ViraSoothe Chickenpox Relief Cooling Gel, to help ease chickenpox itching and its Metanium Everyday Barrier Ointment for daily application to help prevent nappy rash.
Educational resources
Check out the Earlyarts stand for its wide range of resources to help practitioners prepare for delivering the revised EYFS. You can sign up to its bronze, silver or gold membership and receive a free creative resource.
Practitioners looking for new ideas to promote knowledge and understanding of the world will be captivated by publisher A & C Black's range of colourful children's books. There are books on garden birds, garden bugs and nature guides, as well as the excellent Hippo in the House, giving an introduction to exotic animals and where and how they live and how they need to go back to where they belong. For adventure, there are books on pirates and treasure hunts.
There are many advantages to children learning a second language early in life. Little Linguist, a leading specialist retailer of children's foreign language resources, will be at the show with advice on its range of foreign language and multicultural resources.
Educational toys and equipment supplier Wesco will be exhibiting its new Dress Me Doll range to introduce young children to different styles of clothing. Each doll has its own unique aspects to show children how to dress themselves. These include zip-up trousers, laces, buttons, Velcro, buckles, scarves and belts.
It will also be a chance to see Wesco's balance bike, great for teaching children the sort of co-ordination necessary to ride a bicycle. Riders propel themselves with their feet on the floor, sitting on a bike saddle and steering with the handle bars.
Wesco will be debuting its Soft Foods range, introducing children to various food groups. The Early Fruit & Vegetable kit contains tasty treats including aubergines and strawberries.
TTS, supplier of educational resources, will be showcasing a range of new products and this is your chance to get a sneak preview. These include Mirror Pebbles, which can be used as a 
treasure or sensory play collection, and Easi Cars, a set of four rainbow remote control cars. These cars are ideal for developing early stages of control and encouraging the use of directional language.
You will also be able to see TTS rechargeable metal detectors, known as Easi-Detectors, where children can become pirates for the day and go in search of buried treasure, and Easi-Phones, a set of six realistic mobile phones, ideal for role play.
For settings with babies, TTS has the Baby Pod with
tactile surfaces and areas that crackle, crinkle and react to being squeezed.
Other products on display will be its Time to Talk Baskets, its Picnic Basket for children's pretend tea parties, and Wooden Treasure Cylinders, designed for sensory and exploration activities.
ICT and electronic resources
Medilert, an online service for managing prescription medicines in nurseries and schools, launched in June last year and this is its first appearance at the Nursery World Show.
Medilert enables nurseries to manage medicines safely and securely on the web through a monthly subscription, and this is your opportunity to talk to representatives from Medilert and find out exactly how it works.
If you are looking for attractive and fun resources, Prim-Ed Publishing will be showcasing its digital resource library. These resources include Essential Phonics - Initial Sounds, and Essential Phonics 2, which introduces, in context, single final sounds, double letters and two-letter blends, among other phonetics. The digital and interactive resources can be used on Macs, PCs and/or interactive whiteboards.
Easy Solution 4 Nursery Education will be exhibiting its computer software package, a business tool for nurseries that can help improve their provision. Designed by Catherine Lyon, who runs three busy nurseries, the tool saves practitioners time, aims to ensure every child's individual needs are met and supports assessment and planning.
Nursery furniture
Educational furniture specialist Morleys will be launching its new early years catalogues at the show. Products on display will be its durable Bergen chairs and tables, traditional Aviemore chairs, benches and tables and colourful Harmony chairs.
There will also be an opportunity to see Morley's set of three Touch 'n' Feel Puzzles w'hich encourage shape sorting and matching.
Settings on the hunt for good storage solutions can take a look at Morley's units which can suit any colour scheme, and are mobile or static, with or without doors.
Morleys also has a colourful collection of beanbags and cushions made from semi-water resistant fabric, which can be used outside. Those looking for more information on Morleys can visit its social media pages at https://twitter.com/Morleys1929 and http://www.facebook.com/Morleys1.
Every early years setting is keen to save on space and for those with babies and toddlers, there is no better way to do this than with Shanticot's bunk cots, suitable for children up to three years old. This is an ideal opportunity to see the Shanticot range made from solid wood from sustainable forests.
Community Playthings, well known for its high quality pre-school furniture, will be at the show launching a new line of units for displaying children's learning journeys. These feature a moveable tray on the top of units which come in two shelf configurations. You can exhibit artefacts and models or display children's learning on the tray unit. You can put up posters on the magnetic back panel, and move the unit around or make it immobile. The units enable children's work to be shown in a way accessible to children, parents and staff at all times.
In the Enabling Environments area this year, Community Playthings is giving practitioners the opportunity to build their own Cosy Space (above) and then take away a photograph of themselves with their creation. The Cosy Spaces furniture is made from bamboo, giving young children a small intimate space where they can chat and play with their friends.
