Observations Without the Paperwork
Every early years practitioner knows the tension: you want to capture children's learning moments, but lengthy observations mean less time actually engaging with children.
The observation dilemma
Traditional observation recording is time-consuming:
- Notice something worth recording
- Make a mental note (or a sticky note)
- Later, find time to sit at a computer
- Log in, navigate to the right child, create an observation
- Try to remember exactly what happened
- Link to learning areas, add next steps, format properly
- Hope you haven't forgotten anything
By the time you've finished, the moment has lost its freshness. And how many observations never get recorded because the process is just too much?
Capture now, complete later
Early Tree observations work differently:
In the moment: Snap a photo or jot a quick note on your phone or tablet. That's it. You've captured the essence.
When you have time: Review your captures and add context. Link to EYFS areas with suggested prompts. Add next steps if appropriate.
No pressure: An observation can be a single photo with a sentence. Or a detailed narrative with multiple images. Both are valuable.
Smart linking to EYFS
When you're ready to link observations to learning areas, we help:
- Suggested areas based on keywords in your notes
- Recent patterns showing areas you've been focusing on
- Quick picks for commonly linked areas per child
You're always in control, but the system does the heavy lifting.
Share with parents naturally
Parents love seeing what their children are learning. With Early Tree, sharing is built in:
- Choose which observations to share with parents
- They appear in the parent portal, beautifully presented
- Parents can react and comment, creating genuine dialogue
No need to export, format, or send separate updates. It just flows.
Focus on the children
The best observation tool is one you forget you're using. Early Tree gets out of the way so you can be present with children—then helps you capture and share those moments without drowning in admin.
Join our beta and see how observations can feel effortless.