Caroline's Childminding

Nice visit to Vale Park on a fairy hunt today. We found lots!!! We read a story about a fairy and then once home, made our own fairy flower head garlands 🌸🪷🏵🧚‍♀️🧚
What a magical day ✨️

Lovely morning at the beach and boating lake in Hoylake

Nice little morning at the zoo before the rain set in

Fun exploring a different way to paint today.

Squeezing their own bottles of paint helps strengthen little fingers and hand muscles. This is early preparation for writing later on in life. Large scale painting and painting at different angles also supports this.

And what fun it is learning and having their experiences 🌟

Lovely morning back at pop cats yesterday - we haven't been for a while but the children all enjoyed dancing and singing with Jemma 💕

What a lovely day we've had! I took my littlies to Great Meols Sports Day. They had a lovely time, taking part in their own activites and races at the side.
We tried...
The egg and spoon race
Balancing bean bags
Jumping races
Throwing races

And had a picnic snack. What an experience for little ones 🌟

Royden Park on the hunt for bluebells. Not much luck but we decided to paint some other flowers we saw on our travels instead. It's so nice to paint outdoors and use nature as our focus. We even found some twigs that we used for brushes! 🍃🌺🌸🌳

Fun at Tam O'Shanter farm this morning. There was do much to do - we walked around looking at the animals, whilst jumping in muddy puddles on the way. We then spent lots of time in the new play area with mud kitchen and ride on tractor. We found a dry spot to have our snack before looking for bugs 🐛

Some of my Easter activities and crafts from the past few weeks. Lots of imagination used and creativity.

Can't believe it's the last day of term tomorrow.

I will be Closed for 2 weeks and reopen on Monday 15th April 🐣

Happy Easter everyone!

Happy Mothers Day to all! Enjoy your special day with your little ones 💕

World Book Day 2024

Lovely morning over in Liverpool, visiting China Town with our friends from Carrie's Tiney Home Nursery.
Once back home, we watched and copied some lion dancing and then tried to move like the animals in the zodiac 🐯🐷🐴🐇🐓🐲🐐

Successful, yet simple, invitation to play set up this morning for my littlies. They spent ages mixing the colours, pouring and scooping, making bubbles. We added ice cubes to see what happened then some cornflour
❤️🩷🧡💛💚💙🩵💜

We've been learning about Chinese New Year this. Here are a few sample images of the kind of things we've been doing.

We'll be making a trip over to China Town next week and trying some traditional Chinese foods too!

Lovely morning at the Sensory Room in Hoylake today

Happy new year to all! I look forward to welcoming my families back in 2024 and meeting some new little ones 🎉🎊🥳

That's me done until next year!

Thanks to all of my families for their support, again, and I look forward to more adventures with your little ones in 2024 🌲🎅

Some Christmas crafts from this week.
Lots of loose parts used and independence as the children created gingerbread men, candy canes and lots more 🌲🎅

🚫❌️ Anti Bullying Week ❌️🚫

This week we are trying to build awareness around bullying.

What is bullying?
A bullying is someone who behaved in a way that is meant to upset, hurt or frighten someone else. It is bullying when it happens more than once.

Bullying can be....
*emotional
*verbal
*physical
*cyber
*through a third person

What should you do if you see being bullying?
You should tell a grown up, whether a teacher in school or parents. You could also tell your friends or anyone that you trust. Don't keep it to yourself or think that it is your fault.

If you would like to wear odd socks this week to show that it is ok to be unique/different 🧦

Remember, clocks go back this Saturday. For some of you, this may mean an extra hour in bed. For most, it means nothing

Happy half term everyone! Next week is half term so I am spending g some much needed time with my family and friends.
I will be back on Monday 30th October 🍁🍂🍊

Lots of invitations to play involving pumpkins this week so far. We've been decorating them and exploring what they are like inside. We took some out on one of our walks and rolled them down a hill we found and later re-enacted it at home with some guttering 🎃

💛 World Mental Health Day 💛

Being a parent can feel overwhelming, exhausting, emotionally draining, and so much more. We love our little ones with all our hearts and we’re constantly trying to do our best for them and often for everyone else in our lives too!
Remember, to make time for yourself, do something you enjoy that's just for you.

You’re all doing a wonderful job (even if you don’t feel like it) 😍

Sending all the love and prayers to the families, students and teachers of Calday and West Kirby Grammar today 💔
I'll be hugging my children a little tighter tonight 😘

🍁🍂 A couple of my Autumnal invitations of play from this week 🍂🍁

The children have collected lots of objects and treasures over the weekend in bags that I provided last week. We have been using them in our treasure baskets and sensory bottles, as well as using our imaginations to create marks and make delicious soups

I strongly believe good relationships with my families is really important. Important for the child and parents so I try my hardest to build on these.

Lovely first day back, its like they've never been away!! So nice to see them all come in so confidently and happy 😊
Looking forward to this term - its my favourite term as so many options and invitations to create

Good luck everyone who this applies to 🤞

My own is off to secondary school this week so I can definitely relate, whilst my youngest is starting reception full time.

🌱This week is the week of new beginning for quite a few of you as your little ones embark into nursery, preschool, reception or older ones secondary school. Be kind to yourself as these are big changes not just for them but for you. That’s the pain of parenthood, watching them become independent but it’s also absolutely brilliant!

Top tips

🌈 Keep busy whilst they are in school.
🌈 ALWAYS have a snack at pick up time (tantrums came when Freya was hungry or tired)
🌈 Remember to engaged in as little or as much ‘what’s app’ class chat as you would like. I’m lucky and mine is quiet but I know others mute it for their own sanity.
🌈 School is a chance for new friendships to develop not only for your child but for you. It’s sort of the next phases of friends who come into your life.
🌈 The teachers/assistants/lunch assistants are all like 2nd/3rd/4th parents - they will look after your little one and do it with kindness and love.
🌈 Use the time (if you have any time off) to do something for you. Find yourself again!

❤️ Sending lots of love to all my Story Explorers family who are off on this new adventure. ❤️