Little Acorns Nursery blog: news articles, information & updates for parents

Babies, Baby Facts, Learning & Development

15 Fascinating Facts About Babies

Human babies are incredible. Indeed, the more we learn about them, the more we realise just how incredible they are! Not only are they little bundles of joy that have evolved in less than a year, but they also conceal some amazing secrets. Did you know, for example, that babies have gills (kind of), fur and a tail during their development in the womb — and that they have three times more taste buds than adults when they’re first born? In today’s article, we explore some fascinating baby facts that surprised us — and may surprise you! Take a look.

16th December 2025/by Mark

Babies, Childcare, Children, Chorley, Chorley Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Early Years Education, Lancashire, Nurseries, Nursery, Nursery News, Ofsted Report, Preschool, Preschoolers, Toddlers, Under-5s

Fabulous New Ofsted Report for Little Acorns Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

A fabulous new Ofsted report is out for Little Acorns Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley. Published on 30 September 2025, it follows an inspection earlier that month. Parents and local families will be delighted to learn that, once again, Little Acorns Nursery was rated as ‘Good’ across all categories. That’s a high rating for overall effectiveness, the quality of education, the behaviour and attitudes of those attending, the personal development of staff, and the quality of leadership and management at the setting. A clean sweep! It’s news that will instil confidence in families that are considering enrolling a child at the nursery, and a clear demonstration that little ones who attend will benefit enormously — and be kept safe.

Let’s take a look at some of the positive findings and encouraging comments from the Ofsted Inspector who prepared this latest report.

26th November 2025/by Mark

Childcare, Chorley, Chorley Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Lancashire, Nurseries, Nursery, Nursery News, Preschool, Under-5s

Little Acorns Nursery Open Day: Saturday 1st November 2025

Little Acorns Nursery is holding an Open Day on Saturday, 1 November 2025. We’ll be opening our doors to Lancashire families, so they can see this wonderful childcare setting in person. There’s no need to book — you are welcome to come along at any time between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. What’s more, being on a Saturday, it should prove more convenient for working families. On the day, our team will be available for guided tours. We can show families the rooms, excellent facilities, and well-equipped outdoor areas, and answer any questions that you might have. Saturday is a non-working day at the nursery, so you’ll have our undivided attention. Why not bring your own child with you, so they can see the setting too — and get a feel for how well they would fit in? Come along — we’d love to meet you!

15th October 2025/by Mark

Activities for Children, Autumn, Gardening Activities for Children, Nature Activities for Kids, Under-5s

Composting for Kids — Educational Fun That’s Perfect for Autumn

As the bright days of summer give way to crisp autumn air, parks, gardens, and pavements begin to fill with a carpet of crunchy leaves. For children and under-fives, autumn is one of the most exciting times of the year. With the landscape so full of textures, sounds, and colours, it’s the perfect time to get outdoors, explore, and learn about the natural world. It’s also the ideal time for them to begin a simple but deeply rewarding project: composting. In today’s post, we outline how children can approach this wonderful activity and explain its significant benefits.

16th September 2025/by Mark

Child Behaviour, Learning & Development, Parenting, Tantrums, Toddlers, Under-5s

Tips for Tackling Toddler Tantrums

Gentle Ways to Handle a Toddler Meltdown

We’ve all witnessed a toddler tantrum and, sadly, they’re not pretty. Perhaps you’ve carefully prepared your child’s favourite lunch and set their plate in front of them. They take one look, fling the food away from them, and collapse with a wail that could rival a tone-deaf opera singer. Welcome to toddlerhood! It’s a time of wonder, growth … and occasional emotional meltdowns!

The good news? Tantrums are perfectly normal. The bad news? They can happen anywhere — at home, in the supermarket, on the bus, or in that quiet café you thought was your “safe place”. However, understanding why tantrums happen, and having a few tried-and-tested strategies to hand, can make all the difference. Let’s take a look.

15th August 2025/by Mark

Summer Nature Hunt — a Fun & Educational Activity for Children (Free Reference Poster!)

Activities for Children, Learning & Development, Nature, Nature Activities for Kids, Under-5s

Summer Nature Hunt — a Fun & Educational Activity for Children (with Free Reference Poster!)

Summer is a wonderful time for children to get outdoors. There, they can breathe the fresh air, benefit from being closer to the natural world, and escape from electronic screens. Nature is incredibly good for children as well as adults (more about that later). A simple way to encourage little ones outdoors is to take them on an exciting and educational nature hunt! There are many fascinating things to look out for during the summer months including butterflies, caterpillars, bees, beautiful wildflowers and much more. A summer nature hunt will open their eyes and minds to the wonders of nature’s flora and fauna, lead to educational conversations with accompanying adults, and be an enjoyable and educational activity. Within all that in mind, we’ve put together a free Summer Nature Hunt poster that will give children and families an idea of what to look out for during the warmer months of summer — and serve as useful visual reference. The poster is free to download right here in this blog post (see below). Once printed out, it can be displayed large on children’s bedroom walls or taken along during the activity — perhaps reduced to a convenient size like A5. Children can use the little tick boxes to tick off each item that’s been spotted. So, venture out little ones — see how many wonderful things you can spot in the natural world this summer!

15th July 2025/by Mark

Childcare, Childcare Funding, Chorley, Chorley Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Lancashire, Nurseries, Nursery, Preschool, Under-5s

Don’t Miss Out on Free Childcare This September – Apply NOW!

(Free ‘30 Hours’ Childcare Scheme for Eligible Working Families)

In September this year (2025), free childcare for eligible working families expands to 30 hours per week for children as young as just 9 months. Little Acorns Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods is supporting the funding scheme too. Taken usually over 38 weeks* of the year, it means a generous 1140 hours of funded childcare will be available to eligible children in Central Lancashire over the course of a year. For the first time, the funding will cover eligible babies aged from only 9 months and children up to 2, the scheme having previously rolled out to eligible 3-and-4-year-olds last year. An urgent factor to be aware of, however, is that the funding application deadline is only weeks away for those wanting to start in the September 2025 term. So, whether you’re thinking of applying at Little Acorns Nursery or elsewhere, don’t delay your application any longer if you want to access the free funding from September. If your child is eligible and you do not apply by the deadline, your child will not be able to access the free funding for the entire September term. Read on to learn more about the new funding for eligible working families, the deadlines for applications, and the rules that apply.

28th June 2025/by Mark

Activities for Children, Children, Forest School, Gardening Activities for Children, Learning & Development, Nature, Nature Activities for Kids, Preschoolers, Under-5s

How to Create a Fairy Garden for National Children’s Gardening Week

National Children’s Gardening Week arrives in late May and is the perfect time for young children to get involved in gardening activities. In celebration of the event, we describe a wonderful gardening-related activity that’s small-scale, easy, fun, and educational — perfect for little ones! The finished result is also rather magical and, once complete, lends itself to imaginative play. Today, we outline how children can make their own miniature fairy gardens. These are a great way to introduce little ones to creative gardening at a child-friendly scale. Under parent supervision* and largely using scavenged materials from outdoors, under-fives can let their imaginations run free and get creative! What’s more, the results are simply enchanting and will bring magic and a whole lot of delight to young children!

12th May 2025/by Mark

Activities for Children, Bees, Nature, Nature Activities for Kids, Parenting, Under-5s

Little Learners: Get Ready for World Bee Day!

Little learners, get ready – it’s almost time to buzz into action for World Bee Day! The annual event arrives in May and it’s a brilliant opportunity for children and families to get involved in something meaningful, fun, and full of learning opportunities.

Bees are amazing little helpers, whether in gardens, parks or the countryside — but they need our help too! World Bee Day is a chance for children to discover the magic of these fascinating creatures, learn more about the natural world, and start to build early environmental awareness. They can get proactive too. Whether by planting wildflowers, spotting bees in the garden, or creating bee-inspired arts and crafts, even our tiniest learners can join in the buzz. Read on to learn more about this fun, educational, and hugely worthwhile event, which takes place each May.

16th April 2025/by Mark

Primary School Offers Day – a Guide & Options for Parents

Education, Parenting, Preschoolers, Primary School, School

Primary School Offers Day – a Guide for Parents

When April is on the horizon, there is a buzz amongst parents whose children will receive school offers that month. It’s quite a milestone in the lives of families as it’s the time they’ll find out if their children have received an offer for their top school choice. If not, will they be offered another “preferred” school listed lower on their application? It will often have felt like a long wait to find out the results, too, with families having applied in mid-January or potentially months earlier. Because we are an early years nursery, today’s guide focuses on primary school offers. We’ll explain in detail when to expect your child’s primary school offer, criteria that may have affected it, and your options if you’re not happy with the school place offered. To keep things as simple as possible, we’ll concentrate on applications for a standard school start date in the September term (rules and dates for ‘in-year’ applications are slightly different). If your child is due to start primary school this year, take a look.

16th March 2025/by Mark

Nursery news and interesting information

Nursery news and interesting information

Our Little Acorns Nursery Blog

Our Little Acorns Nursery Blog

15 Fascinating Facts About Babies

Fabulous New Ofsted Report for Little Acorns Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

Little Acorns Nursery Open Day: Saturday 1st November 2025

Composting for Kids — Educational Fun That’s Perfect for Autumn

Tips for Tackling Toddler Tantrums

Gentle Ways to Handle a Toddler Meltdown

Summer Nature Hunt — a Fun & Educational Activity for Children (with Free Reference Poster!)

Don’t Miss Out on Free Childcare This September – Apply NOW!

(Free ‘30 Hours’ Childcare Scheme for Eligible Working Families)

How to Create a Fairy Garden for National Children’s Gardening Week

Little Learners: Get Ready for World Bee Day!

Primary School Offers Day – a Guide for Parents

Latest News

Little Acorns Nursery

Contact Us

Search this site

Share this