Nursery news and interesting information
At Little Acorns nursery we want all families to be informed as much as possible…
Nursery news and interesting information
At Little Acorns nursery we want all families to be informed as much as possible…
Our Little Acorns Nursery Blog
Latest News
- Children Get Ready for National Storytelling Week!17th January 2025 - 2:08 pm
- Winter Nature Hunt — a Fun, Educational Activity for Children (Free Reference Sheet!)15th December 2024 - 8:15 am
- Glowing Ofsted Feedback for Little Acorns Nursery15th November 2024 - 2:28 pm
Little Acorns Nursery
Little Acorns is an excellent nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, Lancashire (PR6), near Clayton Green & Clayton Brook. It provides high quality childcare for babies (3 months +) & children of pre-school age.
Contact Us
34 Sheep Hill Lane,
Clayton-le-Woods,
Chorley,
Lancashire
PR6 7JH
Bird Spotting Activity for Kids – with Free Poster
To help you get started, we’ve created a free PDF poster featuring 40 British birds that children can try to spot and identify. Whether little ones are in the garden, park, or countryside, there are plenty of opportunities to see these beautiful birds in their natural habitat. Children can even try to spot birds when they’re simply looking out the window — this is quite an accessible activity.
So why not download the poster, print it out, and head outside with your children? Instructions are given underneath the preview image available in the full post below. Who knows, your little one(s) might just discover a new passion for birdwatching and nature!
Significant Childcare Funding Announced for Families
A Guide to the Game-Changing Childcare Funding Initiatives Announced in the Chancellor’s Spring Budget 2023
Generous and far-reaching childcare funding reforms were announced in the Spring Budget 2023 last month. The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s new funding plans should give more parents, including those of even younger children, access to significant help with childcare costs going forwards. The new initiatives will:
So, the new childcare funding should make a huge difference for those families that are eligible. Let’s take a look at the 3 key childcare funding initiatives announced…
News Round-Up for Little Acorns Nursery
Follow for Nursery News, Insights & Early Years Information
Following is an overview of where you can find — and follow — Little Acorns Nursery and what you can expect to see if you do …
Help for Children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND)
Childcare Help for Children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities
Early years and childcare providers can support children under five in a variety of ways if they have special educational or developmental needs, and/or a disability. Indeed, helping affected children as early as possible in their lives is of paramount importance…
Childcare Funding Options (a Quick Guide)
Microgreens: A Fun Food Growing Activity for Under-Fives
First: What Are Microgreens?
Microgreens, also known as micro leaves, are …
Halloween for Under-5s
Halloween Activities for Children
Today, in the modern day, there are many non-religious Halloween activities that children can enjoy in late October and they can be enormous fun and a time of great excitement for children. For really little ones, however, a balance will need to be struck so that things are entertainingly ‘scary’, but only in a fun way. We do not want to give them nightmares and therefore care will be needed to get the balance just right. Getting them involved in preparing the activities will help.
Children, adults and even pets can dress up in spooky outfits to look like witches, ghosts, ghouls, skeletons or any one of the many horror figures they’re familiar with from films. Children will absolutely love getting involved in this activity, particularly when they get together with friends. Dressing up is a fantastic activity for all age groups. Shop-bought costumes are easily available but it doesn’t have to be an expensive activity. Home-made costumes are also completely viable, for example …
The ‘Progress Check at Two’ – Rough Guide
What Exactly is the Progress Check at 2?
The ‘Progress Check at 2’ is, as the name suggests, a complete progress check for children who have reached the age of two. It should be completed before their 3rd birthday and appraises their progress in all the key areas of their learning and development. It’s actually a part of the continuous assessment that goes hand-in-hand with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Amongst other things, the EYFS governs the learning and development curriculum that’s in place for children attending officially-registered childcare/early years education settings in England. It is appropriate to check that all is well in such areas, particularly at this critical age, and we’ll explain why later in this guide.
The ‘Progress Check at 2’ is Not the Same as the ‘2-Year Review’ — But They’re Linked
Although the two reviews are different, there are definite areas of cross-over, so it makes sense for both reviews to align and feed into each other. It’s therefore useful for them both to be undertaken at a similar time, in tandem if possible. In this way, a 360 degree picture can be put together to give a complete, all-round, holistic view of the child at this milestone age. In so doing, any issues can be picked up early, so that suitable measures or interventions can be put in place to improve things for the particular child under review. For this reason, parents, guardians or carers of 2-year-olds are encouraged to allow the sharing of information*, pertaining to their child, between the various professionals involved in each of the two reviews.
Ofsted inspections will also check to ensure that Progress Checks at 2 are undertaken in an appropriate way at childcare settings. They also recognise the benefits of these progress checks aligning with the separate, more health-based, 2-Year Reviews.
The Significance of Age 2
The age of two is a significant one, hence both reviews taking place at this age. It’s a key age where …
Educational Food Growing Activities for Kids
Nature is incredibly important for children
and that’s just one of many reasons why little ones should be encouraged to learn about sowing seeds and growing their own plants. Today, we’re taking that a step further by explaining how children can grow plants that will give them real, edible food! With a little planning, care and effort, children can grow herbs, vegetables and even fruit if they put their minds to it. What’s more, it’s possible without a garden and needn’t cost a penny!
The Benefits of Children Growing Their Own Food
If they successfully grow herbs, vegetables or fruit that the family can actually eat, little ones will have an immense sense of achievement — and justifiably so. They will have learnt so much during the process too, including where plants, flowers and foodstuffs come from, how seeds germinate into plants, the relationship between flowers, pollination, seeds and fruit, caring for living things — and the circle of life itself.
That will never be more evident than when a seed has grown into a plant that bears fruit, which contains more seeds, through which the whole process can start again.
Children will also love growing plants as an activity. They’ll learn from the responsibility of tending to living plants and seeing the progress that seedlings make when they have cared for them. It’ll be a real milestone, too, when their plants start bearing fruit (… or veg!). And — who knows — harvesting fruit, herbs and vegetables that they can eat may even get them interested in cookery and trying out more foods. All in all, growing food is a brilliant and highly educational activity for little ones.
Take a look below for a few easy and inexpensive ways under-five children can get started.
Shop-Bought Seeds Are a Start But Free Seeds Are Even Better!
Grow Free Pepper & Tomato Plants!
If you have a large enough space in a garden, your child can do a similar activity using the seeds from squashes, pumpkins, marrows, courgettes and suchlike. However, those do take up quite a bit of room.
Grow Free Herbs!
Does your little one know that he/she can grow new herb plants totally free of charge? This is done simply by …