https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/tag/early-years-education/ Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:25:10 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/leaf-hunt-activity-for-kids/ Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:25:10 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=8083 A Simple, Nature-Based Activity for Kids — with a Free Poster! Summer and autumn are particularly good seasons for children to get outdoors, breathe in fresh air, and enjoy all the benefits of the natural world. Nature is incredibly important to children, and it's one reason why Little Acorns Nursery runs Forest School sessions as part of its childcare provision. With all that in mind, today's suggested activity is a leaf scavenger hunt for little ones — and it comes with a free ‘leaves’ poster for families to download. Featuring 16 different types of tree leaves commonly found in England, the poster will serve as an excellent visual reference to inspire children in their search. It also presents children and families with a challenge — how many can they find and identify? Such an activity will encourage children to get outside, closer to nature, and learn about Britain's trees as they go. Take a look and grab your free poster ...]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/sensory-room-clayton-le-woods/ Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:41:03 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=7850 Little Acorns was delighted recently to unveil our new Sensory Room at our Clayton-le-Woods nursery near Chorley. The space offers a holistic experience tailored to each child's individual needs and features calming lights, soft play equipment, a variety of textures, and a sensory den. Designed to enhance engagement and enjoyment, the new sensory equipment, accessories, and resources facilitate a wide range of sensory experiences that support therapeutic, educational, and recreational goals for every child. Indeed, the new room has been a huge hit with the children who love to go there to relax, explore, learn, and engage with the wide range of stimulating activities. The new Sensory Room is accessible throughout the day under the watchful eye of our dedicated early years professionals. It's an inclusive environment that not only provides diverse sensory opportunities for all children but also offers a safe and calming space to help regulate and reduce instances of sensory overload. Watch our video and view the image gallery to get a flavour of what's on offer in the new sensory space.]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/spring-nature-hunt-activity-for-kids/ Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:26:46 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=7679 — A Fun & Educational Activity for Children (with Free Reference Poster!) It's wonderful for families when spring arrives: the coldest weather is behind us, the sun is out more often, and there is so much beauty to see outdoors. As spring progresses, more and more flowers appear, providing colourful displays, and all kinds of plants and leaves are sprouting forth. Following spring's arrival, we'll see more animals, birds and insects too. They're likely to include delightful bumblebees attracted by newly-blossoming flowers, adorable snails and minibeasts on the look-out for food, and swifts flying acrobatically through the air, having returned to the UK after wintering overseas. Everywhere we look, nature is teaming with life once again. With this in mind, it's a wonderful opportunity to encourage children to get outside once more, enjoy nature and the fresh air, and embark on a Spring Nature Hunt. The activity is both fun and educational for little ones. Spending time in nature is also very good for children's health and well-being. And the icing on the cake? Today's activity comes with an attractive reference poster depicting 25 natural things for children to look out for — and it's free for families to download.]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/whats-your-parenting-style-why-it-matters/ Wed, 18 Mar 2026 11:45:47 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=7616 We each come to parenting from different circumstances, with experiences, personalities, beliefs, and traits that are unique to us. It's no surprise, therefore, that the way we bring up our own children can be very different to those of other parents. Indeed, our own idiosyncratic upbringings may influence what we believe to be a good approach to parenting — or a bad one. Some parents, for example, may mimic how their own parents brought them up. Others may head in the opposite direction for one reason or another. Now they have become a parent too, should they be permissive, gentle, strict, or even authoritarian in their own parenting style? Is somewhere in the middle a good balance? What's best for children generally, and their child specifically? There are so many questions to ask oneself as a new parent — it's quite a minefield! With all that in mind, we explore some of the most important parenting styles today, and find out what the experts have to say about them.]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/clayton-forest-school-open/ Thu, 15 Jan 2026 14:11:33 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=7503 We’re delighted to share some very exciting news: our much-loved Forest School in Clayton-le-Woods re-opens this spring (2026). After dedicated staff training, careful preparation and thoughtful planning, we’re ready to welcome children back to outdoor learning — and we know it’s something they will be extremely excited about. Forest School has always been an important part of who we are as a nursery. In fact, we are proud to have been the very first setting in the area to establish a Forest School, and it quickly became a highlight of the week for our children. Bringing it back now feels like a natural and meaningful step forward, rooted in the proven belief that young children thrive when they are given time, space and freedom to explore the natural world around them. Indeed, spending time in and around nature is profoundly beneficial to children.]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/ofsted-report-little-acorns-nursery-clayton-le-woods/ Wed, 26 Nov 2025 11:27:34 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=7437 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.]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/open-day-saturday-1-november-2025/ Wed, 15 Oct 2025 15:24:53 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=7374 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!]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/composting-activity-for-kids/ Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:24:23 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=7316 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.]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/tips-for-tackling-toddler-tantrums/ Fri, 15 Aug 2025 07:15:06 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=7258 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.]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/summer-nature-hunt-activity-free-poster/ Tue, 15 Jul 2025 15:20:30 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=7213 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!]]>