Tag Archive for: Little Acorns

Children, Parenting, Safeguarding, Under-5s

New Guidance for Electronic Screen Use by Children Under 5

Toddlers and under-fives are naturally drawn to electronic screens. From TVs and game consoles to tablets and smartphones, these amazingly powerful, colourful devices hold such wonder! After all, they’re rather magical to young minds and can entertain and captivate children in so many ways. However, there have been loud voices of concern lately over how potentially detrimental watching electronic screens may be for our little ones. Indeed, the UK Government has recently published new guidance around the topic, which we’ll explore in today’s post.

There are, of course, pros and cons to children watching electronic screens and a few examples spring to mind:

Without proper safety measures and oversight in place, screens may lead children to unsafe places, whether on TV, tablets, or smartphones.
What’s more, many parents also want to keep little ones away from social media as long as possible to keep them safe.
Other parents, however, like children to have mobiles as a way to track them, for safety purposes, when not in their direct care. This is also understandable.
The use of electronic screens can also be helpful for children with SEND (special educational needs or disabilities). For example, they may benefit from screen-based assistive technology, an invaluable tool that may help with communication, mobility, and so on.
Children are naturally captivated by brightly-coloured, moving screen images and stimulating audio. They can therefore be invaluable as a distraction tool when a parent simply needs a few minutes’ peace.
Older children may not want to miss out on chats, social media, and all the online goings-on that their friends and peers may be up to. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is real for kids. That said, it’s less likely to affect under-fives, who usually have far less, if any, access to it.
And, to quote the findings of a recent report by Government advisors:

“Some evidence has linked large amounts of screen time with negative effects on children’s health and development, including on social, emotional, language and brain development, sleep, eyesight and healthy weight.” — Findings from the EYSTAG Report

Now, the UK Government has become proactively involved and has made a series of official recommendations. So, let’s take a look today at some recent new guidance for smartphone use by children that was issued in March 2026 by the Government.

What is the New Government Guidance for Screen Time for Children Under Five?

“We’ve created this evidence‑informed guidance to support parents and carers in shaping healthy screen time habits for little brains.” — Gov.uk

In March 2026, the UK Government issued the following recommendations* for electronic screen use by children under five:

Parents and carers should proactively “Limit total screen time for young children, wherever possible”, they say.
For children under 2, they recommend that screen time be avoided completely, except where it’s part of a shared family activity that encourages conversations, interactions, and closer bonding. Examples given include activities like viewing photograph albums together, group family/friends video calls, or reading e-books together.
For children between 2 and 5, they recommend that children should spend no more than 1 hour per day viewing electronic screens — ideally less, and in short chunks of no more than 30 minutes at a time that’s not close to bedtimes or mealtimes. Solo viewing should be minimal.

Such guidelines may not apply to children with SEND, who often use screen-based assistive technologies to help improve quality of life, for example, facilitating enhanced communication with others, mobility, etc. Such children will therefore require a more tailored approach, and parents/carers will need to balance both the potential risks and benefits of screen use for such children.

^{* (Source)}

“Screen use becomes particularly problematic when it crowds out sleep, physical activity, parent-child interaction, creative play, household routines, real-world exploration or learning.” — EYSTAG Report

What is the New Guidance Based On?

The Government guidance for under-fives follows findings and recommendations made by the independent Early Years Screen Time Advisory Group (EYSTAG), whose full report is available here. They took into account the views of a wide range of stakeholders, including parents, early years professionals, and children themselves, as well as findings from the latest research around the topic. The new Government guidance is therefore evidence-based. It also spans all kinds of screen use for under-fives, including TVs, mobiles/smartphones, tablets and computers.

“The new Government guidance is evidence-based.”

What Else Does the EYSTAG Report Recommend for Families with Children Under Five?

As well as the key recommendations, the EYSTAG report made the following additional recommendations for parents/carers of under-fives, suggesting they should:

Interact when the child is using an electronic screen. Ask questions, comment on what’s happening there, and so on, just like you might if you were reading a book to them.
Ensure that children’s use of screens is balanced with activities that are inherently more healthy, for example, creative play, interactions with family and friends, and so on.
Ensure that little ones achieve the appropriate amount of sleep each night. They cite the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s recommendations of a minimum of 11-14 hours for children aged 1 to 2, and 10 to 13 hours per night for those aged 3 and 4.
Ensure, as part of that, that children’s bedrooms are screen-free and that no screens are used in the hour before bedtime.
Ensure children get sufficient physical activity, including screen-free play, each day. The UK’s Chief Medical Officers suggest at least 3 hours per day for under-fives.

“Who uses screens with children, and how they use them, matters. Responsive interaction between parents and children when using screens can prevent harms and promote development for young children.” — EYSTAG Report

Electronic Screen Content Matters

The report also highlighted important conclusions about the type of content being watched on screens by children.

They suggest that “Well-designed content and interactive activities that are appropriate for the child’s age can support young children’s language development, problem solving, memory, and early literacy” and that’s especially so when the content is viewed along with a responsible, supervising, supportive adult or older sibling.

In stark contrast to this, they concluded: “Fast-paced short-form videos raise particular concerns, with suggestions that rapidly changing, highly stimulating content may affect children’s attention and excitement.”

“What children are viewing also matters in determining whether screen use brings harms or benefits” — EYSTAG Report

So, if screens are watched by under-fives, parents should ensure that content is slower-paced, has limited movement, has a decent level of focus on faces, has backgrounds that are simple, and includes some repetition to make it easier for the youngest to understand it more fully. That said, long periods of repeated viewing of the same clips over and over again should be avoided. Content should also avoid speech that is too fast, too many characters speaking at the same time, and images and audio that change constantly. Screens like TVs should also not be on in the background as they could be detrimental to and a distraction from children’s more natural play and learning activities.

Online Safety

The EYSTAG recommendations, against which the new Government guidance has been made, also states some common sense suggestions for parents and carers around the topic of online safety. As one might expect, they include recommendations like using parental controls to limit access to potentially harmful content, ensuring that young children can’t access social media, avoiding access to AI tools, AI-enabled devices, and chatbots, and ensuring that children don’t see potentially harmful content on the phones of parents and carers. Should a parent or carer allow a young child to use their smartphone for a short while, then the EYSTAG recommendation is that they should watch the content with the child at all times to ensure suitability.

Parental Use of Smartphones in Front of Children

As the EYSTAG report states, children are heavily influenced by the behaviour of parents, and therefore if a parent spends significant time ‘doomscrolling’ on a smartphone, children will naturally want to copy. The report goes further to state that “there is growing evidence that parental use in front of young children could negatively impact upon their development or health.”

The main message there is therefore to think about how and how often you use an electronic screen/device in front of young children — as it does impact.

Final Thoughts

Much of this is common sense, of course. Moreover, in its report, EYSTAG recognised that parents always know their child best and the vast majority, of course, have their best interests at heart. Therefore, in tandem to taking on board the Government’s advice, they should therefore trust their instincts.

“Parents should trust their instincts as they make decisions about what is best for their child and for their particular circumstances. However, we recognise that in an ever-changing technological world, trusted and evidence-based information can help parents make informed choices that reflect both their values and their child’s needs” — EYSTAG Report

Little Acorns Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods

A High-Quality Childcare Nursery With its Own Forest School

The staff at Little Acorns Nursery fully understand how important it is to safeguard the wellbeing of children and under-fives around their use of screens. As part of that, children at the nursery regularly attend Forest School sessions, which get them outside, close to nature, which is so good for them. There, they learn about the world as well as hone a vast array of new skills as they play, explore, and discover. It’s a wonderful antidote to electronic screens! Learn more about Forest School in our ultimate guide.

Nursery Places in Clayton-le-Woods, Near Chorley

Are you looking for a nursery place for your child in the Clayton or Chorley area? If so, we would welcome your application. We are Little Acorns Nursery (Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley), are a good childcare provider according to Ofsted, and support funded places for eligible children. The nursery day also supports working parents by opening at 7:30 am and closing at 6:00 pm. If that sounds of interest to you for your child, please get in touch — we’d love to hear from you.

To explore a possible nursery place for your child at Little Acorns, please select an option below to get started:

Apply Today Book a Tour Message Us 01772 696288

Little Acorns is a high-quality childcare nurser in Clayton-le-Woods and may be convenient for those living or working nearby in such places as Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Chorley, Penwortham, Farington, Bamber Bridge, Leyland, Thorpe Green, Whittle-le-Woods, Lostock Hall, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village, and Euxton.

29th June 2026/by Mark

Parenting, Parenting Styles

What’s Your Parenting Style? (& Why it Matters)

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.

So Many Parenting Names & Styles!

There is an incredible array of names for parenting styles. You may have heard, for example, of names like helicopter parenting, velcro parenting, indulgent parenting, parent-led parenting, and mindful parenting, along with a myriad of other descriptions. Some styles are quite distinct, others are subtle variations of each other, and several have more than one name. No wonder it’s confusing!

In light of all of this, we’re going to concentrate on just a few key parenting styles today. These are styles that have been around long enough to have undergone a reasonable amount of study by experts. So, for our chosen key styles, we can share some useful findings, valuable feedback, and perhaps provide a little guidance for new and expectant parents. If you’re one, see what you think — and where, perhaps, you’d like your own parenting style to fit in.

Key Elements of Parenting Styles

Before we launch into specific styles, bear in mind that all parenting styles can usually be broken down into the ways in which they mix several key elements. These include:

the amount of emotional warmth and empathy provided by parents for the child;
the amount children’s input and feedback is taken on board by parents;
how strictly rules, structure, boundaries, and discipline are applied by parents;
the amount of help, guidance, leadership, and even role-modelling provided by the parent.

Some, for example, may show high warmth, relaxed rules, two-way feedback, and lots of guidance towards the child. Others may provide the complete opposite — or indeed somewhere in between. Crucially, outcomes for children can be quite different, depending on the exact mix.

It’s also important to mention that parents may not stick to just one parenting style all the time, as there will be circumstances where, for one reason or another, they may need to switch styles. Every child and every parent is different, too. For such reasons, it’s simply not possible to say, with any certainty, that one style will fit every family perfectly — indeed, a mix is often needed as circumstances change.

Authoritative Parenting

The So-Called ‘Gold Standard’ of Parenting Styles

Let’s start with a style that’s often referred to as the ‘gold standard’ of parenting styles — authoritative parenting. For many years, experts have suggested that this particular parenting style has possibly the best overall balance in its approach. However, it’s important not to confuse authoritative parenting, which is fairly gentle, with authoritarian parenting, a far more strict style. Authoritative parenting is thought by experts to have a well-balanced mix of elements in its approach, resulting in good outcomes for children raised under its style. The style typically has the following elements in its make-up:

Parents are very warm towards children, showing a huge amount of empathy, love, understanding, and compassion towards them. Parents are attuned to children’s feelings, needs, and abilities.
Two-way feedback is encouraged, with children’s perspectives and points of view being acknowledged during interactions and activity planning. They will therefore feel listened to and heard.
When it comes to rules, authoritative parents give children clear, age-appropriate structure, defined boundaries, and clarity, using a cooperative approach, without threat of punishment. Instead, rules are gently applied through positive reinforcement (praise and rewards) and an approach that has clear reasoning and is fair, empathetic, and measured. Children will thereby know what is expected of them and why.
‘Authoritative’ parents are good role models, teaching by doing, demonstrating, or explaining clearly, so that children can learn how to mirror their behaviour and logical approach to things.
Children’s achievements, however large or small, are celebrated.

Outcomes from Authoritative Parenting

Professional studies suggest very favourable outcomes from well-implemented authoritative parenting. Children raised using this parenting style tend to do well academically and show high levels of self-motivation. They are naturally curious, eager to learn and discover, and are often very creative. They tend to take the initiative and are self-reliant, independent children with appropriate boundaries and self-control. They are sociable, with healthy bonds with friends and family, and show respect to others. Statistically, they also tend to be happier and have better mental health than children raised using many of the other parenting styles. Interestingly, they are also less likely to misuse drugs and alcohol when they’re older. What’s not to like about authoritative parenting!

The Gentle Parenting Style

Gentle parenting is a style that’s been very prominent on social media in recent years. Many may not realise, however, that it’s simply a soft variant of Authoritative parenting. That said, though, it still retains clear rules and boundaries for the child to follow. It’s crucially important, however, not to confuse gentle parenting with permissive parenting (also known as indulgent parenting), which, as the name suggests, has far fewer boundaries — very few in fact. Not so, though, with gentle parenting if approached correctly.

Being a soft variant of authoritative parenting means that the same kind of elements make up the gentle parenting style. These include a very high level of empathy and warmth towards the child, close bonds, a collaborative approach to rules and boundaries, avoidance of the threat of punishments in favour of rewarding/praising good behaviour, and acknowledgement of the child’s feelings, opinions, and perspective.

Outcomes from Gentle Parenting

Being a close variant of authoritative parenting also means that outcomes for children are likely to be very similar, i.e. extremely positive. However, we should add that, for gentle parenting specifically, there are not the years and years of study that authoritative parenting has enjoyed as a whole. We can take educated guesses to conclude that, if well implemented, gentle parenting has very similar benefits to authoritative parenting. Those are wide-ranging and comprehensive, as you can see in the section above. However, if gentle parenting is badly implemented, there’s a danger that it could stray into territory more akin to permissive parenting, which does not have such good outcomes. We’ll come to that parenting style next.

The Permissive Parenting Style

Permissive (a.k.a. Indulgent) parenting is a style that prioritises a child’s happiness over virtually everything else. As such, it’s a warm, empathetic, and loving parenting style. However, rules, structure, and discipline are extremely thin on the ground. Parents and children prioritise fun and their close relationship. When under-fives go through emotional periods in their development, it’s true that this permissiveness can counteract some of their emotional turmoil, but it does come at a cost.

Outcomes from Permissive Parenting

Children raised using a permissive parenting style have few boundaries and rules to follow, so are free to do pretty much whatever they want. That can often make for immense fun and a level of freedom that they will often enjoy. They will feel well-supported emotionally, be able to express themselves freely, be resourceful, and often have good self-esteem.

However, such an upbringing, with a lack of discipline, structure, and boundaries, can lead to several negative outcomes. These may include feelings of entitlement as well as behaviour that falls short of what’s usually expected by others around them. They may also lack self-discipline, accountability for their actions, and respect for the feelings of others. The lack of parental control and oversight can also, of course, lead to danger for the child. It may also mean children do not develop good eating and hygiene habits, which could cause health problems further down the line.

The Authoritarian Parenting Style

Authoritarian parenting (not to be confused with Authoritative parenting explained earlier) is the harshest of today’s parenting styles. As the name suggests, parents who use this parenting approach tend to be rather like dictators, whose rules must be followed … or else! With this parenting style, children must do what they’re told, often without understanding why, and the parent dominates them. There is no warmth or empathy for the child with this style. What the parent says goes. High standards are usually demanded, with stern discipline and punishments if children do not comply or achieve such standards. There is also no debate, so children’s views are not listened to or taken into account.

Outcomes from Authoritarian Parenting

Although authoritarian parenting is a hard style, as such it can mean that rules and boundaries are quickly understood. However, they may be understood simply because of the fear of the repercussions and punishment should they get things wrong. Blind obedience is expected. So, children learn, but through fear. They may learn the rules, but they often do not understand the reasons for the rules — because they’re never explained. They may struggle at school. Children may even need to develop deceitful tactics in order to avoid conflict following misdemeanours.

Research suggests that children raised using the authoritarian approach can develop mental health problems like depression and anxiety. They may also be more prone, through frustration and resentment at not being heard, to anger outbursts. It may not surprise you to learn that, sadly, they often also have low levels of self-esteem and confidence.

Uninvolved Parenting

Also known as neglectful parenting, uninvolved parenting “does what it says on the tin” i.e. children are very much left to their own devices with this style. They receive no love, affection, or empathy from parents. There are no rules or structure to their daily lives. They receive no guidance, and parents are certainly not role models. Children just have do make to as best they can, unsupported by parents. There may be different reasons for this, of course (not all ‘neglectful’ parents are uninvolved by choice — for example, they may be physically or mentally unwell or be working three jobs just to survive).

Outcomes from Uninvolved Parenting

Overall, studies found that uninvolved parenting has amongst the very worst outcomes for children. It may be true that children brought up via an uninvolved/neglectful parenting style may, by necessity, grow up resourceful, good at problem-solving, and capable of great independence. However, because of the neglect during their childhoods, they are also likely to suffer from a variety of negative outcomes. These include attachment issues, a disconnect and lack of bonds with parents, emotional insecurity with others, low self-esteem, and behavioural issues. Given that parental input in children’s education is also incredibly beneficial to children, a lack of it is clearly going to be detrimental to their academic performance, which is likely to adversely affect their career potential too.

Final Thoughts

There are many other names for parenting styles, but we have covered the most important and well-studied ones above. It’s clear that some have significantly better outcomes for children than others, so we hope today’s guide helps to shed some light on the key options. Clearly, there are some styles to avoid, and some that seem to have very positive outcomes. And, as we said before, it’s likely that parents may need to juggle more than one style, from time to time, as circumstances — and perhaps danger and stress levels — demand. Parenting is hard, and every child and family situation is unique. Whichever parenting style(s) you use, we wish you well on your parenting journey.

High-Quality Childcare in Clayton-le-Woods

Little Acorns Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

We hope you found today’s post interesting and useful. Please feel free to bookmark and share it if so. We’re Little Acorns Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, near Chorley. We’re officially a ‘Good’ childcare provider, so you know your child will be in safe hands, and we offer support for funded childcare hours for eligible working families. We also have our own, newly reopened Forest School, which both children and parents love!

Get in touch today to explore a possible place for your child at Little Acorns Nursery:

Apply Today Book a Tour Message Us 01772 696288

Little Acorns Nursery represents a high-quality and convenient childcare choice for families in Clayton-le-Woods, Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Chorley, Penwortham, Leyland, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village, Whittle-le-Woods, Farington, Euxton, and many other locations nearby.

18th March 2026/by Mark

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.

We Remember Nothing Before the Age of 3

Scientists are not completely sure why, but none of us tend to have memories that go back beyond the age of three. Can you recall anything from when you were 2 or 3 years old? The vast majority of us can’t, and it is believed to be because of two possible reasons. One possibility is that we can’t remember our earliest years because the memory system in our brains was not developed enough at that time. The other possibility is that it’s because memory could be tied to language, and our language skills were not sufficient to store memories until the age of three. It could also be a mixture of the two, perhaps.

Newborn Babies have Heart Rates Twice as Fast as Adults

Newborn babies have a heart rate of somewhere between 120 and 160 beats per minute. That’s around double that of adults!

4.44 Babies Are Born Every Second!*

Every second, an average of 4.44 new babies are born around the world*. That’s about 266 babies per minute and almost 16,000 per hour. On a daily basis, it works out to over 383,600 new babies per day and about 140 million every year. The world population is currently growing at a rate of 0.9% annually.

The Birth Rate in England & Wales is Falling

In England and Wales, 591,072 babies were born in 2023 according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data^(¹). That is the lowest birth rate for the region since 1977, as well as being the first time the rate was below 600,000 since 2002. Indeed, women in England and Wales give birth to an average of just 1.44 children over their lifetimes in the latest data, which is the lowest on record.

September is the Most Popular Month for Baby Births

September remains the most popular month for births in England and Wales, according to the same ONS data. The most popular day for births was 28 September, a date that has been in the top ten days for births since 2021.

Boxing Day Has the Lowest Birth Rate

Boxing Day, 26 December, has the lowest birth rate for the whole year, according to the ONS. What’s more, this has been the case for 11 years in a row!

Parents Are Getting Older When Babies Are Born

Data analysed by the ONS over the last 50 years shows that, for babies born in England and Wales, parents are gradually getting older. In the last count (for 2023), a new baby’s father was, on average, 33.8 years of age, while mothers were 30.9.

Over Half the World’s Babies are Born in Asia*

Almost 53% of births happen across the continent of Asia, 30.7% across the African continent, 10.7% in the Americas and just 0.7% in Oceania. That compares to 5% of births that occur in Europe.

Babies Have Gills in the Womb (Kind of)

There has been much debate about whether foetuses — developing babies — have gills when they’re in the womb. The answer is ‘kind of’ according to many experts, including the late Dr Michael Mosley/BBC^(∞). While they do have tiny gill-like folds called pharyngeal arches, which may be evidence that humans evolved from fish, they are not gills in the true sense of the word. The so-called ‘gill slits’ can be found on the foetus’s neck in the very early stages of development, but are not for breathing. Instead, the structures migrate and evolve into the top lip, palate, and jaw of the baby.

Human Foetuses Have Tails

In the early stages of development in the womb, human foetuses have tails, which even have vertebrae. However, around the 7th and 8th week of gestation, those vertebrae fuse together, and the tail disappears, leaving only the ‘tailbone’ or coccyx that we’re all born with.

Babies Grow Fur in the Womb

Lanugo is a soft, fine, usually colourless body hair that’s grown by babies in the womb and that eventually covers the baby’s whole body. In tandem with the creamy covering of vernix caseosa that babies are born with, the Lanugo fur’s purpose is to help protect the developing child and help regulate its temperature. Developed from about the 14th week and visible on the foetus’s skin from the 21st week of pregnancy, it is usually shed by about week 35, before birth. It is replaced by vellus hair, which is commonly known as ‘peach fuzz’ on newborns. That said, up to 30% of babies are born with lanugo hair still evident somewhere on their bodies, and this is especially true for premature babies. (Source).

Babies Have 3 Times More Taste Buds Than Adults

Did you know that newborn babies have three times more taste buds than adults? It’s true! Newborn babies have around 30,000 taste buds, whereas adults have no more than 10,000. However, in a newborn, the taste buds are distributed not only over the tongue, but also the palate, throat lining, and tonsils. It is thought that this helps them better identify advantageous foods over potentially toxic ones. That said, the number of taste buds gradually reduces as the infant gets older, eventually being present only on the tongue, as with adults.

Babies Have Almost 50% More Bones Than Adults

Similarly, babies are born with many more bones than adults. It may surprise you to learn that a baby has 300 bones in their body when born, whereas an adult has only 206. As they mature and grow, however, some bones in children fuse together to form single bones. A great example of this can be found in the human skull, which, in babies, consists of several separate bones which, come adulthood, have fused together into a single bone. It is through this kind of process that humans reduce the number of bones in their bodies by almost one-third.

Babies Do Not Cry Tears When First Born

We all know that a baby’s first cry is an important milestone and one that signals that the child is breathing. However, not all of us may notice that most babies do not cry actual tears during the first part of their infancy. That’s because their tear ducts — or lacrimal glands — are not yet fully mature. As such, it may be several weeks or even as long as 2 or 3 months before normal tears are evident when a baby cries. Premature babies usually take the longest to exhibit full tears when crying.

Babies’ Brains Double in Size in the First Year

During the early years, a child’s brain grows rapidly. In the first year alone, babies’ brains double in size and, by the time they’re three, are already four-fifths the size of an adult’s. By the age of five, they’re usually nine-tenths the size of an adult’s brain. That said, traditional wisdom suggests that the human brain continues to develop right into a person’s mid-twenties. However, some experts now believe that some areas of the brain continue to mature right into the thirties.

We hope you found today’s list of fascinating baby facts interesting. We may follow up with another set of fascinating baby facts in a future post, so watch this space!

High-Quality Childcare in Clayton-le-Woods

Little Acorns Nursery: a first-class weekday childcare service for Under-5s near Chorley

Little Acorns Nursery provides families with a first-class childcare service in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley. We have a Good Ofsted rating and support free childcare funding schemes for eligible working families with children as young as just 9 months of age. Little Acorns represents a fabulous choice for weekday childcare, which we provide for babies and children under five. Contact us today to apply for a nursery place or to learn more — we’d love to hear from you.

Apply Today Book a Tour Message Us 01772 696288

Located in Clayton-le-Woods, Little Acorns Nursery will also be conveniently close for families in Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village, Whittle-le-Woods, Farington, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Euxton, Leyland, and Penwortham.

^{* (Correct at the time of writing — 12 December 2025 — according to the Live Birth Counter).}

16th December 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!

“A fabulous enabling environment, indoors and outdoors.”

Come Along — And Save!

If you sign up for a nursery place on the day, we’ll waive the registration fee!

Nursery Open Day: Saturday 1 November 2025, 10 am – 1 pm

Little Acorns is a wonderful childcare nursery at 34 Sheep Hill Lane, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, Lancashire, PR6 7JH. We are a convenient choice for families seeking high-quality childcare near Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Chorley, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village, Whittle-le-Woods, Farington, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Euxton, Leyland, and Penwortham. We operate virtually all year round, closing only for Bank Holidays and over Christmas/New Year. We support free/funded childcare places for eligible children aged from just 9 months— great for working families. Little Acorns Nursery is recognised by Ofsted as a Good Provider.

“Children are happy and settled at the nursery.” — Ofsted, September 2025.

• ‘Good Provider’ status from Ofsted (September 2025 report). • Government-funded childcare places are supported for eligible families. • A nurturing & enabling environment, inside and out. • Forest School re-opening in 2026. • Baby Massage and Baby Yoga sessions planned for 2026 — training already in progress! • 5-Star Food Hygiene Rating from the Food Standards Agency (June 2025). • A purpose behind everything we do at the nursery.

“Children demonstrate a positive attitude to their learning.” — Ofsted, September 2025.

We’d love to show you our fabulous nursery and preschool on the 1st of November, so please come along anytime from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. — we can’t wait to meet you!

Need More Information? Call 01772 696 288

15th October 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!

Venture out little ones — see how many wonderful things you can spot in the natural world this summer!

What Children Should Look Out For

There are many wonderful things for children to look for in the natural world. Many of the adorable creatures featured in the poster will be easy to spot at this time of year. Bees, hoverflies, and other pollinators are common to see where flowers are blooming. Butterflies are both stunningly beautiful and at their most abundant during July and August each year, so are sure to delight children with their fabulous colours and patterns. Delightful ladybirds are also rather abundant right now (time of writing: mid-July). Wildflowers like poppies and daisies always make the world a more beautiful place, so they’re a wonderful thing for children to discover too.

There are a few other things featured on our free poster that children may find a little more challenging to spot. However, once finally seen, they will be the cause of much excitement and interest! For example, has your child ever seen a bird sunbathing? It’s quite a sight to see them lying still in a sunny patch, with wings outstretched, feathers ruffled and often with beaks open to keep cool — they can look quite comical!

Finding a meadow filled with wildflowers can be magical for children and adults alike. Has your little one ever seen apples growing on a tree? All that blossom from earlier in the year has now given way to little green apples that will grow and ripen as we head further into the year — eventually becoming ready to fall or be eaten come autumn. It’s a great example to show under-fives where some food comes from and explain why pollinators are so important.

Dragonflies are also quite a sight to behold closer to water sources like ponds. There, of course, supervising adults will need to stay closer and keep an even more watchful eye on children in order to keep them safe.

Has your child ever noticed that some kinds of seeds have wings? We’ve featured some winged seeds as the last item on our poster. Try finding a sycamore tree, a maple, or even a mature acer to find examples of winged seeds. If picked and launched into the air, children will be able to witness how a winged seed spins like a helicopter and floats gently away on the breeze. It’s a great lesson to demonstrate one of the ways in which nature spreads seeds far and wide, ready to grow into new plants and trees. Winged seeds are a great example of the wonder and inventiveness of nature.

An adult should, of course, always accompany and supervise children outdoors, particularly the youngest. We must also mention slow worms. Now we will be honest here: they’re quite a challenge to spot as they’re very shy and incredibly silent. They may hide in long grass, under grass cuttings, in the undergrowth, and in compost heaps. They are likely to come out only to warm themselves in the sunshine. That’s because they are essentially cold-blooded and legless lizards rather than any kind of snake. Children will have to be very lucky, patient, stealthy, or have deliberately made a wildlife-friendly garden if they’re going to spot a slow worm. However, their relative rarity is one of the many things that will make finally spotting one all the more exciting for children! One last note about slow worms: children must not try to pick them up by their tails (they are more delicate than they look and tails can therefore easily break, which would be very painful for the slow worm). It’s really best not to try to pick them up at all, but if children do, slow worms should be completely supported underneath, for example in cupped hands, rather than being suspended in any way. Release them back into the undergrowth so they’re not exposed to predators like rodents and birds. And, of course, children should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water afterwards.

Download Your Child’s Free Summer Nature Hunt Poster

Click the preview image below to save or view the reference poster in Acrobat PDF format. It’s less than just 2MB in size. For best printing results, choose your printer’s highest-quality settings and paper.

Spending Time Around Nature is Hugely Beneficial to Children

As we said in the introduction, spending time in and around nature is incredibly beneficial to children of all ages. Studies have proven a myriad of benefits, in fact. Just a few examples include a lowering of stress and anxiety, improved motor skills, greater knowledge of the world (and children’s place within it), improved empathy for other living things, a feeling of greater responsibility for nature’s flora and fauna, a development of often lifelong greener values and choices, and even improved academic grades! These are just a few examples — the benefits of spending time closer to nature are incredible. Learn more about nature’s importance to children here.

Little Acorns Nursery: Quality Childcare in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

The best start in life for babies & children under five in Central Lancashire

If you’d like your baby or child under five to have the very best start in life, consider Little Acorns Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods for your weekday childcare. We’re recognised by Ofsted as a good provider and also support free childcare funding for eligible children as young as just 9 months. With a warm and welcoming home-from-home environment, great facilities, and exciting outdoor gardens where children can get closer to nature, Little Acorns will bring out the best in every child and allow them to absolutely thrive in readiness for when they begin school.

Contact Little Acorns Nursery today to begin your child’s exciting nursery adventure:

Apply Today Book a Tour Message Us 01772 696288

Located in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, the nursery and preschool may also be a convenient choice for those living nearby in Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village, Whittle-le-Woods, Farington, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Euxton, Leyland and Penwortham.

Safety Notice

It’s essential to accompany and supervise young children whenever they play or explore outdoors. Stranger danger, water sources like ponds and lakes, getting lost, traffic, poisonous plants, and toxic berries and fungi are all examples of high-risk hazards that adults will need to assess and mitigate if they’re to keep little ones safe from possible harm. Children need to be dressed appropriately too and use sunscreen to protect themselves from harmful sun rays when it’s sunny. These safety points are also great teaching opportunities, of course, because children will need to learn to recognise such dangers more and more as they get older and become more independent.

15th July 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.

World Bee Day

World Bee Day is celebrated every year on 20th May to raise awareness of the vital role that bees and other pollinators play in our world. From helping plants grow and supporting the food we eat every day, bees are some of nature’s hardest workers – and they need our help to survive and thrive.

People around the world mark the day by learning more about bees, planting flowers, protecting wild habitats, and sharing ways to care for the environment. Under appropriate supervision, there are lots of ways even the youngest children can join in too!

2026’s World Bee Day Theme:

“Bee together for people and the planet”

2026’s theme is all about how humans have worked with bees for thousands of years, benefiting people and the environment. Without bees and pollinators, there would be no fruit, vegetables, crops, and nuts to keep us healthy. The message is simple: if we care for bees and their habitats, they’ll continue to care for us too by helping our plants grow and keeping the planet blooming.

Learn more about World Bee Day, its background and its aims here.

How World Bee Day Supports Early Years Learning

Getting involved in World Bee Day isn’t just fun — it also supports many areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), helping children learn and grow in meaningful, hands-on ways. Here are just a few ways bee-related activities can support early development:

Understanding the World: Through bee-related activities, children will learn about living things, the environment, and how everything in nature is connected. Exploring bees and their role in pollination helps little learners begin to understand the world around them — and how they can help look after it.
Communication and Language: Talking about bees, asking questions, listening to stories and learning new words (like ‘pollination’, ‘nectar’ and ‘hive’) builds vocabulary and encourages curiosity.
Expressive Arts and Design: Making bee crafts, drawing flowers, role-playing as working bees, or moving like insects in a dance — all help develop creativity and imagination.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development: Caring for nature supports empathy and kindness. Group activities like planting or creating a bee garden also build teamwork and a sense of shared responsibility.
Physical Development: Activities like planting seeds, cutting out bee shapes, or painting flower petals develop fine and gross motor skills through playful, purposeful movement.

In short, World Bee Day is a brilliant opportunity for young children to explore the wonders of the natural world in a way that supports their learning across multiple areas, is fun, and makes a difference!

Bee-Themed Activities for Under-Fives

There are so many fun and simple ways for little learners to join in with World Bee Day! Here are a few activities that are perfect for children under five — each one encourages creativity, curiosity, and care for nature while also supporting the EYFS.

Plant a Pollinator Patch

Children can help plant bee-friendly flowers such as lavender, sunflowers, or wildflowers in a pot, bed or border. This not only encourages responsibility and care as they water and watch the plants grow but also supports the EYFS’s Understanding the World, Personal, Social & Emotional Development, and Physical Development goals.

Make Buzzy Bee Crafts

Children can use materials like paper plates, cardboard tubes, egg cartons and recycled materials to create their own bees! Using paper plates, cardboard tubes, egg cartons or recycled materials, children can create their own bees! Add wings, stripes, googly eyes and antennae for a hands-on creative session. These are wonderfully creative activities that will boost several areas of the EYFS including Expressive Arts & Design and Physical Development.

Bee-Themed Storytime

Snuggle up with stories that introduce bees in a child-friendly way. Great choices include The Very Greedy Bee by Steve Smallman and Jack Tickle, Bee: Nature’s Tiny Miracle by Patricia Hegarty, and What if There Were No Bees? by Suzanne Slade. Even better, encourage children to create their own stories involving bees! After storytime, don’t forget to talk about what bees do with your child and ensure they understand why they’re important. These are great activities to boost the EYFS’s Communication & Language, Literacy and Understanding the World focus areas.

Sing and Dance Like a Bee

Do you or your child know about the bee Waggle Dance? It’s a real dance that honey bees do to communicate the direction, distance, and quality of a food source to the rest of the bee colony. Click the video thumbnail to learn more — it’s absolutely fascinating! It’s also a great piece of knowledge to inspire children to buzz around the room with bee-themed songs, dances, and movement games. What’s more, it will help children in their EYFS goals including Physical Development and Expressive Arts & Design.

Go Bee-Spotting

Explore the garden or outdoor space and, without disturbing them, see what pollinators your child can spot. Can they see any bees? What colours and flowers do they seem to like best? Are they collecting nectar? What type of bees are they? Bumblebees are super cute. Honey bees are super-hard workers and do so much for the world. A bee-spotting activity is a great opportunity to explore areas of the EYFS that include Understanding the World and Communication & Language.

Honey Tasting and Talk

If age-appropriate (never feed to babies under 12 months) and there is no allergy to it, let children try a small taste of honey. Then talk about how bees make it, and discuss where it comes from. You could even take this a step further by helping your child make a simple honey-based snack. For example, honey drizzled over pancakes or porridge oats — delicious! Such activities can help children focus on EYFS areas including Understanding the World, Communication & Language, and Physical Development.

These activities are designed to feel like play but, underneath, they’re packed with learning opportunities. What’s more, they help children build positive associations with the natural world and start to understand that even small actions can make a big difference.

Let’s Celebrate Bees on World Bee Day

World Bee Day is a chance to slow down and take a closer look at the tiny creatures that do such big jobs for our planet. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to help young children connect with nature, ask questions, and start to develop a sense of care for the world around them. Through simple, enjoyable activities, families can help raise awareness of the challenges bees and other pollinators face — from habitat loss to climate change. It’ll show children that even small actions, like planting flowers or spotting bees in the garden, can make a difference. So, get them buzzing while they explore nature, grow in confidence and curiosity, and learn that they too can help protect bees along with the wonderful world they’re a part of.

Nursery Places in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

With our own gardens and outdoor spaces close by, children have lots of opportunities to explore and learn from nature at Little Acorns Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods. We know just how important nature is to children and it’s one of the many reasons we love introducing them to nature-based events, themes, and activities like those suggested in today’s post.

At Little Acorns Nursery, children have a wonderful start in life in a warm, caring, home-from-home environment where they feel safe, nurtured, and valued. Free childcare is available for eligible children from just 9 months of age. If you’d like to explore the possibility of sending your baby, toddler, or preschool child under five to this wonderful nursery and preschool in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, get in touch today. We’d love to answer any questions, tell you more, and show you and your child around the setting.

Contact Little Acorns Nursery

Apply Today Book a Tour Message Us 01772 696288

Families living nearby in Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village, Whittle-le-Woods, Farington, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Euxton, Leyland and Penwortham may also find our nursery conveniently close.

16th April 2025/by Mark

Winter Nature Hunt — a Fun Activity for Children (with Free Reference Sheet)

Activities for Children, Children, Clayton-le-Woods, Early Years Education, Learning & Development, Learning Through Play, Nature, Nature Activities for Kids, Parenting, Preschoolers, Toddlers, Under-5s, Winter

Winter Nature Hunt — a Fun, Educational Activity for Children (Free Reference Sheet!)

With the season of winter arriving in December, new opportunities for outdoor activities arise for children of all ages. And, as nature and outdoor play are so beneficial for children, we thought a winter nature hunt would be a great idea (cool even!). With that in mind, we’ve put together a free, downloadable, reference sheet of 20 things for children to look out for during this season. Despite the colder temperatures at this stage of the year, if children are wrapped up in warm clothes and suitably supervised by an adult, there is still lots for them to enjoy, discover, and learn from. That’s even more true for children still in their early years. Nature is a huge educator and is often stunningly beautiful too. A winter nature hunt is therefore a great excuse to get them outdoors, exploring, discovering, learning and simply having fun!

There’s So Much for Children to Discover in Winter

A winter nature hunt will open children’s eyes to some of the many fascinating things that the season brings. Through this activity, their attention will be drawn to magical things like leaf skeletons of different shapes and sizes, or beautifully organic lichen growing on twigs and branches. It will help educate them about the difference between evergreen firs, with pine needles that stay all year round, and deciduous trees that shed every leaf over winter. Adults can show children that every snowflake is unique — it will fascinate every child who manages to catch one and take a close look. Children can learn about wildlife too. For example, robins and blackbirds tend to stay resident over winter while other species migrate to warmer climes. Then, when a frosty morning arrives, parents or supervising adults can draw children’s attention to the astonishing beauty of frost covering a spider’s web. With some encouragement to get outdoors, children will be able to witness frost encrusting plants, trees and grass, or making organic patterns on windows or frozen puddles. Then, of course, when snow falls and settles, the fun will really begin!

Download our Free Winter Nature Hunt Reference Sheet

The preview image above shows what the free Winter Nature Hunt reference sheet looks like and the 20 suggested things for children to look out for. Click to download or view in high-resolution Acrobat Reader ^(∞) format. Print out at A4 or even A3 and children will be able to take the reference sheets out with them and tick off each item discovered. Not only will it be a fun adventure, but outdoor play is good for children and being close to nature benefits little ones in a huge variety of ways. Follow the bold links to learn more.

Little Acorns Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

High-quality Weekday Childcare for Under-5s in Central Lancashire

Today’s post and the free poster were brought to you by Little Acorns Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, near Chorley. We’re a wonderful setting for babies and children under five, offering a first-class early years education and professional weekday childcare. We have incredible indoor facilities, a self-contained preschool block, and two gardens where children can explore, play, discover and learn. The gardens allow children to connect with nature which, as we’ve said before, is incredibly good for them. We also support various free childcare funding schemes, including free childcare hours for eligible babies as young as just 9 months, making childcare more affordable for Lancashire families.

Consider a nursery place for your child at Little Acorns Nursery today. Choose a button to start your application, arrange a tour, or ask a question:

Apply Today Book a Tour Message Us 01772 696288

As a nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, we may also suit families in nearby locations including:
Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village, Whittle-le-Woods, Farington, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Euxton, Leyland and Penwortham.

Safety Notice

Young children should be supervised by a responsible parent or adult, especially during outdoor activities. Risks will need to be assessed and mitigated in each situation. For example, care should be taken to educate little ones about the dangers of potentially poisonous berries, plants and fungi, as well as being mindful of hazards like slipping on ice, stranger danger, wandering off and getting lost, traffic, and dangers associated with frozen ponds, lakes and even puddles. Children should also be dressed appropriately and be protected from the cold, wet, and any adverse weather conditions.

15th December 2024/by Mark

Activities for Children, Children, Early Years Education, Learning & Development, Learning Through Play, Mathematics, Parenting, Preschoolers, Toddlers, Under-5s

Maths Concepts for Under-5s — & Why They’re Important

Once babies have transformed into toddlers, it’s never too early to introduce them to maths-based concepts and language. Indeed, introducing under-fives to such concepts in the earliest years will benefit them hugely as it lays the foundations for future learning. That’s one of the main reasons it is a part of the EYFS curriculum. Continuing this learning at home will also help them instinctively understand that mathematics is a normal and integral part of everyday life. As such, there is no need for it to be perceived as a daunting topic. With all that in mind, today’s guide explores why the early introduction of mathematics is so beneficial to under-fives and how parents and caregivers play a vital role in encouraging their mathematical curiosity, knowledge, and confidence.

The Benefits of Understanding Maths Concepts in the Early Years

As well as the obvious advantage of improving numeracy skills, learning mathematical language and concepts at an early age has several key benefits for under-fives.

Enhanced Vocabulary Development & Language Skills

Children exposed to rich mathematical language will naturally have stronger vocabularies. This, in turn, will facilitate enhanced communication skills, for example, through the mastering of such things as descriptive, comparative, and positional words.

Improved Cognitive Skills

Learning numeracy skills is like a subtle workout for the mind. Such activity is known to stimulate brain development and improve memory, attention, and critical thinking skills. Each of these benefits will allow children to make connections and solve problems more easily.

Stimulated Creativity & Imagination

Mathematics isn’t just about numbers; it also involves creativity. For example, children can explore patterns, shapes, and spatial relationships, each of which has maths at their heart. Indeed, maths is integral to design, art, music, dance, and many other creative areas that children can immerse themselves in.

“Studies show a direct correlation between early mathematical skills and later educational achievement.”

A Foundation for School Success

Familiarity with mathematical terms and concepts also helps to prepare children for formal education, including in many areas other than pure mathematics. Understanding maths concepts from an early age will allow them to confidently engage in number-related exercises and discussions, greatly enhancing their school readiness across multiple topics. Such preparation will allow them to take maths-based challenges in their stride right from the moment they begin Reception Year in primary school. What’s even more striking is that studies show a direct correlation between early mathematical skills and later educational achievement.

What Kind of Maths Concepts Can Parents Teach Tots?

As you’ll see below, there are many different types of maths-related words and concepts that parents can help children grasp. As we said before, maths is all around us, so there are many opportunities to help little ones master mathematical concepts and language — even from an early age. Aside from learning the actual numbers, some examples include the following:

Counting is the most obvious example. Counting can be introduced and practised by your little one in many, many situations, from counting how many more mouthfuls of food a child should eat, to the number of Lego blocks in a tower they’re creating.
Size is another maths-based concept where, given some parental guidance, little ones can soon begin to understand whether something is tiny, medium-sized, big, gigantic, tall, short, thin, or wide.
Measurement is another maths-related concept for children to grasp, so encouraging them to learn when something is full, empty, long, heavy, light, etc., will stand them in good stead both linguistically and in terms of mathematics.
Similarly, comparatives will be useful for children to understand. It’s essential for them to grasp concepts and language like more, less, equal, different, the same, identical, and so on.
Shapes also have roots in maths, so children should get familiar with 3-sided triangular shapes, 4-sided shapes like squares and rectangles, and so on.
Positions are also founded in mathematics, so children should be encouraged to recognise when something is on, off, inside, outside, up, down, and suchlike.
Finally, time also has its roots in numbers and mathematics. Therefore, it will help children to not only tell the time eventually but also understand the meaning behind words like early, late, now, later, soon, etc.

How to Go About It

Parents, caregivers and relatives can help children under five learn about these mathematical concepts and the language that surrounds them. Games, books, and even songs, for example, often include facets of maths and maths language that adults can draw children’s attention to and get them involved in. Counting fingers, toes, and objects like building blocks is another obvious example and one which can be extended to include much of the maths-related vocabulary that we mentioned earlier (numbers, comparatives, positions, shapes, etc.). Creative endeavours can also be vehicles through which supervising adults can highlight elements of mathematics that are built into designs and creations that children may generate. Patterns and shapes are obvious examples of that. Last but not least, parents can involve children in maths facets which are integral to everyday life, for instance, counting items when out shopping, or measuring when putting ingredients together for a meal. Children will love being more involved in such activities and will learn about maths in a fun, natural, and engaging way. Doing so will create the strongest foundations for their future learning.

We may follow up at a later date with some in-depth activity ideas that will help children learn more about maths and the language surrounding it, so watch this space!

Little Acorns: an Outstanding Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

Award-Winning Childcare in Central Lancashire

Little Acorns gives babies, toddlers and preschoolers the very best start in life at their Clayton-le-Woods nursery near Chorley. That’s backed up by being rated an Outstanding Provider by Ofsted and a prestigious National Nursery Award too. So, if you want the very best for your child, choose Little Acorns Day Nursery for their weekday childcare and we’ll ensure they absolutely thrive and are prepared for success.

Get in touch today to register your child for a nursery place, set a date for a guided tour of the setting, or ask any questions:

Apply Today Book a Tour Message Us 01772 696288

Little Acorns is an outstanding nursery and preschool located in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, near Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village, Whittle-le-Woods, Farington, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Euxton, Leyland and Penwortham.

13th June 2024/by Mark

Early Years Education, Education, Nursery, Parenting, Preschool, Preschoolers, School

How to Help Your Child Transition to School

Beginning school is a huge milestone for any child as well as for the child’s parents or guardians. Whether transitioning from nursery/preschool or straight from home, beginning school can be a daunting step in a child’s life — especially if they’re unprepared. Today’s post therefore aims to help parents/guardians make the transition to school as easy and stress-free as possible for their child, so they are empowered to feel at home and hit the ground running from the moment they begin. Take a look, therefore, at our guide on How to Help Your Child Transition to School. Following the advice should help make this milestone plain sailing for everyone involved.

Prepare Your Child Well in Advance

The most impactful measure for a smooth transition to school is thorough preparation. As the old saying goes, “Fail to prepare — prepare to fail” meaning you should ensure good preparation if a successful outcome is to be achieved. And, by definition, preparation is required in advance of the school start date. The remaining tips below are all part of that preparation and, as you’ll see, some will be required well in advance.

Well in Advance:

Ensure a Good Early Years Education for Your Child

One of the most critically-important steps for a smooth transition to school is to ensure your child receives a comprehensive early years education. One of the most critically important steps for a smooth transition to school is to ensure your child receives a comprehensive early years education. By this we mean they need to have been nurtured between birth and school age in all areas of their learning and development — ideally including the seven key areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). In essence, they will need help with their communication and language, physical development, personal, social & emotional development, literacy, mathematics (watch out for our separate post on that coming soon), understanding of the world, and expressive art and design. With such skills and knowledge under their belt before the age of five, they will be incredibly well-equipped once they begin school. Without them, they will find the transition difficult and may even be held back.

Early Years Education at Nursery & Preschool

Such an early years education is also available, of course, via outstanding childcare services like those available at Little Acorns Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods. High-quality settings like ours nurture every aspect of children’s learning and development. Through a programme that’s tailored for every child, we do everything we can to ensure they achieve personal bests in every area and are as school-ready as possible by the time they leave us to begin school. With all that achieved, they are sure to thrive from the moment they start. Learn more about why children benefit by going to a good nursery/preschool here.

Close Parental Involvement in Your Child’s Education

Parents/guardians can and ideally should help with this early years education from home too. Indeed, close parental involvement in a child’s education has been shown to be hugely beneficial to that child, with far-reaching short- and long-term benefits. Studies have shown that such children are much higher achievers at school than those who did not receive regular educational support from parents. Follow the bold link to learn more.

Read With Your Child to Super-Charge Language Skills

Reading with your child from an early age has also been proven to be hugely beneficial to children. Studies show that, by reading with them regularly – including before the age of five – their language skills will receive a massive boost and this will help them enormously once they begin school. Reading with (not just to) children can boost the language skills of preschoolers by the equivalent of 8 months — incredible when you think about it. Comprehension, vocabulary, creativity, knowledge, literacy, and even empathy skills are improved when parents regularly read with young children. A love of books and reading is also a natural extension of this and, again, this can only help children once they’ve started at school. Learn more about how you can Super-charge Your Child’s Education Through Reading here.

Nurture Independence, Social & Soft Skills

It's important to nurture children's independence, social skills and soft skills before they begin school. During their journey from birth to school age, it’s also important to nurture children’s independence, social skills and soft skills.

Ensuring independence will make them feel more in control and self-assured once they start school. For example, help them learn to wash hands, tie shoe laces, use zips and buttons on clothing and be able to dress themselves. Parents can help children accomplish all of these by demonstrating each and encouraging practising at home.
Parents can also encourage good social skills in children while at home, so they are polite and naturally more likeable once they start school. So, try to nurture skills like good manners, understanding right from wrong, mastering negotiations with peers, sharing, helping others and generally being able to make and keep friends. Parents can encourage socialising with friends and relatives of a similar age to accomplish such things.
Additional soft skills will help little ones thrive as well as fit in and be positively viewed once they begin school. Examples of soft skills to nurture in children before they begin school include good communication (verbal as well as non-verbal), listening, an understanding of empathy, cooperation, teamwork, negotiation, problem-solving, resilience, adaptability, good organisation, creativity, resilience and time management. Mastering these will stand children in very good stead at school.

In the Weeks Running Up to Starting School:

One of the small but impactful things you can do to better prepare your child for starting school is ensuring they have a friend joining at the same time. When starting school is only a few weeks away, there are several small but impactful things you can do to better prepare your child for the transition:

Forewarn your child that they’ll be starting school soon and give them further reminders as the start date draws closer. This will avoid any nasty shock when the day arrives and help prepare their mindset.
Talk about it often as the day draws nearer. Encourage questions, answer them, and listen to any misgivings your child may have. Reassure your child whenever they seem apprehensive.
Focus on the positives of school, such as all the new friends they’ll make, all the new activities they’ll participate in, new play equipment and sports facilities, and how school can be a huge adventure.
Show them the school, initially through a brochure or website and later during an organised visit where you can both ask questions during the tour. This will help them feel more at home when they arrive as well as helping them know what to expect.
Find a friend who will also be attending the same school and the same class. Perhaps one of their peers from nursery/preschool may be attending — perfect if so. If not, ask around to find someone who is and arrange play dates so the children can get acquainted in advance. Knowing they will have a friend there in advance is going to help your child hugely once they start school.
Ensure your child gets ample sleep, especially in the run-up to starting school, otherwise, they’ll struggle to stay awake or concentrate at school. Sleep is incredibly good for children anyway.
Allow children to sync their body clocks with the hours they’ll be awake once they begin school. So, set a suitable bedtime and getting up time for your child in the weeks before school starts — and stick to it. Towards bedtime, allow your child to gently wind down and ensure they avoid the use of electronic screens (TVs, iPads etc.) during this period. It will help your child get to sleep.
Purchase/source any uniform, Wellington boots, shoes, clothes, backpack and PE kit required for school, ensuring it’ll all be the right size for your child once they begin. It’s a good idea to put your child’s name on each item too. Check with your child’s school what else they may need, for example, stationery, lunch box, etc.
Practise the school route. A dummy run along the route to school on a weekday is a great idea during the week before your child begins school. Time it to coincide with the real schedule you’ll be following once your child is attending so that you’ll get a feel for how much traffic there will be. Make any adjustments needed so you’ll not be late when the time comes.

On the Day Before the 1st Day of School:

Pack your child’s backpack and ensure it includes everything they’ll need. For example, perhaps a snack and/or lunch box, any spare clothes, PE kit, stationery if needed, and so on.
Ensure everything is labelled with their name, as appropriate.
Go through the backpack with your child so they know what’s in there and where everything is.

On the Day:

Be on time. Dropping off or picking up late will stress both you and your child out!
Don’t fuss; it’ll only make your child more nervous.
Remind your child that you’ll be there to pick them up at the end of the school day.

Outstanding Childcare & Early Years Education in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

Award-Winning Weekday Childcare Services in Central Lancashire

Little Acorns is an outstanding nursery and preschool located in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley. This is backed up by our prestigious Best Individual Nursery Award and an ‘Outstanding Provider’ status from Ofsted. So, if you’d like your baby, toddler, or preschooler to have the very best start in life, consider Little Acorns Day Nursery. We’ll bring out the very best in them and do everything possible to ensure they’re as ready as possible by the time they leave us to begin school.

Please select an option from the buttons below to get started on your application, ask a question or request a guided tour with your little one.

Apply Today Book a Tour Message Us 01772 696288

Little Acorns Nursery is also conveniently close by for families in Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village, Whittle-le-Woods, Farington, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Euxton, Leyland and Penwortham.

15th May 2024/by Mark

Activities for Children, Children, Early Years Education, Learning & Development, Mammals, Nature, Nature Activities for Kids, Nursery, Preschoolers, Toddlers, Under-5s

Let’s Get to Know Wild Mammals! An Educational Nature Activity for Kids — with Free Poster

Children and childcare staff at Little Acorns Nursery love nature. So, with World Wildlife Day coming earlier this month and Spring now upon us, it’s the perfect opportunity to release our free Wild Mammals poster. Shown in full colour and printable in high resolution at A3 or A4, it features 20 British¹ wild land mammals that young children can learn to identify and look out for. Some can be seen when on walks, on holiday, or even perhaps at the local park, while others are rather more elusive — but that just makes it more exciting for children when they finally spot them! The poster is perfect for displaying on the wall at home — and is a fun way to both intrigue and educate children, including under-fives. With that in mind, why not download your free land mammals poster today, print it out, and get your little ones closer to nature?

“Nature is a tool to get children to experience not just the wider world. But themselves.” (Stephen Moss)

Nature is So Good for Children!

As we’ve reported before, nature is really good for children! Its many benefits include improved attention, reduced stress, better academic performance, improved self-confidence, higher levels of empathy, enhanced fitness, motor skills and coordination, boosted imaginations and a whole raft of other important benefits. Learn more about the importance of nature to children here.

“Children are born with a sense of wonder and an affinity for nature. Properly cultivated, these values can mature into ecological literacy, and eventually into sustainable patterns of living.” (Zenobia Barlow)

Importantly too, nature-based activities like spotting mammals, birds, butterflies, minibeasts, and wildflowers will also encourage children to get actively interested in conservation issues as they grow older. By appreciating nature and flora and fauna from a young age, they are more likely to want to help protect the natural world in the future, including into adulthood. Such a path can lead to healthier lifestyles, greener choices, and a better world for everyone to live in. And that’s all part of what World Wildlife Day was all about back on the 3rd of March this year.

Download Your Free Wild Mammals Poster

With all that in mind, take a look at the preview of today’s free British Wild Mammals poster below. Click it to view or download the high-resolution PDF version, which will give you the best print-out quality. Whether you right- or left-click to download the poster file will depend on your own particular device’s set-up, so perhaps try both and you’ll soon see which type of click will enable you to save the PDF poster to your device’s drive. Then view it in Acrobat (available free here) and print it out from there.

“We don’t inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” (Unknown)

So, try to ensure children under your care get ample access to nature and the natural environment — it’s so good for them. The free wildlife posters and charts available on this website should help to encourage that, whilst intriguing and educating children too.

Looking for an Outstanding Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley?

Little Acorns Nursery is an outstanding, award-winning childcare provider

Little Acorns is an outstanding and award-winning childcare nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley. Ofsted rates us an ‘Outstanding Provider’ and our National Nursery award speaks volumes about the quality of our childcare service. So, if you want the very best start for your baby, toddler or preschooler and live in Central Lancashire, Little Acorns Nursery offers an outstanding choice. We give children a complete early years education and bring out the very best in them so they can reach their full potential. We also support Government-funded childcare schemes for eligible families.

Get in touch to register your child for a nursery place, or come for a visit to see how well they’ll fit in. We’re here to answer any questions too.

Apply Today Book a Tour Message Us 01772 696288

Little Acorns is a nursery and preschool in Clayton-le-Woods, near Chorley, offering the highest-quality childcare and early years education to under-fives. That includes those from nearby towns and villages including Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village, Whittle-le-Woods, Farington, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Euxton, Leyland and Penwortham.

^{1. By ‘British’ we mean wild mammals that can be found in Britain. We appreciate, however, that some animals shown on the poster are not indigenous to the UK and originated in other countries. Examples include the Muntjac Deer, which came over from China, and some red squirrels that were imported from abroad to bolster our own dwindling populations.}

15th March 2024/by Mark

Tag Archive for: Little Acorns

What is the New Government Guidance for Screen Time for Children Under Five?

What is the New Guidance Based On?

What Else Does the EYSTAG Report Recommend for Families with Children Under Five?

Electronic Screen Content Matters

Online Safety

Parental Use of Smartphones in Front of Children

Final Thoughts

Little Acorns Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods

A High-Quality Childcare Nursery With its Own Forest School

Nursery Places in Clayton-le-Woods, Near Chorley

So Many Parenting Names & Styles!

Key Elements of Parenting Styles

Authoritative Parenting

The So-Called ‘Gold Standard’ of Parenting Styles

Outcomes from Authoritative Parenting

The Gentle Parenting Style

Outcomes from Gentle Parenting

The Permissive Parenting Style

Outcomes from Permissive Parenting

The Authoritarian Parenting Style

Outcomes from Authoritarian Parenting

Uninvolved Parenting

Outcomes from Uninvolved Parenting

Final Thoughts

High-Quality Childcare in Clayton-le-Woods

Little Acorns Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

We Remember Nothing Before the Age of 3

Newborn Babies have Heart Rates Twice as Fast as Adults

4.44 Babies Are Born Every Second!*

The Birth Rate in England & Wales is Falling

September is the Most Popular Month for Baby Births

Boxing Day Has the Lowest Birth Rate

Parents Are Getting Older When Babies Are Born

Over Half the World’s Babies are Born in Asia*

Babies Have Gills in the Womb (Kind of)

Human Foetuses Have Tails

Babies Grow Fur in the Womb

Babies Have 3 Times More Taste Buds Than Adults

Babies Have Almost 50% More Bones Than Adults

Babies Do Not Cry Tears When First Born

Babies’ Brains Double in Size in the First Year

High-Quality Childcare in Clayton-le-Woods

Little Acorns Nursery: a first-class weekday childcare service for Under-5s near Chorley

Come Along — And Save!

Nursery Open Day: Saturday 1 November 2025, 10 am – 1 pm

What Children Should Look Out For

Download Your Child’s Free Summer Nature Hunt Poster

Spending Time Around Nature is Hugely Beneficial to Children

Other Free Nature Activity Posters for Children

Little Acorns Nursery: Quality Childcare in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

The best start in life for babies & children under five in Central Lancashire

Safety Notice

World Bee Day

2026’s World Bee Day Theme:

How World Bee Day Supports Early Years Learning

Bee-Themed Activities for Under-Fives

Plant a Pollinator Patch

Make Buzzy Bee Crafts

Bee-Themed Storytime

Sing and Dance Like a Bee

Go Bee-Spotting

Honey Tasting and Talk

Let’s Celebrate Bees on World Bee Day

Nursery Places in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

Contact Little Acorns Nursery

There’s So Much for Children to Discover in Winter

Download our Free Winter Nature Hunt Reference Sheet

More Free Nature Activity Posters for Kids:

Little Acorns Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

High-quality Weekday Childcare for Under-5s in Central Lancashire

Safety Notice

The Benefits of Understanding Maths Concepts in the Early Years

Enhanced Vocabulary Development & Language Skills

Improved Cognitive Skills

Stimulated Creativity & Imagination

A Foundation for School Success

What Kind of Maths Concepts Can Parents Teach Tots?

How to Go About It

Little Acorns: an Outstanding Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley