https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/tag/lostock-hall/ Wed, 26 Nov 2025 11:27:34 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 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/winter-nature-hunt-activity-for-children/ Sun, 15 Dec 2024 08:15:07 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=6832 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!]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/tips-for-potty-training-tots/ Mon, 15 Apr 2024 14:07:25 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=6330 One of the key tasks all tots must face, in tandem with parents, is potty training. It's something we all had to master as toddlers and therefore we know it's 100% achievable — despite it sometimes seeming to be rather a challenge. Achieving success, though, will improve the quality of life for the child, the parent, and other guardians involved in the child's care. Learning to master the use of the potty and later the toilet will also be a major boost to self-confidence and independence when the child is at nursery, preschool, and later school. With that in mind, today's guide outlines our top tips for successful potty training.]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/encouraging-learning-through-play-at-home/ Thu, 14 Dec 2023 18:01:24 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=6048 As we discussed in our recent post The Power of Learning Through Play in Early Childhood, play helps babies and children to improve cognitive skills, social skills, motor skills and emotional growth. It feeds the imagination, boosts creativity and fosters a love of learning. Language skills benefit, problem-solving abilities are enhanced, and children naturally pick up maths concepts and even elements of science through play. With that in mind, today's post follows up with the topic of Encouraging Learning Through Play at Home.

How to Encourage Learning Through Play at Home

Play-based learning doesn't stop when children leave childcare nurseries; it continues at home, where parents and caregivers play a crucial role in fostering an environment that supports exploration, curiosity, and growth through play. Through the suggestions outlined below, parents can help children more optimally benefit from everything that learning through play provides — while at home.]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/autumn-nature-hunt-activity-for-children/ Wed, 15 Nov 2023 14:32:20 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=6100 By mid-November, autumn is in full swing and leaves are turning a myriad of different colours. Scenes of green, yellow, red and golden trees can be breathtakingly beautiful and the air is often crystal clear at this time of year — that's great for photos! The autumn season also brings with it a treasure trove of fascinating natural things that children can discover if they take the time to look. Indeed, an autumn nature hunt is the perfect excuse for little ones to spend some time outdoors, where they will also benefit from outdoor play and everything that nature has to offer children. Whether finding gorgeous sweet chestnuts, cute acorns, dangly catkins, fascinating fir cones or highly coloured leaves, children will love an autumn treasure hunt and are sure to be enthralled by what they find. It's a magical time of year! With all that in mind, we have prepared a free activity sheet that children and families can download, print out, and take with them as a visual reference when they next venture outdoors. We suggest children make a start soon, while all the natural wonders are abundant. Download your free Autumn Nature Hunt Reference Sheet (preview below) and get started today!]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/wildlife-friendly-flower-growing-activity-for-under-fives/ Fri, 14 Jul 2023 15:34:54 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=5907 Today's flower-growing children's activity follows on nicely from last month's butterfly-counting activity. Once again, it focuses on getting children outdoors, closer to nature, and doing some good for conservation and local wildlife — including butterflies. Also, as we know, outdoor play is important and getting closer to nature is hugely beneficial to children. This time, it's all about growing wildflowers that help to feed pollinators and encourage them to come to gardens, balconies, patios, plant pots, and window boxes where children live. As well as butterflies, the pollinators include bees, hoverflies, dragonflies, damselflies, and some non-flying insects like beetles. What's more, you may well find that wildflowers attract birds and sometimes even bats too! Pollinators are not only beautiful and adorable, but they're essential for a healthy environment and to pollinate food crops. So, all in all, this is another hugely worthwhile activity for under-fives and older children to get involved in. It's also great fun and educational. So, without further delay, here is our simple guide explaining how children and families can start growing wildlife-friendly flowers to support and attract these magical little creatures. Enjoy!]]> https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/special-educational-needs-disabilities-send/ Sun, 15 Jan 2023 16:30:17 +0000 https://www.littleacornsnursery.school/?p=5548 Today, we look at how early years childcare providers like Little Acorns Nursery can help children under five if they have special educational needs and disabilities. This is often referred to as ‘SEND’ or in longer forms like ‘SEN and disabilities’. Let's explore the topic to get an overview of some of the help available.

Childcare Help for Children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

Early years and childcare providers can support children under five in a variety of ways if they have special educational or developmental needs, and/or a disability. Indeed, helping affected children as early as possible in their lives is of paramount importance...]]>