Claire's Childcare - Hygge in the Early Years Accredited Setting

03/11/2025

Who LOVES sparklers? ✨
Me! I absolutely love them, and under the right conditions (and with plenty of supervision) they can be enjoyed safely with our little ones.
We all know the sparkle of Bonfire Night is magical , but tiny hands and sparklers aren’t always the best mix!

Here’s a simple tweak that makes it safer and still fun:
➡️ Use a carrot, parsnip, potato, or sweet potato as a chunky “sparkler handle.”
They’re sturdy, easy to grip (even with gloves on), and make a great safety barrier for little hands.
Then just enjoy watching the lights, colours, and sounds from a safe distance or make your own “sparklers” with ribbons, pipe cleaners, or sticks for an indoor version.
Because staying safe means staying calm and that’s a win for little nervous systems (and ours too!). 💛

25/10/2025

Here's to fighting the germs quickly, celebrating birthdays and relaxing with blankets, onesies and biscuits!

21/10/2025

⭐️Best Start in Life⭐️

Childcare Choices has now evolved into 'Best Start in Life' in line with the government's Best Start in Life Strategy. Parents can check their eligibility for government funded childcare support as well as much more! https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/

Please ensure you are signposting parents to the new website for advice and support from pregnancy to childcare, right through to starting school.

17/10/2025

09/10/2025

🎃 Pumpkin Painting – Simple Magic in Action

Sometimes the simplest setups spark the most imagination.
This little pumpkin painting activity took five minutes to put together but gave us so many moments of learning, laughter, and conversation.

🖌️ The children explored brushes and dabbers, building fine motor skills without even realising it.

🎨 They experimented with colour mixing and patterns, chatting about what they saw and felt “Mine’s a happy face!”

💬 We even talked about emotions as they drew how we can show feelings through art and expression.

I love how activities like this remind us that children don’t need fancy resources just space to explore, create, and lead their own learning.

Simple. Joyful. Full of learning.

03/10/2025

🍂 Autumn Adventures in the Leaves 🍂

One of the simplest joys of childhood is an autumn walk and as you can see, the children loved every moment of leaf play!

But it’s not just fun… there are so many hidden benefits:

✨ Physical Development – running, jumping, kicking and throwing leaves helps with coordination, balance, and those all-important gross motor skills.
✨ Language Growth – autumn walks give endless chances to learn new words (crunchy, crispy, rustling, swirling!) and to share their excitement.
✨ Sensory Exploration – leaves are nature’s loose parts! Children get to feel different textures, hear the crunch underfoot, smell that earthy autumn air, and see the changing colours.
✨ Social Skills – collecting, piling, throwing, and giggling together helps children practice turn-taking, teamwork, and kindness.
✨ Imagination & Creativity – leaves become confetti, blankets for teddies, pretend soup in the mud kitchen… their play has no limits!

Autumn really is a magical classroom. 🍁 Every walk is a chance to slow down, notice the world around us, and see the season through the children’s eyes.

Next time you’re out, scoop up a handful of leaves with your little one and see where their imagination takes you the best resources really do come free from nature!

29/09/2025

You know it’s going to be a good Monday when your park trip comes with a live construction show.

What better way to kick off the week than a sunny autumn morning at the park? 🍂

The children were captivated watching a digger and a tractor hard at work pulling up bushes real-life learning in action! 🚜 Once the show was over, they dived straight into the sand for play and exploration.

👉 Tip for the week: Notice the little unexpected moments. Whether it’s a digger at the park, a squirrel chasing acorns, or a change in the leaves, slowing down to watch with the children turns an ordinary outing into something extraordinary

26/09/2025

Before you rush into the weekend, stop and ask yourself:

💭 What actually went well this week?

Was it…
✔️ Getting all three little ones asleep at the same time (victory dance optional)
✔️ A successful outing without a single meltdown
✔️ An activity that actually worked (and didn’t end in chaos)
✔️ Or one of those tiny “wow moments” that makes the job worth it

We’ve had a busy week here lucky enough to explore some new places in the gorgeous September sunshine. The children practiced balancing skills at a new park, we watched ducks diving under the water, discovered shiny acorns, AND I even managed to get four children napping at once (yes, really 🙌). To top it off, one little one has started saying everyone’s names just the sweetest milestone.

Your turn: What’s your Feel-Good Friday moment this week?

25/09/2025

Back to babies this term?

By now I’m sure you’ve remembered my top three tips:
✨ Less is more
✨ Keep it simple
✨ And… they’ll eat anything off the floor!

Because with little ones, everything is an experiment. A single crumb quickly becomes a full scientific investigation:

👀 Observation: “Ooo, what’s that?”
❓ Question: “Should I eat it?”
💡 Hypothesis: “Yes, definitely food.”
🥄 Experiment: in the mouth it goes!
📊 Analysis: “Eww… nope.”
✨ Conclusion: The crumb is proudly handed back to you.

Funny as it is, this is how babies and toddlers learn with all their senses. It’s messy, unpredictable, and completely essential for their brain development.

Our role as childminders is to guide these “mini scientists” safely through their discoveries:
✔️ Offering safe objects to explore
✔️ Rotating toys to keep curiosity alive
✔️ Smiling through the experiments that don’t quite work out (while whisking away the actual crumbs!)

Even the tiniest everyday moments are filled with learning opportunities we just have to spot them.

24/09/2025

Did you know? The NHS recommends 180 minutes (3 hours!) of active play every day for under-5s.

That’s not always easy when the weather turns or the week feels hectic.

But here’s what I’ve learned over the last 10 years, finding local spots with paths, toilets, and space to roam makes those hours so much easier to achieve.
We are lucky to have so many places nearby, and the children thrive on the adventure.

💖 Nature really is the best classroom.

23/09/2025

Cold fingers, muddy boots, and magical moments that’s autumn with little ones outdoors.

As a childminder, I’m always looking for places where children can explore safely, laugh loudly, and learn naturally. I feel so lucky to have passes to beautiful local spots that give us both adventure and comfort paths for easy walking, toilets nearby (vital with little ones!), and even the promise of a hot drink for the grown-ups.

Of course, not every day is about racing through puddles sometimes it’s slower. A “plod and gaze” kind of day, where we stop at waterfalls, watch swans glide, or just listen to the forest sounds. And that’s just as important.

The trick is learning to adjust because the first five minutes tell you everything about the day you’re about to have. Trust your instincts, lean into the moment, and the giggles (and calm) will always follow.

Where’s your favourite place to take your little ones when the weather turns colder?