Tag Archive for: day nurseries

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Food Safety & Hygiene Around Children — a Guide for Parents

Food Safety & Hygiene Around Children — a Guide for Parents

Today's post outlines various ways in which parents can stay on top of hygiene and safety around the preparation of food.With all the food and feasting associated with Christmas, it got us thinking about food hygiene and safety for children. Aside from keeping alert to possible allergens, parents need to be careful to ensure families remain safe from illnesses caused by food hygiene mishaps. After all, such illnesses can be particularly dangerous to little ones, who are fragile, but can be largely avoidable when good hygiene measures are taken. With that in mind, today’s post outlines various ways in which parents can stay on top of hygiene around the preparation of food for their children. And, of course, such measures will keep adults safer too.

A Clean Environment for Food Preparation

Ensure the food preparation environment is clean and hygienic to reduce the chance of microbes contaminating food.Ensuring the food preparation environment is clean and hygienic will reduce the chance of microbes, including germs and viruses, contaminating food. Wiping down with warm, soapy, water on clean dish cloths is ideal for many such tasks. Anti-bacterial sprays are useful but should not be allowed to contaminate food, plates and cutlery etc. directly or indirectly.

  • Keep kitchen worktops, sinks, cupboard doors, drawer handles and door knobs clean and hygienic.
  • Remember to do likewise for electronic appliance doors, handles, knobs, and buttons. For example, on fridges, freezers, microwaves, air fryers, ovens, and hobs.
  • Utensils also need to be clean and hygienic before being used for food preparation.
  • Cutlery, plates, food bowls, and serving bowls/utensils also need to be spotlessly clean before food is served on them.
  • Tea towels, hand towels and dish cloths should be regularly laundered in hot water to prevent them being contaminated or becoming breeding grounds for bacteria.
  • Do not let pets, e.g. cats, access worktops etc. where food is prepared.

Good Personal Hygiene

Always wash hands and fingers well before handling food - and teach children to do so too.

Those preparing food, whether they are parents, relatives, or children helping, also need to ensure good hygiene protocols are followed.

  • Wash hands and fingers thoroughly using warm soapy water, rinse well and dry using a clean towel or equivalent before preparing food.
  • Ensure long hair is tied back for both personal safety and food hygiene reasons.
  • Food should not be prepared by anyone who is feeling ill or who has any kind of bug.
  • Avoid coughing or sneezing near food.
  • Avoid smoking near food preparation and eating areas; it’s not good for children – or adults.

Safety & Hygiene Around Food Preparation

In regard to food safety, some key basics are essential to get right.

  • It's best to use eggs stamped with the Red Lion (British Lion Mark).Only feed children, especially babies and under-fives, age-appropriate food/meals. This is very important because many foods contain too much salt, sugar and saturated fats for young children. Some other foods can contain dangerous levels of toxins or even heavy metals. Learn more on the NHS website.
  • Feed children a healthy, balanced diet with appropriate portion sizes.
  • Only use food, that’s been stored correctly, within its ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ dates.
  • Read food packaging to ensure you are not using anything containing known allergens that affect your child, or any ingredients they’re intolerant to.
  • Prepare food according to instructions on food packets, for example, in regard to cooking times, cooking temperatures and, if appropriate, defrosting times.
  • Ensure frozen food is thoroughly defrosted before cooking.
  • Always ensure cooked food is fully cooked, including on the inside, before serving.
  • Before serving, test the food’s temperature to ensure it’s not too hot for your child. This is especially important for food that is microwaved as it may not cook evenly without stirring/mixing and can also continue cooking once removed from the appliance.

The safe handling and preparation of food itself is also crucial. There are some specifics to be aware of:

  • Always thoroughly wash vegetables, fruit and salads before use.Always thoroughly wash vegetables, fruit and salads and, when appropriate, peel vegetables before use.
  • Rice is a special case to be wary of (see next section for more details).
  • Never feed eggs to children under 6 months.
  • For children over 6 months of age, it’s best to source chicken eggs stamped with the Red Lion (British Lion Mark), particularly if they’re to be only lightly cooked or used raw, for example, in mayonnaise.
  • All other types of egg must be thoroughly cooked, so that both yolk and egg white are firm and opaque, before serving to children.
  • Always ensure fish, shellfish, prawns, and other seafood is cooked thoroughly.

Safety Around Food Storage

  • Ensure your fridge is set to the right temperature and that its door remains fully closed when not being accessed.
  • Keep it clean and clear up any spillages right away if they occur.
  • Keep foods like meat, fish, and seafood in the fridge until needed (discard if past their ‘use by’ date).
  • Raw meat, fish and seafoods should be separated, stowed in individual containers with covers, and stored away from other foods on the bottom shelf of the fridge. By doing so, it will avoid the likelihood of them dripping onto other foods.
  • Never be tempted to put pre-cooked food in the fridge or freezer while it is still warm, especially near meat and seafood products.
  • Instead, ensure they are rapidly cooled before placing into the fridge/freezer (e.g. by placing in a sealed Tupperware-type container and running under the cold tap).
  • Meat and fish/seafood should be rapidly cooled within 1 to 2 hours maximum before placing in the fridge or freezer once fully cold.
  • Rice is a special case and must be rapidly cooled within one hour before placing in the fridge. This is so as to avoid the build-up of toxins that are particular to rice.
  • For the same reason, rice should only ever be reheated a maximum of once and then only eaten if consumed within 24 hours of being originally cooked.
  • Frozen food is best labelled and dated to better ensure that it is consumed within an appropriate time.

Teach Your Child About Food Safety & Hygiene

It's hugely beneficial if children are taught about safety and hygiene associated with food preparation.It’s hugely beneficial if children learn about food safety and proper hygiene associated with its preparation. Such things are useful life lessons and will help to keep them more safe and free of illnesses and nasty bugs. Teach them by example whenever possible. A great start is to encourage them to thoroughly wash their hands and fingers with warm, soapy water before preparing or eating food. They should also be encouraged to sit down at the table and be in a calm state before eating. This will help to better ensure food does not become contaminated or knocked onto a dirty floor. It will also reduce the chance of the child choking on food.

Food is one of life’s great pleasures and ensuring good hygiene around its preparation will help to keep it that way. Teaching children good hygiene habits will not only help to keep them safe and well, but will also encourage independence and the development of responsibility. Such things are key skills they’ll need as they grow older, particularly when they start school.

Healthy Eating at Little Cedars Nursery, SW16

Little Cedars is a nursery & preschool offering high-quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.Ofsted rates Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good Provider

At Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham, we recognise how important good food and high-quality meals are to children under five. When it’s right, it boosts cognitive function and energy levels, ensures they receive good nutrition as they grow, and boosts their overall well-being. We therefore employ our own in-house chef who prepares fresh, balanced meals for children every day. The menu is varied, accounts for special diets, and uses only the most fresh, high-quality ingredients. Click the following bold link for our guide to healthy eating for under-fives.

A Nursery Place for Your Child in Streatham

To learn more about Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham and explore a possible place for your child, please get in touch:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

Safety Notice

PLEASE NOTE: These are starter guidelines only — parents/guardians should do their own comprehensive risk assessments. Children should only help to prepare food under close adult supervision. Ensure they keep safe from sharp implements like knives and heat sources like stoves, ovens, and even hot food. There are also other potentially harmful things in kitchens such as chillies, which could get into their eyes if handled inappropriately, and harmful chemicals in things like dishwasher tablets. So, check thoroughly, supervise children, and be alert. In case of an emergency, call 999 to seek urgent medical attention.

 

 

 

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The Magic of a Storytelling Nook for Under-5s

The Magic of a Storytelling Nook for Under-5s

A storytelling nook at home is something that children, particularly under-fives, will find magical. It’ll particularly come into its own once winter arrives, being somewhere warm and cosy that children can nestle with a parent, carer, or older sibling. There, they can enjoy high-quality shared moments together. In a corner dedicated to the task, an adult and child can read and share stories, steer clear of inclement weather, and escape on an unlimited number of imaginary adventures. Through the power of the written or spoken word, children’s imaginations can be taken to a myriad of destinations, situations and climes. Sharing stories in such a way will be a truly precious part of their childhood, particularly if undertaken regularly. What’s more, reading with children is proven to benefit little ones enormously. With all this in mind, today’s post outlines how to set up a storytelling nook at home and make it successful for your child.

Set Up a Storytelling Nook for Success

Any successful storytelling nook needs to be warm, cosy, quiet and comfortable.Any successful storytelling nook needs to be warm, cosy, quiet and comfortable. That means choosing a corner or recess of some kind in the home that’s away from distractions like TVs and game consoles. Somewhere that’s not used as a thoroughfare by other family members will also help. Wherever you choose, it also needs to be warm. Therefore, somewhere away from draughts is required, so avoid being too close to entrances and exits to the outside. A corner of a quiet room or a tranquil alcove are therefore often ideal spots for your child’s storytelling nook.

To make it more cosy and comfortable, add soft, padded cushions or beanbags. Blankets will make it even more comfy and allow children to wrap themselves up in readiness for each storytelling or reading session. You can take it further by adding magical fairy lights, perhaps adorning a teepee or mini indoor tent in which to ‘nest’. Children will absolutely love the cosy and safe feel of such an area. Indeed, it’s very Hygge, as the Danish would say (a “cosy, contented mood evoked by comfort and conviviality”). By taking such steps in the set-up of a storytelling and reading nook, children will naturally be drawn to spend time there. The real bonus is that it will further encourage them to spend time reading with parents, which is beneficial to them in a myriad of ways.

Theme Your Storytelling Nook – for Extra Engagement!

You/your child can even theme the storytelling nook. For example,

  • In Autumn your child could collect dried leaves and attach them to the play tent or stick them to the edge of a nearby bookshelf.
  • In winter, they could cut out home-made snowflake art, or characters like snowmen to decorate their nook.
  • At Christmas, they could create cut-out Santas, stars, holly leaf paintings and suchlike to cut out and adorn the teepee entrance.
  • Alternative themes might include soft animal toys, teddies, farm animals, their favourite cuddly toy, and so on.

The various storytelling nook themes can be taken a step further by combining them with storytelling topics that are thematically matched. To illustrate the point, the children’s book “The Snowman” by Raymond Briggs would be an ideal match when the nook is decorated with a winter or Christmas theme.

Regular theme updates will give more life and longevity to your child’s storytelling nook; it’ll make it more inviting, engaging and, in a word, successful. Theming, along with the aforementioned measures to make it comfy and cosy, attracts children and ensures they are drawn to the storytelling area. In turn, this helps encourage children to garner a love of reading and creative stories. Such things are both magical and immensely beneficial to them, so putting effort into a storytelling nook will be a hugely worthwhile undertaking.

Captivate Your Child Through Expressive Storytelling

Being animated and expressive really brings a story to life.Whether reading from a book or creating a new story off the top of one’s head, there’s something that really brings a story to life — being animated and expressive during storytelling, rather like actors might do. That’s true whether it’s the adult or the child telling the story.

Examples of how to add extra expression and dynamics to a story include:

  • Adding theatrics like hand movements and facial expressions to the storytelling;
  • Using props — like a hand puppet or soft toy to bring life to a character or situation in the story;
  • Using different voices for different characters in the story;
  • Using varying tones and volumes as appropriate to the storyline — whispering here creates suspense, bellowing there creates drama, and so on;

Such facets give life to characters, make storylines seem more real, and create a much more immersive experience for a child.

Encourage Your Child to Join In

Encouraging children to join in with certain parts of the storytelling also makes it more immersive — and fun! For example, allow them to exclaim ‘Yes!’, ‘No!’, ‘Ooh!’, and ‘Ahh!’, when appropriate to the storyline, to ask questions, and add in their own ideas for how the story can unfold. Not only do such activities bring things to life, but they also draw children into the story and encourage them to exercise their imaginations, get creative, and even problem-solve. Such skills can often lead to great strides in creativity, critical thinking, and ultimately even to careers in creative, theatrical, scientific, or technical fields.

Storytelling Nooks – a Wonderful Addition for Any Family

Storytelling nooks open up whole new worlds to children and are a wonderful antidote to electronic screens, gloomy weather, and shorter daylight hours over winter.Do consider adding a storytelling nook or reading corner to your child’s home. They’re great vehicles for escapism, are incredibly worthwhile, and offer potentially magical experiences for your child. And, if you go the extra mile to make them cosy, immersive and special, they will encourage your child to love reading and creating new adventures using their imagination. Storytelling nooks and reading corners can open up whole new worlds to your child and be a wonderful antidote to electronic screens, gloomy weather, and more limited daylight during winter months. What’s more, they’re a great way for all parties to grow deeper bonds through shared periods of exquisitely immersive, high-quality time.

Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

Ofsted rates Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderLittle Cedars is a nursery & preschool offering high-quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.At Little Cedars Day Nursery in Streatham, we nurture every aspect of children’s reading, language, vocabulary, creativity, self-expression and so much more. Guided reading, two-way interactive feedback and creative storytelling are just some of the ways we approach this. We know just how important reading with children is and how much it benefits them — it’s potentially transformative! As such, we encourage parents to read with their children too. What better way to do so than in a magical storytelling nook? There, both parent and child can get comfy, totally immerse themselves in the story, and take themselves on adventures to incredible places and situations.

Little Cedars Nursery is located in Streatham, close to Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, Streatham Park, Tooting Common, Tooting, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood. If you would like to consider a place there for your child, please get started today:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit Message Us 020 8677 9675
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The Dangers of Kissing Babies

The Dangers of Kissing Babies & How Parents Can Protect Them

The natural instinct of many adults is to kiss the new baby of a friend or relative. Yet many are unaware of how potentially dangerous kissing an infant baby can be. Indeed, in the worst scenarios, the child could be permanently damaged or even lose their life. As many adults are simply unaware of such dangers, today’s article exposes the risks that a simple kiss can represent to a newborn or infant baby and why it’s essential for parents to take precautions to protect them.

“A nationwide survey of 2,300 new and expectant parents … found that 54% would let friends and family kiss their newborn baby, unaware of the risk of serious infection.” — The Lullaby Trust∞

Babies Have Immature Immune Systems & Are More at Risk

Immune systems are complex things and, despite babies being passed a level of protection via their mother’s milk, it can take some time before babies’ immune systems are advanced enough to fight off infections that an older child is naturally protected against. In the first few months of a newborn baby’s life, they have immature immune systems and therefore they are far more susceptible to infections than older children and adults. What’s more worrying, though, is that being exposed to certain viruses and microbes can cause irreparable harm to them — and even death.

“Even infections that cause mild symptoms such as a common cold in adults and older children can be life-threatening for babies” — The Lullaby Trust

The ‘Blood-Brain Barrier’

Without getting too technical, the Blood-Brain Barrier (‘BBB’) can be thought of as a thick, semipermeable membrane of special cells that protect the brain. In tandem with allowing oxygen and nutrients to be delivered from the bloodstream to the brain, it helps to retain good things inside it. Importantly, the BBB also helps to keep out germs, diseases, toxic substances, and other potentially damaging impurities from entry into the brain.

The ‘Blood-Brain Barrier’ Takes Months to Mature

Here’s the important thing in respect to babies: in newborn and infant babies, the blood-brain barrier is not fully developed and their immune systems are still being trained. And, although born with a blood-brain barrier, that barrier needs further time to develop as it continues to tighten, thereby protecting the brain more during a child’s early life. That’s incredibly important to grasp because infections in the brain can be potentially catastrophic and especially so for babies under the age of 4 months.

An infection that could cause mild symptoms in older children and adults could be life-threatening for newborns.

What’s the Worst That Can Happen to Compromised Babies?

A baby whose brain is compromised by an infection crossing an immature blood-brain barrier can suffer potentially catastrophic consequences. A brain infection can lead to brain inflammation, brain swelling, brain damage, loss of consciousness, stroke, seizures, epilepsy, and potentially even death. It’s critically important, therefore, to protect children from such potential risks, especially in their first few months and during their first year.

“The younger the baby, the more vulnerable they are to the harmful effects of infection.” — NHS

The Risks from Kissing Babies

So, what has all this got to do with kissing babies? Well, because the BBB in babies and young infants is immature, the risks of infection to the brain are far higher. General germs, viruses and colds are, of course, a concern along with illnesses that cause ill health, diarrhoea or vomiting. However, active cold sores are a particular worry to parents who are aware of the safety issues around kissing babies. That’s because the virus that causes cold sores is actually the herpes simplex∞ virus, which can be passed to the baby through a simple kiss on the head. It’s a very common virus and, indeed, most adults carry the HSV-1 variant of the virus but don’t realise they do. For adults, it causes cold sores but can also cause genital herpes (HSV-2).

“The herpes simplex virus can be passed to a baby through a cold sore if a person has a cold sore and kisses the baby.” — NHS

If infected by neonatal herpes∞, a baby could become seriously ill or even die, particularly if the infection spreads to the infant’s internal organs. This is therefore a serious issue that parents need to be aware of and take measures against. And it’s all the more important in the earliest part of a baby’s life due to the immaturity of their immune system and BBB.

“A baby is most at risk of getting a herpes infection in the first 4 weeks after birth.” — NHS

Cold sore infections are most contagious when the blisters they cause burst, and remain a danger until fully healed. Therefore it’s important never to let anyone with such a condition touch or kiss a baby.

Measures Parents Can Take to Protect Babies

Parents who show signs of infection and any visitors (who could, in theory, be carrying anything) should follow some simple rules to help newborns and young infants stay safer from harmful infections.

  1. Wash hands before touching babies.
  2. Never kiss a newborn baby or infant, particularly on the head, except when you’re their parent or main carer and are in good health.
  3. Even if you are their parent or main carer, avoid kissing them and wash hands before breastfeeding if you have recently been unwell or, of course, if you have any kind of infection.
  4. Parents/carers with cold sore blisters or other herpes-related lesions should cover them whenever they’re around babies.
  5. Parents/carers should alert family members and other visitors about the risks, especially when babies are at their youngest.

“Despite the risk, 63% of new and expectant parents would feel uneasy asking visitors not to touch their baby, worried that they’d offend someone, hurt their feelings, or be labelled an overprotective parent.” — NHS

Telling family and friends why you don’t want them to touch or kiss a baby can feel awkward. However, the risks are huge to babies, so such requests are essential. In view of this, The Lullaby Trust has produced the following video, which can be shared by parents to make communication about this issue less difficult:

With the right approach, it’s possible for friends and family to meet your new baby while taking steps to help prevent infection.

Weekday Childcare for Babies & Under-5s in Streatham

Little Cedars is a nursery & preschool offering high-quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.Ofsted rates Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderLittle Cedars is a wonderful nursery and preschool in Streatham. We’re recognised as a ‘good provider’ of childcare and early years education by Ofsted and, as such, give babies and children under five a fabulous start in life. What’s more, we also support a wide range of free childcare options for eligible children through several of the Government’s childcare funding schemes. So, do consider us if you are looking for a high-quality weekday childcare service in Streatham or live in nearby locations like Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, Streatham Park, Tooting Common, Tooting, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury or Colliers Wood.

Consider a childcare place at Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham today. Choose an option to get started:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

SAFETY NOTICE

The information in this post is produced in good faith but should not be relied on as medical advice. Parents should do their own research to gather all the facts. You know your child best so, if you believe they may be unwell, trust your instincts. If you suspect they are unwell or may have an infection, it’s important to seek urgent professional medical advice — for example, from your midwife, health visitor, GP, NHS 111, or hospital A&E department.

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Deadlines for Free Childcare Codes (Time-Sensitive!)

Deadlines for Free Childcare Codes (Time-Sensitive!)

There are three possible deadlines when applying for free childcare funding for working families and that’s true whether you are applying for the ‘15 hours’ scheme for children aged 9 months to 2 years (inclusive), or the ‘30 hours’ scheme for children aged 3 and 4. And, with a child’s exact age affecting which term they can begin using the free childcare, correct timing of applications is crucial. If you apply too late, you won’t receive your childcare code in time for your child to start in the term you had envisaged. Applying too early is also not a viable option. Put simply, timing misjudgements could leave you and your child high and dry.

With all that in mind, today’s post outlines the application timing requirements for these key childcare funding schemes for working families. It also serves as a reminder that those who want their child to start childcare next term have very limited time left to apply — and receive that all-important childcare funding code.

Example

If you want your child to start in the January term next year, you need to apply in the preceding quarter, by 31 December at the absolute latest.

Which Childcare Funding is This?

So, we’re talking here about the newly-expanded childcare funding for eligible working families for children, living in England, aged from 9 months up to compulsory school age. (Follow the bold link to learn more about that, including eligibility rules). Using the scheme, eligible children can receive 570 hours of free childcare per year if they’re aged from 9 months up until they turn 3, or 1140 hours per annum if they’re aged 3 or 4. That usually equates to 15 and 30 hours per week respectively, over 38* term-time weeks of the year.

* Speak to your childcare provider if you’d like the total number of free childcare hours stretched out a different way as some can offer a degree of flexibility.

How Old Must My Child Be Before I Can Apply for the Funding?

A child’s age affects when applications for the childcare funding can be made and there are also minimum ages for the provision of the childcare itself.

  • Once an eligible child reaches the age of 23 weeks (approximately 5.3 months), applications for the ‘15 hours’ childcare funding scheme can be made. The provision itself will not be available until they reach the age of at least 9 months.
  • Once an eligible child reaches the age of 2 years and 36 weeks (a little over 2 years and 8 months) applications for the ‘30 hours’ childcare funding scheme can be made. The provision itself will not be available until they are at least 3.

In Which Term Can Children Start Using the Free Childcare?

Most children start using their free childcare hours at the beginning of one of the 3 terms (January, April and September). Which term they can start in depends on when their birthday falls during the year:

  • Eligible children with a birthday between September and December inclusive can start from the January term. They should apply in the preceding term no later than 31 December.
  • Eligible children with a birthday between January and March inclusive can start from the April term. They should apply in the preceding term no later than 31 March.
  • Eligible children with a birthday between April and August inclusive can start from the September term. They should apply in the preceding term no later than 31 August.

Individual childcare settings will be able to confirm the exact term dates and funded starting dates for their particular setting.

Apply for Your Code

Begin your application for childcare funding and that all-important code here. The link will tell you what you will need including your National Insurance number, phone access and just a few other details. You’ll also need to access your Government Gateway account but can set one up from the same link if you don’t already have one. It’s quick and easy and you’ll usually find out whether you’re eligible right away, although occasionally it can take longer. If eligible and approved for the free childcare funding, you’ll be supplied with a code to give your childcare provider.

Important: Reconfirm Your Eligibility Every Quarter

It’s important to reconfirm your eligibility, via your government childcare account, every three months. That’s in order to ensure your code remains valid.

When Does the Free Childcare Funding End?

The free childcare hours for eligible working families come to an end when your child begins school in Reception class from the age of four or, if deferring until later, reaches compulsory school age at five.

Funded Childcare at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

Little Cedars is a nursery & preschool offering high-quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.Ofsted rates Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderLittle Cedars Day Nursery supports many government-funded childcare schemes, making for more affordable childcare in Streatham, Furzedown, Tooting and Balham. With the upgraded 15 and 30-hour schemes available to eligible working families, they can now access free childcare for children as young as just 9 months of age. Children benefit from a good early years education from a young age and parents get to more affordably rejoin the workplace to boost household income and careers. It’s a win-win!

Start your application to Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham, visit us with your child, or message us with any questions today:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

As a ‘Good Provider’, Little Cedars Nursery offers a high-quality childcare service in Streatham and is also a great choice for families nearby in Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.

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38 Weeks, 42 Weeks & All-Year-Round Childcare in Streatham

38 Weeks, 42 Weeks & All-Year-Round Childcare Options in Streatham
At Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham, we offer a range of three main options for weekday childcare and early years education. Some families require all-year-round childcare for their under-five child. Others may prefer (or, if funded through Government schemes, only be eligible for) “term-time” cover over 38 weeks of the year. Between those two options, Little Cedars Nursery also now offers a ‘midway’ solution that provides childcare cover for 42 weeks. In today’s post, we clarify how the options work and differ over the course of the year, including in calendar form so that parents can see the differences graphically. See our overview below and click the calendar image for a larger view. If you have any questions, use one of the contact options at the end of today’s post and we’ll be happy to help.

Calendar showing the academic year with options of 38, 42 and all-year-round childcare at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham.

All-Year-Round Childcare

Our all-year-round childcare option does pretty much “what it says on the tin” and provides weekday childcare and early years education right across the year. Apart, of course, from that week or so when we’re closed over Christmas/New Year and on inset days and public holidays. So, it’s a great solution for busy parents.

38 Weeks of Childcare

Our 38-week childcare option is particularly well-suited for those families whose childcare is funded through one of the key Government childcare schemes. These typically fund a child over 38 weeks of the year. However, do talk to us (or your childcare provider if not Little Cedars Nursery) if you would like to explore the possibility of stretching the hours out over more weeks of the year.

The term dates and holidays for the 38-week option match very closely with those of most schools*, so are often referred to as ‘term-time’ places. So, if you have an older child at school as well as a child at nursery or preschool, your under-five child’s timetable should synchronise well if they attend using the 38-week option.

* Term dates sometimes differ a little from school to school. Check yours here.

The 38-week option also ties in with the legal minimum number of days that childcare settings like ours are required to be open each year (190 days when the nursery must be open to children plus 5 inset days for staff training and development).

42 Weeks of Childcare

Little Cedars Nursery has also introduced a childcare timetable that’s somewhere between the all-year-round and 38-week options. With our “42-week” childcare option, under-fives at Little Cedars Nursery are looked after over four more weeks of the year than provided by the 38-week option. This will give greater flexibility for families, particularly where parents simply cannot take as much time off work as there are school breaks. For example, childcare is provided during the school half-term break in February, during one week of normal school closures between spring and summer term in early April, and during two weeks of the school summer holidays in late July/early August. Take a look at the calendar provided above to see how the three options differ across the academic year.

Days when children don’t attend, common to all three options, are:

  • Inset days when we’re closed to childcare provision while staff attend training and development sessions.
  • Bank holidays and public holidays when, like virtually all businesses, the nursery is closed.
  • The week or so between the start of Christmas and the New Year, when the nursery is closed.

Check Out our Competitive Fees

You can check out our competitive childcare fees here. There are a few things to note therein:

  • Fee-paying places have slightly longer sessions, with morning sessions starting at 7:45 am and afternoon sessions finishing at 6:15 pm. In contrast, term-time Government-funded places begin a little later at 8:00 am and the afternoon sessions finish at 6:00 pm.
  • Lunch hour occurs between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm.
  • For some children receiving government-funded hours, additional fees may be required for meals.
  • The standard £85 daily fee and £46 half-day fee are reduced, in effect, for those attending all year round.
  • Fee-paying siblings of children already attending the nursery are eligible for a 13% discount.

Fees and details are correct at the time of writing (31 October 2024).

High-Quality Weekday Childcare at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

Little Cedars is a nursery & preschool offering high-quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.Ofsted rates Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderDo you have a baby, toddler, or child under five in or around the Streatham area? If so, do consider us today for your childcare provision. As you can see above, we have several options that will suit a variety of different family situations. We also support many Government-funded free childcare schemes for eligible families. What’s more, we’re way more than just a childcare provider; we nurture every child to bring out the best in every area of their learning and development, enabling them to thrive and be ‘school-ready’ by the time they leave us to begin primary school.

Little Cedars Nursery is located in Streatham and is just a stone’s throw from Tooting Common. So, we will suit families requiring childcare nurseries in Streatham, Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, and Streatham Park as well as those looking for good nurseries near Tooting, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.

Contact us today, book a free guided tour of the nursery, message us or ask us a question — we’ll be happy to help:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675
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Top Tips for a Successful Primary School Application

Top Tips for a Successful Primary School Application

If you're the parent of a 3-year-old child, or one that's just turning 4, choose your 3 preferred primary schools now and submit your application by mid-January.Are you the parent of a 3-year-old child, or one that’s just turning 4? If so, you need to choose your 3 preferred primary schools now and submit your application for them at the latest by mid-January of the coming year. It’ll be here before you know it! Whether you want your child to begin school at the age of four or five, you have limited time left for your application. With that in mind, today’s post outlines our top tips for a successful primary school application for your preschooler. Read on to learn how to maximise your potential success in achieving a school place that’s best for your child.

Top Tips for a Successful Primary School Application

1. Be Prepared — Know Your Dates!

Once your child is 3 or has only just become 4, you need to plan for your primary school application right away. And it doesn’t matter whether you want your child to begin primary school at the age of 4 or 5 — the deadline is the same. Applications open on the 1st of September and the submission deadline is 11:59 pm on the 15th of January.

2. Decide on Comparison Criteria

What do you want in a primary school? In the lead-up to your application, you will need to carefully consider how to decide which primary school will best suit your child and household. What criteria should you use? How can you compare schools? Decide what’s most important to both your child and your household. Criteria will probably include, for example, proximity to your home, travel time, whether a sibling already attends the setting, quality and reputation of the school, feedback from parents of children already there, Ofsted ratings, specific facilities that may best suit your child, and so on. These are all great ways to benchmark schools, but consider if there are other factors specific to your child too.

3. Focus on Primary Schools Nearby

It's important for parents to focus on primary schools that are close to their child's home.It’s important for parents to focus on primary schools that are close to their child’s home. That’s for two reasons:

  1. It’s convenient, with less travel time involved in dropping off and collecting your child from the school;
  2. Proximity to a child’s home is one of the key criteria schools and admission authorities use for the selection of schools (the closer the better).

So, nearby usually means a school is both convenient and a safer bet!

4. Research the Contenders

Now armed with your comparison criteria, research the schools, ask around for opinions, check those Ofsted ratings, ask for brochures, research the primary schools online, speak to your local authority about each contender and glean as much information as possible. Knowledge is power and getting it right is incredibly important for your child’s future.

5. Don’t Assume an  “Attached” Primary School is a Safe Bet

Some parents whose children attend a nursery or preschool attached to a primary school assume it’s a safe bet; the assumption is often that their child will automatically be offered a place there. Because of this belief, some of the parents are rather more ‘relaxed’ about their school application than they should be, for example, submitting it late. In such a case, they may get a nasty surprise on National Offer Day. So be warned; attached schools are not always a safe bet and therefore on-time applications are just as important with those as they are with other schools.

6. Visit the Schools

Visit the schools on your shortlist to get a feel for the settings, ask questions, and see how your child may fit in.Visit the schools on your shortlist. Such ‘in-person’ visits are like gold dust. You can ask questions, get a feel for the school, see how the existing children are getting on, witness the teaching style, and see how well your child might fit in. Take them with you if possible. Most primary schools will have open days or evenings, so find out about those and attend. Alternatively, call the head or school office to arrange a guided visit if possible.

7. Make the Most of Your 3 Choices

Don’t try to ‘outsmart’ the admissions system by entering your top school on the application form three times. It will not make any difference to your success rate for a place at the school. Instead, make full use of all three of your choices on the application form and ensure you enter three different schools.

8. Check if They’re Oversubscribed

School heads and local authority admissions staff will have access to data on historical applications and admissions to schools. Contact them to ask if the schools you have shortlisted are likely to be oversubscribed. Some popular schools are, and this alone makes it very hard to land a school place there because of the sheer level of competing families, especially those that live closer to them than you. If you do find that one or more of your school choices are likely to be oversubscribed, based on historical data, ensure that at least one of your 3 choices is unlikely to be so when you fill in your application. Then, at least you have a ‘safer bet’ to fall back on should your top choice(s) not prove successful.

9. Decide Whether Starting at 4 or 5 Works Best for Your Child

Summer-born children will be amongst the youngest if they start in Reception Year at 4 or amongst the oldest if they defer until the age of 5.One of the most fundamental decisions you need to make before applying is whether you want your child to begin at primary school when they’re 4 or the ‘legal’ maximum age of 5. This is a conundrum especially for “summer-born children” i.e. those born between the start of April and the end of August. For this age group, they’ll be amongst the youngest if they start in Reception Year at 4 or amongst the oldest if they defer their start until the age of 5. What’s more, for those deferring until 5, it’s not the parent who decides whether a child goes into Reception or Year 1 — it’s the schools and local admission authorities. So, parents need to decide, before applying, whether they wish to go with the usual flow and start their children at 4 (will they be ready?), or defer a year until they’re 5. It’s a fine balancing act and your decision needs to be made in the best interests of the child. That said, most children do start at 4 and go in Reception Year.

10. Include an Email Address in Your Application

It’s a simple fact that on-time parents who enter a valid email address on their primary school application forms receive their school offers first, on the morning of their release. That’s in mid-April for children starting in the September term. Submitting an application form without including an email address means you will find out via post. That is sent out via Second Class post, so usually takes a few days longer to arrive.

11. Don’t be Late With Your Application!

Ensure you are not late submitting your primary school application.Priority for primary school places is given first to those who submit applications on time. Each year, that means between the 1st of September and the 15th of January when your child is 3 or has just turned 4. Even if you intend to defer your child’s school start until they’re 5 rather than starting them while they’re 4, you still need to apply while they’re only 3 or have just turned 4. If you miss the mid-January deadline, you will stand a much lower chance of achieving a place for your child at your preferred school(s) — because places will already have been allocated to those who applied on time. Sadly, many families miss out because they simply didn’t realise how early they needed to apply.

12. Know Where to Apply!

Primary school applications are made via your local authority website (find yours here). However, some schools and specific settings (for example, some church schools, faith schools, and academies) require parents to fill in and submit the setting’s own supplementary form as well. Parents will need to find out whether this applies to the schools they are applying for through their own research, as it varies from school to school.

13. Chances Increase if a Sibling Already Attends

If your child’s sibling already attends the primary school you’re applying for, they stand a better chance of a successful offer at the same school. That’s a nice head-start for some!

14. Know What to Expect on School Offer Day in Mid-April

Be prepared for the result of your application next April, so you know what your options are if you do not get the offer you had hoped for. However, we’ve got you covered with all of the options in our Guide to National Offer Day for Primary School Admissions which covers things like appeals, waiting lists, and much more.

15. Accept Whichever School They Offer You

Accepting the offered school place does not adversely affect your chances with appeals or waiting lists.You read that right! When National Offer Day for primary schools arrives, it’s generally agreed that you should accept whichever school place is offered to your child. That’s the case even if you’re unhappy! It’s because your child then has a firm school place to fall back on should you appeal, or go on a waiting list for another school, and are unsuccessful. Accepting the initial school place that’s offered does not adversely affect your chances with appeals or waiting lists, which is why the accepted wisdom is to accept the initial offer.

16. Accept Your Offer On Time!

Once you have received your school offer, it’s incredibly important to officially accept it by the acceptance deadline. Such a deadline will be shown in the offer communication you receive in mid-April assuming you’re applying for a standard September term start. If you miss the deadline for accepting the offered school place, you may lose it. That’s because “unused” offers are offered to other children, for example, those who are on waiting lists, applied late, or successfully appealed.

Good Luck from the Team at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

Little Cedars is a nursery & preschool offering high-quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.Ofsted rates Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderWe wish all parents of 3- and 4-year-olds the best of luck with their applications and trust that today’s tips help to increase their chances of a successful outcome. It’s a huge milestone when children begin school, but rest assured that little ones under the care of our early years practitioners are nurtured in every area to ensure they’re as ‘school-ready’ as possible by the time they leave us. The good news, too, is that the vast majority of parents receive an offer for a school they specified in their application. Indeed, in 2023, only 1.4% missed out, so the odds are extremely good.

Little Cedars is a high-quality nursery in Streatham, just a short walk from Tooting Common (see map). As well as being perfectly located for those in Streatham, Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, and Streatham Park, the nursery is also only minutes away from Tooting, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.

Explore a possible nursery/preschool place for your child at Little Cedars Nursery today:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675
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Free Childcare for Children from 9 Months – Now Available in Streatham

Free Childcare for Children from 9 Months – Now Available in Streatham

Childcare funding is now available for eligible children from just 9 months of age.Last year, we announced some radical new childcare funding plans outlined in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s 2023 Spring Budget. Today, we’re happy to confirm that one of the schemes went live this month (September 2024), meaning several hours of free childcare per week are now available for eligible children and babies as young as just 9 months of age. It will be a great help for eligible families, whose children may now be able to benefit from free childcare hours from 9 months of age right up until they start school. In today’s post, we’ll explain the rules around eligibility, exactly how many free childcare hours babies and children can get, and some of the measures we’ve put in place at Little Cedars Nursery to deliver the expanded childcare service to eligible Streatham families.

How Much Free Childcare Will Eligible Babies & Children Get?

The new scheme we’re talking about today is effectively an extension of the existing ‘15 hours’ scheme for 3 and 4-year-olds of eligible working families. It’s been rolled out this month (September 2024) to eligible children aged from just 9 months and effectively means that some children will now be eligible to receive free childcare hours from 9 months right up until they reach official ‘school age’.

  • Since the start of this month (September 2024), eligible children from 9 months to the age of 3 can now receive 15 hours* of free childcare per week.
  • That joins up nicely with the existing “Universal Entitlement” scheme where all children aged 3 and 4, who live in England, can get 15 hours* of free childcare each week already, thereby taking their free childcare provision right up to school age.
  • Note too that, if your family circumstances fit the same criteria outlined below, eligible children aged 3 and 4 could see their free childcare entitlement increase from the previous 15 hours* to 30 hours* per week under the scheme we highlight today for working families.
  • Next year, from September 2025, the Government’s plan is to also expand the childcare entitlement for children aged 9 months to 3 years to 30 hours* for those who are eligible. We’ll cover how that works separately once it’s available next year.

Children, families and the economy should all benefit from the new childcare funding for children aged 9 months to 3 years.As well as helping families financially, the scheme expansion should help children begin their early years education even earlier, for many, which has been shown to be hugely beneficial to them. The free childcare provision will also help many more women back into the workforce. Children, families and the economy should all benefit.

* For the 15-hour schemes, eligible children can access 570 hours of free childcare per year, or it’s 1140 hours per annum for the 30-hour equivalent. Those hours are usually spread over 38 weeks of the year. However, some providers may allow some flexibility, e.g. fewer hours per week over more weeks of the year. Your specific childcare provider will be able to confirm whether such flexibility is available at their particular setting. At Little Cedars, we will try to accommodate you wherever possible.

Who is Eligible for Free Childcare for Babies From 9 Months?

The revised 15-hour and 30-hour schemes (depending on age) that are now available from this month (Sept 24) apply to children of eligible working families. The three key eligibility criteria for children aged 9 months to 4 years (inclusive) are outlined below.

Both you and your partner (if applicable):

  1. Must expect to earn the equivalent of at least the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for a minimum of 16 hours per week (on average) during the course of the next three months. That’s currently £183 per week for those over the age of 21 but the figure will be less for those who are younger or in an apprenticeship;
  2. Must not be earning an adjusted net income over £100,000 during the relevant tax year;
  3. Must have a National Insurance number.

(Figures are correct as at September 2024).

Additional rules and caveats apply in certain specific situations including where you/your partner are foster carers, self-employed, starting a new job, earning a non-regular income, have a certain immigration status, are not working and in receipt of certain benefits/support, and others. Find out more about eligibility for the childcare funding scheme here and/or use HMRC’s excellent (and quick!) childcare funding calculator here to see how many free hours your child could be eligible for.

We’re Set Up for the Arrival of New Babies at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

Exterior of the new Caterpillars baby room at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham.

Part of the interior of the new Caterpillars baby room at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham.

 

Ofsted rates Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderLittle Cedars is a nursery & preschool offering high-quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.In readiness for the influx of babies taking up the new funding, Little Cedars Nursery has a brand new baby room. It’s a lovely, warm, homely area for little ones and a couple of photographs are shown above.

So — if you’re an eligible working family in Streatham with a child aged anywhere from 9 months to 4 years of age, we may be able to help with a funded nursery/preschool place. For everyone else, fees are competitive, value for money is high, and the quality of our childcare is hard to beat in the Streatham area.

Interested? Apply for a nursery place at Little Cedars and/or get started with your childcare funding application today:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

Officially a ‘Good Provider’ of childcare and early years education, Little Cedars is a high-quality nursery for babies and children under five in Streatham. We’re within walking distance of Tooting Common and will also be conveniently located for families near Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.

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‘Leaves’ Nature Hunt Activity – with Free Poster

'Leaves’ Nature Hunt – Children's Activity with Free Poster

September marks the start of autumn, which lasts 3 months and brings with it a stunning transition. Green leaves we’ve seen on trees over the summer will gradually change to autumn colours like brown, copper, yellow, beige and even shades of red and purple. This dramatic season of change is a wonderful opportunity to draw children’s attention to the incredible spectacle that takes place every year at this time — as well as to the wonders of nature more generally. Let’s not forget that nature is incredibly good for little ones too, so inspiring them to take an interest in spending time around nature will be beneficial to children in a myriad of ways. With that in mind, today’s post includes the release of a free ‘leaves’ reference poster for families to print out and use as the starting point for one or more nature/autumn-themed children’s activities.

Download the Free Leaves Identification Poster for Your Child

Click the preview image below to view or save the poster in Acrobat Reader format. (Whether you need to right or left click to save the poster file depends on your device’s specific set-up, so perhaps try both if you’re not sure).

Preview of the Leaves Nature Hunt poster (click to download or view the high-resolution version in Acrobat PDF format).

The leaf poster is designed both to be educational and get little ones interested in nature, which is so good for children. It will also encourage them to get outdoors to breathe the fresh air, exercise, enjoy some freedom (under supervision, of course) and experience some of the simple, though beneficial, things that life has to offer away from electronic screens and the limitations of being indoors. Nature and outdoor play are a powerful duo when it comes to benefiting children, giving them boundless opportunities for exploration, discovery, creativity, and more. Follow the bold links to learn more about such benefits.

Leaf Activity Examples

Painting leaves with paint. Leaf rubbing example. Leaves can inspire artwork. Leaf printing example. Leaves used as part of a collage design.

Examples of ways children can use the reference poster and the leaves that they find:

  • Children can use the poster in tandem with outdoor walks in parks and open spaces. They can learn to recognise the different leaves and the trees that they come from while fostering a greater appreciation of nature and its benefits.
  • Time-lapse of a year in the life of a beech tree.The reference may inspire them to see for themselves how leaves and trees dramatically change over this part of the year — the changing colours and landscapes during autumn are a wondrous spectacle!
  • Children may alternatively like to keep it simple and just collect interesting leaves and see how many different types they can find.
  • Parents/carers could challenge children to find specific leaf types, like a leaf treasure hunt.
  • Individual leaves can be ‘pressed’ and dried in a suitable book or between paper that’s weighted down.
  • Particularly once dried and flattened, leaves can be painted with colours, or used as part of a collage design of some kind. Dried leaves are a wonderful inspiration to let children get creative.
  • Leaf rubbing is great fun and very effective – place a leaf under thin paper and then scribble on the paper to reveal the features of the underlying leaf.
  • Leaf printing is also easy and results are impressive – simply roll or paint one side of the leaf and press it against paper to get a leaf imprint.

Want to Take Tree & Leaf Identification Further? Get the App!

The Woodland Trust supply an excellent free smartphone app, suitable for children from 4 years of age, for iPhone and Android. Called “British Tree Identification” it will teach children and adults alike a huge amount about tree and leaf identification, features to look out for, and much more. Learn more and download the tree identification app here.

Other Free Nature Posters for Children

Other free nature-related posters available from this Little Cedars nursery website include posters for British Birds, Minibeasts, Butterflies and an Autumn Treasure Hunt. Follow the links for more more information and to download them free.

A First-Class Childcare Service in Streatham, SW16

Little Cedars is a nursery & preschool offering high-quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.Ofsted rates Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderWe know how important nature and outdoor play are to children, especially those under five, and that’s one of the reasons we release nature-themed posters, identification sheets, and activity ideas for little ones here. Children at Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham also benefit from our close proximity to Tooting Common where families and under-fives can enjoy nature and natural open spaces locally. Children attending the childcare nursery itself are also able to benefit from their very own planting area at the setting where they can grow vegetables. It’s both fun and incredibly educational.

Get in touch today to learn more about a place for your child at our Streatham nursery:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

Little Cedars Nursery may suit families looking for high-quality childcare for babies and under-fives in Streatham as well as those nearby in Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.

Safety notice

Children should, of course, be supervised appropriately when playing and exploring outdoors. Particular care should be taken around water, hazards, traffic, the dangers of stranger danger, and anything potentially harmful including poisonous berries, sharp spines, thorns, etc. See our outdoor safety tips for children here.

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Quotations That Will Inspire Every Parent

Quotations That Will Inspire Every Parent

From time to time, we discover quotations that inspire us and would, indeed, inspire any parent. They’re quotes by anyone from scientists and world leaders to celebrities, parents, and occasionally unknown authors. Often, the quotations are quite profound. They stop us in our tracks and really make us think — about childhood, growing up, how we educate and nurture young minds, and everything that goes into parenting. Today we publish below a collection of our favourites. Enjoy!

Inspirational Quotations for Parents:

Some of the inspiring quotes for parents.

Read more
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10 Fun Outdoor Activities for Children & Under-5s

10 Fun Outdoor Activities for Children & Under-5s

Summer is a wonderful time for children to get outdoors and make the most of the warmer weather and beautiful sunshine. Outside in the fresh air, little ones can enjoy a bit of freedom, let their imaginations take over, get creative, and benefit in a whole range of different ways. Immersing themselves in play outdoors is also an escape from electronic screens, man-made toys, and the many restrictions associated with being indoors. Additionally, it teaches them new skills. With that in mind, today’s post outlines 10 different outdoor activities that children, including those under five*, can enjoy this summer and potentially even longer, weather permitting. What’s more, most of the ideas are free of any cost! Take a look.

1. Create a Rustic Playden!

Children will love constructing home-made dens outdoors.Home-made play dens are great fun both to construct and to use. Children will love constructing them, perhaps using fallen branches, sticks, or garden bamboo canes. If they show real ‘bush craft’ potential, they could even progress to covering them with large leaves, moss, fir tree fronds, or simply use a spare blanket or sheet from indoors. Once made, children will adore setting up camp, perhaps with cushions or soft moss, straw, or hay, used as a comfy base inside. Once built, their imaginations will run riot as they invent all kinds of games, role-play scenarios, and free-form play. This creative activity is such fun and has so much potential!

2. Make & Sail a Paper Boat or Stick Raft!

Young children floating home-made paper boats in a large puddle.With a little help from an adult or using suitable reference from the Internet or a book, children will be able to make little paper boats or, alternatively, construct little stick rafts. If they’re old enough and are accompanied by an adult for safety, they’ll be able to float these in a puddle, pond, paddling pool, or local stream, which will be great fun and also give them a huge sense of achievement. If too young to be near water, they can simply use their imaginations to ‘float’ their boats on dry land — perhaps a flattened sheet of tin foil from the kitchen could, for example, be used to represent a pond. Follow the bold links for easy examples that show how easy it is to make a paper boat or stick raft. With this activity, they’ll stimulate imaginations as well as hone motor skills.

3. Create Beautiful Rock Art

Painting pebbles is creative for children and they look fabulous!Rock sculptures are easy and fun for children to construct.Rocks, particularly the smooth pebble kind, are often magnets for children’s attention when they spot them outdoors. Parents and carers can encourage children to take their natural interest a few steps further by creating rock art and rock sculpture (using, of course, suitable rocks that are safe for them to use under supervision). Children will love painting rocks with patterns, flowers, or abstract designs and these can look hugely attractive. Rock sculptures are also something that children will love building, whether using painted rocks or natural ones. Scenes with multiple ‘towers’ of piled rocks look magical and children can even pretend these are part of their ‘castle’ or mark the boundaries of their kingdom and suchlike. Creating outdoors with rocks will be fun and creative, it’ll stimulate imaginations, and also hone art and motor skills.

4. Create a Cosy Picnic

Children will love creating their own picnic, whether it's in the garden, local park, or out in the countryside.Children will love creating their own picnic, whether it’s in the garden, local park, or out in the countryside. It’s a multi-faceted activity where they can first help prepare the food and drink, help pack it in backpacks or a cool bag, and then settle somewhere pleasant outdoors. There, they can set up camp, perhaps with a nice soft blanket to sit on, and lay out their picnic feast. It’ll be a great spot, too, to relax with friends or family, or use as a base from which to embark on other outdoor games and activities. Picnics are also a great way to extend the time children can spend outdoors because they’ll be fed and watered outside too. Magical!

5. Introduce Children to Rambling

Rambling allows children the freedom to run, explore, and discover.Introduce children to the concept of rambling. It’s a term that also sounds much more interesting than ‘walking’ in any case, and is a great excuse to get little ones out and about, for example, in the countryside, local park, or green space. Rambling out in nature is good for children (and adults) and also presents lots of exciting opportunities for adventure for little ones. Whether it’s a fallen log that children can try to walk along, tree stumps that they can balance on, branches they can try to hang from by their arms, or little brooks and ditches that they can jump across, rambles can be wonderful adventures for children — under adult supervision, of course. They’re also great ways to stimulate imaginations as children can pretend they’re explorers, pirates, hobbits, and so on.

6. Nature Treasure Hunts

Nature 'treasure' or 'scavenger' hunts are great fun, and also educational, for children.Nature ‘treasure’ or ‘scavenger’ hunts are great fun, and also educational, for children. For example, challenge them to find a pine cone, a round stone, a rock with a hole in it, a red leaf, another that’s orange, and another that’s brown, flowers similarly in different colours, a winged seed (like that of a sycamore or acer tree), a conker, a sunflower, fruit like apples, pears, or plums on a tree, cereal seeds growing in a field, and so on.

7. Set Up an Obstacle Race

Children will enjoy competing on an obstacle course.Children will also hugely enjoy making and then competing in their own obstacle race. Encourage them to set up a route through a suitable clearing, forest, field or park. Get them to mark boundaries and the course route with natural objects (sticks, rocks, stones, jumpers, etc.). Include obstacles like branches to jump over, tree trunks to run around, ditches or other similar hazards to jump over, and so on. Perhaps they can race several times and you, as the supervising adult, can time them. Whoever wins could be presented with a prize of some kind, whether it’s a purchased toy or simply a gold star sticker. It’ll be a great chance for children to let off steam, keep fit, and hone balance, coordination and motor skills.

8. Arrange a Photography Challenge

Encourage children to take photographs when taking part in outdoor activities.Little ones are usually familiar with the concept of photographs, especially in today’s age, with cameras on every smartphone and tablet. And, of course, there are still simple stand-alone cameras available, whether digital or using traditional film. Either way, suggest that children — with care not to break or damage the device — take photos of natural things and scenery when they’re outdoors. There could even be a competition to see who can take the best photo of a flower, insect, or scene of some kind. This activity will stimulate their creativity, encourage an understanding of scientific concepts like light and shadows, and give them a sense of responsibility as they (hopefully) look after the camera or smartphone itself. Prizes or stickers could perhaps be available for the most successful and appealing shots.

9. Set Up & Maintain a Mini Garden Area

Creating a mini garden is hugely worthwhile, fun, and educational for children.Children will love having their own mini garden. Whether it’s a small area in the household garden or simply some flowerpots or grow-bags on a windowsill or patio, there is always somewhere a child can grow plants (or even vegetables or herbs) in a household. All they need is some light, soil, and water, after all. And, of course, the care and attention of someone to look after them. Children will naturally be fascinated by the concept of growing plants, flowers, herbs, vegetables, or fruit from seeds or seedlings. Tending to them and seeing them successfully grow will also give them a sense of responsibility, achievement, and perhaps even of empathy. Children can learn so much from tending to plants.

10. Spot Wonderful Wildlife

Whether it's birds, bees, insects, minibeasts, butterflies, or mammals, there are always creatures for children to discover if they know where to look.Our final outdoor activity idea for children is wildlife spotting. Whether it’s birds, bees, insects, minibeasts, butterflies, or mammals, there are always creatures of one form or another for children to discover if they know where to look. Our free identification posters will help too, so download those (click the bold links earlier in this paragraph) and print them out for children to use as a visual reference. They can then go on an outdoor ‘safari’ of sorts — it’ll be a fun, exciting, and educational adventure and it’ll open children’s eyes to some of the delightful creatures that they share the planet with.

TIP! Children will see more wildlife if they make their gardens wildlife-friendly. Follow our guide to making a wildlife-friendly garden with your child for more information.

Outdoor Play is Good for Children

These are all simple and mostly free ideas for activities that children can take part in outdoors during the warmer months of the year. They’re fun and exciting, and many add a bit of adventure to children’s lives. Outdoor play is incredibly important to children and nature is incredibly beneficial to little ones too, so these outdoor activities can be profoundly impactful for children and can enrich their lives. Have fun, and stay safe.

* Safety Notice

* Before embarking on any outdoor activity with a child, always consider safety first and a responsible adult should supervise them, especially near hazards, water, etc.

Our High-Quality Childcare Service in Streatham

Little Cedars Day Nursery (Streatham, SW16) – for Weekday Childcare & a Good Early Years Education

Little Cedars is a nursery & preschool offering high-quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.Ofsted rates Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good Provider

We hope our outdoor activities today give parents and those caring for children some food for thought — and that children enjoy them as much as we think they will. Little Cedars Day Nursery is in Streatham, SW16, and offers a high-quality weekday childcare service for children under five. More than that, though, we give children good foundations in their ‘early years’ education, setting them up well for when they start school. In this way, they’re primed for success and ready to thrive!

Little Cedars Nursery is also near Furzedown, Tooting, Norbury, Balham, and Colliers Wood, so it may also suit families from those locations. We support many Government-funded free childcare schemes too.

Register your child for a nursery place at Little Cedars Nursery today, request a free tour, or ask any questions — we’ll be happy to help:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675
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