[May 2025]: Applications are now open for the final “30 hours” expansion of the Government’s free childcare scheme for working families. The new, expanded childcare hours are for eligible children, aged 9 months up to 3 years by 1st September 2025, attending nursery from that month. It doubles the previous number of hours available under the scheme, potentially saving eligible families as much as £7,500 per annum per child. The extended childcare hours will also allow parents — particularly mothers — improved potential to get back into work or take on more hours. Either would increase both household income and the greater economy. Most importantly, though, increasing access to high-quality early years childcare will give children the best start in life, enabling them with the skills and tools necessary to thrive once they leave early years settings to begin school.
Don’t delay — if your child is eligible, you can now apply for the September 2025 term but you only have until the 31st of August in which to do so. That deadline will be here before we know it, so act quickly if you want to benefit from the expanded childcare funding from September 2025.
The changes will make a “massive difference to children and working parents”— Bridget Phillipson, Education Secretary.
Here’s a snapshot:
- Who can apply? Eligible working families with a child aged 9 months up to 3 years by September 1st 2025.
- How many funded hours will be available? 30 hours per week over 38 weeks per year term time (1140 childcare hours over the year).*
- When can families start to apply? From 12th May 2025 for a September ’25 term start.
- When is the application deadline? Apply no later than 31 August 2025 if you want your child to start nursery in the September 2025 term.
- What About Children Aged 3 and 4? 3-and-4-year-olds of eligible working families have been able to access the 30 hours of free childcare per week (1140 hours per year) since it was phased in late last year (September 2024). Previously, only half those hours had been available under the scheme for this age group.
- Does the funding cover everything? No. The funding does not cover additional items like extra childcare hours over the allowance or nappies, meals, and the cost of trips. Your chosen provider will be able to provide more details specific to their setting.
- What if we’re not a working family? If you’re not a working family that’s eligible for the new 30 hours extension, it’s worth noting that all children who live in England already qualify for 15 hours per week (570 childcare hours per annum) under their ‘Universal Entitlement’. That is a separate scheme that’s explained here, does not require parents to be working, and is not means tested.
* Some settings may allow some flexibility, for example, by spreading out the same number of annual hours over more weeks of the year. Little Cedars intends to accommodate families in this way, whenever possible, and plans to introduce both a 51-week and 45-week provision from September 2025. We’ll publish more details separately in the coming weeks.
This is a plan “to break the unfair link between background and opportunity across this country, which starts by ensuring our children start school ready to learn.” — Bridget Phillipson, Education Secretary.
Eligibility
The key rules around eligibility for working families state that both you and your partner if you have one must:
Work at least 16 hours or more per week at the National Minimum Wage∞ or more;- Earn an adjusted net income∞ of less than £100k per annum;
- Have a National Insurance number.
Work at least 16 hours or more per week at the National Minimum WageIf the above factors do not apply to you, you may still be eligible for childcare funding if you are disabled, a carer, on maternity/paternity/adoption leave, or receive certain benefits or assistance from the government. Check your eligibility more comprehensively in Step 1 below. More details and an excellent overview are also provided in an official video provided by the Department of Education (viewing time: 2½ minutes).
To-Do List
- First, check that your child is eligible via the Childcare Choices website.
- If eligible, apply for the funded childcare on the Government website by 31 August 2025 if you want your child to start in the September 2025 term. If applying for a different term, you will need to apply during the term preceding it (terms begin on the 1st of January, April and September). Once approved, you will be issued with a code that your childcare provider will require in order to access the funding.
- Contact your preferred childcare provider at any point to check if they have a place available for your child under the scheme. Be aware that some have waiting lists.
- Log into your Gov.uk childcare account every 3 months to ensure your code is kept up to date. You need to reconfirm your details and check for continued eligibility in case your circumstances have changed.
You will not be able to receive the funded childcare without a valid code!
Funded Nursery Places at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham
Little Cedars Day Nursery is a wonderful childcare setting in Streatham, close to Tooting Common, that offers a first-class service to local families and their children. The setting supports most government-funded childcare schemes and thereby provides affordable childcare for Streatham, Furzedown, Tooting and Balham families. Through the government funding schemes, free childcare is available to eligible children aged from 9 months to school age and this includes a number of places available under the extended ’30 hours’ scheme for working families. It’s the perfect way to give children the best start in life while also allowing parents, especially mothers, to rejoin the workplace after maternity leave, boost working hours if they want to, and elevate household income.
Begin your application to Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham, come for a visit with your child or send us your questions today. We can’t wait to meet you!
Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham is rated as a Good Provider of childcare and early years education by Ofsted. It may also be a convenient choice for families living nearby in Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.
National Children’s Gardening Week is a wonderful annual event that’s designed to inspire children’s curiosity around growing plants and gardening-related activities. It takes place during what is typically a warm period of the year. That’s important because it means seeds and plants will grow faster and need minimal protective measures from inclement weather. Speedy growing results will appeal to little ones!
National Children’s Gardening Week coincides perfectly with the Spring Bank Holiday and May half-term school holiday, taking place from the 24th of May to the 1st of June 2025. It’s usually a lovely warm week and is perfect timing for children to make the most of the event and to maximise the many benefits of spending time around nature.
National Children’s Gardening Week also raises money to support children in hospices through the national charity Greenfingers. They create inspiring gardens and beautiful outdoor spaces where hospice children with life-limiting conditions can play, rest, relax, and spend time with family and friends. Such outdoor spaces allow affected children to spend quality time away from the bedside in well-designed outdoor areas where they can enjoy all the benefits of fresh air and a natural environment.
Children and families can take part at home as well as in participating schools, childcare settings, community groups, ‘outdoorsy’ retail outlets and even some National Trust properties.
Sowing Wildflower Seeds
Herbs and some vegetables can be grown from seeds, cultivated, and harvested from simple flowerpots or yoghurt pots. They can also be ‘re-grown’ through various devious means that will fascinate children including under-fives. We wrote a whole post about that too, so take a look — it’s quite ingenious, is incredibly educational, and results in free food! What’s more, it can be done indoors. 
Another ‘indoor gardening’ activity is growing these comical ‘egg heads’. Grown simply from cress seeds, they can be grown in egg shells as shown, or another alternative would be yoghurt pots. When the cress is ready to be harvested and used in salads or as a garnish, the little characters can have a haircut! 
Another activity that children can get involved in for National Children’s Gardening Week is to create bee-friendly gardens. Our recent post about World Bee Day explains how to make a bee oasis (from where bees and pollinators can get a refreshing drink) and a bee-friendly garden. 
Plants love compost and so do minibeasts. So, another wonderful activity for children in National Children’s Gardening Week is to make homemade compost. Our dedicated
Once the flowers are blooming outside, children can experiment with pressing flowers. Pressed flowers are a wonderful way for children to save flowers semi-permanently as keepsakes or to use as part of an art activity.
The youngest children will love this activity! Children will need some scavenged moss, pebbles, sticks, seashells and perhaps small pieces of driftwood from a beach. Children can then use these to transform the soil in a large pot or on top of a log into 
Children of the UK, it’s time to get ready for World Book Day! Arriving in early March, it is a wonderful annual event where children across the nation get to immerse themselves in books, storytelling, and other book-inspired activities. Such activities are incredibly important for children. Did you know, for example, that children who regularly read for pleasure are happier children who also go on to have greater success in their lives? This uplift is even more significant for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Such is the power of reading for little ones! With all this in mind, today’s article outlines more about World Book Day and why it’s so important. It also suggests some activities that children and families can take part in to celebrate this year’s event.
World Book Day arrives each year on the first Thursday of March. So, for 2025 it’s celebrated on the 6th of March, then in 2026 it’s on the 5th, for 2027 it’s the 4th, and so on. Organised by the charity of the same name, the core mission of World Book Day is “to promote reading for pleasure, offering every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own.” The reason is simple: a life-long love of reading for pleasure results in improved life chances. It’s incredibly powerful for children of all ages, as indicated in the following findings from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development:
The World Book Day® charity published a 17-page impact report for the event that took place in 2024. One of the key findings was that something needed to be done to stop the significant drop in children reading for pleasure. Otherwise, children would be missing out on some profound benefits. The report concluded that there had been several reasons for the downward trend. For example, 20% of children said they felt judged for what books they read. Some said that reading felt more like a chore or ‘work’ because the books were foisted upon them by adults. Just over 8% of children simply didn’t have access to any books at home. Of those that did, over a third said they had no choice over what they read.
In the UK, children under 18 are eligible to receive a £1 book token through the event. This can be used to buy a special World Book Day title or go towards another book (
Families: get ready for World Wildlife Day! On 3rd March each year, we celebrate UN World Wildlife Day, an important event that is all about protecting nature’s flora and fauna. At nursery age, little ones are naturally curious and eager to learn more about the world around them. World Wildlife Day is therefore the perfect opportunity to inspire a greater love for nature and wildlife in our young. Exploring the wonders of plants, trees, and the animal kingdom teaches them more about the world and also helps children develop key skills like language, creativity, and empathy. Whether through outdoor play or wildlife-themed activities, engaging with nature’s wildlife can therefore create valuable early learning experiences. With that in mind, today’s post outlines some simple activities that children, including those under five*, can take part in to celebrate World Wildlife Day. We also highlight some of the benefits of nature to children towards the end of the post.
Getting outdoors is the best way to see wildlife, especially if your family lives near a park or the countryside. Rambles, picnics, and simple walks are all obvious options and, of course, wildlife sanctuaries are a good choice if you have one nearby. That said, while such outdoor options are amongst the best ways for children to connect with nature, sometimes they’re simply not possible. However, when that’s the case, there are plenty of other possibilities including bringing the wonders of wildlife into your nursery, home, or garden. Here are some engaging, age-appropriate activities that will allow children to take part in World Wildlife Day whatever their circumstances:
Most children naturally take to drawing, so encouraging them to draw wild animals, plants and birds will be a popular suggestion, especially around the time of World Wildlife Day. For example, they could try drawing British mammals like rabbits and squirrels, jungle animals like elephants and tigers, or sea creatures like dolphins and whales. To make it easier, perhaps give them some visual reference to inspire them. They could choose from a variety of media, be it pencils, crayons, paints, or collages — or something entirely different. Playdough or salt dough models are also an option. Children naturally love to create and, once complete, perhaps display their pieces to encourage future progress.
Reading books about wildlife will introduce children to new animals and habitats. Great options for younger under-fives include ‘Dear Zoo’ by Rod Campbell and ‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?’ by Bill Martin Jr. (author) and Eric Carle (illustrator). Also, of course, children and families have the option to tell each other made-up stories. They’re a great way to encourage creative thinking and can be approached in a number of different ways. For example, a parent could tell a story first to give the child an idea of 
Try making some simple bird feeders with your children. There are lots of easy ways to make them as outlined in our dedicated guide, 
Create a simple scavenger hunt using pictures, words, or our free nature hunt sheets to encourage children to find different natural objects like leaves, feathers, and pine cones. This activity builds children’s observation skills, gives them deep insights into nature, and instils in them a better appreciation for the environment. Currently, free reference sheets are available for 
Engage children with easy science experiments, like 
Spending time in nature or learning about wildlife isn’t just fun—it has incredible benefits for early childhood development. To harness such benefits, families can incorporate nature-based learning into children’s routines in a variety of ways. Examples include organising outdoor exploration sessions, setting up small wildlife observation areas, and using nature-themed storytelling to engage the young learners. Connecting children with nature:
Incorporating wildlife into children’s activities doesn’t have to be limited to one day. Encouraging youngsters to notice the birds in the garden, look for insects on nature walks, or watch the changing seasons can gift them a lifelong love of nature. Parents and families can make wildlife observation a regular habit, perhaps by keeping a simple nature sketchbook where children can draw or glue in pictures of what they see, or by creating a wildlife corner at home with books, nature finds, and small child-safe plants. Even setting up a bird-watching station near a window can turn everyday moments into exciting learning opportunities. By celebrating World Wildlife Day, we can inspire the next generation of nature lovers—one little explorer at a time!
Last year, 
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.
The NHS 
Try small, finger-sized watermelon sticks; they’re delicious, nutritious and refreshing for your little one.
Consider using soft-cooked carrots, peppers, or cauliflower in finger-sized stick form, or even broccoli florets. Cucumber sticks are also an option but don’t require soft-cooking.
Another firm favourite with toddlers is a hard-boiled egg sliced into holdable fingers. Such slices are rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Children are all different. They learn and develop at different rates to each other and that applies to potty training success too. Circumstances in each family are different too, and this will also have an effect. In other words, there is no hard and fast rule about the age by which little ones should have mastered the use of the potty. Parents should therefore not worry if their child is slower to master toileting than their siblings or peers. That said, some very rough guidelines will always be useful to parents and these follow.
Allowing your toddler to help choose their potty can automatically make it less daunting and instead more of a ‘friendly’ thing to have in their life.
Children can also be encouraged by having their own toy potties. They, and parents, can ‘train’ teddies and dolls to use these during play. Doing so will help them be both relaxed and more educated about potty training — even proactive.
Don’t forget to make potty training fun! Many of these tips will help towards that, including the rewards idea (#4), praise (#5), characters on potties (#7), toileting-themed music (#8), and so on.
household cleanliness, and for their independence.