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Apply Now for the ‘30 Hours’ Childcare Scheme for Working Families – for Children 9 Months+

[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 government 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 particular setting. To clarify for government-funded places at Little Cedars Day Nursery, meals, other consumables, and extra hours will need to be paid for separately.
  • 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 and plans to introduce a 51-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:

  • Click the link below for an overview of the 30 Hours childcare funding scheme available to eligible children, from 9 months of age, from September 2025.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.

If 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

  1. First, check that your child is eligible via the Childcare Choices website.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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 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 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: 24 May – 1 June 2025

National Children's Gardening Week is designed to inspire children's curiosity around growing plants and gardening-related activities.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!

We encourage children large and small to get involved in the event, which begins later in May. At the time of writing, there is plenty of time to prepare if families want to source things like seeds, seed trays, and eco-friendly compost, and to find out about any related events in their neighbourhoods. Today’s guide explains more about the event, the reasons for it, the benefits of taking part, and the kinds of gardening-related activities little ones can take part in. National Children’s Gardening Week is always an incredibly worthwhile, educational, and fun week — so don’t miss out!

When is National Children’s Gardening Week 2025?

National Children's Gardening Week takes place in a traditionally warm week towards the end of May.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.

“Children love growing plants and love being involved in the garden but they’re often impatient, wanting to see instant results. National Children’s Gardening Week aims to capture children’s enthusiasm at a time when results are immediate.” — Event Organiser.

Why Children Should Take Part in the Event

The organisers of the event put it perfectly:

“The aim of National Children’s Gardening Week is to inspire children’s curiosity, whilst the warm weather is a great time to see speedy results of seed sowing, planting and other gardening activities.”

The gardening-related activities also draw little ones closer to nature, which is well known to boost children’s health and mental well-being, improve learning, motor, and social skills, and much, much more. Learn more about the benefits of nature to children here.

National Children's Gardening Week raises money to support children in hospices through the national charity Greenfingers.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.

What Kind of Activities Can Children Take Part in?

Young children are naturally drawn to the activities that involve flowers and plants.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.

Commercial participant examples include places like formal gardens and garden centres. Such venues may lay on things like seed giveaways, bee hunts, bug hunts, garden treasure hunts, nature trails, recycled garden installations and lots of other activities to inspire gardening in children. They may include gardening-inspired activities like leaf printing, rock painting, plant colouring sheets, flower drawing competitions, vegetable planting classes, sunflower seed planting, and many more. Children will have lots to choose from, making for some seriously fun and inspiring trips during the week. Check out related activities in your local area in the run-up to the start of the event.

At home, there are a myriad of ways to take part in the event. Suggestions include:

Children will love the results when they grow a wildflower meadow.Sowing Wildflower Seeds

Sowing wildflower seeds can be super-easy for even the youngest children and, in fact, you can read our detailed children’s guide to growing wildflowers here. What’s more, pollinators like bees and butterflies will love the resulting flowers!

Growing Herbs

Herbs are easy to grow or indeed regrow.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. Learn more about how children can grow food at home, for free, here.

Grow Some ‘Egg Heads’ with Cress Seeds

Another 'indoor gardening' activity is growing these comical 'egg heads'.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! Here’s our guide that explains what to do.

Bee-Friendly Gardening

World Bee Day arrives on the same date each year — the 20th of May.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. Check out those and some other bee-friendly activities here.

Make Free Compost

Guide children in setting up a compost bin or, in its most basic form, it could take the form of a simple pile in the 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 guide to composting for kids explains everything children need to do for this hugely worthwhile, ecologically sound, and educational activity.

Flower Pressing

Pressed flowers are a wonderful way for children to save flowers semi-permanently as keepsakes or to use as part of an art activity.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.

TIP: highly-coloured flowers work best and smaller ones are also likely to flatten more easily and dry more quickly.

Once picked, flowers can be placed, ideally so they don’t overlap, between absorbent paper like newsprint, blotting paper, or tissue paper. Place this between the pages of a thick book or sketch pad that has an extra weight on top. Leave somewhere dry for a couple of weeks or so and they will flatten and dry, ready for use as a bookmark or as part of a creative art piece.

Make a Magical Fairy Garden

A whimsical and magical-looking fairy garden made from moss, pebbles, and sticks.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 a whimsical and magical-looking fairy garden. Children can let their imaginations run riot and create things like a fairy house made of sticks and driftwood, fairy lawns made of moss, and garden paths made with pebbles that form stepping stones. They could even include a fairy pond made with a small mirror, tin foil that covers the discarded lid of a jar, or real water in a mini flowerpot drip tray. Such fairy gardens can look truly magical!

The Activity Ideas are Endless!

We’ve highlighted just a handful of activity ideas that will fascinate, enthral and educate children this National Children’s Gardening Week. However, we’ve only scratched the surface and many more activities are possible with a bit of imagination. To give you some more ideas, check out these gardening-related activities for children and some eco-friendly gardening activities for kids here. Whatever activity they take part in, we wish every child a very enjoyable, fulfilling, and educational gardening week!

Little Cedars Day Nursery

the Natural Childcare Choice for Streatham Families

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.Families can rest assured that children at Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham get ample opportunities to be around nature. The setting has outdoor areas where children can grow plants, flowers, fruit and vegetables. Doing so is something that they love and learn so much from. It teaches them new skills, hones motor skills, helps them develop a sense of responsibility and empathy, and teaches them about the world they live in. It’s just one small part of the comprehensive early years education they receive at Little Cedars Nursery. Here, we do everything we can to help them become the best versions of themselves. We give them the very best start in life, enabling them to be ready to thrive from the moment they leave us to begin school. If you’re interested in your child joining Little Cedars, please choose a contact option below to get started.

Get started on your child’s nursery application today, arrange a guided tour, or ask a question:

Little Cedars Nursery is a ‘Good Provider’ and supports childcare funding for eligible children and babies from just 9 months of age. The nursery is in Streatham close to Tooting Common, Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.

For the sake of their safety and well-being, young children should be supervised, and activities should be overseen by an adult whenever appropriate, especially outdoors.

Congenital Toxoplasmosis: Information for Expectant Parents
With a new baby on the horizon, pregnancy is often a time of excitement and anticipation. However, it is often also a time for heightened awareness around health and safety matters — and rightly so. Indeed it’s instinctive to want to protect both the expectant mother and the unborn child. While many expectant parents are familiar with common pregnancy risks, one lesser-known yet serious threat is congenital toxoplasmosis. This parasitic infection can have devastating consequences for unborn babies. In today’s post, we’ll explore what congenital toxoplasmosis is, the risks it poses, and practical steps pregnant women and families with young children can take to minimise exposure.

What is Congenital Toxoplasmosis?

Toxoplasmosis is an infection that’s caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. While the infection is often harmless and asymptomatic for healthy adults, it becomes particularly concerning when a pregnant woman contracts it, as the parasite can cross the placenta and infect the developing baby. This is known as congenital toxoplasmosis.

How Common is Congenital Toxoplasmosis?

According to the pregnancy and baby charity Tommy’s, approximately 350 people are infected by toxoplasmosis each year in England and Wales. So, the chances of infection during pregnancy are small. However, this article is inspired by a real-life case where such an infection occurred during pregnancy. Sadly, the adverse effects for the child were severe and permanent.

What are the Risks to Unborn Babies & Young Children?

The timing of any exposure to the Toxoplasmosis gondii parasite during pregnancy affects both the risk of transmission and the potential severity of the effects on the foetus/child. While the transmission risk is lower during early pregnancy, the possible adverse effects for the developing foetus are much more severe. Conversely, the risk of transmission to the child is higher in late pregnancy but the potential effects may be milder or appear later in their lives. Depending on the timing, therefore, the risks to the child could be anything from mild effects that appear later in life to something as severe as brain abnormalities, eye damage, or even stillbirth. Other potential effects include seizures and neurological issues, miscarriages, hearing problems, learning disabilities and more. It is therefore incredibly important for expectant families to understand how to avoid toxoplasmosis infection.

“If you get toxoplasmosis while you’re pregnant it can cause miscarriage. If it spreads to your baby it can cause serious complications.” — NHS

How Pregnant Women Can Reduce The Risk

Preventing toxoplasmosis during pregnancy is crucial. Here are key measures expectant mothers should take:

Food Safety

  • Avoid touching and/or eating raw or undercooked meat, especially lamb, pork and venison.
  • Avoid touching and/or eating cured/dried/smoked meats like salami, Parma ham etc.
  • Avoid handling and/or eating raw or undercooked oysters, clams and mussels.
  • Ensure that fruit and vegetables are thoroughly washed.
  • Avoid unpasteurised dairy products that may carry the parasite, especially those containing unpasteurised goat’s milk.
  • Wash hands, kitchen surfaces, and utensils, especially after handling uncooked meat or indeed any of the above.

Pets & Animals

  • If you are pregnant and own a cat, avoid changing the litter box yourself. If that’s not possible, ensure that you wear protective gloves while doing so and thoroughly wash your hands once you’ve finished.
  • Consider keeping pet cats indoors during pregnancy to prevent them from hunting infected rodents or birds.
  • Don’t give pet cats uncooked or undercooked meat.
  • Avoid contact with sheep, especially pregnant sheep and lambs.

Hygiene and Environmental Care

  • Always wash your hands after gardening or handling soil.
  • Wear gloves while gardening or handling sandboxes (sandpits may be contaminated with cat faeces).
  • Ensure meat is cooked to safe and sufficiently high temperatures.

Protecting Young Children from Infection

For families with toddlers and young children, it’s important to maintain hygiene practices to reduce exposure:

  • Teach children to wash hands after playing outdoors, handling pets, and before eating.
  • Cover outdoor sandpits to prevent contamination by neighbourhood cats.
  • Ensure family meals follow proper food safety guidelines.

The Cat Myth

Many who have heard of toxoplasmosis believe its cause is linked primarily to cats. While cats are a host for Toxoplasma gondii and it can be contracted through contact with their faeces, they are not the most common way people get infected. Most often, contaminated food (such as undercooked meat, unwashed vegetables, or contaminated water) is the primary source of infection. Pregnant women should therefore be cautious about handling soil, raw meat, and unpasteurised dairy — not just cats. The NHS itself says:

“You cannot catch toxoplasmosis from stroking a cat, having a cat as a pet or from coming into contact with someone who’s got it.”

Stay Vigilant

Congenital toxoplasmosis is a serious but preventable condition. If they take the proper precautions, expectant mothers and families with young children can significantly reduce their risk of infection. Awareness and education are crucial, so feel free to bookmark and share this information with loved ones to help protect future generations. Learn more about toxoplasmosis and its symptoms here.

Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham, London SW16

A high-quality childcare service for your child at Little Cedars Nursery 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 Provider

Little Cedars Nursery is a first-class nursery and preschool in Streatham in London’s SW16 postcode. The childcare setting offers high-quality weekday childcare for babies, toddlers, and children under five and opens virtually all year round. All major childcare funding options are supported and the nursery has ‘Good Provider’ status from Ofsted.

Find out more about Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham by choosing a button below. We’re here to show you around, answer questions, and welcome your child to this wonderful Streatham nursery.

World Book Day Fun for Under-Fives

World Book DayChildren 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 improves children’s life chances, particularly those growing up in disadvantage and inequality, by encouraging reading for pleasure.” — World Book Day® Impact Report 2024

Why World Book Day is So Important to Children

Reading with children in their early years can help boost language skills by 8 months — before they're even five!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:

“Reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success – more than their family circumstances, their parents’ educational background or their income.”

The National Literacy Trust, BookTrust and others also came to similar conclusions:

“Evidence … shows that reading enjoyment and literacy levels are associated with educational attainment and employability skills as well as health, social, emotional and intellectual benefits.”

How to Encourage Children to Love Books

Children said that being able to choose what to read, when to read, and where to read were crucial factors to their enjoyment.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.

However, after asking the children what would make reading better, the conclusion was that being able to choose what to read, when to read, and where to read were crucial factors in their enjoyment. Being given the freedom to read in other ways also played a role; for example, some wanted access to audiobooks, graphic novels, and other non-standard book types. From this, a new approach was devised and World Book Day organisers have adopted it this year. It’s called ‘Read Your Way’ and is proving to have positive results.

Employ the ‘Read Your Way’ Approach to Reading

This new theme has six key components, each helping to increase children’s enjoyment and regular uptake of reading:

  1. Read to/with children regularly;
  2. Help children find time to read;
  3. Ensure children have books at home as well as at school/nursery etc.
  4. Make reading fun for children;
  5. Ensure children get to choose which book(s) they read;
  6. Ensure children have trusted help when choosing a new book.

Books for World Book Day

In the UK, children under 18 are eligible to receive a £1 book token through the event.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 (more information is available here). World Book Day is therefore the perfect time to encourage children to read books – or, of course, to read in tandem with parents/carers if they’re not yet old enough to understand printed words. Greater success is likely, though, if the ‘Read Your Way’ approach, outlined above, has been employed. So, for example, by allowing a child to choose the book, when to read it, and where to read it. And they don’t have to stick only to World Book Day because every day is a great day for children to benefit from reading!

Activity Ideas for Under-Fives

While many schools and childcare settings arrange activities for children on World Book Day, families can also organise their own. Consider these fun and simple ideas to get you started:

Visit a Library or Bookshop

Many local libraries take part in World Book Day each year by organising storytelling sessions, book-themed activities, and fancy-dress fun for local families. So, perhaps check what’s on near you. A special trip to a local bookshop is also a great idea for World Book Day, especially if your child has one of the event’s book tokens and the bookstore is a scheme participant. Make it an event, let your little one pick out a book, and it can become a truly special experience for them.

Dressing Up for Story Time

Children will love dressing up as their favourite book character! It doesn’t have to be complicated — a red top for Little Red Riding Hood, a black sheet or tablecloth for Harry Potter’s robe, or a stripey t-shirt for Where’s Wally can be effective as a little one’s costume. Then, snuggle up and read their chosen book together.

Creating a Cosy Storytelling Nook

Setting up a storytelling nook with your child is a wonderful way to encourage regular reading.A storytelling nook or corner is also a wonderful addition to a child’s home. Part of the fun is setting them up with your child, so they’re cosy and comfortable. Cushions, warm rugs, and child-safe LED candles give a bit of atmosphere and perhaps blankets can be stretched over a frame or furniture to create a snug teepee or den. Once complete, you and your child have somewhere welcoming and comfortable to read stories together. Follow the bold link to learn more about this magical idea.

Interactive Storytelling

Make books come to life with silly voices, props, and actions. These give stories a realistic slant as well as making them interactive — and great fun! For example, whispers can add suspense, scary voices can add tension, and well-placed silly voices can add a bit of humour!  Perhaps go a step further and act out scenes with your child after reading sessions.

Sensory Play Inspired by Books

Stories can also be brought to life with hands-on sensory activities. For example, the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar could inspire a home fruit-tasting session! Let your child try different fruits and talk about their colours, textures, and flavours. Harry Potter books or Room on the Broom could inspire playful potion-making. Children could mix coloured water, glitter, leaves and all sorts of (safe) things for a magical potion play session!

Book-Themed Arts & Crafts

Books and stories can really inspire children’s creativity. So, why not harness that instinct and get them busy with some book-inspired crafts? Some easy creative ideas include making a DIY bookmark with stickers and drawings, creating a simple puppet of a story character, designing and decorating a mini picture book together, or even creating stories together that the children can illustrate.

Get Siblings Involved

If your child has older siblings, they can read aloud to their younger brother or sister, act out a story together, or even write their own book. Encouraging them to share their love of reading encourages little ones and makes the day even more special.

These are just a few ideas for families celebrating World Book Day. Be sure to check out the family activity ideas on the World Book Day website for even more ideas.

World Book Day is a fantastic way to introduce children to the joy of books, but why stop there? Reading with children is incredibly beneficial to them, so keep the reading fun going all year by making stories a daily part of playtime and bedtime. Happy World Book Day!

Little Cedars Day 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.Today’s article was brought to you by the team at Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham. This wonderful nursery and preschool in London SW16 provides high-quality weekday childcare virtually all year round. It is rated as a Good Provider by Ofsted and supports funded childcare for eligible children under five including babies from just 9 months. Being located in Streatham, close to Tooting Common, means it may also be a convenient choice for families in Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.

Get in touch today to explore a possible nursery place for your baby or child under five — we’d love to hear from you and would be happy to show you around on a guided visit with your child:

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:

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.

 

 

 

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:

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.

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:

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.

20 Tips for Potty Training Success: How to Fast-Track Toileting in Under-5s

While some toddlers take to it like a duck to water, potty training can be quite daunting for others. It’s a task that can sometimes be the source of considerable upset for little ones which, in turn, can be stressful for parents. However, with the right tools and some useful tips from experts and those who have already gone through the process, potty training can be plain sailing. With that in mind, today’s guide gathers together 20 top tips for successfully fast-tracking potty training — take a look!

Before we begin on the tips, though, let’s see what we should be expecting from our little ones:

When Should We Expect Children to Master Potty Training?

There is no hard and fast rule about the age by which little ones should have mastered the use of the potty.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.

During the daytime, some tots will manage to stay mostly dry by the age of two to three, with most achieving it completely by the age of four. It’s a huge milestone when it finally happens!

During the night, most are also dry overnight by the age of six, although generally, infants will no longer poop at night even earlier — around the age of 12 months. That said, some children continue to wet the bed at night well beyond the age of 5 or 6. This can be for a variety of reasons, for example, simply because they sleep so deeply. They should never be told off about such incidents and minimal fuss should be made (they are, after all, accidents). The good news is that children are likely to grow out of bed-wetting anyway. We may follow up at a later date to write about measures families can take to minimise the likelihood of bed-wetting incidents for children over five.

20 Top Tips for Potty Training Success

Now we’ve outlined the key background information, it’s time for our 20 tips for potty training success.

  1. A good time to start your child on potty training is when they have shown that they’re aware of what’s in their nappy. Clues include looking in the nappy during a change, showing discomfort when in need of a change, or showing an awareness that they’re actually going to the loo.
  2. Beginning potty training during the warmer months of the year is also another top tip. That way, children will be wearing less clothes and what clothes they are wearing will be easier to dry on the washing line.
  3. Teach little ones all the appropriate words around the topic of potty training and toileting. By empowering them to use such language, they’re much better placed to ask to go to the loo in good time.
  4. Try rewarding your child for successful use of the potty. The promise of a treat for a successful ‘number two’ can often be all that’s needed to convince a reticent child to attempt it on the potty. Colourful reward stickers and a toileting chart celebrating successes also encourage children.
  5. When a number one or two are each achieved, especially early on in their potty training, celebrate and congratulate your child — these are huge milestones! Giving them praise will encourage them to build on their success.
  6. There are lots of different types of potty and toileting accessories on the market.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.
  7. Potties and toileting accessories that feature your child’s favourite characters, for example, dinosaurs, unicorns, or TV characters, will also make them much more friendly and even fun to the little one.
  8. Indeed, choosing the ‘right’ potty and toileting accessories is important on many levels. There are many different kinds to choose from, each suitable for different circumstances and preferences, including:
    Portable potties for when you’re out and about (some even come in a travel case format with wheels).
    Training seats that attach to an adult toilet.
    Musical potties that activate a song when they’ve sensed a successful use; these are great for children to sing along to and doing so will encourage them.
    A set of suitable steps will also help little ones get themselves to the right height once they’ve progressed from a potty to a toilet. These are also useful for reaching adult-level sinks to wash their hands.
  9. Encouraging children to 'teach' dolls and teddy bears to use the potty will help normalise it.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.
  10. Parents can also source potty training-themed books, stories, songs, YouTube videos and even games that will help children engage in the potty-training process whilst also making it fun.
  11. When potty training first begins, it’s a great idea to encourage your toddler to visit the potty at initially short, regular intervals. This could be every 30 minutes at the start but can be gradually extended to longer intervals once the child is showing signs of success.
  12. Ensure your child tries to use the potty immediately before bedtime, of course, and when they wake up from any period of sleep (day or night). It’s also a good idea to encourage them to use it after meals.
  13. When progressing away from using nappies, the use of ‘pull-ups’ is a good tool for the transition. Pull-ups are midway between a nappy and traditional underwear and, as such, will both protect and get children used to not wearing nappies.
  14. When starting potty training, picking a quiet time will help children focus, so they do not get distracted or put off.
  15. Setting a toileting schedule that doesn’t conflict with other items in your child’s routine will also help. Sticking to such a schedule will get little ones used to using the potty — and indeed they’ll expect to do so.
  16. Don't forget to make potty training fun!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.
  17. Normalise the whole process. The last thing potty training needs to be perceived as is a ‘problem’, so making it just a normal part of everyday life is essential to success.
  18. Let them know that their friends or peers are also potty training (or trained). Ensure children know that you also went through the process of potty training, as did older siblings, friends, and relatives. In this way, they won’t be made to feel ‘different’ or that something is ‘wrong’.
  19. Keep calm in front of your child even if they begin to get stressed during potty training or toileting. Don’t let them hear anything negative about potty training, including any accidents, which will happen however swimmingly the training goes.
  20. Remember that part of potty training is also teaching your child good hygiene practices including the need to always wash hands after use of the potty or toilet. They need to understand that this is essential for their health,Mastering the potty and toilet will boost children's independence and self-confidence. household cleanliness, and for their independence.

With successful potty training comes an easier home life for parents, improved cleanliness and hygiene for children and, with no nappies to buy, less household expense. Mastering potties and later the toilet will also be a huge boost to children’s independence and self-confidence; both being hugely important at nursery/preschool and, in particular, when they begin school.

Our Nursery in Streatham, London SW16

Little Cedars Nursery: High-Quality Childcare Services 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 Provider

We hope that today’s potty training tips help to make the process go smoothly. We are Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham, London SW16, situated conveniently close to Furzedown, Tooting, Norbury, Balham, and Colliers Wood. As a Good Provider of early years childcare, we give babies, toddlers, and preschoolers under 5 the very best start in life. We bring out the best in them, so they’re ready to hit the ground running by the time they start school. We also support many of the Government’s free childcare schemes to make it more affordable for eligible families.

Contact Little Cedars Nursery today to register your child for a childcare place, ask a question, or book a free tour of the setting:

The Big Butterfly Count — Little Citizen Scientists Get Ready!

The arrival of July brings with it an annual request for young citizen scientists to help in the world’s largest butterfly survey. Adults, teens, younger children and even little ones under five can all play their part. Butterflies are beautiful creatures for children to see and taking part in the survey takes as little as just 15 minutes. This important nature-based activity is also fun, free, and educational, and will help in the conservation of butterflies and the UK’s natural world. With all that in mind, today’s guide tells you everything you need to know about taking part in the Big Butterfly Count for 2024.

What Is the Big Butterfly Count?

Since 2010, the Big Butterfly Count has taken place during the ‘peak butterfly’ period each year in the UK. During the count, thousands of people across the nation spend as little as 15 minutes surveying how many butterflies and day-flying moths they can spot, and of which species. Their findings are then submitted to the Butterfly Conservation scheme so that a detailed picture can be pieced together about butterfly populations across Britain.

“Counting butterflies can be described as taking the pulse of nature and we depend on you, our citizen scientists, to help us assess how much help nature needs.” (Butterfly Conservation)

Why Butterflies?

Butterflies are important to the UK’s ecosystem because they pollinate food crops and themselves form part of nature’s food chain. However, populations of butterflies have declined significantly in recent decades.

“80% of butterflies have declined since the 1970s and we have lost up to 44% of moths in the UK. ” (Butterfly Conservation)

This may be due to factors like habitat loss, climate change, and the use of harmful and indiscriminate pesticides. The decline is alarming from the perspective of butterfly conservation – some species are in real danger of extinction – as well as being a warning barometer for the state of nature overall. By monitoring butterfly and daytime-flying moth populations, experts can get a better idea of the health of biodiversity and the natural environment across Britain and, by doing so each year, identify trends over time. Only through such a widespread and comprehensive approach can measures be put in place to try to fix any problems identified. The Big Butterfly Count is therefore an important and hugely worthwhile activity for children and families to get involved in during July and early August.

When is 2024’s Big Butterfly Count Taking Place?

The Big Butterfly Count itself starts on Friday 12th July 2024 and will run to Sunday 4th August. However, the overall scheme and Big Butterfly Count smartphone app open on the 1st of July so that people can prepare, plan where to spot the butterflies, and so on.

How Can Children & Families Get Involved?

It’s simple for children, families and individuals to take part. It can take as little as just 15 minutes and is totally free.

What to Do

  1. Preparation is the first step. This is made easy for families because all the necessary resources are supplied by Butterfly Conservation, the initiative’s organisers. Download a free butterfly identification chart for your area here. This can be printed out for your child. Alternatively, for those with smartphones, simply download the Big Butterfly Count app (available free on IOS and Android) which incorporates everything you need, all in one place, including additional tools that are both helpful and highly informative.
  2. When you/your children are ready for the count, find a suitable butterfly-spotting location* and count the targeted butterflies and daytime-flying moths that you can see over the course of 15 minutes. This must occur during the period from Friday the 12th of July to Sunday the 4th of August 2024 inclusive. The smartphone app and/or identification chart from Step 1 above will help you identify the species of each butterfly you spot. More details about counting butterflies can be found here.
  3. Submit your findings via the scheme’s website or directly through the smartphone app (please note that, in each case, you will not be able to submit your results until the count is officially open). You can submit your butterfly sightings right up until the end of August and may submit more than one entry.

Butterflies are more likely to be around when it’s sunny and sheltered, and there are lots of flowers and blossoms in bloom. Another option is to simply attract butterflies to your own garden; explained for children and families here.

 

How to See Results of the Count

Once the event is over (from 5th August inclusive), you can visit the event’s official map, which is interactive. Zoom in on your area to see which butterflies you and others spotted. You’ll be able to filter by species and date and see total butterfly counts and even the number of citizen scientists who have taken part.

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 rate Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderAt Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham, our childcare practitioners fully understand the enormous benefits of nature to children. It’s simply transformational, which is why we have outdoor spaces where children are able to sow seeds, tend to plants, and even grow vegetables. Nature teaches them so much and we therefore wholeheartedly recommend children’s involvement in the Big Butterfly Count each year.

First-class Childcare for Families in Streatham, Tooting, Furzedown, & Balham

Little Cedars is a high-quality nursery and preschool in Streatham, also close to Furzedown, Tooting, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood. If you’d like to consider sending your child under five to this wonderful nursery, please get in touch today. The setting has the backing of Government-funded childcare schemes for eligible families and a ‘Good Provider’ rating by Ofsted. Please choose an option to get started:

How to Make a Wildlife-Friendly Garden With Your Child

There are many simple ways that children and families can attract wildlife to their garden or nearby outdoor space.As promised in our last post we now extend our gardening for children theme and take a look at some of the ways that children can attract wildlife to their gardens or other outdoor spaces nearby. Young children, particularly under-fives, will love seeing a variety of delightful little creatures arriving, especially if it results from their actions. The wildlife-attracting activities we suggest today will help their young minds learn more about nature and how to help it, as well as teach them new skills. Spending time in nature is also incredibly good for children and, what’s more, the activities include acts of kindness that will also benefit plants, flowers, and the wildlife itself. It’s a real win-win! So, perhaps take a few minutes out of your day to learn how you can help your child attract wildlife — and make the world a better place!

What Kind of Wildlife Can Children Attract?

We’re talking here about how to attract adorable pollinators like bees, butterflies, moths, and hoverflies, as well as larger creatures like birds and, if children are lucky, hedgehogs. Some of the activities are also designed to attract interesting creatures like minibeasts, which are always a huge hit with children. So, by following today’s suggestions, children may get to see a wide variety of delightful wildlife!

Children should be aware that wildlife may not visit right away. Wildlife is naturally afraid of humans and often distrusts ‘new’ things in their neighbourhoods. So allow time for the wild creatures to become accustomed to changes in children’s gardens and encourage children to be patient — it’s a great lesson to learn.

How Can Children Attract Wildlife to Gardens?

How children attract wildlife depends primarily on what kind of wildlife they want to attract and, to a degree, what kind of natural space they have available. Supplying a source of food or somewhere to live is the key to success in most cases. Let’s take a closer look.

How to Attract Bees, Butterflies, & Other Pollinators

Bees, butterflies, hoverflies and pollinators in general are some of the easiest types of wildlife for children to attract. What’s more, it’s a fun, easy, and educational activity for children to take part in. Here’s how:

Pollinators Need a Drink!

Creatures like bees and birds will all appreciate being given a supply of drinking water.One of the key things that pollinators like bees need is something to drink, particularly when the weather is hot. They expend a lot of energy buzzing about and can easily become exhausted without a source of water. So, a simple thing that children and families can do is to put out some small, shallow dishes of water among any flowers (whether in flowerbeds or flowerpots). The little drip trays that you put under flowerpots are perfect but any small, shallow dish will do. A critically important detail is that a ‘landing stone’ should be placed into the water so that the bees have somewhere safe to land above the level of the water’s surface. They can then crawl to the water’s edge to have a refreshing sip of water without getting themselves into danger. What’s more, you may also find that other types of pollinators visit — perhaps even dragonflies and damselflies if they’re in the neighbourhood.

Pollinators Need Food (think Nectar!)

Children can sow pollinator-attracting flowers from things like poppy seeds and wildflower seed mixes. Bees and other pollinators will love these!Bees, hoverflies, butterflies and all pollinators also need nectar as a food source. For our children, that means that flowers — and their pollen — are the key to attracting them. So, with adult supervision, children can sow pollinator-attracting flowers from things like poppy seeds and wildflower seed mixes. These are readily available commercially, are usually marked on the packets as pollinator-friendly, and are usually very inexpensive. They’re also easy to grow (see our wildflower-growing guide for children for more details). These will not only look beautiful once they’ve flowered but will attract bees, butterflies and many other types of pollinators to the child’s garden or nature area. They are delightful little creatures and are also incredibly important, of course, for crop production for our own food. So, once again, if children feed such creatures, they are helping both the pollinators and humans. They can learn a great deal from this activity, therefore.

Attracting Butterflies

Bees, butterflies and even dragonflies absolutely love flowering Buddleia.As we mentioned above, butterflies will be attracted to flowers like poppies and wildflowers. However, they absolutely love flowering Buddleia (right) and Hylotelephium (a.k.a. ‘Ice Plant’ – see main image at top), especially if they’re located in a sunny position. On a good day, children may find such plants absolutely covered with visiting butterflies and other pollinators — and these creatures are a delight for little ones and adults alike. Note, though, that parents will need to hard prune most Buddleia varieties in early Spring, otherwise, they can grow quite large. If space is limited, therefore, stick with poppies, wildflowers, and ice plants rather than buddleia.

Butterflies can be attracted to children's gardens using overripe fruit drizzled with sugar solution.As well as enjoying the nectar from the flowers that children have planted (see above), butterflies can also be lured to children’s gardens through a kind of drink that’s also food for them. For butterflies, children simply mix up to four parts of warmed water with one part of sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Children can then drizzle the sweet solution over small slices of ripe fruit or even small cut-up pieces of a clean sponge. As with the water for the bees, these can then be placed in shallow dishes and left among flowerbeds or alongside flowerpots on a balcony or windowsill. Once they’ve discovered them, butterflies will soon begin to land to sip at this sweet food supply. Children will then be able to see their incredible beauty up close. Download our free butterfly identification poster for children here.

Another food type that butterflies love is — rather strangely — overripe fruit like oranges, bananas, melons, pears, plums and pineapples. Even when these are well and truly overripe — indeed way more ripe than humans would eat — butterflies enjoy them immensely. So, these too can be put out for butterflies to nourish themselves. Children can even make a paste mix of squashed, overripe banana and water and, when butterflies find this or any of our butterfly food suggestions, children can watch as the butterflies sip through the equivalent of their tongue, the proboscis.

Avoid putting these food and water sources near open windows otherwise pollinators and possibly other insects and bugs may get trapped inside your house.

How to Attract Birds

There are a number of activities that children can take part in to attract birds to gardens and outdoor areas.

Food to Attract Birds

Putting out food suitable for birds is the most simple way to attract birds to a child's garden or outdoor space.Putting out food suitable for birds is the most simple way to attract birds to a child’s garden or outdoor space. Once the birds recognise and trust it, the new food source will provide a regular stream of pretty, feathered visitors. Children will love knowing they helped to attract these wonderful creatures and have been responsible for giving them a much-needed meal. They can also use our free bird identification poster to learn which bird species are which. So, it’s both worthwhile and educational as an activity for children.

With regard to the food to put out for the birds, children/families can buy or make ‘seed cakes’ or ‘fat balls’. Children will love making these and can follow our guide to making home-made bird feeders here. Once complete, these can simply hang from string from branches of trees and bushes, from overhangs on buildings and sheds, or even from brackets used for hanging baskets. All of these are good places as they provide some protection from attack by birds of prey who, if present, usually watch and attack from above.

For a close-up view, a type of bird feeder that attaches to the outside of windows is commercially available.Commercially available ‘Robin peanut cakes’ and ‘sunflower hearts’ are also a big hit with many birds, and can usually be found in supermarkets or online. Whole bird-friendly peanuts are also popular with birds like bluetits and great tits, however, can be a choking hazard for baby birds during the breeding season if not crushed into tiny pieces. More information about suitable food types for birds can be found using the link in the paragraph above.

Another feeding option is a semi-permanent bird-feeding ‘station’ or bird table. As with the bird feeders, these can either be purchased commercially or home-made and need to be sighted somewhere ideally with cover from above — unless, of course, they have their own integral roof. There are even some that stick to windows, so those can be great options for children who live in an upstairs flat or apartment. All bird feeders should be cleaned regularly, by the way, in order to stop the spread of diseases and protect birds’ health. Obviously, too, the use of all such items will require the parent or caregiver’s supervision and help as appropriate.

Put Out Bird Baths Too

Birds need to drink and bathe themselves, so putting out water in shallow vessels like flowerpot saucers or complete bird baths will be welcomed by them.Birds need to drink and bathe themselves, so putting out water in shallow vessels like flowerpot saucers will be welcomed by them. These are best located somewhere a little secluded, e.g. in amongst flowers in a flowerbed or below overhanging shrubs or trees, rather than right out in the open. Otherwise, birds may avoid them as they’ll feel unsafe from birds of prey that sometimes view from high up in the air. If bird baths supplied are on the larger side, birds may bathe in them as well as drink from them. That’s a delight for children to see, so encourage your little one to make one or more bird baths available but also make sure of several things:

  1. Ensure the water is shallow as birds will prefer this;
  2. Put a rock or smaller upturned flowerpot saucer in the middle of larger bird baths as somewhere for the birds to safely land;
  3. Ensure the water is changed regularly and the bird bath is kept clean;
  4. Ensure children wash their hands after touching these or anything else in the garden.

Note that birds often distrust anything ‘new’ in the garden, so it may be a few days or even a couple of weeks before the first bird takes a bath. That said, sometimes a particularly brave bird may come almost right away and, in any case, patience is a virtue, as they say. That’s another important lesson that children also need to learn.

Add Nesting Boxes

Children will also love seeing birds moving into birdhouses, which families can either make or buy.Children will also love seeing birds moving into birdhouses, which families can either make or buy, often inexpensively, and put up around gardens or properties. There are lots of different kinds, for example, blue tit boxes have a hole as an entrance whereas robins require a larger opening. Some research online may be wise and families can decide which type to go for based on what species of birds they wish to attract.

Bird boxes should be positioned carefully, though, bearing in mind the following guidelines:

  • Boxes should face anywhere between north and east otherwise babies can die from the heat during the summer months;
  • Position at least 2 metres above ground level, somewhere cats, foxes, squirrels and birds of prey cannot easily access them (so, not near the tops of fences, for example);
  • For the same kind of reasons, it’s best if bird boxes are located under some kind of overhead protection e.g. under the eaves or an overhang on your house, or on a tall post underneath a tree canopy (this reduces the chance of attack from above by birds of prey). Hiding them within an area covered in climbing plants is another option;
  • Locate them away from permanent bird feeders as they need to be away from other areas that are busy with activity from birds, animals, and humans;
  • Tilt the box forward a little so that rain runs off more easily.

More information about bird boxes and how families can even make them is available on the RSPB website.

How to Attract Minibeasts

Children can make a compost heap to attract minibeasts and give them a home.By far the best way to attract minibeasts, apart from ensuring harmful weedkillers and other nasty chemicals aren’t used around the garden, is to give them a compost heap to live in. Such places will attract minibeasts like centipedes, woodlice, millipedes, worms and many other types — perhaps even slow worms. Building a compost heap is a wonderfully worthwhile, fun, and educational activity for children to take part in and our guide explaining how to make and maintain a compost heap can be found here.

Once the compost heap has been established, minibeasts will move in as it will represent both a home and a food source for many of them. Children can also download our free Minibeasts identification poster here.

Teach Children Empathy & Responsibility

Children should be shown how to take care of and be gentle when looking for wild creatures, as each is an individual who wants to live in peace, is scared of humans and is both delicate and easily harmed. Taking such care will teach children lessons like empathy and responsibility as well as help the garden wildlife to stay safe and well.

Create a Wilderness Area

Lizards, frogs, toads, and newts may also be attracted to wild areas that are damp.Aside from that, minibeasts and many other types of garden visitors love a wild area of the garden or outdoor space to live in, ideally with ramshackle things like flower pots, rocks, piles of rotting leaves, and rotting logs/branches for bugs, slow worms and other minibeasts to live under. Lizards, frogs, and toads may also be attracted to such areas, particularly if the area is kept damp.

In the right circumstances, children may even get to see birds like robins nesting if there is somewhere safe, peaceful, hidden and suitably high off the ground.

Keep grass in wilderness areas long, sow wildflowers there, and disturb the area as little as possible.

Bug hotels are also a great way to attract bugs and minibeasts to the garden.Make or buy a ‘bug hotel’ and place this in the wilderness area too, as it’ll provide a home for all sorts of bugs and insects, including some pollinators like solitary bees, bumblebees, and other minibeasts like ladybirds, woodlice, snails, spiders — even some types of butterfly potentially. Indeed, bug hotels are excellent in autumn as they will provide somewhere safe for the creatures to over-winter and hibernate. The RSPB has an excellent guide to making your own ‘minibeast hotel’ which is another name for a bug hotel. This particular one is fairly large, so will need input from parents or caregivers, however, the same principle can be used by children on a smaller scale if they would like to build their own. We may produce our own guide for them separately in due course.

How to Encourage Hedgehogs

If children are really lucky, they may even find that adorable little hedgehogs pay a visit.With the right preparation and if children are really lucky, they may even find that adorable little hedgehogs pay a visit. Better still, they may even move in under and raise families of adorable baby hedgehogs if the circumstances are right. Piles of leaves in wild areas, compost heaps in garden corners, unlit bonfire wood stacks, beneath sheds and where there are leaves collecting under undergrowth are all great areas for hedgehogs to stay, particularly if they’re secluded and peaceful areas away from noise, activity, and garden pets like dogs and cats. Ensuring there is a suitable gap under garden fences will also allow hedgehogs to come and go as they please, to forage for food. Ensure they’re not too big, though, if you have a pet.

If encouraging hedgehogs to the family garden, ensure children know not to feed them bread or milk as these are harmful to them.

Avoid using pesticides and harmful chemicals in the garden. Examples to avoid include weedkiller, snail or slug killers, and patio cleaning chemicals. These are usually potent poisons and are likely to kill garden creatures — even birds and their young, whether ingested directly or via eating of poisoned slugs, snails, or bugs.

Little Cedars Nursery: the Natural Choice for Childcare in Streatham

We offer the very best start for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers 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 that understands exactly how to bring out the very best in every child. During their time with us, we’ll ensure we do everything possible to ensure they’re ‘school ready’ and primed for success by the time they begin formal education at school. We’re located in Streatham but are also conveniently close for families in Furzedown, Tooting, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood. Many free, Government-funded places are also supported for eligible families and Ofsted rates Little Cedars as a ‘Good Provider’. So — your child is in the very best hands at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham.

Contact Little Cedars Nursery today to register your child for a place, arrange a visit, or ask any questions: