rough guide Archives | Page 2 of 7 | Little Cedars Day Nursery

Tag Archive for: rough guide

National Children’s Gardening Week: 24 May – 1 June 2025

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?

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:

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 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’. 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

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

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

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

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

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:

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

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.}

30 April 2025/by Mark

Animals & Pets, Babies, Childhood Development, Children, Food, Health & Safety, Health & Wellbeing, Hygiene, Infants, Maternity, Parenting, Toddlers, Under-5s

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 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.

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

Important Notice

^{These are introductory guidelines only — parents/guardians will need to do their own comprehensive research to learn more. They may also wish to consult our related tips on food safety and hygiene around children.}

31 March 2025/by Mark

Food, Health & Safety, Health & Wellbeing, Healthy Eating, Hygiene, Parenting

Food Safety & Hygiene Around Children — a Guide for Parents

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

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

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.

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 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 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

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

A Nursery Place for Your Child in Streatham

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

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

Safety Notice

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

31 December 2024/by Mark

Babies, Childhood Development, Early Years, Health, Health & Wellbeing, Infants, Nursery, Parenting, Under-5s

The Dangers of Kissing Babies

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.

Wash hands before touching babies.
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.
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.
Parents/carers with cold sore blisters or other herpes-related lesions should cover them whenever they’re around babies.
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 wonderful nursery and preschool in Streatham. We’re recognised as a ‘good provider’ of childcare and early years education by Ofsted and, as such, give babies and children under five a fabulous start in life. What’s more, we also support a wide range of free childcare options for eligible children through several of the Government’s childcare funding schemes. So, do consider us if you are looking for a high-quality weekday childcare service in Streatham or live in nearby locations like Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, Streatham Park, Tooting Common, Tooting, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury or Colliers Wood.

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

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

SAFETY NOTICE

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

29 November 2024/by Mark

Babies, Childcare, Childcare Funding, Children, Early Years, Early Years Education, Free Childcare, Infants, Little Cedars Day Nursery, Nurseries, Nursery, Preschool, Preschoolers, Streatham, SW16, Toddlers, Under-5s

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

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.

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):

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;
Must not be earning an adjusted net income over £100,000 during the relevant tax year;
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.

In readiness for the influx of babies taking up the new funding, Little Cedars Nursery has a brand new baby room. It’s a lovely, warm, homely area for little ones and a couple of photographs are shown above.

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

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

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

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

30 September 2024/by Mark

Activity Ideas for Children, Butterflies, Early Years Education, Learning & Development, Nature, Nature Activities

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

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.
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.
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

At 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:

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

28 June 2024/by Mark

Children, Early Years, Early Years Education, Education, Learning & Development, Preschoolers, Primary School, Reception, School

Starting School in Reception Year: Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a baby, toddler or preschooler, you’ll soon need to think about them starting school. The rules around starting school in England can be confusing at times, so today we take a look through commonly asked questions around the topic to clarify matters. For instance, at what age do children in England legally have to begin school? Is ‘Reception Year’ the same as Year 1 (no, by the way), and is attending Reception Class even compulsory? All these questions and many more are answered in today’s post. Click any question to reveal the answer.

Q: What is Reception Year?

Reception Year is the year most children in England, aged from 4 to 5, start school. It’s a kind of ‘in-between’ year, coming after nursery/pre-school, but before primary school ‘Year 1’. Although Reception Year takes place at primary school, it’s the final year of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and continues to use a primarily play-based learning approach. However, once Reception Year is complete, children move to Year 1 and begin the Key Stage 1 (KS1) curriculum, a more adult-led, formal learning approach by topic.

Q: Are there other names for Reception Year?

Reception Year is also referred to simply as ‘Reception‘ as well as being known as Year R, Year 0, or FS2 (for Foundation Second Year).

Q: Is Reception Year the same as Year 1 at school?

No — as outlined above, Reception Year is the year that precedes Year 1 so, numerically speaking, is Year 0 (see the question above for additional naming variants).

Q: How important is Reception Year?

The general consensus is that children who attend school in Reception Year benefit hugely. Having attended Reception, reading, writing, numeracy, social skills and many other abilities will have improved. Studies show that longer-term academic outcomes, including GCSE grades, are improved. Even children’s likely earnings will be higher later on as adults — such is the positive effect of a good Reception Year education.

Q: Is Reception Year compulsory?

Attending school in Reception Year is not compulsory, but is a great way for children to transition from preschool to school and to gain extra teaching. As such, it is something that the UK Government’s Department of Education (DfE) believes children should not miss out on.

Q: What age are children who go into Reception Class?

Children who go into Reception Year are usually aged between 4 and 5. However, there are occasional exceptions. An example would be where a child aged 5 has missed Reception – for whatever reason – and their parents have later made a successful application for their admission to Reception “outside of the normal age group”.

Q: What age is it compulsory for my child to go to school?

The law states that children reach Compulsory School Age on the earliest of the 31st of the August, December, or March which arrives on or after they reach the age of 5. They would then usually start school in the September term that follows (being the start of the nearest full school year).

That said, most children begin school earlier, at the age of 4, as we’ll see below.

Q: Can my child start school at the age of 4?

Yes. Despite the compulsory school age for full-time education in England being five, most children actually start school at the age of four. The majority of them will start in ‘Reception Year’ in the September term that follows their fourth birthday. However, whilst still four, they can attend part-time, full-time, or even part of the way through the year. Indeed, some schools have a staggered system for 4-year-olds joining Reception Year, starting them part-time at first. Others, however, require full-time schooling right from the start.

Q: Can I defer my child‘s school start date until they’re 5?

Yes*, for what are known as ‘Summer born’ children. That’s if your child’s birthday falls somewhere during the period 1 April and 31 August and, for example, you feel they are not ready for the challenges of school while they’re still 4. In such a scenario, you can defer their start until they’re five — in accordance with Compulsory School Age rules outlined earlier. Learn more about delaying your child’s school start here.

^{* Different rules apply to children who are subject to an Educational, Health & Care (EHC) plan.}

Q: What school year does my child join if they don’t start school until five?

If your child doesn’t start school until they’re five, local authorities and schools will decide whether such children should start in Reception Year (a year later than most of their peers of the same age) or go straight into Year One with children of the same age. It all comes down to what they feel would be in the child’s best interests, taking into account any special circumstances or special needs. Parents can, however, make a request for such children to start school in Reception Year as opposed to Year 1 and this is known as ‘requesting admission out of the normal age group‘.

This is a tricky area because, on the one hand, the Government’s official view is: “… it is usually not in a child’s best interests to miss the teaching that takes place during the Reception Year, and … it should be rare for a child to start school in year 1.” However, on the other hand, the usual ‘default’ for children starting school at the age of 5, whose parents have not made a request for admission out of the normal age group, is that they would usually go straight into Year 1 — i.e. with children their own age.

Q: When should I apply for a primary school place for my child?

Irrespective of whether your child begins school at the age of 4 or 5, you need to apply for a place when they are still 3, or at the very latest when they have just reached the age of 4. More details about applying for school places are available in this guide.

Q: How do I find a state-funded school for my child?

If you live in England*, your local authority is responsible for education in state-funded schools. Click here to find the right local authority for your area and then navigate to the relevant schools section of their website. This will contain a whole host of information usually including a school search function, term dates, eligibility requirements, how to apply for a school place, plus a wealth of additional school- and education-related information.

Try to visit any contenders — most will have open days. Also, check Ofsted reports and school performance tables and try to speak with parents whose children have attended to gain some insights.

^{* Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different processes. (∞).}

Q: How do I find a private/independent school place for my child?

You can alternatively pay for your child’s education through a private (‘independent’) school by making enquiries directly with them. Research to find them online, try a search engine or ask around for recommendations.

Like state-funded schools, independent schools are also inspected and reports will be available through whichever organisation inspects them (about half of them are through Ofsted).

Q: Can I ‘school’ my child at home instead of sending them to school?

In many cases you can, if you so decide, teach your child at home instead of sending them to school. This is known as ‘Elective Home Education’ (EHE). If going this route, your child must be receiving a suitable, efficient, full-time education and be doing so from the age of five. You can school them at home full-time, or educate them part-time at home and the other part at school, although some schools may not allow part-time school placements.

However, there are some scenarios where it’s not possible to school your child at home. Examples may include some children who are party to a ‘School Attendance Order‘, some children with SEN attending special schools, and children who have been deemed by the local authority not to be receiving suitable home education.

More information is available here.

Q: How do special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) affect Reception Year places?

By law, schools must publish certain information on their official websites and this includes a special educational needs (SEN) information report. This must explain their individual policies in regard to eligibility and arrangements for children who have special educational needs and disabilities.

If you would like to suggest any additional questions on the topics of starting school and Reception Year, please let us know using the middle button below; many thanks.

Little Cedars is a High-Quality Nursery in Streatham

Little Cedars Day Nursery provides first-class weekday childcare services in Streatham

Little Cedars is a wonderful childcare nursery located in Streatham in London’s SW16 area. As you can see via the logo on the left, we are rated by Ofsted as a ‘Good Provider’, so you know your baby, toddler or preschooler will be in safe and caring hands. We’ll ensure they receive the very best care and an early years education that will help them become the very best version of themselves. In this way, they’ll be school-ready by the time they leave us to begin in Reception Year at primary school.

To further explore the chance of a childcare place for your child at Little Cedars Nursery, please get in touch using an option below:

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

15 May 2024/by Mark

Children, Early Years Education, Education, Learning & Development, Parenting, Preschoolers, Primary School, Reception, School, Under-5s

Guide to National Offer Day for Primary School Admissions

What is National Offer Day in the UK?

National Offer Day is the day that parents receive confirmation of which school their child has been offered for the next academic year. For those with preschoolers who require primary school places starting in the September term, over 92% (2023: 92.5%) will typically get an offer from their first choice and over 98% (2023: 98.6%) usually receive an offer from a school within their top 3 choices. Out of 568,600 primary school applications made last year for the academic year 2023/24, only 8,000 (1.4%) didn’t receive offers for one of their preferred primary schools (statistics are lower for secondary school places).

In today’s guide, we outline how and when parents of under-fives should apply for primary school places, how places are allocated, what to expect on National Offer Day (a.k.a. Primary School Offer Day for preschoolers), and what your options are if you do not receive an offer for your preferred school.

When Will Your Child Receive Their Primary School Offer?

National Offer Day for primary school places falls on the 16th of April (for secondary school places it is the 1st of March). On the ‘offers’ day, those who applied for places online will receive an email* from their local council to confirm the offer. There are lots for the council to send out, so the time of day the email arrives with you will vary from location to location. Also note that, in years when those dates coincide with a Bank Holiday or a weekend, the offers will instead be sent during the next working day.

* Some local authorities also allow parents to view offers through the council’s admissions portal/system.

When is Compulsory School Age?

Although most children begin school in the September following their fourth birthday, they have the option to start a little later if preferred. Compulsory School Age, which is the age they must be when they begin full-time education by law, is whichever comes first of the 31st of December, March or August following their fifth birthday. In practice, though, most children in the UK begin school at the age of four and reach five during their first year at school.

When to Apply for Your Child’s Primary School Place

For primary school places, you must apply in advance when your child is 3 or has just turned 4 at the time of application, even for those wishing to start school later.

Applications for September Reception year primary or infant school places should usually be made no later than 15 January that year but can be made as early as September of the previous year.

Example:

For a child starting primary school at the age of 4 in September 2024, apply any time from 1 September 2023 to 15 January 2024.

‘In-Year’ Applications:

For one reason or another, for example after moving house, some families may have to apply for a primary school place for their child after the school year has started. Such ‘in-year’ applications will obviously not follow the usual dates outlined above and, once an offer has been received, the child will usually begin at the agreed primary school at the start of the next full term.

What If Your Application is Late?

“Your child is less likely to be offered a place at their chosen schools if you miss the deadline for applications.” (Gov.uk)

It’s worth noting that applications may not be processed until some time in May if they are received late. As May is long after the processing of all those that were received on time has occurred, the odds of getting a school place at your first choice are potentially reduced if you’re late. In other words, if you want to stand a better chance of getting your preferred school for your child, don’t be late with your application! Late applications may also require the use of a separate ‘late application’ form.

How & Where to Apply

Families should apply for school places for their children through their local council even if they are applying for a school in a different area. They should also still apply if they are applying for a school that’s linked directly to their child’s existing nursery/setting. When applying, you’ll be able to list your preferred schools in order and, subject to available places, this order will be taken into consideration when your application is being processed.

Applications for primary school places can be made online (start here) or via your council’s paper application form. Note, however, that those applying via a paper form may receive the outcome of their application a little later, probably via 2nd Class post, if they didn’t include an email address as part of their application.

Criteria for School Offers

As well as the timing criteria outlined above, other factors will influence how likely you are to receive an offer for your preferred primary school, although the exact factors vary from school to school. They may include how close your child lives to the preferred school, whether your child has a sibling there already, whether you as a parent have worked at the school for 2 or more years, whether it’s a faith school that matches your faith, plus other potential factors.

Accepting Offers for Primary School Places

Be warned that the offer you receive for your child’s primary school place will include a deadline and you will need to accept the offer by that deadline in order to secure your child’s place. If you do not accept it in time, the primary school place may instead be offered to another child.

What If Your Child Is Not Offered a Place at Your Preferred School?

For one reason or another, a small percentage of families (2023: 1.4%) will not receive an offer from a school within those they selected as ‘preferred’ during their application. If your local council is unable to offer your child a place at any of your preferred schools, the council will need to offer you a place at an alternative primary school. Usually, this will be the nearest primary school that has a place available.

Appealing Your Child’s Primary School Offer

If you do not receive an offer for one of your preferred schools for your child, you can appeal the decision if you so wish. The offer letter will give more details about how to do so. More information about the appeals process can be found here.

Note, however, that it may be wise to first accept the offer your child was originally given so that you have something to fall back on should your appeal be unsuccessful. Doing so does not, apparently, adversely affect your appeal. The same is true if you decide to ask to go on a waiting list for a preferred school, and we’ll come to that next.

Primary School Waiting Lists

In the unlikely event that no primary school place is available, or if you do not receive an offer at your preferred school for your child, you can apply for your child to be put on a waiting list. This would be done through your local council although you can also contact the school itself to enquire. Interestingly, you can also put your child’s name on a preferred school’s waiting list even if you have already received and accepted an offer elsewhere.

Good Luck!

We hope this guide has been useful and wish you good luck with your primary school applications. We hope that you receive the choices you hoped for once the primary school offers day arrives.

Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

A High-Quality Nursery & Preschool in Streatham, near Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury & Colliers Wood

Little Cedars is a high-quality nursery and preschool in Streatham, SW16. Rated by Ofsted as a ‘Good Provider’ of early years childcare and education, children under our care receive a first-class start to life in our warm, loving, home-from-home environment. At Little Cedars, we bring out the best in every child to help them become school-ready by the time they leave us to begin school in their fifth year.

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

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

15 March 2024/by Mark

Activity Ideas for Children, Birdwatching, Free stuff, Learning & Development, Nature, Nature Activities

A Guide to January’s Big Garden Birdwatch – Children Get Ready!

Parents and children, don’t miss this year’s incredibly important birdwatching activity for the RSPB — and the planet — which occurs from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th January. The Big Garden Birdwatch only takes one hour, is free, and is an extremely worthwhile activity for children and families to take part in. It’s a great way to introduce children to the concept of conservation as well as getting them interested in spending time in and around nature. And, as we’ve reported before, nature is extremely good for children! In today’s post, we explain how easy it is to get your little ones involved and why taking part is a win-win-win for families, birds and nature.

What is the Big Garden Birdwatch?

The Big Garden Birdwatch began in 1979 and happens annually. It is the biggest garden wildlife survey in the world, each year attracting hundreds of thousands of participants up and down the length of the UK. 9.1 million birds were reported in last year’s count.

In essence, people get involved simply by choosing an outdoor patch, and then counting birds that land there during the course of an hour. They then report their findings to the RSPB. We’ll cover a bit more detail on how to go about that later in this article.

Why Does the Big Garden Birdwatch Matter?

Monitoring populations of bird species every year allows the RSPB and other conservation organisations to see how the various types of garden birds are faring. Whether or not they’re doing well will be a barometer of the state of nature itself as well as that of the individual bird populations. If the RSPB and other conservation organisations can see a problem, they can then mobilise to try to do something about it. Likewise, if they see a particular bird species doing well, they can learn from that and better understand what measures are helping that particular bird population to thrive.

Nature is also incredibly good for children, helping them cognitively, academically, spiritually, mentally, socially, creatively and physically. Spending time in nature has also been shown to improve test results, lower stress levels and even improve earning potential. Learn more about the amazing benefits of nature to children here or, better still, get them involved in the Big Garden Birdwatch this January!

What Sort of Discoveries Has the Annual Big Garden Birdwatch Uncovered?

Each year, the Big Garden Birdwatch uncovers intriguing and useful data about how bird species in the UK are faring. For example:

In 2023, the bird species spotted the most was the House Sparrow, followed by the Blue Tit in second place, Starling in third, Wood Pigeon in fourth and Blackbird in fifth.
Despite that, historical data from the count shows that even House Sparrow numbers have significantly declined — by 57% — since the count began in 1979.
Song Thrush populations are 80% lower than they were when the survey began.
Indeed, during the last 6 decades, data suggests that bird populations in the UK have dropped by over 38 million, a huge and worrying number.

How Families & Children Can Take Part in the Big Garden Birdwatch

There are 4 simple steps required to take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch this January:

Register free, via the RSPB website. By registering you’ll also get a free guide to taking part in the event, which includes visual reference to the birds to look out for, as well as other perks like a discount on bird food and other bird feeding supplies available from the RSPB’s online shop.
Choose a suitable outdoor patch to monitor during the survey event. It could be your garden, patio, local park, or even a view from a balcony will do.
Between Friday 24 and Sunday 26 January 2025, count how many birds of each species, actually land in your patch during the hour’s monitoring.
Once complete, confirm the biggest number of each bird species that has landed at any one time to the RSPB, along with the location of your patch. Please still confirm your findings even if you saw no birds land at all. Make your submissions online here between 26 January and 23 February 2025 or, if sending in via post, your survey must arrive by 18 February.

Children can take part individually or as part of a group. They can also undertake more than one birdwatching hour, and submit more than one set of results, so long as they do so from a different location (‘patch’) in each case. The RSPB guide gives more details about each step, so do ensure you visit the RSPB’s Big Garden Watch web area to get familiar with what’s required and to access your free guide.

Keen to Attract More Birds for Your Count?

If you’re keen to attract as many birds as possible to your Garden Birdwatch count, the RSPB has you covered. As well as providing useful tips on how to attract birds on their website, they also offer those taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch a discount on bird food and easy-to-clean bird feeders from their online shop. Delivery is also free to participants. Follow the bold links for more information.*

* ^{(Details are given in good faith and are understood to be correct at the time of going to press. However, 3rd party offers are beyond our control and, as such, may be subject to change without notice).}

Little Cedars Day Nursery in Streatham

High-Quality Childcare in Streatham, London, SW16

We hope your little ones have fun getting involved in this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch — they’re sure to enjoy the nature-based activity as they take their first step towards becoming little citizen scientists. It’s hugely worthwhile for the birds and ecology and, as we know at Little Cedars Day Nursery, nature is hugely beneficial to children too.

If you are looking for high-quality childcare services in or near Streatham, do consider Little Cedars Day Nursery. Ofsted rates us as a good provider of early years education and childcare and we represent a wonderful start to children’s early years. We bring out the very best in every child and prepare them well to ensure readiness for school when they leave us around the age of five. We support various childcare funding schemes too, making our childcare service even more affordable for eligible families.

To request a place for your child at Little Cedars Day Nursery in Streatham, or to find out more, please get in touch using one of the following options:

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

Our Streatham nursery and preschool is close to Tooting Common, Tooting, Streatham Hill, Streatham Park, Streatham Common, Furzedown, Tooting Bec, Tooting Broadway, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood, so may also suit families in those nearby locations.

10 January 2024/by Mark

Babies, Childhood Development, Early Years, Eyes, Health, Infants, Nursery, Preschool, Preschoolers, Toddlers, Under-5s

Eye Colour in Infancy: The Magic of Changing Hues

Have you ever noticed that some babies are born with blue or grey eyes that later change to brown, green or hazel? It’s a magical metamorphosis that sometimes occurs in growing infants and it can be quite intriguing. Parents may indeed wonder whether their newborn child’s eyes are going to change or remain the same as they were at birth. The answer comes down to a combination of time, location, genetics and something called Melanin and today’s article explores this captivating phenomenon.

Eye Colour, the Iris, & Scattering of Light

When we talk about eye colour we are, of course, talking primarily about the colour of the irises of a human’s eyes. The iris is the circular muscle around the centre pupil and it is this muscle that governs how much light can pass into the eye by making the pupil larger or smaller. When there is lots of light around, the iris constricts the size of the pupil and, in contrast, makes it big when light levels are low.

It is on the surface of the iris muscle that you find the colour pigmentation that most affects eye colour. However, in some cases, the exact hue that an onlooker perceives is also affected by the way light wavelengths are scattered from the surface of the iris and out through the lens. Effects including the ‘Tyndall’ effect and ‘Rayleigh Scattering’ are potentially a part of this and each may be responsible for altering the colour we see when we look at a person’s eyes. In a similar way, the white light coming from the sun is scattered in such a way that makes the sky look blue. However, when it comes to the eyes, this scattering of light wavelengths only really shows when there is very little Melanin in the eyes.

Melanin

Melanin is a protein that’s secreted by special skin cells called melanocyte cells, which form colouration pigmentation in our bodies, including in the eyes, hair and skin. When it comes to the eyes, a lot of melanin pigment means the eye colour is more likely to be dark, for example brown. In contrast, those without much melanin eye pigmentation will have lighter eyes, for example, grey or blue. It is also those lighter colours that are most affected by the Rayleigh Scattering and Tyndall effects that we discussed in the last section.

Eye Colour & Location

Melanin is a protective protein and, by having more melanin pigmentation, an eye has greater protection against harmful ultraviolet (UV) sun rays. That’s one of the reasons that populations from hot, sunnier countries are more likely to have brown or darker eyes — because those are better protected from the sun’s UV rays. Indeed, brown eyes are the most common eye colour in infancy, despite some common misconceptions. It is true, however, that blue or grey eyes are common in infancy in Northern Europe, where the sunlight is less strong.

Changing Eye Colour in Infancy

Interestingly, many babies born with grey or blue eyes end up with eyes of a different colour. This is because the protective melanin pigmentation can take time to build up in the irises and it’s this that accounts for many babies starting off with grey or blue eyes and ending up with green, hazel or brown eyes. The metamorphosis may take between 6 and 9 months to begin showing dramatically, with the changes mostly complete by the age of 3 years. That said, subtle eye colour changes can continue right into early adulthood in some cases.

Eye Colour & Genetics

Genetics also play a part in the colour of the eyes and can be helpful when attempting to predict a newborn’s eye colouring. However, correctly predicting the colour of a baby’s eyes based solely on that of parents is not guaranteed. That’s because any inherited colouration may skip one or more generations. And, with a mix of different chromosomes and genes being passed down from parents, grandparents and beyond, skipping generations can sometimes result in completely unexpected eye colouring in infants. Genes will also control how much melanin will initially be present in a newborn’s eyes as well as affecting further production as the child ages and the eyes adjust to conditions.

What About Heterochromia?

Heterochromia is a condition that affects less than 1% of the world’s population. Those affected may have two different coloured eyes or perhaps two colours present in one eye. The causes of heterochromia include physical injury, disease, genetics or sometimes the use of specific medications.

The singer David Bowie famously had eyes that appeared to be two different colours. This was the result of a condition called anisocoria, allegedly caused through a scuffle during an argument over a girl. In Bowie’s case, the injury caused one iris to become paralysed and remain permanently larger than the other. It is this difference that makes one eye appear to be darker.

Baby eye colour is a fascinating topic and, as we have seen above, predicting the colour of your newborn baby’s eyes may not be as simple as it may seem. Witnessing a baby’s eyes gradually turn from grey or blue to green, hazel or brown is also quite a magical milestone and we hope today’s guide has gone some way to explaining why such an incredible metamorphosis can sometimes occur.

Your Childcare Nursery in Streatham

Little Cedars provides high-quality childcare for babies, toddlers & preschoolers in Streatham, SW16

Do you have a baby, toddler or preschooler who requires reliable weekday childcare and a high-quality early years education? If you’re living in or around Streatham, Little Cedars Day Nursery may be just what you’re looking for. Our warm, welcoming, home-from-home environment and well-trained staff offer loving care from Monday to Friday and bring out the very best in every child. We are officially a good childcare provider too, and equip little ones with everything they need to thrive. To explore the possibility of a childcare place for your child at Little Cedars Day Nursery in Streatham, please choose an option below and we’ll be delighted to help.

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

It may help nearby families to know that our Streatham childcare nursery is also close to Streatham Hill, Streatham Common, Streatham Park, Furzedown, Tooting, Balham, Norbury, Colliers Wood, West Norwood, Wandsworth, Clapham and Brixton.

29 December 2023/by Mark