Small Explorers

Small Explorers Flexible childminding service initially aimed at shift workers but I do offer set weekly hours a swell as variable hours and much more.

I offer a multitude of services to meet the varying need of the modern family. Wrap around care, Seasonal, Emergency, short term, all year round care also available are set hours each week and variable hours. Currently only working term time. I am Pacey accredited and have a Ofsted rating of 'good'
I have worked in childcare since 1994 and my aim is to provide a fun loving home from home environment that is also educational

🌊 Exploring the Deep Blue Sea in EYFS!🐠✨We had the most incredible time diving into a mini marine adventure today! We st...
14/07/2026

🌊 Exploring the Deep Blue Sea in EYFS!🐠✨
We had the most incredible time diving into a mini marine adventure today! We started by watching a short, captivating video about coral reefs.
Watching high-quality short clips is such a brilliant way for our little learners to:
* Spark curiosity about nature and the wider world 🌍
* Build vocabulary as we learn words like coral, ocean, habitat, and creatures🗣️
* Develop focus and attention through engaging visual storytelling 📺
But the fun didn't stop there! We brought the coral reef to life right in our classroom using playdough and brightly colored, different-shaped pasta. 🎨🐙
Look at what we practiced while getting messy and creative:
🔢 Maths Skills:We counted our pasta "corals" and compared who made the tallest or widest reef.
🎨 Color Recognition: We identified and sorted all the bright, vibrant colors of the ocean.
🌀 Pattern Making:The children loved designing beautiful, repeating sequences with the different pasta shapes.
💪 Fine Motor Magic: Squishing the dough and pinching the pasta is the perfect workout for strengthening little hand muscles!
Our reefs looks absolutely spectacular. Swipe to see some of our amazing creations! 👇📸

🌿 Dirty hands & Big Discoveries!🌿Our EYFS adventurers had the most incredible time exploring the nature reserve today! T...
13/07/2026

🌿 Dirty hands & Big Discoveries!🌿
Our EYFS adventurers had the most incredible time exploring the nature reserve today! The great outdoors is the ultimate classroom, and our little learners made the most of every single moment. Here’s a glimpse into our wild day:
💧 Pond Science: We loved throwing sticks, stones, and leaves into the pond to see what happened. There was so much curiosity as we watched what floats, what sinks, and the giant splashes they made!
🧗 Physical Challenges: Balancing and climbing on logs and trees pushed our confidence to new heights, while exploring the streams kept our senses tingling.
🍇 Foraging Fun:We headed out to the big field and had the best time hunting for wild blackberries.
🏡 Teamwork in Action: Together, we built a *antastic den! The children worked as a team to gather materials and then used it for the ultimate imaginative playtime.
Why outdoor play matters:
Days like today aren't just about fun (though we had tons of it!). Exploring nature helps our children build resilience, develop gross motor skills, practice problem-solving, and spark a lifelong love for the environment.
Take a look at our little explorers in action! 👇📸


🍦 Scoop, Sprinkle, Learn! 🍨Our Early Years children have been having a *sweet* time exploring our new Ice Cream Parlour ...
09/07/2026

🍦 Scoop, Sprinkle, Learn! 🍨
Our Early Years children have been having a *sweet* time exploring our new Ice Cream Parlour Tuff Tray! We mixed things up with a blend of real and play ice cream cones, fluffy shaving foam for the "ice cream," and vibrant coloured rice for sprinkles.
The children became ultimate entrepreneurs, taking orders and whipping up custom creations!
But it’s not just about the mess and smiles—activities like this are packed with incredible learning benefits:
* Communication & Language: Taking orders, negotiating roles ("I'm the shopkeeper, you're the customer!"), and describing textures like *fluffy*, *cold*, and *crunchy* boosts vocabulary and social communication. 💬
* Fine Motor Skills & Coordination:Scooping the shaving foam, balancing it on the cones, and pinching the rice "sprinkles" gives those little hand and finger muscles a fantastic workout—essential prep for writing! ✍️
* Maths Mastery: Counting out scoops, exploring capacity (full vs. empty), and exchanging "money" brings early math concepts to life in a real-world context. 📊
* Sensory Exploration: Exploring the contrast between the soft cones the hard cones, and the textured rice sparks curiosity and cognitive development. 🧠
They may look like future ice cream chefs, but they are actually building the foundational skills of confident, creative learners!
Check out our little scoops in action in the photos below! 👇✨

💦 Splish, Splash, Learn! 💦Looking for a simple, budget-friendly way to keep your little ones entertained for hours? Look...
08/07/2026

💦 Splish, Splash, Learn! 💦
Looking for a simple, budget-friendly way to keep your little ones entertained for hours? Look no further than your kitchen cupboards! 🧼🧽
Water play isn’t just an amazing way to beat the heat or pass a rainy afternoon—it’s a secret superpower for early childhood development. By simply adding some hand soap, sponges, and an assortment of bowls, cups, and jugs, you are creating a rich sensory lab.
Here is what your kiddo is actually learning while making a glorious mess:
* Fine Motor Skills & Grip Strength: Squeezing heavy, water-logged sponges builds those tiny hand muscles needed for writing later on! 🧽
* Early Math & Physics: Pouring water from a big jug into a tiny cup teaches them about volume, capacity, and cause-and-effect. ("Will it fit? Oops, it overflowed!") 📐
* Hand-Eye Coordination: Aiming that steady stream of water into different bowls takes serious focus and control. 🫗
* Sensory & Life Skills:The introduction of gentle hand soap adds a whole new dimension of bubbles, scents, and textures, all while practicing the motion of washing up! 🧼
💡 Easy Setup Ideas:
1. The Pouring Station:Line up cups and jugs of different shapes and sizes.
2. The Bubble Factory:Add a few pumps of hand soap and challenge them to whip up the biggest foam using a sponge or a whisk.
3. Sponge Target Practice: Squeezing water from a sponge into a specific bowl to see how many "squeezes" it takes to fill it up.


07/07/2026

Setting up our rock pool tray

🌊 🪨 Rock Pool Adventures in Early Years! 🦀✨Our children had the best time diving into our brand-new rock pool tuff tray ...
07/07/2026

🌊 🪨 Rock Pool Adventures in Early Years! 🦀✨
Our children had the best time diving into our brand-new rock pool tuff tray today! We brought a splash of the seaside right into the classroom, and the learning (and fun!) was endless.
Here is what our busy sea-scientists got up to:
*Counting & Sorting: We found hidden starfish and crabs, counting them out loud and sorting them by size and color. Early math skills in action! 🦀🔢
*Sensory Science:We had real seaweed straight from the beach! The children loved exploring the slimy texture and giving it a sniff to experience the true scent of the ocean. 🌿👃
*Language & Curiosity:From "rough" starfish to "pinchy" crabs, our vocabulary is growing as fast as our imagination.
Tuff trays are such a fantastic, hands-on way for children to explore the natural world, build fine motor skills, and learn through sensory play.
Check out our little marine biologists in action! 👇📸

🌊 Our Annual Southsea Adventure!🏖️Our children had an absolute blast on our annual trip to Southsea! Beyond the ice crea...
06/07/2026

🌊 Our Annual Southsea Adventure!🏖️
Our children had an absolute blast on our annual trip to Southsea! Beyond the ice creams and sandy toes, trips like this are incredibly valuable for our little learners.
Here is why outdoor adventures matter so much for early development:
* Communication & Language: The beach is a sensory goldmine! From describing the squelch of wet sand to pointing out low-flying seagulls, our children expanded their vocabulary and shared their excitement with friends all day long.
* Physical Development: Navigating uneven shingle beaches, climbing coastal steps, and digging giant sandcastles gave their gross and fine motor skills a massive workout.
* Understanding the World: The children became mini-scientists, exploring seaweed, rocks and shells, observing coastal wildlife, and learning about the marine environment firsthand.
* Personal, Social & Emotional Growth: Traveling together builds immense confidence, independence, and teamwork. Helping a friend carry a bucket of water or building sandcastles fosters beautiful bonds.

Check out some of our favorite moments below! 👇


This is the result of 15/30 hours 'free' funding and all the new restrictions being placed on childminders. Look at the...
03/07/2026

This is the result of 15/30 hours 'free' funding and all the new restrictions being placed on childminders.
Look at the massive reduction in childminders.. nearly 40% lower than 2018!!!
The government is literally killing off childcare!

01/07/2026

Enhancing creativity with classical music Small Explorers

01/07/2026

🎨🎻 The Ultimate EYFS Sensory Symphony: Painting on Cling Film to Classical Music! 🎻🎨
If you are looking to elevate your creative area this week, try wrapping cling film between table legs or fence posts, putting on some classical music, and letting your EYFS children paint together.
While it looks like pure, messy fun, this activity is an incredible powerhouse for Early Years development—especially when you add the magic of classical music! 🌟
Here is why this combination works wonders for little learners:
🎵 The Power of Classical Music on Young Brains:
* Boosts Spatial-Temporal Reasoning:Listening to the complex structures of classical music stimulates the brain pathways used for spatial reasoning, laying an early foundation for future maths and problem-solving skills.
* Enhances Emotional Regulation:Classical melodies act as a natural tool for co-regulation. Slower tempos (like Chopin or Bach) can soothe a busy room, lowering cortisol levels and fostering a calm, deeply focused environment.
* Inspires Expressive Language: Music gives emotion a voice before children have the words. Listening to the dramatic shifts in a symphony helps children understand concepts like *loud/quiet*, *fast/slow*, and *happy/sad*, boosting their communication and vocabulary.
✨ **The Benefits of Collaborative Cling Film Painting:**
* Social & Emotional Connection (PSED):Because the cling film is completely transparent, children are painting *with* each other, not just next to each other. They can see their friends’ faces, track their movements, copy expressions, and learn to negotiate shared space.
* Physical Development & Mark Making (PD): Painting on a vertical or unique surface encourages big physical movements. Children stretch, squat, and use their whole upper bodies (gross motor), which is essential for building the shoulder and core strength needed for later writing.
* Responding to Rhythm (EAD):Watch how their brushstrokes change with the music! An upbeat Vivaldi piece brings fast, energetic splatters and taps, while a sweeping Beethoven melody encourages smooth, flowing lines. They are literally painting the music they hear.
👉 Try this today:Put on Vivaldi’s *Four Seasons* and invite the children to "make their paint dance" to the tempo. It’s a beautiful, immersive experience they will love!


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Westbury Way
Aldershot
GU124HE

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+441252324244

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