23/09/2021
Goodbye for now π
After a year of being a childminder around my two girls who are (just turned) 3 and nearly 2, I have been doing a lot of soul searching.
The journey with my mindees has been a great adventure, however doing it from home whilst my girls are so young certainly provided challenges that I honestly didn't see coming. Silly me..
Anyway, so we've decided to move to Portugal to spend the next year with family before our eldest starts school. To truly be together and learn even more about nature than we do now.
We're moving to a small farm π
I want to thank all of the parents for trusting us and of course the children who were a pleasure to care for! My girls have an extended family thanks to you all and we couldn't be more grateful for the experiences gained π
Oh and of course a HUGE thanks to Chrissy whom without, none of this would be possible. Neighbour, friend and dream team buddy!!
I may be creating an account for our journey on the farm and additional learning opportunities, so stay tuned π
Love you all π
22/09/2021
A curiosity kinda' afternoon π
These items are always accessible to the children...
But put them in a different location, create an invitation to play, adding in a couple of mediums (herbs, dry grains etc) and they're off!
I love seeing small hands at work like this. Pure exploring π
15/09/2021
SIMPLE SNACKTIVITY π₯
The tuff tray was full of rain from yesterday and had a few trucks sitting in it from earlier this week.
The thought was, what can the children enjoy shovelling and scooping with the trucks that takes minimal prep time?
Breakfast cereals π₯£
Develop skills with the Mortar and Pestle, crush, pour, scoop and eat!!
Oh and some mark making once the tray was really dusty π
Perfect and available in under a minute π
26/08/2021
IMAGINATION π
When a trip to the local park ends being a fire making session.
Collecting bits on the way, making the fire when we arrive and then opening a shop to sell 'marshmallows' and sticks to use on the fire.
Love. Love. Love.
And 100% child led.
12/08/2021
CANAL TRIPPIN' π
We hired a little narrowboat today called Kitty to explore the Basingstoke canal.
Although keen to spot wildlife, the children also just enjoyed climbing up and down the inside benches... Ticks off physical development π€π
I enjoyed it, they did too and it was something different! Also I feel more and more happy these days when I know I'm supporting a small local business. I'm sure it's much needed after last year π
Give it a go!
09/08/2021
Penny π
We are so blessed to be based amongst nature and kind people.
Today we took a short walk before lunch to see our local friend Penny and her owners were kind enough to let us meet her up close. The children loved it!
We also experienced wonder and awe from the good ol' classics... Flowers, butterflies, bees, sticks and.. fire hydrants π
Simple, but oh so good β€οΈ
26/07/2021
MEET DUNCAN π
We're on holiday for 2 weeks π€
Week 1 was visiting the in-laws at their farm in Portugal and the girls are continuing to learn through play and nature.
They absolutely loved feeding the animals each day; collecting freshly laid eggs, picking fruit and vegetables from their land, waking up to Duncan each morning (noisy!), exploring the tractor, giant sand pits and so much more!
We also helped Oupa (South African Grandpa) recycle his plastic and keep those nasties away from the animals.
But most of all, we loved spending time with family that we haven't seen in a year and a half β€οΈ
Thoroughly enjoyed it!
08/07/2021
FORGET THE FOOTBALL β½
. we're off to the farm!
We spent the morning teaching the children about different types of animals; being kind to them, how to care for them and personal hygeine when dealing with animals.
Elm Nursery is a beautiful, small but comprehensive, family run nursery with a children's farm, playground, cafe and farm shop.
One of my favourite Surrey destinations with children π
06/07/2021
ASSAULT COURSE π
Physical development in full force today with climbing frames, slides, ramps, tunnels and ball 'pits'.
We used this as an opportunity to get the children to follow direction; throw balls, bang the CajΓ³n etc. They were excellent at being mindful of others, working together and navigating the Pikler in a slightly unusual set-up.
We even got the cars out later to use the ramp whilst having a rest π
A colourful and fun day that can be re-created with household items and some imagination π
28/06/2021
TICKS
You know you're nature bunnies when you need to use your kids' magnifying glass to check and remove a tick. It just so happens it's a product too π
On a serious note, keep an eye out for these creepies during the summer months, this is the second tick I've removed this month.
Most ticks are harmless, but symptoms of an infected bite can take around 2 - 4 weeks to manifest, so you also need to keep an eye on your precious ones during that time.
Until then, continue to explore π
23/06/2021
MUD CAKES π§
I'm a proud Mum to 2 children under 3 and childminder to 8 other children across the week, so I need quick, easy and fun.
After 2 weeks of sunshine and lots of sand and water play, which all then got torrential rained on (!) I needed to update the tuff tray for our garden free play. This setup was so easy to do after a little thought, garden snipping and cupboard raiding.
Scooping, pouring, mixing, decorating, imagination play and so much more π
We even managed to entice those who aren't yet comfortable exploring with messy play.
WIN π
21/06/2021
This Rainy Monday..
We hit the Aquarium π
Followed by the shortest walk along the coast before the weather turned for the worst π
We've been playing with sea creatures in our water play for the last couple of weeks so it was really nice to show some in the flesh and get up close.
Also, seeing the sea feeds my soul a little, so even if it was grey and brief, it was nice π
15/06/2021
PICNIC READY π₯
Thanks to &
And the bees of course π
09/06/2021
BEACH PARTY ποΈ
With World Oceans Day yesterday and the nice weather, it'd be rude not to!
We had some leftover sand in the tuff tray, scraped it to one side and added some foamy (slightly blue) water and a selection of ocean animals and loose parts π
Beach balls on the loose, bubble machine and music on the go π
08/06/2021
LOOSE PARTS PLAYDOUGH
This has really taken off in our house.
I've created an area for Miss 2 to access loose parts safely away from the younger ones (post to follow) and we love choosing 2 or 3 types for decorating our playdough.
This playdough recipe from was made before Easter and is still being used!!.. With the help of a little water and kneading.
I'm sure shapes and building will continue as we get older, but for now we love poking and prodding and decorating with beautiful loose parts.
P. S. It's very therapeutic to join in β€οΈ
02/06/2021
SUMMER IS HERE π
Sun cream and sun hats can only mean one thing π€
25/05/2021
RECYCLING β»οΈ
The children have loved using some household recycling this week for scooping and pouring, small world play, imagination play and crafts π€
Free, versatile and more importantly, open ended π
20/05/2021
BEES π
For World Bee Day, we painted bees with the little ones and let them roam around the garden afterwards in the wind. The children loved seeing them float around like real Bees.
Some amazing fine motor skills work with paint brushes, gluing and sticking on eyes and wings and releasing the tape so they could 'fly away'.
We finished the day by reading some beautiful books about Bees and how important they are π
My favourite things about today... The floating bees and stopping to observe the play residue β€οΈ
Mess = fun = learning
13/05/2021
HERB TEA π΅
Come rain or shine..
This invitation to play was so easy. Grab any herbs or leaves you have in your kitchen or garden, add water and plenty of utensils and pouring devices to the mix. We also included pipettes to learn a new skill π
The children had so much fun they didn't even know it was raining β€οΈ
11/05/2021
TAKE A MOMENT
I love nothing more than seeing children playing together, however I also love the confidence that these young people are developing to make decisions about what they want to do and when they want to do it.
The result is, me being able to capture these peaceful moments that children take for themselves.
Privaledged β€οΈ
21/04/2021
MAKE HAY π
While the sun shines... get your rainbow blocks out.
These are so beautiful with a great beam of sunlight shining through them.
What's more, I love seeing how children use them differently β€οΈ
21/04/2021
PAINTING π¨
We wanted to create a really free space for the little ones to use paint yesterday, but also have something to send home to the parents. So instead of just letting them paint on the tarp, we stuck some paper down and hoped for the best.
Mr 1.5 painted his foot (his decision!) and accidentally walked across a sheet of paper which was brilliant π
It was evident that some others hadn't painted much so just seeing them explore with the paint brushes, flowers and paint pots was really nice.
Miss 1.5 even painted a terracotta pot from the garden π
Best of all we did it in the warm afternoon sun and breeze, surrounded by bird song β€οΈ
16/04/2021
π FARM PLAY π·
So April 12th comes and goes and I didn't think to pre-book petting farms, meaning I'm the let down of the century π
So we took to the tuff tray with sand, animals and more. The sun was shining so I didn't feel so bad.
We also got out some of my eco bricks (logs of recycled material) to use as building blocks and they went down a treat with Miss 5 π
Lots of teamwork, pouring water, scooping sand, making shapes, finding letters and talking animals and phonics.
14/04/2021
DIY FLOWER VASES π
The April box didn't disappoint! Such simple but lovely activities.
We started with the vases today and look how well they did β€οΈ
*tape
11/04/2021
NEW GARDEN πΊ
Swipe for the Before π
The before was during the first lockdown, after having two babies in a short space of time and we had totally neglected the outside spaces.
Since then we did a little revamp of our gardens, but the spaces still weren't working for our mindees. Deck steps, lots of gravel and a strawberry bed that the cat used as a toilet π€¦ββοΈ
We were lucky enough to come across some free turf and the rest came from there.
Recycled grass, wood, plants β
Hubby's DIY skills β
Mummy/Childminder inspiration β
There is more to be added, but the bones are exciting β€οΈ We can't wait for the weeks ahead!
01/04/2021
π³ DEN BUILDING π§±
We started by watching a video to remind us how to build dens, we drew pictures of our 'plans' and then hit the woods.
Planning - teamwork - problem solving.
Once the frame was complete, we cleared the inside of the den, made a 'fire' and relaxed with some popcorn πΏ
The last picture is the view of our den from the playground π
29/03/2021
Easter/Spring/anything goes playdough π£
4 minute no-cook, homemade playdough. So soft!!
There's something about taking crafts outside that feels so liberating. Especially when the sun is shining π
25/03/2021
Our kinda play park π³π
Mostly wooden climbing resources - set amongst beautiful woodland - free to book - timed slots to prevent overcrowding - cleaned between each slot - FUN.
Oh and the best area for den building after the timber harvesting has taken place!
This morning totally refuelled us.
24/03/2021
NATURE SHAPES πΏ
Shapes on the tuff tray today and also some exploring in the woods, seeing what we could find through our shape view finders π΅π»ββοΈ
Spiky Holly leaves needed a triangle and tree stumps a circle of course. Squares were hard to find in nature but we used it anyway and Miss 2 ended up pointing out that the windows on the houses were square (fab!) and we also found a bird hotel that fitted the bill π
18/03/2021
WILD GARLIC π§
Inspired by our March box, we went into the woods today to forage for wild garlic but had no luck. We enjoyed the walk nonetheless and had a poohstick race by the stream. In lieu of wild garlic, we cut some chives from our herb garden to make the scone recipe.
We thoroughly enjoyed them with butter β€οΈ
17/03/2021
BLUE π
Most of our little ones are under 18 months at the moment so we've set focus topics each week. This week being colour, we did a rather lairy spaghetti sensory tray and incorporated some skills for the older ones too.
We introduced scissor skills, had lots of fun with the spaghetti and even had 'blue wiggly worms' in the grass accordingly to imagination π
Ticked off: Colour, sensory, physical development (cutting and transferring), phonics/literacy, hiding and finding, lots of talking and team building skills with filling the wheelbarrow π
It even engaged the more reluctant, in baby steps, but that's a win!
11/03/2021
GET THEM THINKING π€
An indoor scavenger hunt today, to entertain the older girls whilst settling in a new friend π
It was great to test their memory of the resources that they use daily and make connections about how they are used or what they are called.
08/03/2021
OBSERVATIONS β¨
Through observations, we discovered that Mr 2, who is non-verbal, knows his numbers incredibly well and can put 1-10 in order. Subsequently, we introduced more number resources and watched him blossom today β€οΈ
03/03/2021
RUSSIAN DOLLS π·πΊ
Throw out the worksheets for early years Maths and use authentic resources to teach concepts.
We love a Russian doll here and especially ones that give me an excuse for a Beatles throwback π
Teaching: size, shapes, numbers
Other opportunities: understanding the world, usually made in Russia but can vary, music (we love you yeah yeah yeah) and communication as we talk about all said things during a little play with these beautifully made dolls π€
02/03/2021
SETTLING-IN π
We've been a bit quiet lately as we've had lots of settling-in sessions and new starters.
Days are simple, full of free play and getting to know each other.
Our family is growing and we're in our happy place β€οΈ
Oh and did we mention, the sun is shining!!!
27/02/2021
NEVER TOO YOUNG
It's never too early to introduce phonics. The little ones here hold their initial whilst having a nappy change π€
24/02/2021
Welcome to the newest member of the Fern Friends Family. Yusra from Tanzania π€
I have been considering sponsoring a child through Compassion for a while now and finally got myself engaged with the charity.
I wanted to sponsor a child within early years so that as a family we are not only helping children in our local area, but also further afield. Added to this, I have had the privilege of climbing Mt Kilimanjaro, so it felt right to pick a child from a country that has given me opportunities to raise money for another Charity.
We can't wait to share communications and pictures from Yusra with our mindees and send letters in return β€οΈ
Something to think about:
30% of children aged 5-17 in Tanzania are engaged in child labour... children that in this country would all (mostly) be in full time education!
Added to this, only 16% of the population have access to basic sanitation.
Basic sanitation and the right to (free) education in this country - largely taken for granted.
The hope is that our money will be used to create learning opportunities for Yusra and contribute to cleaner living in her village π
15/02/2021
Whilst Miss 1 had her midday nap we had some quiet time, all about birds π¦
We matched our .robin.education Garden Bird flashcards (the best!) with the lovely free fact cards from and finished with a read of The Lost Words. Stunning illustrations by β€οΈβ€οΈ
Oh and P. S. look at that sun shining into the room βοΈπ
11/02/2021
Snowdrops in snow, what more could you want from life π€
It's freezing but we still explore!
Although it doesn't feel like it now, we will blink and spring will be here. Excited much??