Jesters Childcare

FREE WEBINAR from Essex County Council Early Years:

Feeding Your Under 5s - A Parent/Carer's guide to Early Years Nutrition.

In this 90-minute session, leading Baby & Child Nutritionist Charlotte Stirling Reed will cover everything from why the early years matter so much for your child's long term health, to balanced eating, portion sizes, fussy eating & how to make mealtimes work for your whole family...

Feeding Your Under 5s - A Parent/Carer's guide to Early Years Nutrition

On Wed 17 June in this 90-minute session, baby and child nutritionist Charlotte Stirling Reed will cover everything from:

- why the early years matter so much for your child's long term health
- balanced eating, portion sizes, fussy eating
- how to make mealtimes work for the whole family.

Whether you're just starting on your child's food journey or navigating the toddler years, this session will leave you feeling informed, reassured & ready to go.

Please share sign-up the link with parents and carers in your settings: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=TzK0qFwVFUKg8X7YzJqZL6qKmjf-ZgxBkOr4HuNTNapURDU5S1hBR0hFMUU3T1BWUUoySVhSNDI2Ry4u&route=shorturl 📌

FROM FARM TO FORK! Take up this amazing opportunity to learn about where our food comes from and how it is produced.

THIS SUNDAY 7th JUNE is OPEN FARM SUNDAY

Farms all across the UK will be opening their gates for Open Farm Sunday’s 20th anniversary. It is your chance to meet farmers, discover where your food comes from, explore the countryside, learn how farming works with nature and find fresh local produce from many of the farm stores.

Get ready for a brilliant day outdoors.

Find your nearest participating farm here: https://farmsunday.org/visit-a-farm

Have you heard that the new Bank of England banknotes will feature a selection of our wonderful wildlife?

We might be slightly biased but we agree with the British Hedgehog Preservation Society that Hedgehogs should make it to print! 🦔🤎

You can vote for your favourites from the shortlist here:

People have a month to offer their views about which species of wildlife should be honoured on the £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes. Read the shortlist here: https://bbc.in/4fUOAeq

During Little STEAMers, the children explored the surface of the moon through a creative art investigation. We began by closely examining pictures and books showing the moon, discussing the large craters, mountains and bumpy textures visible on its surface. The children shared observations and noticed that the moon is not smooth or plain white.

The children were then introduced to a special art technique called printing, linking to the “A” for Art in STEAM. Together, we explored colour mixing by combining black and white paint to create grey. Many children were excited to watch the colours change and confidently predicted what might happen when the paints mixed.

Using scrunched foil as a printing tool, the children stamped and printed onto circular paper shapes to create textured moon paintings. They experimented with different amounts of paint and pressure to make craters and bumpy patterns, carefully filling their moon shapes. Some children commented that the textures looked like the “holes” and mountains they had seen in the moon pictures.

Throughout the session, children showed creativity, curiosity and focus. They enjoyed exploring new artistic techniques while also developing their understanding of the moon and its appearance.

This session supported multiple areas of the EYFS. Children developed Understanding the World by learning about the moon’s surface and texture. Communication and Language was strengthened through discussion and descriptive vocabulary. Expressive Arts and Design was a key focus as children explored colour mixing and printing techniques. Physical Development was encouraged through manipulating foil and controlled printing movements. Mathematics was supported through shape recognition and comparison, while Personal, Social and Emotional Development was developed through creative expression and shared learning experiences.

MENUS
WEEK 1 - Week commencing Tuesday 26th May
WEEK 2 - Week commencing Monday 1st June
WEEK 3 - Week commencing Monday 8th June

Jesters Early Years Alliance Nutrition ACCREDITED MENUS can be found on our website and are regularly shared with families through our 'connect' system. https://jesterskids.org/food-nutrition/

We now have separate Alternative Menus detailing the options for children with special dietary requirements.

If you'd like to make some of the tasty, nutritious meals at home, all the recipes from our professional Nursery Kitchen partner can also be downloaded from our website:
https://jesterskids.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Jesters-NK-recipes-APRIL26.pdf

⭐ PLEASE KEEP VOTING before Tuesday! ⭐

Jesters Kids Club Bicknacre is in the TOP 10 BEST CHILDREN'S BUSINESS category finals for Essex.

But we need more votes before the competition closes on Tuesday 26th to WIN!

It takes a few minutes to select us and send your vote using this link:
https://essex.muddystilettos.co.uk/awards/vote/

Muddy Stilettos Awards 2026 | Free UK Lifestyle Awards - Vote | Muddy Stilettos The Muddy Stilettos Awards 2026 | Free UK Lifestyle Awards celebrate the best local lifestyle businesses in Essex, across the UK - and they're totally FREE to enter.

🐝 Today is WORLD BEE DAY! 🖤💛

At Jesters, we raise awareness with the children about the essential role bees, and other pollinators play in keeping our planet thriving, and how to encourage them into our gardens.

🐝 Check out these recommendations from the BRITISH GARDEN CENTRES: Flowering plants such as dahlias, foxgloves, salvia and scabious are a great source of pollen for hungry butterflies and bees - and they look amazing too!
👉 https://www.britishgardencentres.com/boost-your-gardens-buzz-our-guide-to-top-plants-to-attract-bees/

🐝 Or why not visit one of our wonderful ESSEX COUNTRY PARKS to see the work they are doing to improve pollinator numbers. Belhus Woods has a new Butterfly Trail!
👉 https://www.explore-essex.com/blog/world-bee-day
And here's their simple guide to building a bee-hotel:
https://www.explore-essex.com/blog/bee-hotel

🐝 Finally, why not take your little ones to CHELMSFORD THEATRE on Sunday 7 June to see The Very Busy Bumblebee - "With themes of friendship and sustainability, this sweet, funny show is the perfect introduction to live ballet and helps children understand just how important looking after our planet really is. With larger than life characters, crystal clear storytelling and fabulous dancing, the Let’s All Dance Ballet Company creates beautifully engaging shows for young and family audiences."
👉 https://www.chelmsfordtheatre.co.uk/events/the-very-busy-bumblebee

Jesters is going Greener. We are pleased to announce our new partnership with Green Recycling. Based in Maldon, Green Recycling are 100% committed to ensuring nothing goes to landfill. All waste will either be recycled, composted or re-purposed as Bio fuel. We are pleased to be working with them to reduce waste and achieve one of our objectives in our Climate Action Plan. Small recycling bins will be included in our rooms to encourage children to learn about and participate in protecting the climate.

Watch Green Recycling's process here:
https://youtu.be/pmuiz7JNGVY?si=nWkx5Y2OgZymLPzX

Being sleep deprived with a new baby is one of the most challenging aspects of new parenthood. All sorts of advice is on hand to guide you and while a lot is well intentioned it may not always be up to date. There are some fantastic sleep consultants out there who will help and advise, but there are also unregulated practitioners who are happily advising parents to ignore NHS guidance on how to settle their precious baby while taking large fees.

At Jesters we follow official guidance from the NHS and the Lullaby Trust to gently settle your babies, and staff are well trained in recommended practice.

If you are considering taking the advice of an independant sleep consultant please do speak with your Nursery Manager first. We are always here to help.

Spring has sprung.......and what better way to celebrate it than with fresh, tasty and seasonal food. British asparagus has a low carbon footprint, is exceptionally tasty and and extremely versatile. Wild garlic is also in season for a few more weeks and grows profusely in woodlands. The leaves make a delicious pesto with olive oil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Combine asparagus, leeks and wild garlic to make this delicious frittata courtesy of the BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/spring_frittata_with_08505
What recipes are you creating this spring?