Puddles Nursery - Cheltenham

21/09/2026

Tomorrow is “World Car Free Day” a day to encourage people all around the world to try and avoid using cars in favour of sustainable transport and avoid single occupancy vehicle use. As you all may know we are very proud of our environmental policies and practices and are Modeshift STARS accredited so this is a day that very much aligns with our values and beliefs!

So, if and where you can tomorrow, for any journeys you have planned why not consider walking, scooting or cycling if the distance allows or utilise public transport such as buses. We understand sometimes a car is necessary, so in those cases consider arranging lift shares, trying to eliminate shorter car journeys such as popping to the shop if the journey can be made using an alternative travel method, or parking further away and walking some of the distance.

Even if we all make one small change as and when we can, it all contributes towards lower emissions, improving air quality and moving in the right direction for a greener future!

16/09/2026

Today is National Fitness Day – an annual campaign that celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle through fitness.

Physical fitness in children builds up strong bones and muscle and aids in developing motor skills such as balance and coordination. It also helps with cognitive development such as improving focus, concentration and spatial awareness. Emotionally, like in adults, fitness can regulate mood whilst boosting happiness, group activities build social skills and starting to introduce fitness in Early Years can help continue the habit into adulthood.

We encourage many fitness promoting activities at Natural Choice Nurseries which the children all really enjoy! From calming yoga, to having a boogie to some of their favourite songs, creating obstacle courses together, scooting and cycling in the garden or just plenty of running, jumping and climbing, there is something for everyone to enjoy! Even in the baby unit along with encouraging and teaching crawling, cruising and walking, we have an array of climbing frames and balance beams for the younger children learning all the fun that movement has to offer!

11/09/2026

Ana is an incredible little girl who is a part of our NCN Alveston family. Please read her story and if you are able to, donate. Even a small amount would benefit this family who are going through an unimaginable time. Thank you.

My name is Sarah-Jayne, and I am setting up this fundraiser page for my … Sarah-Jayne Steele needs your support for Help Ana Fight High-Risk Neuroblastoma ❤️

01/09/2026

We wanted to say a big GOOD LUCK to all of our pre-school leavers who are starting primary school this week!

We have loved getting to know all of the children during their time here at Puddles Nursery and being a part of their early years journey.

Wishing each and every one of you a fabulous future as you start your next chapters!

12/08/2026

We are sure many of you already know about the Partial Solar Eclipse happening this evening! For Cheltenham and the surrounding areas this is due to start at 6:17pm for "first contact" (the moon starts to first cover the disc of the sun) and then maximum coverage will be around 7:12pm.

Although this is an exciting event, safety needs to be at the forefront of everyone's mind. Please remember to encourage your little ones to not look directly at the sun during this time to avoid any eyesight damage. During an eclipse, the sun appears dimmer than usual. This makes it easier to look at directly which is the problem - the reduced brightness can override the body's natural reflex to look away which allows intense sunlight to reach and damage inside your eye. This can happen without pain so you may not realise any harm has occurred without pain.

If you have managed to get hold of any eclipse glasses please make sure they have been purchased from a reputable retailer and check that they meet the international safety standard (ISO 12312-2:2015(E)). If your glasses appear to not be genuine or are, but are scratched, torn or damaged in any way please do not use them.

There are a few easy ways to enjoy the eclipse safely which can be made quickly at home using a simple items from around the house - take a look here:

With some shops running out of stock, it may be too late to buy eclipse glasses - but you can still safely watch the spectacle using some household items.

30/07/2026

Today is World Friendship Day! Early years is an important time for little ones to start learning about friendship. Through play, children start to build essential social, emotional and communication skills with each other whilst learning about the importance of sharing and cooperating with others. We love seeing the special friendships blossoming amongst the children at nursery, it really is a joy to be a part of!

23/07/2026

It is finally Summer and the sun is shining, so it is a great opportunity to go on lots of walks and enjoy the outdoors. Whilst spending more time outdoors, it is never too early to demonstrate and teach how to be around roads safely to young children. Below are the elements that make up the "Green Cross Code" and also some information about the different types of pedestrian crossings and how they work, which can be shared with little ones whilst out and about.

This is just a few handy bits of information to introduce elements of the Highway Code to them, but there is so much more learning which can be expanded on as they grow and start to become more independent - take a look at this "Tales of the Road" booklet for more.

https://think.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Tales-Of-The-Road-Print-Version.pdf

21/06/2026

Today we would like to celebrate and give thanks to all the amazing men in our lives!

17/06/2026

Tomorrow is Clean Air Day - The UK's largest public campaign to take action against air pollution, empowering people to make cleaner air choices and motivating them to use their voices to call for change. Air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to our health, so we need to work together to clean up our air for everyone to live healthier and happier lives.

A big part of our company ethos is "Happy Planet" and we have recently shared with you all of our brilliant work towards Modeshift STARS accreditation, so clean air day aligns with all of our hard work and beliefs. If and where you can tomorrow, consider walking, scooting or cycling to nursery and try leaving the car at home as you go about your day to day. Even if everyone made one less car journey a week, it would be a step in the right direction towards better air quality.

To find out more about Clean Air day please visit Global Action Plan's website:
https://www.globalactionplan.org.uk/our-work/clean-air

11/06/2026

Today is International Day of Play - a time to recognise the vital role that playing has physically, cognitively, socially and emotionally in the development of children.

At Natural Choice Nurseries we follow "Planning in the Moment" which is an early years educational approach that prioritises child led play. Our skilled practitioners observe what the children enjoy doing or are curious about, and join in with their play to extend the learning in that moment there and then.

There are many benefits of Planning in the Moment such as engaged children, encouraged problem solving/creativity and a happy and fun learning environment!
You can find out more about our teaching approach on our website: https://ncnurseries.co.uk/our-curriculum/ -approach