The Forest of Dean Children's Opportunity Centre

The summer holidays are a wonderful time to relax, enjoy days out and let routines become a little more flexible. But with just a few weeks until the new term, now is a good time to start gently getting back into some familiar routines.

Here’s a few simple habits can help little ones feel settled, rested and ready for the weeks ahead👇

🛏️ Regular bedtimes and wake up times – gradually getting back to a consistent sleep routine can make those early mornings easier.

🥦 Healthy meals and snacks – regular meals, plenty of water and a balanced diet help children have the energy they need for busy days.

🪥 Good dental habits – encourage children to brush their teeth twice a day. Remember, children generally need help with brushing until around the age of 7.

👕 Encourage independence – practise getting dressed, putting on shoes and coats, using the toilet and washing hands.

🎒 Get organised – start talking about a new term, getting bags ready and making sure everything they'll need is ready to go.

🌳 Get plenty of fresh air and activity – outdoor play, walks and trips to the park are great for keeping little bodies moving and helping children sleep well.

💜 Make time to talk – ask your child about their day, listen to their thoughts and talk positively about coming back to nursery or starting school.

There's no need to change everything at once. Start making small changes now, giving your child plenty of time to adjust before September. We can't wait to see you all soon!

While many of our families are enjoying some time off together this summer, a few of our children are still keeping busy at the Centre, making the most of the quieter summer days with lots of fun, play and exploring! 💜

Last week, we got caught up in all the solar eclipse excitement and got crafty making our very own eclipse pictures! It was a lovely opportunity to talk about what was happening in the sky, get creative and have some fun learning together 🌞🌙

With the weather getting warmer again, we also made the most of the cooler mornings with an early morning trip to our local park before it got too hot!

And we’d like to say a huge thank you for the very kind donation of a tractor! It has already been a big hit and we're looking forward to lots more fun with it! 🚜

Keep an eye on our page to see what else we get up to over the rest of the summer!

Who says making pizza has to be complicated? 🍕

This weeks summer recipe is inspired by our own pizza making fun at the Centre a few weeks ago! Wrap pizzas are a quick meal that little ones will getting involved with, and they're perfect for lunch, dinner or even a picnic in the garden!

All you'll need is:
🌯 Tortilla wraps
🍅 Tomato purée or pizza sauce
🧀 Grated cheese
🍄 Your favourite toppings, such as sweetcorn, peppers, mushrooms or ham

Simply spread the tomato sauce over the wrap, sprinkle with cheese, add your chosen toppings and bake in the oven for around 8 - 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the wrap is crispy. The best part is that no two pizzas have to be the same! So let your little chef create their own masterpiece and enjoy eating it together afterwards.

Cooking homemade pizzas is a great way to help children build confidence in the kitchen by making their own choices and getting creative with their designs as well as practise spreading, sprinkling and placing toppings.

Don't forget to share your creations with us in the comments! 💜

With summer in full swing, many of us are planning day trips, staycations and adventures with our little ones to make the most of the sunshine.

So if you're heading out on the road over the next few weeks then a little preparation can help make the journey safer and more enjoyable for everyone 👇

🚗 Check your car seat – make sure it's correctly fitted and the straps are secure and comfortable.

🧸 Pack a few essentials – think spare clothes, wipes, any medication your child needs, drinks and a few favourite toys or books.

🥪 Plan your breaks – on longer journeys, allow plenty of time to stop, stretch little legs and take a break from the car seat.

🍎 Think about snacks – it's safer to stop somewhere before giving young children food or drinks rather than letting them eat while the car is moving.

🎵 Keep little ones entertained – favourite songs, stories, simple games and books can help make the journey more enjoyable.

💦 Keep cool – take plenty of drinks and never to leave a child alone in a parked car, even for a short time.

And remember, if the journey doesn't go quite to plan, that's okay! With little ones, the journey is often part of the adventure. For more information about child car seat safety and the rules, visit the UK Government website.

This weeks’s recipe for our summer series is great if you’re looking for a cool treat to make with your little ones in this heat!

Frozen yoghurt bites are quick, easy and perfect for warm days! Not only are they delicious, but they're also a brilliant way to get children involved in the kitchen while developing new skills.

All you'll need is:

🥣 Natural or Greek yoghurt

🍓 Chopped fruit such as strawberries, blueberries or raspberries

🍌 Optional toppings like banana slices, granola or a drizzle of honey

Simply spoon small dollops of yoghurt onto a lined tray, add your favourite fruit and toppings, then pop them in the freezer for a few hours until firm.

Making frozen yoghurt bites helps children to practise fine motor skills by adding the toppings and build confidence through simple food preparation as they explore different colours, textures and flavours. Just remember to supervise children during food preparation and choose ingredients suitable for your child's age.

We'd love to see your frozen yoghurt creations, so please do share a photo in the comments!

While many of our friends are enjoying the summer holidays at home, we've been having another fun filled week here at The Opportunity Centre! 💜

This week, the children got busy in the kitchen making colourful fruit kebabs for a snack before heading off on a lovely visit to The Orchard Trust in Lydbrook. We enjoyed meeting the ducks, baby goats and guinea pigs, although many of the animals were sensibly keeping cool in the shade! 🦆🐐

Back at the Centre, we also made our very own 'Centre Lemonade'. The children loved rolling the lemons to make them extra juicy before squeezing out the juice. Along the way, they were developing their hand-eye coordination, using maths to measure the ingredients and exploring lots of descriptive language as they talked about how the lemons looked, smelt and tasted! 🍋

The summer holidays are full of opportunities to learn through play, and it's been wonderful to see the children building new skills while having so much fun. We can't wait to share more of our summer adventures with you over the coming weeks!

If your child is starting big school this September then the summer holidays are the perfect time to help them feel confident and excited about this next step!

The good news is that you don't need to spend the summer practising worksheets or flashcards. One of the best ways to prepare your child for Reception is through play.

Whether they're building dens, painting pictures, dressing up, exploring the garden or asking lots of "why?" questions, they're developing important skills that will help them when they start school. Play encourages confidence, creativity, curiosity, problem solving and communication, all essential for a positive start to Reception.

Over the next few weeks why not try:

🌿 Exploring somewhere new together

🎨 Getting creative with arts and crafts

📚 Reading stories every day

🧩 Encouraging imaginative play

💬 Talking about starting school in a positive and exciting way

Remember, every child develops at their own pace, and there's no such thing as being the "perfect" Reception starter. So enjoy these next few weeks together, keep learning fun and let your child's natural curiosity lead the way because before you know it, they'll be putting on their school uniform and heading off on their next big adventure! 💜

Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing some simple, fun and tasty ideas that you can make at home with your little ones! 🧑‍🍳

Getting children involved in the kitchen is a wonderful way to build confidence, encourage independence and develop new skills, all while spending quality time together. First up in our new summer recipe series is... fruit kebabs! 🍇🍌🍍

Not only are they a fun and healthy snack, but they're also a great way to encourage children to explore different fruits and practise important skills along the way. Making fruit kebabs can help children develop:

🍓 Fine motor skills as they thread the fruit onto skewers (use child-friendly skewers or straws for younger children)

🍌 Hand-eye coordination

🍍 Colour recognition and counting

Why not let your child choose their favourite fruits? Strawberries, grapes, melon, banana, kiwi and pineapple all work brilliantly! It's a great opportunity to chat about colours, shapes and textures while creating a delicious snack you'll both enjoy.

We'd love to see your creations, so make sure to share a photo of your colourful creations in the comments.

p.s please remember to supervise children at all times, and cut fruit into suitable-sized pieces for your child's age.

That's a wrap on our Big Summer Raffle! 🎉

A huge thank you to everyone who bought tickets, donated prizes, shared our posts and supported this year's raffle. Thanks to your incredible generosity, we raised an amazing £875.50 for The Opportunity Centre!

We'd also like to say a special thank you to the wonderful local businesses who kindly donated prizes:

🌿 Chepstow Garden Centre

🌿 Coleford Garden Centre

👜 Moshulu Collection

🌳 Puzzlewood

🌲 Forestry Commission

🚂 Steam Forest Railways

🚜 Adam Henson's Cotswold Farm Park

🥐 Greggs

🦌 Meadows Wildlife Park

✨ Abbott Lyon

💅 Glamrdip

We'd also like to thank everyone who joined us for our live draw to find out this year's winners, it was lovely to have so many of you watching along! And of course, congratulations to all of our lucky winners! We hope you enjoy your fantastic prizes!

Your support helps us continue providing opportunities, care and experiences for the children and families who attend The Opportunity Centre. Thank you again for making such a difference 💜

Many of our friends have now broken up for the summer holidays, but we're still keeping busy and having lots of fun here at The Opportunity Centre! 💜

This week we've been getting creative in the kitchen by making our own delicious pizzas, and we also enjoyed a trip out in the sunshine to Lydney Harbour! 🍕

The summer holidays are a great opportunity to explore, learn new skills and make happy memories together, and we've got plenty more exciting activities planned over the coming weeks.

We'll keep you posted on all the fun we get up to so keep an eye on our page!