Marie Consett Childminder

27/04/2026

School
Readiness!!!!

21/04/2026

🎒 Primary school places have now been allocated! 🎒

If your child is starting school this September and you’re looking for reliable, caring childcare, I have spaces available 😊

I offer before and after school care, as well as holiday care for those needing longer days or support during school holidays.

🕢 7:30am start
🕠 Until 5:30pm Monday–Thursday
🕔 Until 5pm on Fridays

I am an Ofsted Outstanding childminder, offering a warm, home-from-home environment where children can relax, play, and thrive.

📞 Please feel free to contact me on 07522 566343 for more information or to arrange a visit.

02/04/2026

🌼🐣 Easter Fun at Our Setting! 🐣🌼
Today we got into the Easter spirit with a hands-on, creative craft activity—making our very own adorable Easter chicks! 💛
The children explored a variety of materials including newspaper, masking tape, tissue paper, paint, glue, card, and pipe cleaners to bring their fluffy chicks to life. We started by scrunching newspaper into tight balls, shaping them into ovals, and carefully wrapping them to create a sturdy base.
Next came the messy (and favourite!) part—mixing our own yellow paint and glue to create a bright, sticky coating. The children then added soft, feathery tissue paper, choosing whether to roll their chick for full coverage or carefully place each piece—encouraging independence and creativity in their own unique way.
While our chicks dried, we designed and decorated wings using card and more tissue paper. Once everything was ready, we assembled our chicks—adding wings, bright orange beaks, googly eyes, and finishing with pipe cleaner legs to give them their own little personalities. The results were absolutely adorable! 🐥✨
What did we learn today?
This activity supported so many areas of development:
🌟 Fine motor skills – cutting, sticking, shaping, and assembling
🌟 Creativity & imagination – designing unique chicks and making independent choices
🌟 Sensory exploration – experiencing different textures like paper, glue, and paint
🌟 Communication & language – talking about what we were doing and describing our creations
🌟 Problem-solving – figuring out how to stick materials and construct our chicks
🌟 Confidence & pride – seeing a project through from start to finish
At our setting, we believe in learning through play, creativity, and exploration. Activities like this not only spark joy but help children build essential skills in a fun and engaging way 💫
If you’re looking for a warm, nurturing environment where your child can learn, create, and thrive, feel free to get in touch—we’d love to welcome you! 💛

13/12/2025

Do you want an outstanding start for your child!!!!

🌟 Childminding Spaces Available – January & September 2026 🌟�Term-Time & Holiday Care | Funded Places Accepted
Are you looking for an oustanding , nurturing, high-quality childcare setting that offers the education of a nursery with the care and attention of a home-from-home environment? I provide professional childminding services for children aged birth to 4 years, with full-time and part-time spaces available from January 2026, and further availability in September 2026 as children move on to Reception.
I proudly accept funded places and can help families maximise their full funding entitlement, including holiday care within the same term.

🌱 Nursery-Level Education, Childminder-Level Care
I follow the same Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework as nurseries, ensuring your child receives high-quality early education in a calm, loving, and personalised setting. Learning is carefully planned, observed, and assessed, with activities tailored to your child’s individual interests, development stage, and next steps.
Unlike larger nursery environments, children benefit from:�✔️ Highly personalised learning�✔️ A consistent caregiver who truly knows your child�✔️ Strong emotional attachments that support confidence and wellbeing�✔️ Development supported at your child’s own pace
Your child receives structured early education without being lost in a busy room, allowing them to thrive both emotionally and academically.

❤️ Why Choose a Childminder Over a Nursery?
🔹 Small Adult-to-Child Ratios�With a maximum of 1 adult to 3 children, your child receives more individual attention, reassurance, and responsive care throughout the day.
🔹 Home-from-Home Environment�A warm, family-style setting where children feel safe, valued, and secure — perfect for building confidence and independence.
🔹 Flexible, Child-Led Routines�No rigid timetables or rushed transitions. Sleep, meals, play, and learning follow your child’s natural rhythm.
🔹 Exploration & Real-Life Learning�Regular outings to Beamish, Gibside, farms, beaches, and local attractions, supporting language, social skills, and curiosity through meaningful experiences.
🔹 Allotment & Outdoor Learning�Children visit our allotment, learning where food comes from, helping to grow and harvest produce, and developing a love for nature and sustainability.
🔹 Home-Cooked, Nutritious Meals�Fresh, balanced meals prepared daily to support healthy growth and positive eating habits.
🔹 Purpose-Built Playroom�A dedicated learning space filled with age-appropriate toys, creative resources, and activities designed to support all areas of the EYFS.
🔹 Strong Parent Partnerships�regular updates, tapestry learning journals and a close working relationship with families to support each child’s development.

As a highly rated childminder, with an Outstanding Ofsted rating in September 2025, I provide a nurturing, flexible, and educational environment.
✨ Spaces available from January 2026�✨ More spaces opening September 2026
📩 Contact me today to arrange a visit, ask any questions, or secure your child’s space.

31/10/2025

🌟 We’re officially Outstanding! 🌟
We’re absolutely thrilled to share that our childminding setting has been rated ‘Outstanding’ in all areas by Ofsted! 🥳
We’re so proud that the inspector described our setting as:
“An inviting home where children are extremely settled, happy and engaged.”
and said that:
“Children benefit from wonderful opportunities to learn through a wide range of highly motivating and exciting activities and experiences.”
We truly love what we do — creating a home-from-home environment where every child is nurtured, valued, and encouraged to thrive. 🌿🐛🍓
From growing vegetables and collecting eggs, to woodland walks, yoga, music, and creative play — we aim to make every day an adventure full of curiosity, laughter, and learning.
We also offer:
✨Care for young children from birth and beyond.
✨ 30-hour government-funded places
✨ Before and after-school care for school-age children
✨ Term-time and holiday care

To read our full report please click the link below : https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50290180

A huge thank you to all our wonderful families for your ongoing support — we couldn’t do it without you 💕
If you’d like to find out more about what makes our setting so special, or to arrange a visit, please get in touch — we’d love to welcome you and your little ones to our Marie & Chris Childminding Family 🏡💛
📍Based in Consett

10/10/2025

Exploring Autumn with Paint & Potatoes! 🎨🍁
This week, we’ve been diving into the beautiful colours of autumn with a fun, hands-on art activity using red and yellow paint, brushes, and potato stamps carved into leaf shapes! 🍂
The children loved exploring how the colours mixed — they were delighted to discover orange as the red and yellow blended together! 👀✨
This simple, low-cost activity is packed with learning opportunities and links beautifully to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, especially for children aged 2–3 years:
🧠 Expressive Arts & Design – Children used their imagination and creativity to make prints and explore texture and shape using the potato stamps.�🎨 Understanding the World – We talked about the changing seasons and why leaves change colour in autumn.�💬 Communication & Language – Lots of lovely conversations around colour mixing, leaf shapes, and seasonal changes helped build vocabulary.�👶 Physical Development – Great fine motor practice as children gripped the stamp and used control to press down and lift it.�😃 Personal, Social & Emotional Development – Activities like this encourage confidence and independence as children make choices and express themselves freely.
✨ Want to try it at home?�All you need is:
• Paper
• Red and yellow paint
• A potato (cut in half and carved with simple leaf lines)
• A paintbrush or sponge
It’s a cheap, easy, and fun activity for a rainy autumn afternoon — and a great way to enjoy some creative time together. ❤️

28/07/2025

28/07/2025

Hi! I’m Marie — an experienced, qualified home-based childminder offering a warm, nurturing and inspiring space for children aged 0–12 years here in Consett.

With over 8 years’ experience and a background in musical theatre, I use creativity, music, and imagination every day to bring learning to life. We sing, dance, explore, and play in ways that help children thrive emotionally, socially, and academically.

🧒 Who We Care For:
Babies and toddlers (from 6 months+)

Preschool children

School-age children (before/after school & holidays)

✅ Now taking new children!
📣 Limited spaces available for 30-hour funded places from September 2025 — get in touch to reserve your space!

🎨 What We Offer:
A safe, caring home-from-home environment

Fun, structured routines with flexibility to meet each child’s needs

Outdoor learning adventures to parks, farms, woodlands, beaches & museums

Real-world experiences — growing food at the allotment, seasonal activities

Daily music, stories, tuff trays, sensory and creative play

Supportive and respectful approach to learning through the EYFS framework

🛡️ Safeguarding & Wellbeing:
We’re fully trained in safeguarding, First Aid, Prevent, and more. Children’s safety is our top priority, and we work closely with parents to keep everyone informed and supported.

🤝 Working with Families:
We build strong relationships with our families and love keeping you updated through Tapestry, chats, and regular feedback. We truly value your voice in your child’s learning journey.

✨ Always Improving:
We recently redesigned our playroom to encourage more independence and imaginative play.

If you're looking for a childminder who values play, creativity, real-world learning, and a strong connection with families — get in touch! ❤️