Little Acorns, Derrymore

Is your child starting pre-school or primary school this September? 🎒

Summer is the perfect time to help them feel excited and confident about their new adventure!

📖 Read together, talk about pictures, make up stories and chat about feelings – it all helps build confidence, communication, and learning skills.

🌙 A bedtime story is also a great way to create a calming routine before sleep.

For tips, activities and support, visit:
https://ow.ly/501I50ZuG4F and
https://ow.ly/SoUt50ZuG4B

You will find book recommendations, play ideas, transition tips, language support, routine guidance and toilet training advice.

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☀️😎 **Parents & carers – have you seen this?** 😎☀️

With the Summer holidays fast approaching, this sounds like a fantastic opportunity to pick up some practical tips and ideas to help make the break a little smoother for both you and your child! 🌈🏖️

🌟 **Autism NI's 'Summer Structure' course** will explore ways to create predictability during the holidays, prepare for trips and days out, and support your child through changes in routine.

💡 Whether you're planning a family holiday, local adventures, or simply looking for ideas to bring more structure to the Summer weeks, this course could be really helpful.

⏰ **It's the last chance to book, so don't miss out!**

👇 Check out the original post below for all the details and booking information:

[Summer Structure Course – Book Your Place Here](https://autismni.org/courses/summer-structure?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

☀️🏕️🍦 Wishing everyone a fun, happy and well-planned Summer! 🍦🏕️☀️

💙

Last chance to book for our upcoming ‘Summer Structure’ course.😎

This parent/carer support course will explore practical strategies you can use to support your child over the Summer break from school, and how to plan for events like holidays or new days out, to create predictability for your child.

Find out more and book here: https://autismni.org/courses/summer-structure

Join this free friendly online session led by your local health visitor to learn about:

✅How and why relationships build wee brains and minds.
✅Understanding your child’s emotions and behaviours through the lens of their brain developmental stage.
✅The benefits of play activities for all areas of your child’s development.
✅Relational strategies/tips that support your child’s emotional and mental wellbeing.
Date: Wednesday 17th June 2026.
Time 10am – 11.30am.

🍂 Applications Now Open for November 2026 🍂
At Little Acorns Playgroup Derrymore, we are delighted to welcome applications for our November 2026 intake.
We provide a warm, caring and welcoming environment where children are supported as they begin their early years education journey. Through play, creativity and friendships, we help every child grow in confidence, independence and happiness. 🌟
Children should be 2 years and 10 months old by the time they start.
If you are looking for a nurturing setting where your child can learn, play and thrive, we would love to hear from you. 💛
📍 Little Acorns Playgroup Derrymore
📅 Intake: November 2026
For further information or application details, please contact us directly.

🐻🌳 Little Acorns Playgroup Derrymore – Teddy Bears Picnic Sponsored Walk 🌳🐻
We are delighted to invite our current, past and future families, along with our wider local community, to join us for our Teddy Bears Picnic Sponsored Walk in Lurgan Park on Saturday 13th June at 11am.
This special event is all about coming together as a community while raising vital funds for our setting, helping us continue to provide the very best opportunities, experiences and resources for children in their early years education.
We are incredibly appreciative of the ongoing kindness, encouragement and support shown to Little Acorns Playgroup Derrymore by our local community. Your support truly makes a difference to our children and setting. 💛
Bring along your teddy bear and join us for a fun family walk, fresh air and lots of smiles! 🧸
📍 Lurgan Park
📅 Saturday 13th June
🕚 11am
Sponsor forms can be collected from Little Acorns Playgroup, or donations can be given on the day.
For further information please contact:
📧 [email protected]
We can’t wait to see everyone there! 🧸🌿

📌 Fantastic Job Opportunity 📌

🌿✨ Outdoor Space Glow-Up – We Need Your Help! ✨🌿
Hi Amazing Families! 💚
We’re working on making our outdoor play and learning space even more magical 🌈🌞 — and we could use your help!
🪑 Outdoor Storage Needed!
Do you have an outdoor storage bench (that would be AMAZING! 🙌), deck box, or weatherproof storage unit you’re no longer using? We’d love to give it a new home! It will help us store balls ⚽, chalk 🎨, gardening tools 🌱, and other fun outdoor materials.
🍳 Mud Kitchen Items Wanted!
We are creating an exciting outdoor mud kitchen area and would love:
🥄 Old kitchen utensils (spoons, pots, pans, bowls, muffin tins)
🫙 Containers, mixing bowls, and trays
🍽️ Anything safe and suitable for messy outdoor play
🔎 Investigation Station Items Needed!
We are setting up a fun investigation station to encourage curiosity and discovery 🧠✨
We would love:
🔍 Magnifying glasses
🪵 Natural materials (logs, bark, stones, shells)
🧺 Small trays or sorting containers
🦋 Bug viewers or small clear containers
🌿 Pinecones, leaves, seed pods, and natural treasures
📦 Small storage containers or baskets
🧺 Loose Parts Donations Welcome!
We’re also collecting loose parts for creative preschool play! Loose parts spark imagination, problem-solving, and teamwork 🧠🤝✨
Here are some ideas:
🔹 Buckets, baskets, or containers
🔹 PVC pipes or tubing pieces
🔹 Large shells or smooth rocks
🔹 Wooden planks or small logs
🔹 Milk crates
🔹 Buttons, beads, bottle tops
🔹 Fabric scraps or scarves
🔹 Pinecones, seed pods, or natural treasures 🍂
🔹 Tires (clean and in good condition)
🎨 Creative Area Additions
We would also love a painting easel to support our little artists and creative expression 🖌️🌈
👶 Role Play Area Donations
We are looking for baby dolls (such as Baby Born or similar) to enhance imaginative role play 🍼🧸
If you’re unsure about an item, just ask! 😊
Thank you for always supporting our little learners 💕 Your donations help us create rich, hands-on learning experiences every day!
🌟 We truly appreciate your help! 🌟

🏃‍♀️🎉 Support St.Mary’s Primary School Staff📚💙

We are so excited to share that the amazing staff from **Saint Mary’s Primary School, Derrymore** are taking on the **Belfast Marathon Relay** 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️ — and we would LOVE our parents and community to help support them! 🙌

This fantastic team of five staff members are running to raise funds for much-needed **literacy resources** 📖✏️ that will help children grow in confidence, develop their skills, and build strong foundations for their educational journey 🌟

Every mile they run 🏃‍♀️💨 is for the children, and every donation — big or small 💰 — will help make a real difference in classrooms and learning spaces. Together, we can help spark a love of reading, writing, and learning that will last a lifetime ❤️📚

🎯 **Their goal is £500 — let’s help them get there!**
👏 Let’s show our community spirit
📣 Let’s cheer them on
💙 Let’s make every step count!

✨ **Donating through JustGiving is quick, easy, and secure**, and your support truly means the world to the children and staff.

👉 **Please donate if you can and share this post to spread the word!**
Let’s get behind the Saint Mary’s team and show them how proud we are of their incredible effort! 🏃‍♀️🎉📚💙

**Go Team Saint Mary’s — we’re cheering you all the way to the finish line!** 🏁👏🌟

Help raise £500 to provide vital literacy resources that will empower the children, boost their confidence, and open doors to brighter futures. – JustGiving Crowdfunding Iʼm raising money to provide vital literacy resources that will empower the children, boost their confidence, and open doors to brighter futures.. Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page.