Upside down Rainbows -Gillian Brownsword - childminder

28/09/2026

The WHY behind what I do 🌈
Today we had the most beautiful walk along the canal path and met up with Sam Spondon Childminder and her friends.
We saw squirrels, dogs, horses and birds and found lots of natural treasures along the way — sycamore seeds, beech nuts, insect larvae, lots of ladybirds and even a ladybird pupa.

Learning through nature
We found lots of ladybirds on some beautiful yellow flowers called tansies. Then we discovered a ladybird pupa attached to a leaf. The children were fascinated and noticed that it was stuck to the leaf, giving us a lovely opportunity to stop, look closely and wonder together.

Creativity and physical development
Sam shared her snail book with us, which everyone loved. The children talked about what they could see in the book before making their own playdough snails using conkers.
They used their hands to squash, squeeze and roll the playdough, developing hand strength and coordination. When all the conkers had gone, one child decided to make a shell from playdough instead.
I love seeing where children's ideas take them. There doesn't always need to be one finished product or a right way to do something.
We are so lucky to have Samantha Anne Fisher as a friend. She always brings such lovely ideas, and today she brought together books, nature, creativity and curiosity in the most wonderful way.

Building confidence and independence
One of my youngest friends has been finding boundaries tricky recently. Today, though, he chose to hold the pushchair strap or his friend's hand, both when he was asked and, wonderfully, sometimes without being asked.
It was such a lovely moment to see him beginning to make those choices for himself.
Having beautiful spaces like this gives us opportunities to practise these skills naturally, without rushing them.

Today we had communication, physical development, creativity, curiosity, social learning and growing independence — all wrapped up in a lovely walk and a favourite book. And, of course, lots of fun along the way!

The activity is what we see.
The learning is what sits underneath it.
And the fun? That's woven through it all.

27/09/2026

24/09/2026

The WHY behind what I do 🌈
Today was our local toddler group. It’s always lovely to see local families and familiar friends, and making new ones. The favourites today were cars, Bob the Builder, the farm, stacking toys and balls.
We really enjoyed singing with at the end of toddler group too. Sleeping Bunnies is always a favourite!

This afternoon we continued the children’s interest in rolling balls and cars along the floor. We talked about the different colours as we pushed the cars to each other, giving us a natural opportunity to develop language and vocabulary. We also shared some books together, “Shh!” was the favourite today!

Sometimes simple, familiar play is exactly what children need. Repeating experiences gives them the chance to practice skills, build confidence and explore ideas in their own way.
Today we were developing communication, physical skills, early mathematical thinking, concentration and social skills, all through play that the children had chosen and enjoyed, and, of course, lots of fun along the way!

The activity is what we see.
The learning is what sits underneath it.
And the fun? That’s woven through it all.

23/09/2026

The WHY behind what I do 🌈
Today we went singing in the trees. We tapped the sticks we found and listened carefully to the different sounds they made. The children also stopped to listen to the world around them. We heard birds, a train and even an aeroplane.

Child-led exploration
Today I followed the children rather than leading the way. Our nearly 2-year-old (it feels like he’s been one forever!) led us through the trees, saying “this way (p)lease (G)ill?” at every turn.
Following his lead gave him the opportunity to make choices, communicate his ideas and confidently show us where he wanted to explore. My littlest friends are also learning that sometimes we need to wait and ask before we take something. This can be tricky, and there can be some big feelings to process along the way.
Part of my role is finding that balance — offering opportunities for children to make choices and follow their own interests, while also helping them learn to listen to others, take turns and understand that other people have needs and wishes too.

Exploring the natural world
We found more natural treasures along the way, sycamore seeds, flowers and lots of different coloured leaves. We talked about what we could see, hear and feel, building vocabulary and encouraging the children to notice the details of the world around them.

Making connections
Later, we shared some books together and the children began pointing out similarities they had noticed at the park. I love these moments when children make connections between their real-life experiences and what we see in books. Their experiences become part of their learning and understanding.

My intention
Sometimes the best thing I can do is simply slow down, follow their lead and be curious alongside them. Today there was music, movement, communication, decision making, exploration and lots of opportunities to develop language, confidence and social understanding, and, of course, lots of fun along the way!

The activity is what we see.
The learning is what sits underneath it.
And the fun? That's woven through it all.

23/09/2026

The children love singing! Today we tapped our sticks everywhere while we sang together.
Singing is such a lovely way to support emotional wellbeing, build confidence and develop communication, while the deep breathing involved also gives little lungs a workout.

And most importantly… we had lots of fun making music together!

22/09/2026

The WHY behind what we do, a trip on the bus to the garden centre and farm. 🌈

The journey to the farm gave us lots to explore too. We found different seeds and leaves and talked about how they felt. The chestnuts were smooth, while their outer pods were rough. We found sycamore seeds and the children thought they looked like wings!

Communication and language
The children are really enjoying finding different ways to describe things at the moment, so today gave us lots of opportunities to build on this interest.
At the farm, the children used their best manners in the shop and helped to buy food for the animals and birds. Then came lots of very enthusiastic observations!
The goats were hungry.
The cows were “licky”.
The pigs were huge.
The sheep were fluffy.
And the chickens and ducks were very “pecky”.

I love hearing the words children choose for themselves. They don't always use the words I might expect, but they are communicating their ideas and building their own understanding of the world.

Our “That’s Not My...” books and tactile jugsaws have also been very popular here recently. While sharing them together, we've been noticing the different textures and describing what we can feel. The children are beginning to bring their own descriptive words into our everyday experiences too.

My intention
Rather than simply teaching children new words, I want to create lots of opportunities for them to hear, explore and use language in meaningful situations. A bus journey, finding seeds, feeding animals or sharing a favourite book can all become opportunities to develop vocabulary, communication and confidence. And, of course we must have fun!

The activity is what we see.
The learning is what sits underneath it.
And the fun? That's woven through it all.

21/09/2026

The WHY behind what I do 🌈

Today we went to playgroup at St Werburgh’s School, where all the activities were centred around birds. The children particularly loved exploring the eggs and discovering the different coloured chicks hidden inside. We also had lots of fun singing "5 Little Ducks", especially when Angela added her duck call!

Exploring the natural world
After playgroup, we enjoyed a lovely walk through the sensory garden where we spotted a squirrel, listened to the birds singing, measured leaves and stopped to look at the beautiful wooden carvings around us. The girls noticed that the leaves from the oak tree were the same shape as the bench and also matched the shape in one of the carvings on the tree trunk.

Mathematical thinking
Measuring leaves, comparing shapes and noticing similarities all provide opportunities for early mathematical thinking in a very natural way.

Communication and language
There was lots to talk about as we explored. The children shared their ideas, described what they saw and expanded their vocabulary as we discovered things together.

Curiosity and independence
We also collected some little “treasures” to bring back with us. Giving children the opportunity to choose what interests them, investigate and collect things helps to develop curiosity and encourages them to become confident explorers.

I love these moments because the children were making their own connections and noticing patterns in the world around them. I hadn't needed to point it out to them, they discovered it themselves. There was no worksheet, no right answer. Just lots of exploring, wondering, noticing and talking, and, of course, lots of fun along the way!

The activity is what we see.
The learning is what sits underneath it.
And the fun? That's woven through it all.