Buddies Childcare

🌼 Making Dandelion Playdough 🌼

Today we explored nature through sensory play by collecting dandelions and making our own playdough together. The children loved gathering flowers, mixing ingredients, squishing, rolling, and creating with the finished dough.

This activity supported:
✨ Fine motor development
✨ Communication and language
✨ Understanding the world
✨ Creativity and imagination
✨ Sensory exploration

There was so much curiosity, teamwork, and joy throughout the process. Teamed up with our bee number stones and rollers.

A nap is not just a break from the day—it is vital work time for your preschooler’s brain. When children sleep in the early afternoon, their brains move new information from short-term to long-term memory. Research shows naps can help your child remember up to 40 percent more each day, building stronger focus and better problem-solving skills.

Missing a midday nap can make it harder for your child to hold onto what they learned that morning. The most powerful naps last about 60 to 90 minutes and happen before late afternoon. Shorter or late naps might not give enough time for deep memory work and can even disrupt nighttime sleep. That’s why regular naps support not only your child’s mood, but also their growing mind.

If your preschooler stops napping too young, their thinking skills and vocabulary may fall behind. Daytime sleep is how their brains protect and grow what they experience in the world. To help your child thrive, protect their daily nap. It is when small lessons become lasting knowledge."

Happy Mother’s Day 💐

Today we’re celebrating all the amazing mums out there — the ones who somehow manage the love, the laughter and the everyday chaos that comes with motherhood.

A big thank you to the mums who raised us, the mums raising little ones right now (while running on very little sleep!), and the wonderful women watching the next generation become incredible mums themselves.

We’re also thinking of those who find today difficult — those missing their mums, those who can’t be together today, and especially those who have lost babies and carry that love in their hearts every single day. You are very much in our thoughts.

Motherhood is many things — beautiful, exhausting, joyful, messy and sometimes completely chaotic — but it’s always full of love.

Wishing all the wonderful mums, step-mums, grandmas, mother figures and mums-to-be a very Happy Mother’s Day 💕

Picture of myself and my mum 😊

Out walking, checking on the trees we helped plant at forest school. They’re starting to grow 🌱 Quiet moments, squirrels playing, and the land having a well-earned rest. Checking in to keep it familiar during the break.

A shout out for independent and small childcare settings 😁

The DfE shared some more information this morning causing further upset amongst the early years sector - a couple of thoughts based on what I’m reading and my experiences but welcome yours in the comments - a lot to say on this whole topics that can’t be put in one video and there are issues across the whole sector that need addressing. #earlyyears #eyfs #earlyyearspractitioner #childcareprovider #childcareworker #childcare #earlyyearseducation #eyfsteacher #nurserymanager

There’s something oddly satisfying about the crunch of ice underfoot or scooter. We had a wonderfully fresh walk this morning at Waves in Easter Compton. The girls learnt that the waves there are man-made using solar power rather than fossil fuels, helping to reduce their impact on climate change. The highlight, though, was the wonderfully witty question from one nine year old: “Why is it called man-made and not female-made?” — funny, clever, and surprisingly thought-provoking 😄

We had a fun Home Alone themed Christmas this year as this is a few of the children’s favourite movie. Merry Christmas and happy New Year from us to you