Miles For Smiles

29/07/2026

Spaces all gone pending contracts being signed 🥹🩷 so grateful for you all 🥹🥹 gone in 30 minutes 🥹🥹

Exciting news😀😀

Spaces are becoming available from August 2027 at Miles For Smiles Childminding in Greenock! 🍃

As a parent and a childminder I fully understand how you may feel about trusting a stranger with your child. I’m here to help you transition back into work knowing your little one is safe, content and with me having the best time!

I offer:

• Child-led play & exploration
• Nurturing, relationship-focused care
• Safe environment
• Outdoor time & nature connection
• Real partnership with families

I believe children learn best when they feel safe, understood, and given time to explore the world in their own way. My role is to walk alongside them guiding, supporting, observing, and creating a nurturing environment where they truly thrive.

Being part of a child’s early years is a privilege I never take for granted. 💫

Please feel free to private message me if you are looking for a childminder 🥰

26/06/2026

🌿✨ Nature's Velcro ( aka Sticky Wi***es! )✨🌿

This morning during our outdoor exploration, we stumbled across one of Scotland's most wonderfully hands-on nature discoveries... Sticky Wi***es! 🤣Also known as Cleavers (but where's the fun in that name?! 😂), these magical little plants had us completely captivated this morning and the laughter was absolutely infectious!

🪴 What makes them so special?

Those tiny little hooks covering every stem and leaf act just like velcro, designed by nature to hitch a ride on passing animals, clothing and apparently unsuspecting toddlers 😂 Every giggle as they stuck to our tops!

But there was SO much learning happening in those giggles...

✨ Curiosity & investigation — touching, feeling, exploring textures in the natural world
✨ Scientific thinking — understanding WHY things stick (cause and effect!)
✨ Nature vocabulary — learning real plant names and where they grow
✨ Risk & sensory play — handling natural materials with confidence
✨ Sheer joy — because childhood should always include laughing at plants sticking to your top😂

Here in our little bubble we absolutely love these spontaneous moments that nature gifts us, no planning required, just open eyes, curious minds and a willingness to get a little bit sticky! 🤣🌿

This is hygge learning at its finest cosy, connected, outdoors and completely child-led. The best classroom really is right outside!

Have your little ones ever discovered Sticky Wi***es? 🤷🏽‍♀️🤣

24/06/2026

A few of my little ones will be moving on soon, and no matter how many times it happens, it never gets any easier😭😭

One of the hardest parts of being a childminder is saying goodbye to the children I’ve had the privilege of watching grow, learn and flourish. From their first days with me to seeing their confidence, personalities and independence blossom, it is such a special journey to be part of.

What makes it even harder is saying goodbye to the wonderful families behind them. Over the years, many parents become so much more , they become friends, and I feel incredibly grateful for the trust, support and relationships we’ve built together.

While I am so proud to see these children moving on to their next adventures, there will always be a little piece of my heart that misses them. Thank you to every family who has allowed me to be part of their child’s story. It is a privilege I never take for granted.

Wishing all of my leavers the very best for the exciting chapter ahead. ❤️

As we step into the last week of term for many, let's take a moment to appreciate the incredible work of childminders everywhere. This season can be a whirlwind of emotions as you prepare to send off the little ones you've nurtured with love and dedication. 🎓👶

Don't forget to enjoy this proud moment. You've played a vital role in shaping young minds, celebrating many milestones, and creating cherished memories... and many of you will continue to play a part in the lives of your mindees for many years to come - through primary school and beyond!

👉 Are any little ones graduating from your setting this week? We'd love to hear your stories in the comments below!

🏷️ Tag a childminder: Know someone who deserves recognition for their amazing work? Tag them and let them know how much they are appreciated!

We want to take this moment to celebrate the incredible journey childminders have shared with the children and the safe space you have created in their lives. Your dedication provides a solid foundation for children to continue growing and learning. Thank you for all that you do! 💖

24/06/2026

Loving the weather ☀️☀️

20/06/2026

What a great day 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

19/06/2026

This week we have been embracing the simple joys of nature with lots of time spent exploring the seaside.

The children followed their curiosity as they searched for crabs, discovered crab legs washed up on the shore, collected beautiful shells, examined different types of seaweed and watched the waves roll in and out. There was plenty of excitement as we threw stones into the water, noticing the splashes!

Following our hygge approach, we slowed down, connected with nature and enjoyed being fully present in the moment. These simple experiences encourage curiosity, observation, conversation and a sense of wonder about the world around us.

The best learning often happens when little explorers have the freedom to investigate, discover and ask questions. 💙

19/06/2026

You are so welcome Sarah, childminders, teachers , parents go have a listen to Sarah’s wonderful stories 🥰###

I wanted to share a Facebook post with you today from Elaine at Miles For Smiles. Elaine is a member over at Curly's Cosy Corner Crew (my membership ) and she shared a beautiful post yesterday. Elaine read this month's poem and book review based on the theme A Sea of Calm. It combined the sound of the sea and waves and the how that can support children's emotional wellbeing. I also linked in a book series called The Emotion Ocean Series. After reading the poem with the children and looking at the book suggestions Elaine then took the children to the seaside to expand the learning. This is exactly why I created Curly's Cosy Corner Crew. It's a gentle place for me to provide extra things that families, childminders, homeschooling, nurseries and schools can use. It can be used to have a quiet moment with your children and read the poem together or it can be a resource as well for children's learning. It's very early for the membership but the members are going to be the ones that help to shape it and post like this make me smile.

Thank you to Elaine for sharing this with me. The link for her post is below and why not also check out the membership details and see if it's something you feel would work for you. Curly's next newsletter is due in July which will show him on his holiday at the seaside.

Elaine's Post:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EFDmgB5TX/

Curly's Cosy Corner Crew:

buymeacoffee.com/storytimewithslb

Image:

Taken when I was in Weymouth a few weeks ago and what inspired June's Theme A Sea of Calm. 🌊

18/06/2026

After reading Sarah J. Flackett’s recent poem, A Sea of Calm, and her review of The Emotion Ocean Series, we were inspired to take a trip to our local beach this week. 🌊

The children enjoyed listening to the waves and talking about the different sounds they could hear.

“Can you hear the birds, Elaine?”

“I think I can hear a shark!” 🦈

I enriched their curiosity by opening shells to look for pearls and holding seashells up to our ears to see if we could hear the ocean. Do you remember doing this as a child yourself? 🐚💙

We discussed how being near the sea can help us feel calm and relaxed, just like the ocean characters in The Emotion Ocean book which helps us learn ways to understand and manage those big feelings we can sometimes have. 🩷

During our adventure, we made an exciting discovery …an empty sea urchin shell! 🥹🌊

The children were fascinated by its beautiful patterns and were full of questions about the creature that once lived inside. It was a wonderful opportunity to encourage curiosity, observation and conversations about the natural world around us.

The best learning experiences often come from following children’s interests and exploring nature together💙💙

Have your little ones ever discovered something unexpected at the beach? 🌊🐚

Thank you Storytime with Sarah’s Little Bookshelf for inspiring us this week. 💙🐟

12/06/2026

World Cup fun 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿