Giggles 'N' Squiggles Ltd

11/09/2026

OH HELP! OH NO… THERE’S A GRUFFALO GRANNY!

Something VERY exciting has arrived in the deep dark wood… 👀🐾

GRUFFALO GRANNY IS HERE! 🥰

For the first time in over 20 YEARS, there’s a brand-new Gruffalo adventure from the wonderful Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler!

We absolutely love anything that gets children excited about books, stories and reading and we have a feeling this one might become a firm favourite! 🥰📖

There is so much learning that can come from one brilliant story: new vocabulary, imagination, prediction, sequencing, conversation, creativity… and of course plenty of opportunities to take the story outdoors and explore! 🌿🐾

We can’t wait to meet Gruffalo Granny at Giggles ’N’ Squiggles!

Who has got their copy already? 👀

And more importantly…

Who thinks we need some Gruffalo Granny themed activities? 😂🌳🐾

11/09/2026

At Giggles ’N’ Squiggles, we believe some of the very best learning happens when children have the freedom to explore, discover, get messy and connect with nature. 🐞🍃

That’s why we’re excited to be developing Explorer Sessions giving our children even more opportunities to take their learning outdoors.

Spending time in nature can support so many areas of a child’s development:

🌱 Builds confidence, independence and resilience
🐝 Encourages curiosity, imagination and problem-solving
🍂 Supports physical development through climbing, balancing, running and exploring
🪵 Provides wonderful opportunities for communication and new vocabulary
🌼 Supports emotional wellbeing and gives children space to slow down and regulate
🐞 Encourages children to understand, respect and care for the natural world
💦 And, perhaps most importantly… gives them permission to play, explore and be children!

Our Explorer Sessions won’t be about keeping clean or finding the “right” answer. They’ll be about muddy hands, big questions, tiny discoveries, sticks becoming whatever our imaginations decide they are, and seeing where the adventure takes us. 🌳✨

Because childhood needs a little more mud, a little more wonder and a lot more adventure.

Thank you Rachel for beginning to facilitate these sessions 👋🏼

09/09/2026

09/09/2026

We’ve had a bear-y lovely day celebrating Teddy Bear Day! 🤎

Our little ones enjoyed teddy bear picnics, tea parties, imaginative play and even a spot of pampering for their furry friends! 🫖🍎🧸

Such a simple theme, but so many lovely opportunities for conversation, creativity, role play and making memories together. ✨

We think the teddies enjoyed themselves just as much as the children! 🐻

08/09/2026

📚✨ WORLD LITERACY DAY ✨📚

Today we’ve celebrated the magic of books, stories, words and communication!

Literacy in the early years is about so much more than learning to read and write. It begins with listening to stories, singing rhymes, chatting together, recognising sounds, making marks and developing a love of books. 📖

Every story shared, every rhyme repeated and every little mark made helps build the foundations for future learning. 🌱

At Giggles N Squiggles, we love creating opportunities for our children to explore language and literacy through play every single day.

What is your child’s favourite story at the moment? Tell us below we’d love some recommendations! 👇🏼

05/09/2026

✨ The Final EPOP Early Years Festival! ✨

What a lovely day spent at the final EPOP Early Years Festival with Jigsaw Early Years Consultancy 💜

A day full of learning, reflecting, chatting and, of course… a little Prosecco and ice cream too! 🥂🍦

We took part in some really thought-provoking workshops, including a brilliant focus on inclusion and supporting & managing big feelings, lots to take away, reflect on and bring back into our settings and teams.

There’s something so valuable about stepping away from the day-to-day running of Early Years, surrounding yourself with other passionate people in the sector and having the time to learn, think and feel inspired again.

A lovely way to spend a Saturday and a brilliant final EPOP.

Thank you Jigsaw Early Years Consultancy for bringing the Early Years community together for one last festival! 🥂🍦✨

03/09/2026

🍂🎃 OCTOBER HALF TERM AT GNS! 🎃🍂

We’ll be open at GNS Discovery & GNS Downham from Friday 23rd – Friday 30th October for lots of autumn fun! 🧡

Children are welcome to join us from other settings during the school holidays.

⏰ Both settings are open 7.30am–6pm, giving families the option of longer days where needed.

🍽️ Hot lunches are also available.

Expect plenty of seasonal activities, autumn exploring, creativity, messy play, pumpkins and Halloween fun – all with our familiar GNS team. 🍂👻🎨

📩 Spaces are limited – enquire or book now:

GNS Discovery
[email protected]

GNS Downham
[email protected]

We reserve the right to close early with advance notice where there are insufficient bookings for the later sessions.

Come and spend October half term with GNS! 🍁

02/09/2026

A wonderful inspection report to celebrate!
We are incredibly proud to share some of the key highlights from our recent inspection at GNS Downham.

Safeguarding – Standards Met
Our safeguarding standards were met, with inspectors recognising our open and positive culture of safeguarding, where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. Most importantly, children are safe and feel safe.

Inclusion – Strong Standard
Inspectors recognised the strong emphasis we place on inclusion, with staff considering each child's individual needs and adapting learning and teaching approaches to support them. Children are valued, supported and encouraged to achieve positive outcomes.

Children's Learning & Development
Children were described as happy, settled, curious and confident, with opportunities to explore, learn and develop their independence. Inspectors highlighted children's growing confidence, physical development and ability to manage everyday tasks independently.

Curriculum & Teaching
Our staff demonstrated a clear understanding of our curriculum and how learning can be adapted for different ages and individual needs. Inspectors recognised how we follow children's interests and build these into meaningful play and learning experiences.

Relationships & Wellbeing
Children build positive relationships with staff and their peers, feel comfortable seeking reassurance when needed and are supported to develop their emotional wellbeing and self-regulation.

Communication & Language
Inspectors recognised the support we provide to develop children's communication, including the use of Makaton, visual aids and individual strategieswhere appropriate. This helps children communicate their needs, understand routines and feel secure.

Leadership & Staff Support
Inspectors recognised our commitment to continuous improvement, regular communication with staff and our work with external professionals to ensure children receive the support they need.

What it's like to be a child at our setting
Perhaps one of the loveliest parts of the report was the description of children arriving at a welcoming setting, being greeted by friendly staff and leaders, feeling settled and content, developing positive relationships and being encouraged to become happy, confident and independent.

We would like to say a huge thank you to our incredible team for their continued hard work, dedication and commitment to the children in our care.
And to all our families, thank you for trusting us with your children and for being part of our nursery community. Your support means so much to us.
We are incredibly proud of the children, our team and everything we continue to achieve together.
I have attached the link below so you can have a read too.

https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/2783803

02/09/2026

WE’RE BACK TOMORROW!

We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone back to GNS Clenchwarton, GNS Discovery and GNS Downham on Thursday 3rd September!

We hope all of our children and families have had a wonderful summer break. Whether you’ve been off on adventures, enjoyed lazy days at home or simply made the most of some family time, we can’t wait to hear all about it!

For those returning tomorrow, please remember to bring:

👋🏼A named bag
👋🏼Spare clothes (a couple of changes for ALL children)
👋🏼Nappies, wipes and any creams your child requires
👋🏼Bottles/milk where required
👋🏼A suitable coat – we’ll still be enjoying plenty of outdoor play whatever the weather!
👋🏼Sun hat/sun cream if we’re lucky enough to get some September sunshine
👋🏼Any prescription required medication, ensuring it is clearly labelled and handed directly to a member of staff

Please make sure everything is clearly named, it really does help us!

For some of our little ones, tomorrow will be their very first day at GNS. There may be a few tears (from children and grown-ups! 🥹), but our teams will be ready with plenty of cuddles, reassurance and exciting things to explore.

Here’s to a wonderful new term filled with playing, exploring, learning, laughing and making memories. 🌈🐝

See you tomorrow! 👋🏼