Rach's Rascals

What a lovely full day we’ve had at Rascals 💛

This morning we wrapped up warm and headed out for a walk with the dog 🐾 On our way to school we had lots to talk about — we watched our shadows as they moved with us in the sunshine and spotted a little ladybird 🐞 which created lots of excitement and curiosity! We explored the farm track, chatted about what we could see around us and threw the ball, encouraging lots of movement and coordination. Along the way we spotted tractors, machinery, trains and even planes in the sky ✈️🚜 sparking lots of conversations. We also checked in on the roofers and talked about heights and how they can make us feel, supporting children in understanding emotions and the world around them.

From our walk, the children were full of ideas and I’ve even been asked if we can plant sunflowers 🌻 — so watch this space as we start our growing journey together!

This afternoon we finally enjoyed some time outdoors in our own garden ☀️ We worked together cleaning and getting the space ready, building a sense of responsibility and teamwork. The children explored mark making on the chalk board, practising early writing skills, and enjoyed water play—pouring, filling and investigating 💦

To finish off our busy day, we all sat together and enjoyed a well-earned drink and biscuit 🍪🥤

EYFS Links:
🌱 Communication & Language – describing what we could see, engaging in conversations and asking questions
🌱 Physical Development – walking, throwing the ball, pouring and handling tools
🌱 Personal, Social & Emotional Development – teamwork, turn-taking, discussing feelings (e.g. fear of heights)
🌱 Literacy – early mark making and recognising shapes and patterns
🌱 Mathematics – exploring capacity, movement and noticing changes such as shadows
🌱 Understanding the World – observing insects (ladybird), machinery, transport and people in the community, and learning about planting and growth 🌱
🌱 Expressive Arts & Design – creative mark making and outdoor exploration

A day full of fresh air, learning and lots of smiles

Looking ahead to another fun-filled week at Rascals! 🎶🌸🐘

This week we will be exploring musical instruments, giving the children lots of opportunities to make their own music, discover different sounds and enjoy singing and dancing together 🎵

With Easter and spring as our focus, we’ll be talking about new life, flowers blooming and the changes we can see around us, along with some lovely seasonal crafts and activities 🌼🐣

Our little adventurers will also be learning all about safari animals 🦒🦁 — where they live, the sounds they make and moving like their favourite animals!

Duplo will continue to support creativity and teamwork, with the children building everything from towers to animal homes 🧱

We’ve also added a range of books into each area to support our themes, helping to spark curiosity, encourage language and deepen the children’s understanding through stories and shared reading 📚

We can’t wait for another week of learning through play 💛

🌸 Mother’s Day Creations from Our Little Rascals 🌸

Last week the children were very busy creating some beautiful gifts for their lovely mums. 💕

They decorated glass jars with colourful butterflies and filled them with stones before adding some gorgeous flowers to make a special vase. The children were so proud of their creations and loved choosing the flowers and arranging them themselves.

Alongside their vases, the children also made some very special drawings. We talked about why our mums are special, and the children shared lovely ideas like “my mummy is as pretty as a flower” and “you are the best mummy.” 🌈

Each picture and vase is completely unique, just like the love they have for their mums.

These were done by the older school children, everyone created something different as did our younger children who made blossom cards and hand print pictures 🥰

Did you know popcorn can be dangerous for small children?

Due to it’s size and odd shape it can be difficult for little ones to chew and safely swallow. That makes it a big choking risk. But it also poses a risk of aspiration (where something is breathed into the lungs by accident) which in some cases can lead to pneumonia.

That’s why we recommend you avoid popcorn until your child is at least 5.

We hope everyone has a lovely day 🥰

Strong women. Strong role models. Strong futures. 💖

On International Women’s Day it’s a lovely reminder of how important the women in our lives are. The ones who support us, guide us and show us what kindness, strength and resilience look like every day.

As someone who works with children, I’m always aware that little eyes are watching and learning. The way we care for each other, encourage one another and show confidence and kindness helps shape the next generation.

Here’s to strong women, lifting each other up and being positive role models for the little ones growing up around us. 🌸

Happy International Women’s Day from Rach’s Rascals.

📚 World Book Day at Rach’s Rascals 📚

Today we celebrated World Book Day and enjoyed sharing some of our favourite stories together. The children loved looking through different books, turning the pages, pointing at the pictures and talking about what they could see.

Stories are such an important part of our day. They help to build language, imagination and a love of reading, and it’s always lovely to see the children so engaged and excited about books.

We cuddled up together, listened carefully to our stories and let our imaginations take us on lots of little adventures.

A simple but special day celebrating the magic that books bring. ✨📖

lovely day out at Lotherton Hall today with the rascals. 🌿

On the way in we spotted some tree surgeons cutting down a few trees, so of course we had to stop and watch for a while. The children were fascinated seeing the equipment and talking about what the workers were doing.

We then wandered through the woods where we spotted blackbirds, pigeons and a robin, stopping to listen to the birds and looking carefully to see where they were hiding in the trees.

Our older rascal helped Rach with the pram, being a great little helper, while our mini rascal enjoyed a cosy snooze in the fresh air while we explored. Fresh air naps are the best! 😴

Next we explored the bird garden and spent some time watching the penguins swimming – they were very busy diving in and out of the water which the children loved.

Our adventure continued as we visited the owl, the capybara, and the wallabies (including a tiny baby peeking out of its pouch!).

Before heading back we went on a little duck hunt around the grounds, and then made one last stop to watch the penguins again before heading off to find Rach’s car after a busy morning of exploring.

Lots of fresh air, animal spotting and curious little minds at work today. 🐧🌳🦆

From cranes to daffodils to building rockets 🚀✨

This week has been full of imagination and spring discoveries here at Rach’s Rascals.

While watching the crane at work, the children decided it was
🦕 “As big as a dinosaur!”
🦒 “It looks like a giraffe!”

I just love how children see the world — turning everyday moments into magical ones. What might look like a building site to us becomes a prehistoric creature or a towering animal stretching to the sky!

On our walk we also stopped to watch the horses in the field. The children were fascinated, chatting about what they were eating and noticing how they used their teeth to pull the grass. We talked about how horses eat grass and hay, and how they need lots of food to stay big and strong. Such lovely real-life learning and language development.

We’ve also been spotting signs of spring, admiring bright daffodils, talking about seasonal changes and even building our very own rockets — ready for blast off 🚀

Through play, conversation and exploration, the children are developing language, curiosity and confidence every single day.

Learning really does happen everywhere 💛

From babies to best friends 💛

They’ve grown up together… side by side through all the little moments that mean the most. Gentle touches, shared spaces, and a quiet understanding that only comes from being together every day 🐶

It’s more than just growing up in the same home… it’s a friendship built on trust, comfort and unconditional love.

The kind of bond that will stay with them forever 💫

This week at Rach’s Rascals we will be exploring the theme of Spring 🌷

We will be getting out on our daily walks looking for signs of change in the environment, including flowers, buds on trees, birds and other wildlife. We will also be learning about growth and new life through simple planting activities and sensory play.

Inside, the children will enjoy farm small world play, helping to develop their imagination, language and understanding of the world as they explore animals and their babies.

📚 World Book Day – Thursday
On Thursday we will be celebrating World Book Day. Children are welcome to come dressed as their favourite character or bring along a favourite book to share with the group. We will be focusing on storytelling, sharing books and creating a love of reading through fun, relaxed activities.

Throughout the week we will also be enjoying:
• Cosy story times
• Spring crafts and mark making
• Singing songs and rhymes
• Child-led play based on interests

As always, our activities will follow the children’s interests and support their learning through play in a warm, nurturing environment.

Today we enjoyed a lovely kick about at the park, followed by a gentle walk looking for signs of spring 🌼

We took a little rest on a bench and sang “5 Little Ducks”… and as if by magic, two ducks came swimming past! 🦆✨

Moments like these remind us how special the simple things can be 💛

🌱 EYFS Links

• Communication & Language – Talking about what we could see and joining in with familiar songs
• Understanding the World – Exploring nature and noticing signs of spring
• Physical Development – Outdoor play and ball skills at the park
• Personal, Social & Emotional Development – Shared experiences and group interaction
• Expressive Arts & Design – Singing and using imagination through rhyme