Growing Minds Childminder

Augustus is a tiger, who though large and fearless, is sad, because he has lost his smile. He goes on a journey to find it and so did our children. We spent all morning searching for our smiles. Fortunately we found them in various puddles.

The children have spent all morning looking at their reflection in puddles, windows, mirrors and more.

This book is a firm favourite at the moment and we read it several times a day. I am surprised I don't know the words of by heart, well not yet...

The theme this month is mathematics.

The statutory framework states that during the early years, children need to 'develop a strong grounding in number' in order for children to develop the 'building blocks' needed for them to 'excel mathematically'.

The statutory framework discusses that children should be able to, count confidently and develop a deep understanding of the numbers to 10. The document suggests that practitioners should provide lots of opportunities for children to build up their knowledge and apply what they have learned using manipulatives, such as 'pebbles and tens frames for organising counting'. It is through a variety of frequent opportunities that children increase their knowledge and are able to build a mastery of mathematics.

Practitioners should also support children to develop a positive attitude and model how to look for patterns and spot connections. It is also essential that children are encouraged to 'have a go', talk to adults and their peers about the things they notice, and are not concerned about making mistakes.

Working with playdough is a great way to work on fine motor skills. Manipulating the playdough strengthens those little hand muscles and can lead to better control over their hands - all of this is great for under 5s who will be expected to learn how to write in the not too distant future.

What is the benefit of playing with sponges? 🧽

This is a great way for children to practice their dexterity and gross motor skills, as well as learn about the properties of water in the process. They will intuitively begin to grasp the concept of absorption as they work with the sponge.

We love snails and our second favourite are ducks. We spotted ducks, dragonflies and plenty fish of today. Summer time is great for spotting all sorts of wildlife in their element.

Baking offers opportunities for children to enhance their fine and gross motor movements. With the one handed tools and equipment available at these activities, children can extend these skills to then be embedded into other parts of the day such as using cutlery for meal times or mark making activities.

This week we made star shaped jam sandwiches for a party at a local nursery and we had a lot of fun making bear biscuits.

Gloop, gloop, glorious gloop!

This afternoon we played with gloop.
It is an interesting mixture with a unique texture. It's great for moulding and developing children's motor skills too. Gloop offers young children a range of sensory experiences, and the opportunity to learn about different textures and materials.

We have been having a lot of fun with these coloured shape blocks. Great for working on those stacking skills, a sensory explosion of colour - fun for looking through, as well as learning about shapes and colours.

Did you know?... Early identification of colours and shapes helps children to create a cognitive link between visual clues and words. Learning to identify and describe colours and shapes improve children's ability to communicate and express themselves.

Water play - we love it and what better way is there to cool down in this heat?

Splashing, pouring, spraying and creating waves.

Water play enhances their creativity and imagination and provides opportunities for some wonderful investigative and scientific learning.

It's been a busy start to the summer.

We absolutely LOVE being outdoors. We go in all weathers - wet, windy, snowy or sunny - you will find us out and about.

The EYFS recognises the importance of outdoor learning. Being outdoors plays a crucial role in helping children make sense of the world and grasp the basic concepts of science.

Outdoor activities can also stimulate children’s curiosity and instil a love for learning from a young age. At Growing Minds children can develop appreciation for nature and the desire to look after the environment through our daily "walk and talks".

Outdoor activities are really important too, they are usually linked to physical exploration and movement, which helps toddlers improve their motor skills. According to the , outdoor learning also offers opportunities for quiet time and relaxation and can help children find peace and calm. Although, we're more squeals and jumping over here.

Here at Growing Minds we love arts and crafts. We usually have a large sheet of paper laying on the table throughout the day so that children can come along and have a scribble - all whilst working on their pen holding skills. It's also a platform for them to express themselves in a different way.

Recently we have dialed up this area to include glue, sequins, paint and lots of different craft materials.

It enables children to explore and play with a wide range of materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through art.