Kiddiwinkles Castledawson

13/04/2026

Splash, scrub, and smiles all around! 🧼🚗💦

Today our little ones had so much fun giving our nursery cars a good wash! From soapy bubbles to lots of giggles, it was a great hands-on activity that helped develop teamwork, coordination, and creativity.

We love creating playful learning experiences that keep children engaged while building important skills

Take a look at our busy little washers in action! 👇

27/03/2026

Sunshine, fresh air, and lots of laughter ☀️🌿

Inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, we see our role not as leaders, but as gentle guides—co-explorers in each child’s journey. Creating space for curiosity to grow, for ideas to unfold, and for children to take the lead in their own learning 💛

07/01/2026

📢 We’re Hiring! Join Our Team 🌈

We are looking for a caring, energetic, and dependable individual to join our daycare family! If you have a passion for working with children and creating a safe, nurturing, and fun learning environment, we’d love to hear from you.

Position: Nursery Assistant
Location: Magherafelt area
Schedule: Full-time / Part-time / Flexible

Responsibilities Include:

Providing a safe, loving, and engaging environment for children

Planning age-appropriate activities and learning experiences

Supervising children during play, meals, and rest times

Communicating effectively with parents and staff

Maintaining a clean and organized baseroom

Qualifications:

Childcare Level 2 or 3 (Desired)

Experience working with children (preferred)

Patience, creativity, and a positive attitude

✨ We offer a supportive work environment and the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in children’s lives.

📩 Apply today!

📞 Call: 028 796 34785
📧 Email: [email protected]

31/12/2025

We wish all our Parents, families and wonderful staff a very Happy New Year.

18/12/2025

Preparing our annual christmas dinner for all the children and Staff, we will have our staff hamper give aways and secert santa presents.

All the staff would like to say a big thank you to Annette Clarke our fantastic cook, we would be lost without her, and her delicious meals each 👩‍🍳

18/12/2025

THANK YOU !!

We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to each and everyone of our parents and staff from Castledawson and Playloft who provided presents for our Giving tree. Each year we help ' Kindness by Strangers' who support families of children who have lost a parent and are less fortunate.

We could never reach this without your support and i cant thank you all enough on behalf of these local families.

03/12/2025

✨🎄 Afterschool Christmas Challenge! 🎄✨

Our Afterschool Room is getting crafty this December with a Handmade Christmas Tree Competition! 🎨🌟

Throughout the month, the children will be creating their very own Christmas trees during their nursery sessions — from sparkles and sequins to pinecones and paint, we can’t wait to see their festive imaginations shine! 🎁✨

Here are some runners-up from previous years to give everyone a little inspiration… 👀🎄✨

Keep an eye out as this year’s creations grow throughout December… and stay tuned to see which tree takes the crown! 👑🎄

Let the merry making begin! 🎅💚

28/11/2025

Our After schools experimenting with sensory play, ice cube melting and fake snow. Combining ice cube melting with fake snow creates engaging sensory play that explores texture and temperature, while teaching basic science concepts like states of matter. Key activities include Arctic animal rescues and sensory snow painting.

Play & Learning: Encourage using tools like small spoons, droppers, or a small amount of warm water to "rescue" the animals. This develops fine motor skills and introduces problem-solving. Discussing how the ice melts and the temperature change, which all helps when we are doing daily weather reports.

22/11/2025

🌟🎄

We are delighted that Shannon and the team at Kiddiwinkles Care and Learning Centre are supporting children in kinship care this Christmas via their Annual Giving Tree.

Donations of toys and gifts can into Kiddiwinkles at 88 Castledawson Road, Magherafelt or 25 High Street, Draperstown.

Thank you for supporting children in kinship care this Christmas!

21/11/2025

🌟 Helping Families with Childcare Costs 🌟

Did you know that families eligible for Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) can receive government support covering 20% of childcare costs? This is a fantastic way to ease the financial burden and ensure your children get the care they need while you work or study.

On top of this, if you’re registered with the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme (NICSS), you can benefit from an additional 15% childcare support.

That means families could access up to 35% support in total — making childcare more affordable and accessible than ever.

✅ Government covers 20% (TFC eligible families)

✅ NISCC adds 15% support

⚠️ Primary school afterschool clubs are not eligible for this support. The funding applies only to registered childcare providers alongside offering reliable childcare with minimal closure days throughout the year

This is a huge step forward in supporting working parents and carers, helping balance family life with career development

For more information, contact us! 💌

📧 [email protected]
📞 028 8775 2118

📧 [email protected]
📞 028 7963 4785

📧 [email protected]
📞 028 8675 7122

📧 [email protected]
📞 028 7962 7161

📧 [email protected]
📞 028 8772 7677

📩 Or request a parent pack via the link in our bio

20/11/2025

Playing in the snow is a fantastic way to combine fun and learning, promoting physical development through activities like walking and sledding, cognitive skills through problem-solving, and sensory and language development by exploring snow's textures and sounds. We had so much fun and these provide unique opportunities for creativity, sensory exploration, and physical challenges that contribute to a child's overall growth.

We cant wait until we get some more snow, so we could actually build a snow man with... Here are base room 3 and base room 4 explorining in the snow.