All Weathers Childminding - Catherine Green

⚠️ Important message for parents & carers ⚠️

Meningitis can affect anyone, but babies and young children are most at risk. It can develop quickly, so knowing the signs could save a life.

🚨 Look out for these symptoms:

High fever (cold hands and feet, limb pain)

Vomiting or refusing feeds

Severe headache or stiff neck

Sensitivity to light

Drowsiness, confusion, or difficulty waking

Seizures (fits)

👶 In babies and young children:

Floppy, unresponsive, or unusually irritable

High-pitched cry

Bulging soft spot (fontanelle)

Rapid breathing

Pale, blotchy, or unusual skin colour

🔴 The rash test:A meningitis rash may not fade when you press a glass against it — but don’t wait for a rash. It doesn’t always appear.

⏱️ Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, seek medical help immediately. It’s always better to be safe.

📞 Call your GP, NHS 111, or go to A&E if you’re concerned.

Please share this post to help raise awareness ❤️

*Picture provided by National Union of Childminders

On St Patrick’s Day people celebrate in Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. In Irish stories there are little magical characters called leprechauns who like gold and playing tricks. People include them in St Patrick’s Day games and decorations, alongside shamrocks and rainbows to make the celebration fun.

The children listened to the leprechaun play his music on the fiddle by pressing the button on his hand. The children then had the opportunity to look at him and draw what they saw. We described the clothing and features of the leprechaun. I love how each picture is individual 💚

Wishing you a day of love, appreciation and a little time to relax :)

Why is foam play so great? This one is cheap, cheerful with a scent of strawberries 🍓 See comments for how it supports the 7 areas of learning.

Here's a little snapshot of what we’ve been up to recently 💛

We’ve enjoyed lots of soft play adventures, building our confidence, balance and big movements. On our snow day we wrapped up warm and explored the frosty fun together , making ice creams and fro-yo in the play kitchen ❄️

In the actual kitchen, the children loved making pesto twists and beautiful pastry hearts — lots of mixing, rolling and, of course, taste testing! 🧑‍🍳💚

We’ve been working hard on our fine motor skills too, with plenty of snipping and cutting practice ✂️ alongside mark making, number recognition and counting activities to support our early maths development 🔢✏️

We’ve even been stretching and relaxing with some children’s yoga sessions — a lovely way to build strength, balance and calm moments into our busy days 🧘‍♀️

'It is thought that one in five pre-school aged children have glue ear at any one time, and eight out of ten will experience it by the age of ten. This means that 20% of early years children are temporarily deaf at any given time' - Early Years Alliance in conjunction with My Little Ears scheme.

https://www.familycorner.co.uk/what-is-glue-ear-and-what-are-the-symptoms

What is glue ear and what are the symptoms? | Early Years Alliance Family Corner Glue ear (known medically as Otitis media with effusion, or OME) is one of the most common childhood illnesses and happens when fluid gathers in the middle ...

🎄 Christmas Break 🎄

The toys are all resting, no playdough in sight,
This childminder’s off duty both in day and the night.
Have fun over Christmas, enjoy every cheer,
We’ll be back for more playtime in the New Year!

Have a very Merry Christmas everyone. Thank you for all your support in 2025! :)

Here's a few pictures of our fun over the last month.

Thank you to everyone who sponsored our group 🥰 What a fantastic amount raised 👏

Poppy, poppy, what do you say?
"Wear me on Remembrance Day."
Poppy, poppy, what do you tell?
"Soldiers fought, and some fell."

Poppy, poppy, what should we know?
"Peace on Earth should grow, grow, grow." - a simple poem for young children which symbolises what the poppy is and why many people wear it. We visited the cenotaph yesterday to lay our poppy pictures, which we created earlier in the week. We talked about the other wreaths and crosses and read some of the messages. I reminded the children about the different coloured poppies and what they represent. Some of the wreaths were made from different materials such as woollen pom poms, bottoms of plastic bottles painted red, and others made from paper, cardboard and plastic. We then visited the museum and tried on service helmets. On Tuesday, during playgroup we held a 2 minutes quiet time to mark respect to those who had served and fallen. Remebrance day helps children learn about empathy, gratitude and saying thank you to those who keep us safe and the value of being kind to others.

🎉 Celebrating 10 Years as a Registered Childminder! 🎉

Today marks 10 years since I officially became a registered childminder — and what an incredible journey it’s been! ❤️

Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of caring for 29 amazing children — from little one's weaning to taking their first steps to confident school-aged kids heading off to new adventures. Watching them grow, learn, and become their wonderful selves has been a great reward, and I've been able to watch my own two kids grow alongside, which means the world to me 🥰

There has been plenty of play, laughter (and tears), school runs, after-school madness, plenty of outings, and ultimately tonnes of fun — almost every moment filled with laughter, learning, and love. I've learnt so much along the way from how children learn and develop and why activities on offer matter, to doing work behind the scenes with the running of a business as a sole trader and the out of hours professional development it takes to be a registered childminder.

At times, it has been hard, but I want to say a huge thank you to all the families who’ve trusted me with their children over the years. Your support means the world, and it’s been such an honour to be part of the journey.

Who knows if I’ll still be doing this for another 10 years — but for now, I’m still here - committed and grateful for everything the role brings. 🥰🌈

If you are wanting to apply to a Primary School for your little ones to start their Reception year in September 2026, then the application is opening this week 📚✨

If your child was born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022, it’s almost time to apply!

🗓️ Applications open: 14 November 2025
⏰ Deadline: 15 January 2026

Middlesbrough applications can be via post or online.

https://emsonline.middlesbrough.gov.uk/CitizenPortal_LIVE/en?fbclid=IwVERDUAN9XyxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR4qf9Ed06UOB2b7FyDMnX5KSKgjyP6jEuUdUfZA2iqxtekXhC87ExJaTL8Ztg_aem_ox4yG_JQ_q3ZLLIeYTVn4A