Coles Childminding

Our little people have been busy exploring the bug-themed tuff tray, before heading out for some adventures of our own.

We thankfully waited until later to set off today, trusting the weather apps — and thankfully they got it spot on! ☀️ The weather was absolutely perfect for a trip to the beach.

First stop was the park, where we watched the huge grabber tractor working and rolling past — always exciting to watch! The only time the little people stood still 😂
Then it was time for a delicious lunch of our very own home-grown potatoes, sausages, vegetables and gravy.
With full tummies, we headed off to the beach for lots of splashing, playing and exploring. We had so much fun searching for and collecting lots of natural treasures along the way.
A wonderful day full of fresh air, exploration, play and plenty of happy little faces!

Today we headed out and made the most of the beautiful outdoors, visiting a local maize field to check out the crops 🌽

The children absolutely loved walking through the really tall maize shoots and spotting all the different-sized cobs growing! They were fascinated to explore them, peeling back the leaves and removing what they called “the hair” from the cobs. Such a simple experience, but so many opportunities for curiosity, language, observation and learning.

We then headed over to Holly-wood for some free play and a bit of a site clear-up. I can always count on the children to get stuck in here — digging out the fire pit, getting a fire going, tidying the site, pruning and generally keeping everything ship-shape!
We managed to find even more blackberries, so some of us headed back for some blackberry baking, while others happily played.

It definitely feels earlier than usual for both the blackberries and the maize fields this year! We’re fully embracing all these seasonal changes and the wonderful learning opportunities they bring. ❤️

What an amazing 2 weeks annual leave.

One of the biggest highlights has to be being part of West Lancs Scouts and heading over to Canada with 204 Scouts, Explorers and Leaders. It certainly wasn’t for the faint-hearted, but being part of Fylde made the whole experience even more special.

We packed SO much into the trip — the CN Tower, a Blue Jays game, Niagara Falls with the most amazing lights and fireworks, Canada’s Wonderland, Kelso Conservation and lots of fantastic Scouting activities, including soapstone carving. So many amazing children and some of the very best leaders. ❤️
I’m absolutely exhausted, but what a trip and what memories to treasure forever! ✨
While I’ve been away, we’ve also been busy at home harvesting lots of our lovely homegrown vegetables, which have already gone to very good use on our menu.

And there’s another very exciting addition to our mini team next year… I welcomed my great-niece into the family! 🥰 I’m SO excited to have her joining us — that’s definitely one to look forward to!

Today we had our first day back and headed off on a bus adventure to Ribby Hall 🚌. It was so lovely listening to everyone’s stories about what they’ve been up to over the summer, hearing all about their adventures and, most importantly, having them all back together again. ❤️

Exciting opportunity for a little one to join the team 🥰🥰

📸 Photo spam incoming... and I'm not sorry! 🤣🤣

What an amazing day to finish before my annual leave!
We headed to Lakeland Maze Farm Park, and the children had the best time. 🌽
There was so much to do, including:
⛳ Crazy golf
🏰 Bouncy castle slide
💨 Bouncy pillows
💪 Tug of war
🧗 Climbing apparatus
🌽 Maize maze
🏖️ Sand pit
🐐 Feeding and petting the animals
🚜 Tractor ride
🏎️ Go karts
🛷 And the HUGE sledge cart down the track... which was definitely my favourite! 🤩

Honestly, there is so much to do here, and I'd definitely recommend a visit if you're looking for a fun family day out.
What a fantastic way to finish the first part of the summer holidays with all of the little and big people.

Now it's time for a couple of weeks off as I head off on my next adventure... taking Scouts and Explorers to Canada with a fantastic group of leaders! 🇨🇦
Exciting times ahead.

Today we headed to Worden Park where the little people enjoyed the sand, climbing equipment, sharing, and lots of laughter.
We then made our way to feed the ducks – although the water is the lowest I've ever seen it! One little one couldn't resist taste-testing the breadsticks before sharing them with the ducks... quality control at its finest! 🤣
After working up an appetite, we tucked into a delicious sausage pasta before exploring the woodland.
We splashed in the stream, searched for Pooh sticks, found Stick Man, and of course had a Pooh sticks race over the bridge to see whose stick reached the finish first!
There was plenty of splashing, stream crossing, treasure digging, and outdoor fun before heading back for even more garden play.
I've definitely had to fully unpack this afternoon – lots of soggy clothes, wet shoes, and memories made. Just the way childhood should be! ❤️💦

What a busy day we've had!

Our first stop was Wacky World for lots of inflatable fun!
The children bounced, climbed, and challenged themselves to face their fears on some of the bigger obstacles.

Next, we headed to Holly-Wood for some free play, where imaginations ran wild and everyone enjoyed exploring, creating, and playing together.

We then gathered around the campfire for some outdoor cooking, making the most delicious bouncy waffles with a fantastic selection of toppings.
They were a huge hit with everyone and certainly didn't last long! 😋

Our final stop was Ribby Hall soft play, where the children burned off the last of their energy with lots more climbing, sliding, and laughter before we dashed back to prepare tea.
Today has been non-stop, full of fun, adventure, physical development, confidence building, and wonderful friendships. Days like these are busy, but they're the most enjoyable and create the best memories! ❤️

Such a fun-filled day was had by all today on our trip to Eureka! Children's Museum, Wirral!

The little people immersed themselves in hands-on learning, exploring, discovering and asking lots of wonderful questions along the way. It was amazing to watch their imaginations come to life, especially as they worked together to create incredible structures using the giant foam shapes!
Days like these are such a wonderful reminder that children learn best through play, exploration and creativity. We made lots of happy memories while developing problem-solving, teamwork, communication and imaginative play skills.
What a fantastic day! 💙

Today we headed to Lancaster Police Museum for one of their free open days, and it was definitely worth the visit!
We bumped in to a friend and her son, who also goes to the same school as my bigger ones, so everyone was delighted to see each other. They quickly turned into detectives, eagerly exploring the old prison and working together to crack the clues. They did an amazing job and were so proud to finish the trail and earn their stickers at the end.

Afterwards, we headed over to the travelling science event, where the children wasted no time getting stuck in and exploring. One of my bigger ones knew that a trebuchet was in front of him straight away when he was asked—I was very impressed, and so was the man!
It was a fantastic morning discovering bridge design, explosions, brains, bones, gases, suction and so much more through hands-on activities and investigations.

Learning opportunities included:
🌟 EYFS
Communication and Language – discussing ideas, asking questions and following clues.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development – working together, sharing resources and building confidence.
Physical Development – exploring interactive exhibits and developing fine and gross motor skills.
Literacy – recognising signs, reading clues and developing vocabulary.
Mathematics – problem-solving, counting, comparing and exploring shapes and structures.
Understanding the World – learning about local history, policing, science and engineering.
Expressive Arts and Design – using imagination through role play and creative problem-solving.

📚 Year 1 & Year 2
Science – investigating forces, materials, the human body, gases and scientific enquiry.
History – learning about the history of policing and comparing life in the past with today.
Design & Technology – exploring structures, bridge design and simple engineering concepts.
English – developing speaking and listening skills, reading clues and using new vocabulary.
Maths – reasoning, problem-solving and applying mathematical thinking during practical activities.
PSHE – teamwork, resilience, curiosity and celebrating achievements.

A brilliant morning full of curiosity, learning and lots of fun! 💙

Week one ✅

A beautiful day in the sunshine as we headed to Brockholes in search of the Gruffalo!
We read stories in the deep dark wood before finding the Gruffalo himself and chatting about his orange eyes, purple prickles, black tongue and knobbly knees.

After forgetting the marshmallows at Holly-wood yesterday (thankfully they didn't sack me! 😂), I made up for it today with my trusty pocket rocket, toasting marshmallows over the fire pit in the deep dark wood. A perfect ending to a magical adventure! 🔥