Stepping Stones Childcare

A new addition to our garden..a giant Connect 4. The little ones are happily trying it out now the rain has stopped!

A much appreciated Parent Review that was provided in February 2026 for my first Ofsted inspection. I have been caring for this family’s two children since January 2024.

A wonderful Parent Review that was provided in February 2026 for my first Ofsted inspection. I have been caring for this family’s three children since September 2025.

It’s Father’s Day on 21st June, so we held our weekly craft morning and started making our Father’s Day cards.

This supports Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) and Expressive Arts and Design. The children explore creativity and experiment with colours, shapes, and textures. Children also develop communication skills by discussing family and the special people in their lives.

Physical activity + lots of fun 🤩 The little ones enjoyed a trip to Hatfield Kids FunZone where they climbed, crawled, balanced and slid.

Physical activity at soft play significantly enhances gross motor skills, builds core strength, and fosters social skills like turn taking. Additionally, it supports spatial awareness and builds confidence in a safe environment.

In light of the news that the Education Secretary has asked the CMA to look at the Early Years sector, please read this interactive explainer to helps you to understand the ‘underfunding’ problem we face as childcare professionals:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFajZ4wApY/view?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=explainer+mobile&fbclid=IwdGRjcASKW5xleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeCQBngQHPqX6tAxJgJNiBs6yXo152kaFcM92dcFn880zKSZFGxnyZeyoCFzQ_aem_YWdncwDJHcubk3-ZvJQeLWYLnSh_

Imagine you run a sandwich shop.

Let's say it costs you £1 to make a sandwich and you charge customers £1.10 per sandwich to make a profit to reinvest into your business.

Now imagine that one day, the government announces that it's going to pay for two free sandwiches a week for all working adults (in a bid to win votes).

The problem is they are only willing to pay sandwich shops like you 50p per sandwich to meet this promise. That's 50p less than it costs you to make them and 60p less than you normally charge for them.

Over the course of a year, this could result in your business losing thousands of pounds.

What would you do?

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In light of the news that the education secretary has asked the Competitions and Markets Authority to look into the early years sector, we're resharing our free interactive explainer for you to share with families at your setting, to help them understand the problem with early years underfunding – and the impossible choices that settings are being left to make.

You can view it on our website here: https://bit.ly/47CsVkb or a mobile-friendly version here: https://bit.ly/3T2PdqU.

We visited the Rob Biddulph - Draw With Rob exhibition at the St Albans Museum this morning. 🎨 ✍🏻

The children were invited to view Rob's artwork and follow along with one of the Draw With Rob videos. They used paper and chalk to draw their own artwork and we took some time out in the story corner. St Albans Museums Rob Biddulph

It’s World Bee Day tomorrow, so our little ones have been making Bee Hives using crayons, lolly sticks, glue and most importantly…Cheerios 🐝

It’s Outdoor Play Month, so we popped over to the Cottonmill Community & Cycling Centre this morning to do some scootering. Our little ones had fun trying out the ramps and doing laps around the track 🛴

It’s Childminder Appreciation Week. Let’s celebrate the dedication, passion and difference Childminders make every single day!