Little Nest Childcare

03/09/2026

From the National Union of childminders-
GOVERNMENT - LISTEN TO PARENTS!

As a new school term starts, the government continues to encourage parents to send their babies and young children to school-based nurseries. But if they're serious about protecting the mental health and wellbeing of our children, the government must stop pushing one model of childcare as the answer for every child.

A busy school-based nursery, with larger ratios and potentially 30 children in a class, will not be the right environment for every 2, 3 or 4-year-old.

Many babies and young children will be happier with:

A smaller, nurturing setting.
A more flexible setting.
More individual attention.
Secure attachments.
Time to build confidence.
And adults who know their child - not just their name.

This isn't about school nurseries vs childminders.

It's about REAL CHOICE.

Parents should be trusted to choose the setting where their individual child can thrive.

Because one size does NOT fit all children.

👉 Give parents choice. Put children's wellbeing before policy targets.

Lucy Powell MP Department for Education

25/08/2026

We have had a blast this week at playgrounds exploring the outdoors, picking blackberries and taking leaf rubbings.
We used our “Go find it” cards to find natural materials with various properties- rough, bendy, straight, smooth, the children loved finding items to bring back.

We had lots of messy, hands-on fun picking blackberries and turning them into natural paint using mallets!

The children developed their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as they picked, squashed and spread the berries, while exploring colour, texture and mark-making.

It’s tinged with sadness as we lose some friends at the end of this term. We are having balloons, cakes, treats and lots of fun with our friends this last week of summer.

22/08/2026

We’ve had a busy week full of fun, exploring and learning!
We’ve visited lots of playgrounds and nature parks, developing gross motor skills, balance, coordination and confidence while exploring the outdoors.
Our Cheerios starfish was a great activity for fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, concentration and creativity — those little fingers were working hard!
We’ve also been busy with our diggers, scooping, digging, filling, emptying and tipping. This simple sensory play supports early maths concepts such as full and empty, more and less, quantity and capacity, while also developing coordination, strength and problem-solving skills.
So much learning happens naturally through play — and we’ve had lots of fun along the way!

22/07/2026

Following the rainbow theme we are making multicoloured cupcakes today! (The children chose which colours)

20/07/2026

Sensory ice cream tray

Great for scooping and transportation m, sensory explorations and ice cream shop play.

We went to make it groovy and made a lovely under the sea craft too.

14/07/2026

We had a lovely last session of the term at the Church of the Good Shepherd Playgroup. The children enjoyed listening to The Teddy Bears' Picnic story and sat so beautifully that we received lots of lovely comments about their fantastic listening and behaviour. 🌟
Back at the setting, we cooled off with a fun lemon sensory tray filled with yellow water, lemon-shaped ice cubes, fresh lemon slices and yellow pom-poms. Using tongs, scoops and pipettes, the children squeezed, scooped, poured and explored while developing their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, language and early maths concepts such as full, empty and floating. A refreshing, hands-on way to learn through play! 🍋💛

04/07/2026

.

04/07/2026

This week we visited Leybourne Lakes to explore the playground. Climbing, balancing and swinging helped develop gross motor skills, coordination and confidence while encouraging taking managed risks in a new environment.
Back at our setting, we transformed the paddling pool into a giant ball pit, where the children enjoyed practising their throwing, aiming and catching skills, supporting hand-eye coordination and physical development.
Our sea creature water play sparked lots of imaginative play, language development and conversations about the animals that live in the ocean, while the water squirters were a fun way to stay cool in the warm weather as the children strengthened their hand muscles and coordination through play.

12/06/2026

This week range of continuous provision activities have been set up, including play dough, Duplo, Stickle Bricks, and the light table. These resources are intentionally chosen to support children’s next steps in development, helping to strengthen fine motor control, hand–eye coordination, problem-solving, and early construction skills. They also encourage creativity, imagination, and collaborative play, while supporting early mathematical concepts such as colour recognition, shape, space, and spatial awareness.

This week we attended Car Crazy Stay and Play, childminder playgroup, and Kent Life.

31/05/2026