Roxanne's Little Explorers Childminding

☀️🍓”Sun Tea” To Tempt The Sun Back For Solstice!” 🍓☀️

Today’s plan was to make our Sun Tea at the castle as part of our Summer Solstice adventures…

The strawberry picking was blessed with sunshine, but by the time we arrived at the castle the weather had other ideas! 🌧️😂

So we gathered our ingredients and headed back to the warmth of the polytunnel instead.

The children carefully sliced strawberries, cucumbers and lemons before adding them to a large glass jar of water. We left it in the sunshine and waited to see if our offering to the weather gods would tempt the sun back out!

Thankfully, it worked. 🤪☀️

One thing I’ve noticed over the years is how much children love gathering and foraging. Whether it’s strawberries, blackberries, conkers, shells or woodland treasures, they are always drawn to collecting things from the world around them. There must be something deep within our DNA that remembers our ancestors gathering food from the land.

This activity is part of our new Summer Solstice Activity Pack and supports learning across the EYFS through physical development, communication and language, mathematics, understanding the world, creativity and collaborative play.

By the end of the afternoon, we had sunshine in the sky, sunshine in our glasses and a group of very proud little explorers. ❤️

🌿✨ Homemade Elderflower Marshmallows ✨🌿

Today I turned a handful of elderflowers from the hedgerow into the softest, squishiest, fluffiest marshmallows and I am ridiculously pleased with myself! 😍

Made with elderflower infusion, raw honey, gelatin and vanilla, they’re delicately floral, naturally sweet and taste absolutely incredible.

I even added a little marshmallow root powder (totally optional!) which has traditionally been used to soothe the throat and digestive system.

One of my favourite things about making treats like this is knowing exactly what’s in them. No artificial colours, flavours or preservatives – just simple ingredients transformed into something rather special. 🤍

The children spend their days finding magic in puddles, bugs and wildflowers, but I think it’s important that us grown-ups keep chasing a little whimsy too!

And honestly… if turning flowers into marshmallows isn’t whimsical, I don’t know what is! 😂☁️🌿

Recipe below 👇

🌿 Elderflower Marshmallows

Ingredients
• 1 cup elderflower infusion (made by steeping 1 elderflower head overnight in 1 cup boiling water)
• 3 tbsp gelatin
• 1 cup raw honey
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp vanilla extract or powder
• 1 tbsp marshmallow root powder (optional)
• ½ cup arrowroot powder

Method
✨ Pour ½ cup elderflower infusion into a bowl and sprinkle over the gelatin. Leave for 10 minutes.

✨ Heat the remaining ½ cup elderflower infusion with the honey and salt until it reaches 110–115°C.

✨ Slowly pour into the gelatin mixture whilst whisking.

✨ Whisk on high for 6–10 minutes until thick, glossy and fluffy.

✨ Add the vanilla and marshmallow root powder during the final minute.

✨ Pour into a parchment-lined tin dusted with arrowroot powder.

✨ Dust the top with more arrowroot powder and leave to set for around 1 hour.

✨ Cut into squares and enjoy!

(Warning: they disappear very quickly. 😂)

NatureInspired HedgerowHarvest SeasonalLiving WildCrafting SimpleLiving NaturalLiving OutdoorChildhood SummerForaging HomemadeTreats ChasingWhimsy 🌿✨🤍

🌿 HANDMADE OPEN-ENDED PLAY BLOCKS 🌿

Well… this little idea seems to have taken on a life of its own! ❤️

Over the weekend I quietly shared these handmade wooden block sets on my stories and I’ve been completely blown away by the response. Fourteen sets have already found new homes!

These blocks were designed and handcrafted by my husband and have been thoroughly trialled by the children here at Roxanne’s Little Explorers before ever being offered for sale.

Made from treated timber, they are suitable for both indoor and outdoor play and are built to withstand years of adventures.

One of the things I love most about open-ended resources is that there is no right or wrong way to use them. A house today becomes a castle tomorrow, an obstacle course next week, a bug hotel the week after or something completely different that only a child could imagine.

Open-ended play supports so many important skills including:

✨ Creativity and imagination
✨ Problem solving and critical thinking
✨ Communication and language
✨ Collaboration and teamwork
✨ Fine and gross motor development
✨ Confidence and independence

In a world filled with flashing lights, batteries and instructions, there is something rather magical about giving children a resource that relies entirely on their own ideas.

When creating these, we wanted to make a beautiful, high-quality open-ended resource that remained accessible for families, childminders and early years settings, without the premium price tag that often comes with similar handmade educational resources.

Thank you so much to everyone who has already ordered a set and supported our little family venture. We genuinely didn’t expect such a lovely response.

🪵 Handmade to order
🌿 Treated for outdoor use
📍 Collection from Sheffield or UK postage available

💷 £145 per set
📦 £25 postage and packaging

Please send me a message if you’d like to order or have any questions.

🌿 It’s Mental Health Awareness Week 🌿

One thing I feel so passionate about in the early years is helping children learn how to slow down, breathe, notice the world around them and feel safe, calm and connected 💛

I’d been searching for something like this for ages… something that told a story, kept children engaged whilst also helping them feel calm and relaxed, fostered a love of nature, was easily transportable for forest adventures, and inexpensive to make too 🍃🦊🐌

So I decided to create my own whimsical woodland mindfulness cards and posters inspired by our outdoor setting 🌲✨

The cards gently guide children through a mindful woodland adventure filled with breathing exercises, yoga poses, mindful listening and nature connection.

These activities help children to:
✨ practise sitting still and concentrating
✨ regulate big feelings
✨ build confidence and resilience
✨ improve focus and listening skills
✨ encourage calm, kindness and connection
✨ develop body awareness and balance
✨ create moments of peace in busy little days

They’re perfect for forest school, outdoor learning, cosy corners, transition times or quiet moments together 🤎

I also love that once they’re printed and laminated they’ll last forever and can simply be popped into a bag and taken anywhere 🍄🍂

If you’d like the printable PDF set of the mindfulness cards to use in your own setting, pop me a message 💌
The full printable set is £2.50 🤎

MindfulMoments Childminder EYFS OutdoorLearning WoodlandLearning MindfulKids NatureConnection YogaForKids EarlyYearsActivities LittleExplorers

🦁 🌼 Dan - De - Lions! 🌼 🦁

Today our little explorers followed the sunshine… and it led them straight to the humble, magical dandelion.

With tiny hands and big imaginations, we transformed golden flowers into roaring lions, A simple cardboard tube, a handful of dandelions, and suddenly… creativity bloomed 🌿

Even better, this is a completely free activity 🌍 — using recycled cardboard tubes and foraged flowers, supporting our climate action approach by reusing materials and connecting children to the natural resources around them. Sustainable, simple and full of joy 💚

Did you know…
🌼 Dandelions are one of the first flowers bees rely on in spring – they’re vital for pollinators!
🌼 Every part of a dandelion is useful – leaves, roots and flowers have been used for food and medicine for hundreds of years.
🌼 When dandelions turn to seed clocks, each tiny parachute can travel miles on the wind, helping new life grow 🌬️
🌼 They follow the sun – opening in the morning and closing at night 🌞

Through this playful activity, children were:
✨ Exploring the natural world (Understanding the World)
✨ Using imagination and creativity to represent ideas (Expressive Arts & Design)
✨ Developing fine motor skills through threading and placing flowers (Physical Development)
✨ Building language and storytelling as their creations came to life (Communication & Language)
✨ Fostering curiosity and awe in the outdoors 🌿

Moments like these remind us… learning doesn’t need to be complicated. Sometimes it begins with a flower, a story, and a little bit of wonder 💛

LearningThroughPlay SustainableEYFS 🌼

🍃🐌 NEW PRINTABLE POSTER PACK 🐌🍃

I originally made these woodland-inspired learning posters just for myself and my own little explorers… but I loved them so much that I wanted to share them with you too 🤎✨

This may be a one-off little creation… or there may be more to come… who knows!? 🌿✨

The printable pack includes 5 beautifully illustrated A4 posters designed to spark curiosity, creativity and a love of nature in little learners 🍂

Included in the pack:
🐌 Make a Snail craft guide
🌀 Spiral Patterns in Nature
🍂 Discover & Wonder: Snails
✏️ Spirals & early mark making
🧅 Onion Print Snails activity

Perfect for:
🍃 Forest School
🏡 Homeschool
🎨 Nature play invitations
👶 Early years settings
🤎 Curious little explorers

Instant digital download ✨
Just print and enjoy at home, in the classroom or outdoors!

Thank you so much for supporting my little ideas and creations 🌿🐌

Message me to order 🐌 🐚 🤍

tufftrayideas childminder learningthroughplay naturecrafts homeschool invitationtoplay

🌍 💚 Earth Day Nature Weaving 💚 🌍

I put together this super easy recycled cardboard craft this morning to take out with us to the bluebell woods this week….

It will spark so many conversations around why we must look after our planet, what we already do, and how proud we are to be part of it ❤️

We can count our nature finds, pop them in size order, talk about the difference in colours, lots of fine motor practice winding the wool and snipping off their nature finds….

We will look through some gorgeous books too ❤️🙏🌱 🌍