Acorn Childcare Centre

🌟 Our Secret Story Visitors 🌟

Each month, we are very lucky to welcome a special mystery visitor to nursery to share a story and a unique learning experience with our children.

Last month, Cathy visited us and read Oliver's Vegetables by Vivian French. She brought along a basket of fresh vegetables, which sparked lots of curiosity and discussion among the children. 🥕🥦🍅

Cathy spoke about the importance of eating healthy fruits and vegetables to help our bodies grow strong and healthy. She also led a planting activity, carefully explaining what seeds need to grow. 🌱 The children were fully engaged and loved learning about healthy eating and gardening through this hands-on experience.

This month, we were delighted to welcome David, who works for the police service, to our nursery. 🚓

David talked with the children about the important role the police play in our community, where they might see them, and the equipment and uniforms they use. The children eagerly shared their ideas and experiences, showing a wonderful understanding of people who help us.

David then read The Detective Dog by Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie. The children listened attentively and were fascinated to learn about police dogs and the important work they do to help keep people safe. 🐕

To finish the visit, the children had the exciting opportunity to explore and try on parts of a police uniform, including hats and high-visibility vests. They thoroughly enjoyed stepping into the role of police officers through imaginative play, asking thoughtful questions and sharing what they had learned.

These visits provide fantastic opportunities to develop communication skills, broaden children's understanding of the world, and inspire appreciation for the people who help us every day.

A huge thank you to Cathy and David for taking the time to visit us and create such memorable learning experiences for our children. 💙

📚 Would you like to be one of our Secret Readers? We are always looking for family members, friends, and members of our local community to come and share a favourite story with the children. If you would be interested in taking part, please get in touch with the nursery – we'd love to hear from you!

Happy weekend

Here's a few photos from this weeks fun!

There are two exciting opportunities to join our team at Acorn Childcare Centre!

A Deputy Manager role has become available as Hollie has taken the next step in her career and moved into a Nursery Manager position. We would like to congratulate her and wish her every success in her new role.

We are also looking for an enthusiastic and dedicated Early Years Practitioner to join our team and support our children across the rooms.

If you are passionate about providing high-quality childcare, creating engaging learning experiences, and making a positive difference in children's lives, we would love to hear from you.

For more information about either position or to apply, please get in touch with us.

Come and be part of our friendly, supportive, and passionate team! 🌟

🌟 We’re Hiring! 🌟

We are looking for an enthusiastic, empathetic, and knowledgeable Level 3 Early Years Practitioner to join our family. 💛

If you are passionate about supporting children’s learning and development, creating nurturing environments, and building strong relationships with children and families, we would love to hear from you.

The ideal candidate will be caring, reliable, and dedicated to providing high-quality early years education and care while working as part of a supportive and welcoming team.

National Smile Month month continues...

Healthy snacks help support concentration, play, learning, and growing bodies. Remember — balance is key, and even small swaps are a great step forward! 💛

WELLBEING WEDNESDAY!

Today our Great Oaks children became little vets! Through caring for poorly animals, using vet tools and helping them feel better, children are developing empathy, kindness and nurturing skills.
Role play like this supports children’s emotional wellbeing by encouraging them to talk about feelings, show compassion and build confidence through helping others. Looking after animals also helps children learn responsibility, cooperation and gentle care in a safe and playful environment.

Children can continue this caring role at home too. If they have pets, they can help with simple tasks such as giving food or water, brushing pets or going for a walk with the dog alongside an adult. If they do not have pets, children can still develop nurturing skills by caring for their teddies and toy animals - pretending to make them better, giving them cuddles, bandages or medicine during play. These experiences will help children to continue to build empathy, responsibility and emotional understanding through everyday acts of kindness. 💛🐶🐵🐰

Independence is a vital skill that all children should be encouraged to develop, and it is an important part of school readiness. One way we support independence here at Acorn is by encouraging children to take part in preparing their own snack.

The benefits of children preparing their own snack include:

Developing fine motor skills through pouring, spreading, cutting, and serving
Building a deeper sense of self and self-confidence
Encouraging a positive relationship with food and healthy eating habits
Supporting cognitive development through decision-making, problem-solving, and following simple instructions
Promoting independence and responsibility in everyday tasks

By giving children opportunities to complete these small tasks for themselves, we help them gain confidence, develop important life skills, and foster a sense of achievement.

Parents can support this at home by encouraging children to take part in simple everyday tasks such as pouring drinks, helping to prepare snacks, setting the table, or choosing healthy foods. Allowing children time to practise these skills independently, even if it takes a little longer, helps to build their confidence and reinforces the independence skills they are developing at nursery.

This year marks 50 years since the Oral Health Foundation started Smile Month, a campaign designed to promote good oral health practices. Community Dental Services will be promoting oral health across all stages of life, from pregnancy to the elderly. Here’s to another 50 years!

Ready for your next challenge? 🌟
We’re looking for a caring and motivated Deputy Manager to join our nursery team! If you’re passionate about leadership, supporting children’s development, and working as part of a dedicated team, we’d love to hear from you.