Smartys Day Nursery

12/10/2026

This week we’re celebrating our absolutely wonderful Vicky! ✨💚

And this one is extra special… because Vicky has been part of the Smartys family for an incredible OVER 16 YEARS! 🥹🌟

Vicky joined us straight from school, and what an amazing journey she has been on ever since! From a young practitioner just beginning her career to the exceptional, passionate and dedicated leader she is today, we couldn’t be prouder of her! 💚

Vicky is one of those very special people who puts her whole heart into everything she does. Her love for early years education is infectious, but one area particularly close to her heart is Special Educational Needs (SEN). 🌈✨

She is incredibly passionate about ensuring EVERY child feels included, understood, supported and celebrated for exactly who they are. Her patience, compassion and determination to help children reach their full potential are just some of the things that make her such an extraordinary practitioner. 🥹💚

Vicky holds Level 3 qualifications in Early Years, Leadership and Management, and Special Educational Needs, demonstrating her wonderful commitment to continually learning and developing. 📚🌟

Today, Vicky is our fantastic Deputy Manager at Little Stars, but over the years we’ve had the absolute privilege of having her work across ALL of our Smartys settings! 💚

That means she’s touched the lives of countless children, supported so many families and worked alongside so many wonderful colleagues. Wherever Vicky goes, she makes a difference! 🥰

And as if all of that wasn’t enough, Vicky is also a wonderful mummy to two beautiful young children! 💚 Balancing motherhood, family life and a busy leadership role is no small achievement, yet she continues to give so much to everyone around her.

She really is an exceptional lady, both personally and professionally, and someone we feel incredibly lucky to have as part of our Smartys family. 🌟

Vicky, thank you for over 16 incredible years of loyalty, dedication, kindness and passion. Thank you for championing every child’s individual needs, supporting our families and colleagues, and for always going that extra mile.

To think that the young girl who joined us straight from school all those years ago has grown into such an inspiring practitioner, leader and wonderful mummy makes us incredibly proud. 🥹💚

Over 16 years, Vicky… what an achievement! 💚👏

💬 Now we’d LOVE to hear from our families…

Has Vicky cared for your little one, supported your family or made a special difference to your child’s early years journey? 🥰

We’d LOVE to fill the comments with memories, stories, photos and kind words for our wonderful Vicky after over 16 amazing years at Smartys! 👇💚🌟

11/10/2026

🍂🦔 Autumn Adventures at Little Explorers & Playhouse! 🍁🧡

Our Little Explorers and Playhouse children have been enjoying lots of autumnal fun through exciting, hands-on activities! 🍂

From exploring autumn sensory trays and natural materials to making playdough hedgehogs and creating colourful autumn artwork, there’s been lots of wonderful learning! 🎨🌰

These activities have encouraged creativity, fine motor skills, communication and language, whilst introducing new vocabulary, exploring different textures, counting and learning about seasonal changes. 🍁🐿️

A wonderful way to spark curiosity, imagination and a love of learning! 🧡

Well done, Little Explorers & Playhouse! 🌟🍂

10/10/2026

🦆🚚 Duck in a Truck at Little Willows! 🚚🦆

Our Little Willows have been bringing the story to life with lots of hands-on fun! From exploring our squishy “mud” and making animal footprints in playdough to painting a truck and creating tyre tracks, there has been so much to discover! 🎨🐾

These activities help strengthen little hands, develop coordination and encourage children to explore textures, patterns and the marks they can make. 💚

Using animals, vehicles and story props also supports learning new words and remembering parts of the story, while acting it out together encourages imagination, cooperation and problem-solving. 📖✨

A lovely way to build a love of books through play! 🥰

09/10/2026

🍂🦉 Autumn Adventures at Little Stars! 🦉🍂

Our staff have added a lovely autumnal touch to our windows, and the children have been pointing to the decorations and noticing the pictures and colours! 🍁✨

We’ve also been exploring the much-loved story Owl Babies, sharing the adventures of Sarah, Percy and Bill as they wait for Mummy Owl to return. 📚💛

Through our stories and activities, the children have been learning new words, exploring what happens when we mix colours and practising their counting! 🎨🔢

Lots of lovely opportunities to spark conversations, get creative and discover autumn together! 🧡

09/10/2026

07/10/2026

🌟 Tiny Stars Grandparents Stay & Play 🌟

Today we welcomed our lovely grandparents into Tiny Stars for some special time together! 💛 From our “love you to the moon and back” sensory tray to colourful lights and mess-free painting, there was plenty to explore together. 🌙🎨✨

Thank you to everyone who joined us—it was lovely to share a little of our nursery day with you! 🥰

06/10/2026

🍫 Little hands, delicious creations! 🍫

Our after school club children had so much fun making chocolate truffles! 🥰

From crushing biscuits and mixing ingredients to rolling mini balls and shaving chocolate on top, they loved getting stuck into every step! 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳

A lovely way to practise teamwork and coordination while creating something delicious. Well done, everyone! 💚✨

04/10/2026

This week we’re celebrating our incredible Tim! ✨💚

And this one is a little bit special… because Tim has been part of the Smartys family for an AMAZING 26 years! 🥹🌟

Tim joined us straight after leaving school – and he’s been with us ever since! 💚

In fact, when Tim first walked through the doors at Smartys, he was just a teenager starting out in the world of work. Fast forward 26 years and, somewhere along the way, that teenager grew up, got married and became a dad himself ! 🥹💚
Yet through all those huge milestones in his own life, one thing has remained constant – Tim has been part of Smartys.

For 26 years, Tim has brought an incredible amount of energy, enthusiasm and fun to Smartys, and anyone who has ever seen him with the children will know just how special he is. 🥰

Tim is happiest when he’s outdoors, active and getting stuck in! 🌳⚽🏃‍♂️ Whether it’s running around outside, playing games, exploring, being silly or encouraging the children to have a go at something new, his energy is infectious – and the children absolutely ADORE him!

But what makes Tim truly fantastic is the wonderful rapport he builds with the children. 💚

He has an amazing ability to connect with them, make them laugh, build their confidence and make every child feel important. The relationships he creates are so genuine, and it’s something that has made him such a loved and unforgettable part of so many childhoods over the years. 🥹

To think that children Tim cared for when he first started with us are now grown up themselves – some even bringing their own children through our doors – really does put 26 years into perspective! 😭💚

Over all those years, Tim has inspired countless children to get outside, get moving, have fun, be confident and, most importantly, enjoy being children. 🌱

And after more than two and a half decades, he still brings that same enthusiasm and energy with him. We’re not entirely sure how he does it… 😂💚

Tim, thank you for 26 incredible years of loyalty, dedication, laughter and energy. Thank you for the thousands of games you’ve played, the adventures you’ve had, the smiles you’ve created and, most of all, for the difference you have made to so many children.

You are a true inspiration, and we feel incredibly lucky that the teenager who joined us straight from school all those years ago chose to stay – and became such an important part of the Smartys family. 🥰🌟

26 years, Tim… what an achievement! 💚👏

💬 Now we’d love to hear from our families…

Do you remember Tim from your time at Smartys? Did your little one love playing outside, running around or having adventures with him? Maybe Tim looked after you when you were little and now your own children know him too! 🥹

We’d LOVE to fill the comments with memories, stories, photos and kind words for Tim after an incredible 26 years at Smartys 👇💚

04/10/2026

💛 Happy Grandparents Day! 💛

Today we’re celebrating all of the wonderful Grandparents and special people who play such an important part in our children’s lives. 🥰

There’s something so special about the bond between a grandparent and grandchild — from sharing stories and cuddles to making precious memories together. 📚💕

Across Smartys, we’ve been celebrating in lots of lovely ways. Some of our settings welcomed Grandparents in for special Stay & Play sessions last week, while others are looking forward to welcoming them in over the coming week. 🥰

We’ve enjoyed sharing stories, exploring autumn-inspired activities and, most importantly, creating opportunities for our children to spend special time with some very special people. 🍂🌲💛

A huge thank you to all of the Grandparents who have joined us already, and to those we’re looking forward to welcoming very soon!

✨ Happy Grandparents Day from everyone at Smartys! ✨

Grandparents make life a little more magical. 💕

03/10/2026

🍂🍁 We have continued to celebrate all things autumn in Explorers! 🍁🍂

The children have been enjoying lots of seasonal fun, exploring the wonderful colours, textures and changes that autumn brings. 🧡🍃

We’ve loved embracing this beautiful time of year and making lots of lovely autumn memories together! 🍂✨🥰