Kingfishers Colden Common Preschool

Bishopstoke Toy Library August sessions:
Tuesday 4th 10.30-12.00
Saturday 15th 10.00-11.30 NEW TIME!!

We hope to see you there!

What a fantastic afternoon we had celebrating our wonderful school leavers! 🎉

A huge thank you to Natalie from Tibykidz- Children's Party Entertainment for leading such a fun-filled party. The children loved dancing, singing and joining in with all the exciting games and activities.

To all of our school leavers – we wish you the very best of luck as you begin your next adventure at school in September. We know you are ready for this exciting new chapter and are confident that you will all do brilliantly. Thank you for being such a special part of Kingfishers. We can't wait to hear about all the wonderful things you go on to achieve.

Good luck, Class of 2026! 🌟💙

🌿 Allotment School at Kingfishers Colden Common Preschool 🌿

One of the experiences that makes Kingfishers so special is our Allotment School, where our older children enjoy regular outdoor learning inspired by the Forest School approach.

Children attend in 6-week blocks, allowing them time to develop confidence, build new skills and become familiar with the environment. We alternate the days each block so that every child has the opportunity to experience Allotment School, regardless of which days they attend preschool.

Our sessions are led by Lara (Manager) and Sharon (Deputy Manager), who are both Forest School qualified, ensuring children enjoy high-quality outdoor learning in a safe, nurturing and inspiring environment.

Every visit is different, but you might find our children cooking over the fire, using real tools, exploring nature, creating artwork from natural materials, hunting for minibeasts, planting, caring for wildlife habitats or simply enjoying the freedom to learn through play in the great outdoors.

🌱 Some of the many benefits of Forest School in the Early Years include:
🍃 Building confidence and self-esteem through new challenges.
🍃 Developing resilience, perseverance and problem-solving skills.
🍃 Improving physical development, balance and coordination.
🍃 Encouraging creativity, imagination and independent thinking.
🍃 Supporting communication, teamwork and social skills.
🍃 Fostering a lifelong love and respect for nature and the environment.

At Kingfishers, we believe some of the very best learning happens outside. Allotment School gives children the opportunity to take managed risks, follow their own interests, develop independence and create wonderful memories, all while connecting with the natural world.

We can't wait to welcome our next group for another exciting block of outdoor adventures! 🌿💚

🐴 A Very Special Visitor at Kingfishers! 🐴

Today we were delighted to welcome Trouble, a wonderful therapy pony, to Kingfishers Preschool! 💚

The children had the opportunity to gently stroke Trouble and groom him using special brushes while learning all about this beautiful little pony. They discovered that Trouble is a 17-year-old miniature pony, what he enjoys eating, how to stay safe around ponies and how he visits care home and early years settings to help children learn and build confidence.

It was a fantastic hands-on experience that encouraged kindness, empathy, confidence and respect for animals. There were lots of smiles and gentle hands ✨

The best news? Trouble will be returning to Kingfishers in the Autumn Term, and we can't wait to welcome him back for another wonderful visit!

🎉 Congratulations, Jenni! 🎉

We are delighted to share that Jenni has successfully achieved her Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification! 🌟

This fantastic achievement reflects the hard work, dedication, and perseverance Jenni has shown throughout her studies whilst continuing her role at Kingfishers Preschool.

Achieving a Level 3 qualification is not only a significant personal milestone, but it also recognises the knowledge, skills, and passion that Jenni brings to Early Years education every day. Her success strengthens our team and supports our commitment to providing high-quality care and learning opportunities for all children.

We are incredibly proud of Jenni and all that she has achieved.

Well done, Jenni – a thoroughly deserved accomplishment! 👏🎓🌟

🏖️ Beach Day at Kingfishers! ☀️💦

What a fantastic day we've had enjoying all things seaside! The children had an amazing time exploring a wide range of exciting beach-themed activities, including:

🌊 Splashing in paddling pools and enjoying water fights with syringes and squirty bottles (the teachers weren't spared either! 😄)
🏖️ Digging and building in the beach sand tray with spades and buckets
🐠 Fishing for sea creatures in our rock pools and catching numbered fish and crabs with nets and fishing rods
♻️ Creating colourful fish from recycled plastic bottles while learning about the importance of recycling
📚 Sharing beach and seaside stories together
🍦 Running a busy beach café, making delicious pretend pizzas and ice creams in the role play area
🐞 Exploring a minibeast habitat tray and building homes for tiny creatures
🐙 Diving into imaginative play as Octonauts with our sea-life small world set

The highlight of the day had to be a visit from Dave the Ice Cream Man in his fabulous pink van! 🍦 The children loved choosing their ice creams before sitting together in the shade to enjoy them and chat with their friends.

It has been a day full of laughter, imagination, teamwork and plenty of opportunities to cool down in the sunshine. Thank you to everyone who helped make it such a memorable day! ☀️💙

There's still time to donate and or send a message in for Melanie. We will be closing the collection on Wednesday 22nd July.

After more than 20 years of dedicated service, Melanie Barnes has retired from Kingfishers Preschool (formerly Colden Common Preschool).

Anyone who has attended Colden Common or Kingfishers Preschool over the past two decades is likely to remember Melanie fondly. She has played an important role in so many childhoods.

Melanie has been a calm, caring and trusted presence, helping to create a safe and nurturing environment where children could learn and grow. Her creativity made learning fun and engaging, encouraging curiosity, confidence and a love of learning.

As she begins her well-earned retirement, we would love to show our appreciation for everything she has given to our preschool and community. If you would like to contribute towards a retirement gift, any donation—large or small—would be greatly appreciated.

We would also love to create a card for Melanie. If you have a favourite memory or a message wishing her a happy retirement, please send it to [email protected]. She would be very touched to read your words and reflect on the impact she has had over the years.

Please send donations to the bank details below with the reference Melanie.

Kingfishers Colden Common Preschool
CAF Bank Current Account
Sort code 40-52-40
Account number 00024495