Buttercups Childminding

☀️ Dear Early Years Practitioners,

This week the UK has apparently decided it’s the Bahamas… just without the sea, the swimming pool, the palm trees, the all-inclusive cocktails and someone bringing us cold drinks every half an hour. 😆🌴

Instead, we’ll be applying sun cream to wriggly children, refilling water bottles for the 47th time, chasing hats around the garden, and explaining why we can’t spend the entire day eating ice lollies.

The plans may change.
The routines may wobble.
The children may be tired.

But if they go home cool, hydrated, happy and full of memories, then we’ve done our job. ❤️

And while we’re busy looking after everyone else, let’s not forget to look after ourselves too.

💦 Drink the water, not just hand it out.
🧴 Put your own sun cream on before the children’s.
🍉 Eat your lunch instead of surviving on leftover cucumber sticks and a rogue rice cake.
🌳 Sit in the shade for five minutes when you can.
☕ And remember that an iced coffee absolutely counts as self-care this week.

If anyone asks, we’re not childminders, nursery practitioners or teachers this week.

We’re part childcare professional, part hydration officer, part holiday rep, and part lifeguard. 😂

Sending love to all the incredible early years practitioners navigating this week’s heatwave.

Stay cool, be kind to yourselves, and remember… you can’t pour from an empty water bottle. 😉

The Nourished Child ❤️

Ask yourself this….what skills does your 3 year old child need RIGHT NOW to negotiate their day?

Do they need to count out money and pay for bills? No!

Do they need to sign contracts or write lists to remember their jobs (hello menopause 🙋🏼‍♀️)?
No!

Do they even NEED to write their name or be able to solve equations?
No! Of course not!

That is what we call ‘age inappropriate expectations’.

Now ‘eventually’ they will need all those skills - BUT NOT YET - and the beauty of it is, the foundations for ‘preparing’ our children for these skills is found directly in their PLAY!

Their child-led play too….in their mark making, the swinging, the climbing, balancing, sorting objects, transporting, categorising, collecting, throwing, sliding etc etc It’s just everywhere….naturally.

And that is enough for now!

So it’s blatantly obvious to say it but…..

THEY SHOULD PLAY!

🧸🌞 It's not too late to get involved in our Teddy Bears' Picnic Fundraiser! 🌞🧸

Throughout June, we're inviting nurseries, schools, playgroups, childminders, community groups, and families to host their very own Teddy Bears' Picnic in support of Little Wings of Hope.

Gather your favourite teddy bears, pack a picnic, enjoy some fun activities, and help raise vital funds for families affected by baby loss. Every picnic, big or small, makes a difference.

💛 Choose any date in June
🧸 Bring along your favourite teddy
🧺 Enjoy a picnic with friends and family
✨ Raise funds to support bereaved families

It's a simple, fun way to bring people together while supporting an important cause.

To sign up or request your fundraising pack, get in touch today visit www.littlewingsofhope.co.uk/events

Together, we can help ensure no family faces baby loss alone. 💜

Beach days are our best days ⛱️ 🌞 🌊

There's something about being by the coast that brings calm.
Whether that's the sound of the sea or the freshness in the air.
The children are always so engrossed in exploring the sand, the water, the environment.
Its our favourite place to be.

🦕🦖 Dinosaur Day 🦕 🦖

We had so much fun in the forest celebrating Dinosaur Day
We used our Dinosaurs to make footprints with paint then made Dinosaur tails
We used our tails to role play stomping and climbing in a Dinosaurs habitat

🐝 Bee Day 🐝
We had so many learning opportunities for our Bee day at Sunflower Childcare
We painted Bee stripes, used fine motor skills to pick up beans, wrapped thread around pine cones and made honeycomb all whilst having fun and playing

We will be holding a teddy bears picnic on the 18th June to support a very special charity.
Little Wings of Hope

You dont have to attend the picnic to make a donation. I also want to raise awareness of this amazing charity and to support them as much as we can.

Here is their just giving page if you would like to make a donation.
As little or as much is welcome
Thank you for your support 🙏

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/teddy-bears-picnic-2026?utm_medium=CA&utm_source=WA

Little Wings of Hope - a baby loss charity are running a lovely campaign to raise awareness of their work and to raise funds to help support bereaved parents - you can hold your picnic anywhere you choose on any date in June! You could even host a cake sale on the day or perhaps hold a mini sports day to make sure it’s a fun day!

🧸 Host your own Teddy Bears' Picnic this June!

Getting involved couldn’t be easier - gather your favourite people (and their teddies 🐻), pack a picnic, and raise vital funds to support families who have experienced the loss of a baby. 💜

Every picnic, big or small, helps us continue providing care, support and hope when it’s needed most.

👉 Ready to get started?

Head to our website to download your fundraising pack and plan your picnic:
https://www.littlewingsofhope.co.uk/events

Let’s come together this June and make a difference - one teddy bears' picnic at a time 🧸✨

Events | Little Wings Of Hope Find out about all our latest events that you can attend and support.