Activities
The children’s days are always varied and filled with fun activities including dressing up, art activities, fun science experiments, role playing, baking, building blocks, puzzles, and reading books. There is outdoor play all year round including a mud kitchen, Wendy house, slide, climbing frame and vegetable plot. The children also go on regular trips to the library, fish centre, parks, local shops and places of interest. Older children are given the opportunity to complete homework with support and guidance, as well as time to relax and play.
Indoor activities
Indoor activities are structured to stimulate the children’s curiosity and to help them to build their confidence and develop their physical, social and personal skills. They include dressing up, art activities, role playing, baking (cakes, bread etc), building blocks, puzzles, reading books and fun science experiments,
In one science experiment, toys are put in jelly and the children are encouraged to retrieve the toy by prodding and poking the jelly; squashing it and squeezing it through their fingers.
Through this the children's are able to experience its texture and introduced to concepts like 'slimy', 'wobble' and 'cold'.
Outdoor Facilities
The outdoor play area includes a mud kitchen, Wendy house, slide, climbing frame, sand and water play, and a vegetable plot.
The children learn to care for living things; designing and making bird and butterfly feeders, bumble bee houses and feeding the birds daily on their bird table. They learn about growth, decay and how things change over time as they plant various seeds and bulbs, such as rainbow carrots, cauliflower, courgettes and herbs.
They are also encouraged to use their imagination and develop their communication skills, for example, by creating a roadway in the garden, making traffic lights, roundabouts and playing at being cars or dressing up as policemen or fire fighters.
Trips
In addition to regular visits to the library, fish centre, parks, and local shops, there are day trips to local places of fun and interest such as City Farm, Cattle Country, The Museum of Gloucester, Barnwood Park, Slimbridge, softplay, and various play groups .
Slimbridge Wetland Centre
Slimbridge is a wetland reserve managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust near Slimbridge, Gloucestershire. It is home to exotic birds from all around the world in beautiful grounds set in more than 800 acres of wild reserve. The children get to spend some quality time with the beautiful ducks, geese and fabulous flamingos, and discover lots of new wildlife. They can explore Welly Boot Land, with waterwheels, bridges, fountains and a stream.
The Allotment
Thanks to the generosity and kindness of its members, myself and another childminder have been given the use of a small raised bed at a local allotment. We have also been given access to the communal plots. We have visited the allotment on a number of occasions and have cleared some of the raised bed ready for planting in the new year. Also the children have enjoyed investigating and learning how the different vegetables are grown.
They helped to harvest a small selection of vegetables, including Red beans, a Carrot, Potatoes, Celery, Onions, Runner beans and a Courgette. They also picked some baby tomatoes, but these were eaten by the children as they picked them! We took all the vegetables home, washed and chopped them, added a small chilli and some herbs from the garden, then made a vegetable soup, which everyone thought was delicious. Unfortunately there wasn’t enough of it because everyone kept coming back for seconds.
City Farm
The St James City Farm is situated in the heart of the Barton and Tredworth area of Gloucester City.
It’s 1.5 acres of paddocks housing a variety of rare breeds. The farm is very ‘hands on’, so subject to health and safety measures and the welfare of the animals, children can get up close, handle and feed the animals.
Museum of Gloucester
The Museum of Gloucester tells the story of the city’s origins as a Roman settlement and its subsequent development through the Dark Ages and Medieval period. The Archaeology collection includes the world-famous Birdlip Mirror, impressive Roman tombstones and the Gloucester Tables Set, the oldest complete backgammon set in the world.
The museum also features a number of exhibits to interest young children including a Roman kitchen playhouse and a medieval street.
Forest School
One morning a week I meet up with another child minder and all the children are taken to Forest School. The name does not refer to an actual place; rather Forest School is the name of a specific ethos. It refers to the philosophy of enabling the children to experience a unique learning environment using a forest as a classroom. See Forest School for more details.
Charity Activities
In 2022 myself, another local childminder and the children we look after, raised a total of £275 for the Barnardos Big Toddle, to support vulnerable children across the UK. https://www.barnardos.org.uk/bigtoddle.
In the past we have also created and sent gift boxes for the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child campaign. See www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child
