Product Review: Nexus Threading Board

Disclaimer: This post has been produced in partnership with Nexus. We were not paid for this article, but goods were sent in exchange for an honest and frank review.  We had actually been considering buying this item on our recent visit to the Childcare Expo when we visited the Nexus stand and so we were…

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Championing Home-Based Childcare

The past month or so, we’ve been busy doing something we are both incredibly passionate about; championing home-based childcare to the wider Early Years sector and community. Home-based childcare and awareness of this type of provision is slowly increasing and we are keen to do our bit to champion the hard-work home-based childcare providers do…

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Boys Will Be Boys

The idea that boys develop at a slower rate than girls is a common one across the Early Years Sector as well as wider communities. Is there any truth to this or is it an old wives tale that has developed and grown over time? Well, in actual fact there is some research to support…

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Developing Your Team

Last week, Chloe celebrated her 3 year anniversary at Pebbles Childcare and so this week’s blog will focus on why some childminders choose to take on an assistant, how this can be done and the benefits and drawbacks of developing and building your staff team within a home-based childcare environment. There is a common misconception…

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Chinese New Year

Celebrating and encompassing significant celebrations and events are fundamental to our practice and something we hold in the highest esteem. Chinese New Year is a festival that we have always celebrated from the outset and so the children are incredibly aware, confident and excited when we re-introduce this topic each year. In addition to creating…

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Foraging

As you all know, we are huge advocates for outdoor play and learning and this plays a significant role in our daily routines, activities and outings, and the children’s learning and development is enhanced as a result. However, we often find that there is one aspect of outdoor play and learning that is commonly overlooked…

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Ofsted

In our sector, the ‘O’ word is often met with groans from managers and practitioners alike, and the mere mention of Ofsted initiates feeling of dread and a shiver down the spine. But why is that? Ofsted and their role are an exceptionally important part of Early Years practice and ensuring that the welfare requirements…

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Promoting Your Early Years Business

In our previous blog, “Social Media in Early Years” we looked at the controversy surrounding the use of social media platforms and pages in relation to children’s rights, parental preferences and professional debates around this topic. But how about the use of social media platforms as a business development tool in relation to Early Years settings…

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Beach School

In Early Years, there are countless pedagogies and learning styles and practices that we can choose to follow within our provisions, and now there is such significant emphasis on outdoor play and its benefits; Forest Schools and Forest sessions have become the norm.But why stop there? Depending on your locality, there are other options to…

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Early Years Well-Being Week

Last week was ‘Early Years Well-Being Week’, which bought to attention the importance of the well-being of not only the children in Early Years, but the professionals who work with them. It is no coincidence that this week fell in the same week as ‘World Mental Health Day’, but why has it taken until now…

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Topics and Themes

As with any part of our Early Years practice, it is important that we are continually reflecting on, critically analysing and developing our thoughts and practice – but are there some elements of our practice that we overlook? In this blog, we will be taking a deeper and more critical look at the use of…

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Nursery World Awards 2018

We are still in total shock and disbelief to announce that last night we were the first business to win a brand new award at the prestigious Nursery World Awards (the biggest awards in our sector).  We were one of three finalists shortlisted for the ‘Childminding Business of The Year’ award and are totally elated…

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