Vibrant Chalky Paint

This activity happened by chance (the best ones usually do!).

We were in the garden and the little peeps were playing with some new neon chunky chalks that I had recently bought.  One of the chalks was left on the ground and it got stepped on and abit crushed.  

I quickly picked up the crushed chalk and thought this was the perfect opportunity to make some chalk paint, which I had seen in the fabulous 'Wonder Art Workshop' book by Sally Haughey of Fairy Dust Teaching.

I grabbed a couple of wooden pestle and mortars that I had picked up at a charity shop, and I showed the little peeps how to crush the chalk (I had to start them off by crushing the big pieces down and they carried on).

They loved doing this, using those arm, wrist and hand muscles (building up co-ordination and muscle strength ready for future writing).  

I then gave them a jug of water and they poured in a little, using control and co-ordination, I explained that the less water they added the thicker and brighter the paint would be, the more water they add the thinner and paler it would be (understanding cause and effect).  

They mixed and they stirred, they added more chalk, more water, more crushing, more mixing.  They then used a brush and started to paint, they painted the wall, the outdoor blackboards, the table or anything they could paint!.  

The vibrant colours of the paint looked amazing, although the photo below does not give it justice.  This little one, sat for so long just quietly painting the wall with the paint that she had made.

This was such good fun and they spent a while on this activity, they came back to it the next day.  I think this will be revisited again soon!  

Sometimes the spontaneous activities are the best!  

A Simple Childhood

I recently had the opportunity of revisiting my late grandparents house, I last walked out of the front door of that house around 15 years ago when my dear Nan passed away and it was sold.  The house where she was born, my dad was born, the house that saw lives begin and some lives end.  The house that protected and held the family together in tough times such as my Grandad going to war, and the blitz that saw nearby houses obliterated by bombs.  That wonderful house that had lots of love floating around and held so many magical memories for me growing up.  I drive past that house all the time.  I always look to see if I can get a peek inside or spot anyone living there.  I often wonder if I got the opportunity would I stop and tell them that their house holds a special place in my heart.  I drive past and hope that whoever is living there, cherishes and looks after that house the way my Nan and Grandad did and her parents before her.  When a For Sale sign went up and I found out there was an open house, I was torn whether to go or not.  I still wanted to hold on tightly to those special memories, walking into a house that a stranger had lived in for the last 15 years, would those memories be still there?  I decided to take a chance and go … I'm so glad I did.  I walked back through that door and the spirit of my childhood was right there, waiting patiently.  That day, I really did take a trip back to my childhood ….. 

In the greenhouse

I stepped into the room that was the hub of the house.  The back room where I used to eat toast and marmalade and watch Noel Edmonds Swap Shop on a Saturday morning, sat on the red rug in front of the fire in my nightie.  Where I used to watch for the little birds lining up on the wall outside, ready for their fill of bread crusts.  The back room where I used to warm my hands on a cup of hot Bovril after a frosty walk to the shops for fresh bread. The back room where my Nan taught me to sew and knit, where I learnt to make pom poms, where I played with my dolls, read Twinkle, drew pictures, wrote little stories and poems, made crafts with glitter and glue, built little houses with lego, drew swirly patterns with spirograph and played with fuzzy felt.  The back room where my Grandad used to sit and watch Grandstand on a Saturday afternoon and I used to play hairdressers, combing back his brylcreemed hair.  The window that he sat opposite where, if I was playing ball games or skipping outside, I used to pull silly faces at him and he used to pull them back.  The same fireplace/hearth where my Nan used to put the butter dish to thaw out the butter before lunch, the fireplace where the brass shoe lived with the little mice hiding, the egg timer that I used to love playing with, watching sand pour through time.  At tea time on TV, Pink Panther, Tom and Jerry, Basil Brush, Boom Boom!, eating scrambled egg in a pale yellow cup with a spoon.  The back room where my Nan used to sit on the sofa and knit gorgeous little outfits for my dolls, and squares for blankets that she used to make for the children's hospital. The back room where she used to read me Ladybird fairy stories and I used to snuggle up next to her and listen to her heart beating.

The kitchen, still with cupboards that my Grandad made, the kitchen where I used to bake with my Nan, where we used to make lemon curd tarts and apple pie to take home to my Mum and Dad, where we used to sit and chat popping peas from their pods, where she made tea with a teapot and had a biscuit barrel never empty of biscuits. The kitchen leading to the back yard where a green house once stood.  The greenhouse, where she grew tomatoes, where I used to water her plants.  The greenhouse with its own tap where I used to while away time playing with water, using a bucket and watering can, filling and emptying, filling and emptying.

The back yard where the shed once stood, where my Grandad secretly spent many hours meticulously building me a perfect Sindy wooden bed and wardrobe for Christmas.  Painted white with pink flowers, the little bed with homemade frilly bedding and the wardrobe with miniature wire coat hangers.  I will never forget the surprise and feeling that Christmas morning when I saw that beautiful furniture for the first time, I felt like the luckiest child alive. I truly appreciated how much time and thought had gone into it, I felt the love. The back gate, still there, where Nan and I used to walk out onto the cobbles to visit neighbours, Mr and Mrs Littler and their rocking chair, Mrs Smith and Mr Hopkinson and his boiled sweets.  

The steep stairs with the same wallpaper, up, up, up. The back bedroom where I slept when I stayed over, the bed cosy and warm, heated by an electric blanket.  The little wooden rocking chair, next to the bed, which I now have in my home for little people to enjoy.  The back bedroom, where Nan used to sit in front of the window and do her sewing on her Singer sewing machine.  The back bedroom where we used to have little chats as she sewed, where she used to tell me stories about times gone by and family tales, where she used to teach me nursery rhymes … Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye ...

and then it was time to go.

I walked around that house touching everything and taking every little piece of it into my very soul.  I walked out knowing I will probably never set foot in that house again and it was emotional.  It was emotional but I was thankful, thankful that the essence of my past was still floating around, thankful that I had the opportunity of reliving my childhood memories so vividly, thankful that I got a chance of reconnecting with the spirit of my grandparents who gave me a simple, magical childhood that I will always cherish and never forget.

Since revisiting my Grandparents house, I 've been thinking a lot about how times have changed, how modern childhood is a rush, wanting too much, receiving too much, expecting too much.  When I think about the time spent at my Grandparents, it was simple, it was real, nothing fancy, no frills, just plain simple love and kindness.  A place where there was a gentle rhythm to the day, where I could just be myself and felt true belonging.  I will always cherish those memories and they will never leave me, they are embedded in my heart and soul, they are part of who I am.  That simple 'feeling' of just being, of calmness, belonging and connection… children today need that ingrained in their hearts more than ever, they really do.

Let's put the Champion into Childminding

I am a childminder

I love my job

I put my heart and soul into my work and the children and families that come through my door.

There are many childminders just like me.

There are also many larger settings out there (and there are some wonderful ones, don't get me wrong), people drive or walk past them, they notice them, they are accessible, they are easy to contact, they have large colourful 'Free Childcare' banners adorning the outside that draw people in.

People also drive or walk past another type of childcare setting, a setting that is someone's home.  This setting has resources and activities just like the larger setting, where a caring adult/s welcomes children and families through their door every day, where children play, learn and have fun, yet people may walk or drive past every day and not even realise that this home could be the perfect childcare option for their child.

You see, childminders are not as accessible as the larger settings, we dont get noticed as much, a lot of people do not even consider a childminder as a childcare option, no fault of their own, they just aren't aware of what we can provide.  We are not championed enough, we don't have huge signs and 'Free Childcare' banners across our gates drawing people in, but behind those doors there may be an amazing childcare service that could be perfect for your child.

So I think it's about time childminders were championed for the wonderful work they do and the unique service they provide.

Here are some reasons that stand out for me, why a childminder should definitely be on your 'need to contact' childcare list ...

Here goes ..

We will always be your child's key person.  However many hours your child is in our care, we are always there.  We are the person that will give them cuddles when they are upset, pick them up when they fall, laugh with them when they are being silly, we are that all round consistent, safe and secure adult.

Being that 'always there' adult we can really connect and get to know your child.  We will know what they like and don't like, what upsets them and what makes them smile, this in turn fosters their wellbeing and confidence.

Research tells us that early relationships are one of the most important aspects of childhood.  Children thrive when they form strong emotional attachments, childminders are equipped to provide this bond over a number of years and beyond.

A stressful, noisy environment can be really detrimental to the wellbeing of a young child.  A childminder can provide a quiet, calm and relaxed environment where children can just be themselves.  We can just go with the flow ... if a child isn't feeling it, we can adapt what we are doing to help them with this.

Parents can get to know the childminder and their family really well and build a trusting relationship.  We do not need to arrange a 'parents evening' to let parents know how their child is doing as we are constantly talking, communicating, and most importantly connecting with parents (and grandparents!) about their children.  We provide a personal service, where you can really get to know the person that looks after your child.

A lot of childminders are parents themselves and have a wealth of parenting experience and knowledge.  They also totally understand the huge deal it is leaving your child with someone, childminders will help make this transition as easy as possible.  Childminders are always there for parents with help and support (door step hugs are common practice for many childminders).

We can easily focus on individual children and their interests, so they are always learning and doing something fun that they enjoy.

Children have the opportunity to mix with other children, both younger and older, whether at playgroups or in the childminders setting.  Children learn so much from other children, the younger learn from older, and the older children learn about empathy and how to be caring and nurturing towards the younger ones.  

Childminders provide a smaller more personable setting which is ideal for a young child who cannot yet communicate their needs.  A larger group setting where there are lots of other children can be overwhelming for a child who cannot yet speak.  

We are not refined to the same space, we are able to get the children out into the fresh air regularly, whether this is visiting parks, the library,  the woods, museums, special days out or just getting out in the garden.  Picnics in the park, splashing in puddles and feeding the ducks are a regular occurence with a childminder.  We provide real life experiences for children.

Children are made to feel like they belong, where they can just be and play at their own pace.

We follow children's progress and interests and provide wonderful learning opportunities which are recorded in a learning journey that parents are able to keep.

Childminders follow the same Statutory Framework as other childcare providers, we are inspected by Ofsted just the same as other childcare providers, we are all First Aid trained, have Safeguarding Training and are Insured, just the same as other childcare providers, we can also provide 2, 3 and 4 year old funding just the same as other childcare providers.

Childminders undertake regular training, we are committed to our own professional development.  We are qualified Childcare Practitioners, we are professionals who have a wealth of knowledge and are passionate about children and their learning and wellbeing.

Children start school very young and are there for many years to come, what better way for them to spend their early years playing, having fun and learning in a relaxed, caring, home environment, just how early childhood should be.

I am a childminder

I love my job

There are many childminders just like me.

If you are considering childcare for your little one, check out the childminders in your area, you might just strike gold.