Noticeboard
Do you have a story to tell?
The best photo of the week will win £30 worth of children's books
In Stock
Childminder Choices
A guide for parents in Northern Ireland who are trying to find a childminder has been published by the Northern Ireland Childminding Association (NICMA).
Choosing a Childminder comes in the wake of a survey commissioned by NICMA which found that 30 per cent of parents who had recently looked for childcare had found their search difficult, with 17 per cent describing it as as very difficult. The survey also revealed a strong preference among parents in Northern Ireland for word-of-mouth recommendations about childcare providers.
To order the booklet, call 0871 200 2063 or visit www.nicma.org.uk.
Including all of us
A third edition of the All of Us Framework (previously known as the All of Us Checklist), which aims to promote good practice in including disabled children and young people, has been published by the disabled children's charity KIDS. Two training days on implementing and assessing the new framework are offered to practitioners. E-mail training@kids.org.uk for more information.
KIDS has also published an updated edition of Pick & Mix, by Di Murray, which features inclusive games and activities. Order copies, from £10, by e-mailing publications@kids.org.uk or visit www.kids.org.uk.
Find the right book
A free book search website, designed to get parents involved with their children's reading and support classroom teaching, has been launched by Renaissance Learning. Parents can find impartial guidance on the right books to suit their child's reading levels and interests at www.arbookfind.co.uk. James Bell, director of professional services at Renaissance Learning, said, 'The AR Bookfinder website is also a great tool for schools and can help them to best decide how to stock their nursery.'
People and Places
Walk with the family
A children's centre walking group celebrated a summer of fitness and making new friends with a celebratory picnic last week. Parents and children from the All Saints setting in Chatham, Kent, have been taking fortnightly walks since June. Members have enjoyed walks to parks in the Chatham area where the children can play while parents can socialise. Community development co-ordinator Jo Bunn, who started the group, said, 'We wanted to set up this group to provide parents with a form of exercise that doesn't cost anything and to help encourage the families to keep fit and healthy. The group has been very successful and we are attracting between five and ten parents a walk.'
Seaside at the centre
Sure Start North Moor Children's Centre in North Kenton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, held a holiday fun session last Thursday (14 August) with a seaside theme. Children enjoyed messy play with sand, water and jelly and had the chance to make their own multi-coloured fish.
Hanna McCaughey, play and learning practitioner at Sure Start North Moor, said, 'This active learning allows children to build on their sense of curiosity, as they learn about the world around them. Multisensory experiences like the ones offered in our fun sessions can be easily repeated at home, allowing children to learn about the world with their parents and carers.'
Meet the childminders
Liverpool-based childminders held a 'Meet the Minder' event in July to raise the profile of childminding, both as a career and as a childcare choice. Members of the Childminder Network at Fazakerly Children's Centre also organised a children's entertainer and arts and crafts so children could play while parents talked to the childminders about childcare.
Maureen Eyers, childminder network co-ordinator at Fazakerly Children's Centre, said, 'It is events like this that will continue to get the message out about childminders. We had about 40 families attend the event and the childminders worked really hard.'
All-weather barbeque
Just Learning Nursery in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, moved the stalls and games at its eighth annual barbecue indoors during bad weather. Attractions included Decorate a Cake, Catch an Urchin, Face Painting and a Lucky Dip. The nursery raised over £149 for breast cancer charities with a tombola and launched 60 pink balloons. Another £132 raised will be used for improvements to the nursery.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Children at Stepping Stones Day Nursery in Great Sankey, Warrington, were inspired by the opening of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing to make their own Chinese dragon. They worked on the design and production of the dragon for two days, and then spent a morning dancing around the playground, taking turns at being the head or body.
Share it with us at news.nw@haymarket.com.
