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- Helping Hand for Haiti

Children and staff at the Nursery on the Green in Frimley, Surrey, took part in a dressing-up day to raise funds for earthquake victims in Haiti. Children helped bake cakes and gave up their pocket money, raising £215 for Haiti families.

- Little tigers

The arrival of the Chinese Year of the Tiger has provided plenty of fun for nurseries. Children at Stepping Stones Nursery in Colchester, Essex (top), had their faces painted with orange and black stripes while learning all about tigers. At Moonacre Montessori in Verwood, Dorset (above), children dressed in red, made paper lanterns, learned a Chinese song and enjoyed a feast of Chinese food.

- Outstanding again

Nursery chain Early Years Childcare, which has nine settings throughout Sussex, Hampshire and south-east London, has been awarded its second 'outstanding' rating from Ofsted for its Hove nursery. Early Years Childcare general manager Kate Peach said, 'We are thrilled about attaining our second outstanding rating. We welcome this recognition and will continue to work on improving the services that we offer.'

- Toddle for tommy's

Children and staff from Little Acorns Day Nursery in Washington, Tyne and Wear, took part in a sponsored Toddle to help raise money for children's medical charity Tommy's. Their footwork raised a total of £500.

- PJ Partygoers

Little Oaks Day Nursery in Bournemouth, Dorset, has been supporting the Abantwana Bethemba Nursery in Zimbabwe since 2008 and often holds fundraising days so they can buy toys and equipment to send to the children in Africa. Last month's event was a pyjama party in the nursery for children and staff.

- Books and stories

Children and staff from Busy Bees Nursery at Milton Keynes Hospital teamed up with publisher Usborne Books to celebrate National Storytelling Week from 30 January to 6 February. Children got involved in lots of relevant activities such as making their own storybooks, dressing up as their favourite storybook characters and enjoying storytelling sessions. The nursery also took part in a sponsored reading event, called Ready Steady Read, with the money they raised going towards buying new books for the nursery.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK - The pre-school group at Woodpecker Day Nursery in Tangmere, Chichester, turned a pile of old boxes into a life-size boat complete with oars and a mast. The children spent several days painting the boat and even made their own telescopes ready for a sea adventure. Nursery staff said that the activity presented a great opportunity for the children to work together and get involved in problem solving.

Do you have a story to tell? Share it with us at news.nw@haymarket.com.

The best photo of the week will win £30 worth of children's books