I have worked in childcare for over thirty years. I have been a Foster Care Parent, a Childminding Network Co-Ordinator and now I work as a Registered Childminder and Childminder Mentor for the Department for Education.
This is my dad Alan, he and my mum started my passion for Gardening and outdoor learning when I was young.
My Dad and I
My dad worked in the Horticulture business for many, many years. He’s now retired, so he has all the time he needs to potter around his garden, instead of maintaining other peoples’ gardens.
Dad’s garden is amazing, he lives in Boston, England in the middle of the most amazing countryside. I think he should share his knowledge and garden with us all, so I am adding him to our Garden Classroom blog.
One of his lifetime ambitions is to have a beehive and this year he is finally making that dream come true.
The Base is Ready
The Beehive
Beekeeper Alan!
This is Rosie, my step mum. She has been encouraging my dad to set up beekeeping and has been busy growing a wildflower meadow for the bees to collect pollen.
Rosie is also passionate about their garden and providing wildlife which will enhance the bee’s environment.
My brother Jonathan bought Rosie a camera to go in her bird box for her birthday a few years ago.
This year a bird has already made themselves at home! We will follow the bird over the next year to see what they do.
Today we have welcomed our new friend Charlie to our setting. He has been a little ray of sunshine with his amazing smile.
Charlie
All the children have welcomed Charlie and made sure he had lots to play with.
New Friends
Free Play
Getting Stuck In
Fearne made sure that throughout the day Charlie had his rabbit and dummy nearby.
The Duplo bricks were a firm favourite and Charlie loved just swishing the bricks around making noises. It was funny because Alfie kept asking him to be ‘shhh’ but Alfie is actually the loudest off them all!
In half term, the Wildlife Wanderers used various different types of tubs from the recycling box to sow their seeds. This is how we got on.
Cauliflower Growing Strong
Chloe chose an old mince carton, as you can see they have turned out very well! Chloe sprays them with water in the morning before school and will soon be planting them into the raised beds.
Oops Not Doing Well!
These seeds were sown by Jacy in old sausage tubs, he thought that with the grooves it would be good to sow in rows. They started off really well, unfortunately the grooves were too shallow and the plants dried out too fast and wilted.
Tall Nasturtiums
These are amazing! They are Poppy’s nasturtiums and have grown so fast. We will be planting them out in the garden this week.
She used some seed trays that we brought last year, they have holes in the bottom so she has placed them in another tray without holes and waters them from the bottom. This is definitely a good way to grow seeds.
Jacy found this old Bisto tub and thought it would make a good planter for his Tomato Seed. He put the lid on the bottom to stop the water seeping through. It has so far worked very well and the tomato plant looks tall and healthy.
Jacy thinks that when the tomato is big enough he can take off the plastic lid and place the whole pot into the ground, and the roots will push through! We will have to wait until the last frost to plant out and see if he is right!
2 Cucumbers and 2 Tomatoes
Growing Strong
Martie’s Radish
Marigolds
Chillies
The Little Seedlings
In February, the little seedlings planted Chillies, Radish, cucumbers and Marigolds. Everything is growing so well, we even had some surprises!
We sprinkled at least 20 seeds in the seed tray but again like last year only 2 have grown! And a second surprise was 2 tomatoes have grown in their tray, Mason said that maybe they are ‘cuematos’! Maybe we have made a new salad crop!!
We will keep you updated at the end of March about how our project is going.
Tracie and the Seedlings have been working hard sowing seeds ready for planting out in the veg trugs. We have ordered a ton of peat-free compost and look forward to it arriving and getting stuck in filling the trugs.
Tomatoes
Fast Growing
Veg Trugs
Growing Tall
At half term the Wanderers got stuck in and sowed strawberries, thyme, coriander and peppers.
Ivor Sowing the Seeds
Martha Filling the Eggboxes
Ivor Using the Trowl
Jacey from the Wildlife Rangers sowed the cucumbers. Last year we had only two plants survive and gave us about nine good sized cucumbers. This year we want a bumper crop so hoping for good germination, so keeping them under glass.
Its only 9.45am and the Little Seedlings have had a ball this morning! We are celebrating World Book day and everyone has come as a Character. Emma came in as Matilda a lovely story by Roald Dahl, about a little girl who lives with her parents and brother who do not appreciate her. When her principal tortures her and her kind-hearted class teacher, she uses her telekinetic powers to settle scores.
Tracie Emma and Georgia
Emma chose this as it was one of her favourite books/films when she was much much younger.
Tracie loves the story “The Little Christmas Tree” written by Scott Edge. Tracie chose this story because “The Christmas Tree Story” is an attempt to help you and your children reclaim a beautiful, enduring symbol of the season, The Christmas Tree! It is one of her favourite Christmas time stories.
Georgia came in dressed as Snow White a story written in 1812 by The Brothers Grimm and retold in a film by Walt Disney in 1937. This is Georgia’s favourite Character. (She’s not as light footed as Snow White!!)
The story is about Snow White, a beautiful princess, who is exiled by her stepmother, an evil queen who wants to kill her, she runs into a forest. Soon, she is rescued by seven dwarfs who form a friendship with her.
Fearne and Martie
Marty came in as a cute Lion from Madagascar, a film made by DreamWorks. It’s a story about the New York Zoo, where all the animals lived. This was fine until one of them decided that he wanted to go wild.
Fearne came in as Hermione Granger from ‘Harry Potter’ written by JK Rowling. The story is set in Hogwarts, a school for young witches and wizards. The main theme of the mystical story is about a group of friends Harry, Ron and Hermione who get into some scary situations.
Who’s This?
We had a surprise guest pop in to celebrate with us! Can you guess who it is?? It’s our Emma! Dressed up as Super Mario from Leo’s Nintendo game!
The Grufflo’s Child
Our little Seedling Alfie wanted to join in so we looked in the dressing up box and up popped somebody we all know! He had knobby knee’s, turned out toes, a small baby wart at the end of his nose, purple prickles all over his back. Could it be? Possibly be! “O no! O yes it’s the Grufflo’s Child.’
We all sat down after lunch and watched Madagascar the movie and it was the perfect end to our day.
The children loved making the puppets which encouraged them to work as a group whilst also doing independent work.
Sophie Proud of Her Puppets
Georgia Concentrating Hard
Alfie Having a Go
Sophie loved looking through the book finding the numbers. While playing with the number card, Georgia made her own game up by tracing the numbers with her finger instead of using the white board marker. She beamed when she said, “I can write like mummy!”
Baby Jack loved The Puppets
Sophie Recognised Number 8
Sophie found it on the number chart too!
The Activity Sack
Baby Jack didn’t miss out, he joined in by his big sister and the others using the puppets to make up other stories. Jack cooed and enjoyed the attention.
I asked the children after the activity if they enjoyed it and they all shouted a big ‘Yes’ and they played for the rest of the day with the puppets. We have a range of story sacks for sale including this one The Hungry Caterpillar 1 2 3. Just click the link to see our full store.
Jacey looked in the recycling box and found this Bisto tub. He thought it would be good to use for his Chilli as it needed potting on.
He thinks that as the tub is quite thick, it will last longer than the toilet rolls we usually use. Jacey has put the plastic lid on the bottom to stop the water coming out.
Jacey also thinks when the plant has grown, he could just place the tub into the ground without the plastic lid ensuring the roots don’t get disturbed as the pot should break down and let the roots escape.
Jaceys Gardening Crown
Jacey wants to be head gardener so made himself this crown. He decorated it with leaves.
Today we all read the story about a piglet with a prickly bottom problem. We opened up our Oww! story sack and the children loved the story, they joined in along with the story using the puppets and masks they made.
Number Sequence and Recognition
Our Donkey
Colouring Activity
Ducklings
Georgia knew all her numbers and put the piglets all in order. Fearne read the numbers down from 7 and Alfie enjoyed messing them up, but that was ok as Georgia put them in the right sequence again.
We had fun today reading the story Even Fairies Wear Glasses from our story sack. Fearne loved the butterfly badge making activity and was so excited to take it home to show her Daddy.
Storytime
Colouring In
Stickers
Peg Decorating
Proud of Her Butterfly Badge
Fearne Loved the Activity
We played with a big box of funny, weird and wonderful glasses and Fearne chose the gold sparkly ones. She kept them on all afternoon. When Fearne came in the next day she wanted to wear them again and read the Poppy Fairy books.