Tracie Dowling

childminding, family, rangers, Seedlings, wanderers

Summer Holidays: Week 2

Posted on 23rd Jul 20216th Mar 2022 by Tracie Dowling

The weather turned too cold and wet for a couple of days. We went to the park on the Monday and got drenched so we all decided to have a games day. The sun ended up coming back out!!

We loved the game ‘Fast Fish’ it was fun rolling the dice and predicting the colours of the fish we had to rush and find. Jack beat Tracie and Martha beat everyone!

Poppy and Sophia love anything Japanese at the moment so after the cinema we decided to pop in to Yo Sushi to try some new foods. The girls loved trying to use chopsticks, it made our lunchtime last forever!

While in town, we decided to have a walk about. The girls loved climbing the suitcases on Hope Street.

Back at our setting we were busy painting our rocks that we made last week.

Tracie and some of the children went on a trip to Acorn Farm. We went into the petting station and loved sitting still and stroking the animals. Tracie made a friend with a goat and Jack loved the meerkats.

Emma went on a trip to Hollywood Bowl. They all jumped on a bus, played a couple of games and had a lovely lunch! What a lovely fun end to a busy second week!

Wonder what fun we will have in week three!? The summer holidays are going fast!

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Liverpool Kindness Rocks Summertime Fun

Posted on 23rd Jul 20216th Mar 2022 by Tracie Dowling

All the Seedlings enjoyed making Kindness Rocks over the last term. The older children asked if they could paint some over the summer holidays as they didn’t get a chance because they were at school.

We thought it would be good to extend the activity by using clay to make the shapes to paint.

First we had to kneed the clay to make it malleable to roll out. Then they chose a cutter and pressed it into the clay to make the shape. It was then laid out on some card ready to dry.

We had to leave them overnight again as they hadn’t completely dried out.

The children worked hard to paint the clay rocks ready to hide.

We found just as many as we hid! We ended up going out for three days to hide them all!

family, Garden Classroom, rangers, Seedlings, wanderers

Fun Day With The Children

Posted on 21st Jul 202110th Aug 2021 by Tracie Dowling

We have had a lovely day today playing in the garden and going to Breckside Park.

Sophie looked at all the flowers and asked me to take photos of her favourites.

Mason wanted to make a snail home using different items from around the garden. Jacy and Jack loved the idea and made their own. They asked me to choose my favourites. I explained they were all lovely and the snail will judge by going on the one it likes best.

After playing in the garden it was time for lunch then off to the park.

The younger children enjoyed a kick about, quoits and catch the ball in the net. They ran about so much all they wanted was the pram, bottle and sleep. Job well done!

The bigger children set up the goal posts and had a kick about trying to see who could get the most goals. After about 2 hours and lots of sweat, tears and moans we decided to go back and have a cold drink and ice lolly’s. Four very over heated children!!

family, rangers, Seedlings, wanderers

Day Out At The World Museum Liverpool

Posted on 21st Jul 202110th Aug 2021 by Tracie Dowling

We had a lovely day out today at the World Museum Liverpool. The sun was shining and the children were on their best behaviour!

First of all, we caught a bus from outside our setting to the city centre. Not this bus though boys! Think of all the delicious cakes we would have had, we would have never have got off that bus would we boys!!

First stop, we took a dive into the newly updated deep-blue aquarium, the tanks were much bigger, had new species of aquatics, immersive projections and even an octopus called Polpo! He was so cute and wanted to get up close and personal with the children giving them all high fives! (Or is that 8’s)

The children then got up close with the hermit crabs, starfish and brightly-coloured wrasse from Liverpool’s Irish Sea coast. Alfie and Jacy popped their heads into the viewing bubbles to see the terrapins immersed in the water who are rescued pets, they love to see a friendly face.

With new projections, we learned about conservation efforts to protect our seas, discover where the sealife live and even what you might find rock-pooling locally and across the UK. Jacy and Poppy talked all about the sea urchins and jellyfish they have seen on Crosby beach.

Alfie and Mason loved watching the Nemo fish (if Tracie didn’t pick Alfie up!), rays, skates and smiling sharks even with lots of teeth!

Jacy loved it when he found a Sloth as it is his favourite animal in the “whole universe!”

Next we all went to Egypt where we looked at mummies (probably daddies too!), artefacts and learned all about the ancient Egyptians.

Jacy and the boys went on a journey around Egypt and walked down the River Nile.

Last stop in our Liverpool World Museum tour was outside using chalks and making pictures of what we had seen for everyone to look at.

Thank you Liverpool World Museum for an amazing day 😁🌏🦑

childminding, family, rangers, Seedlings, wanderers

Summer Holidays: Week 1

Posted on 16th Jul 20216th Mar 2022 by Tracie Dowling

We have had a ball this week, the sun has been out every day and the children have all been so good!

Alfie was so tired one day he was nearly asleep while playing! Izzy had her first day with us and she was such a little giggler, her favourite play was jumping up and down in the activity centre.

Tracie is so relieved it’s Friday, we have had an eventful week but now time for a few days rest, then it all starts again!

family, Garden Classroom

My Dad and Rosies Bee’s

Posted on 8th Jul 202110th Aug 2021 by Tracie Dowling

This is my Dad and Rosie’s garden in Lincolnshire, it is so beautiful and well kept. They both must spend all their time mowing lawns, dead-heading flowers and watering the plants.

Rosie has been working hard to produce a wonderful wildlife garden ready for my dad’s bees to arrive.

The garden has grown up so tall and I bet there are 1000’s of different insects thriving, living in the flowers.

My dad has mowed a pathway to enable them to get through to the hives and greenhouse. I just want to go and run through, looking at all the different flowers there are.

All Dad and Rosie’s hard work has paid off and here is the evidence Thousands of bees have made it their home. They will be busy bees making lots and lots of delicious honey!

How do you all like your honey? I like mine on a chunk of crusty bread mmmm. Hopefully, later in the year I will be able to post photos of the honey!

family, Seedlings

Welcome to Our Setting

Posted on 29th Jun 202110th Aug 2021 by Tracie Dowling

This week we have two new starters in the Little Seedlings.

This is Edie and she is such a cutie, she settled straight in with no problems at all. She loves cuddles and enjoyed all the other Seedlings wanting to play with her.

Edie’s first activity was to make her daddy a Father’s day card. Emma painted her hands to make prints. Edie loves attention and having her photo taken. Tracie made funny faces and Edie copied.

This is our Jack, my grandson. His mummy went beck to work this week so he now comes to join all the fun with the Little Seedlings.

Garden Classroom, rangers, Seedlings, wanderers

Garden Challenge 2021: Tracie’s Treasures

Posted on 25th Jun 202110th Aug 2021 by Tracie Dowling

We have been so busy over the last month. Today we were able to harvest our Mangetout. The little seedlings tried them once Tracie had washed them.

Three seedlings wanted to try them and no matter how much we encouraged Sophie she wasnt up for tasting them.

Alfie and Georgia loved the Mangetout and ate loads but Emma and Fearne were not so keen. We loved the faces Fearne made, at least they tried them!

Below are our other tasty fruits and vegetables we have growing in the garden.

This is a collection of photos of the plants the Rangers and Wanderers wanted me to post.

We also had a few whoopsies! We had some visitors come and make holes in our cabbages! Georgia thought it was a hedgehog, Fearne thought it was a snail and Sophie said “I don’t know Tracie!” When I told them all it was a slug they all said yucky!

Our other problem was the giant Poppies, they have over taken our vegetable patch!

family, rangers

Garden Challenge 2021: Gemma’s Garden

Posted on 20th Jun 202110th Aug 2021 by Tracie Dowling

Gemma’s vegetable beds are amazing and full of lush green produce. When the days are sunny Gemma gets Chloe to help water them.

Gemma loves Pac Choi and hers have grown really well. Once they start to flower, which is called bolting, the seeds grow for Gemma to collect for sowing next year!

Gemma’s radishes are amazing, they are as big as a large marbles.

Unfortunately my radishes have not turned out so well! Mine are as big as a grape, but not so juicy.

family, Garden Classroom

Garden Challenge 2021: Phyllis update

Posted on 20th Jun 202110th Aug 2021 by Tracie Dowling

Phyllis has been working very hard in her garden over the last few months and it’s all just starting to pay off. Below are just a few of her amazing flowers, they come in all sizes, shapes and amazing colours.

In the edible part of the garden, Phyllis’s fruit and vegetables are growing strong.

Watch out for your cherries Phyllis, I saw a cheeky blackbird flying around, eyeing them up for lunch!

The tomato vines are growing tall and strong, Phyllis is having to use canes to support the stems and cuts the side shots off to ensure the goodness goes into the growing delicious tomatoes.

Phylis has made a delicious Sunday roast using the potatoes and cabbage from her garden. They taste so much better than the ones you buy in the shops. What I want to know is where’s mine!!

This is Phyllis’ Christmas Dinner bed! She has made it in her front garden and all the vegetables will be used on Christmas day! I cant wait to see it all dished up, I had better get an invite!!!