April 2024
All this fun is eggs-hausting
We were lucky enough to recieve a sneaky visit from the Easter Bunny. They hopped around the garden hiding eggs for us to find, which they kindly swapped for chocolate treats, yummy!
Our Sharing Library
You may have noticed, we have a ‘Sharing Library’ in our corridor so help yourself! Any books you no longer use and think the children would love, feel free to bring in to share with other families!
Hay there, friends!
We had a visit from Cheery and Chipper farm which was a great hit. They bought over a couple of super cute goats, lambs and bunnies and we loved learning there names, feeding them and giving them lots of head tickles. We couldn’t stop talking about it all day and we will definitely be booking them in for another play with us soon!
Quick Reminders
Just a quick reminder of our Calpol policy - if your child has had Calpol, they are unable to come in until 4 hours after it has been administered, to ensure they are well enough to be in Nursery
If you have any holidays booked over the summer, whether you are jetting off somewhere hot or braving camping in the UK, please let us know
It is starting to get warmer outside (thank goodness) so if you can start thinking about packing a hat and some suncream with your child that would be fab!
Our Superstars!
Whatever it is, the If you know of someone who works hard at their job and is constantly a positive face around the nursery, we would love to hear about it. We run a rewards scheme for our staff members to show our appreciation for how hard they work, where they can go and choose treats or gifts to redeem for their stars received. We would love to hear about if you felt any of our staff have gone above and beyond for you so use the link below to submit your positive thoughts to share with them. you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Duh Duh Duhhh…..The plot chickens
Best of ‘cluck’ to our little friends as they ventured off to their new home! We have absolutely loved having them with us for a few weeks, giving them cuddles and watching them grow. Big thank you to our Preschoolers who named them ‘Midnight’ ‘Rosie’ ‘Fluffy’ ‘Nighttime’ and ‘Kitty’. We hope they enjoy farm life!
Dates for your Diary
30th April - Parents Evening. If you still would like a slot, please let us know!
W/C 13th May - Science Week. We will be dedicating the week for exciting experiments and science related fun!
You all would have seen this smiley face around the Nursery! Lucy will be stepping into Abby’s shoes and taking over as Head of Toddlers as of the end of April. Congratulations on your new role!
Space Week
We dedicated a week in April to focus on all things Space! We especially loved making spaceships, exploring space themed tuff trays, flying rockets, creating planets, baking rock cakes and learning all about the universe through stories and games. We hope all the children enjoyed learning a new topic, we loved learning with them!
The season has put a spring in our step!
We have been enjoying taking in part in lots of spring related activites such as planting seeds, painting with animal stamps, making fruity potions, drawing daffodils and baking Easter biscuits! Lets hope the sun starts making more of an appearance!
A Double Goodbye
We have said goodbye to Kass from Babies who joined us over a year ago and Abby from Toddlers who has been with us for 8 years. They are both moving on to new adventures and they will be thoroughly missed!
Rhymes and Stories of the Month
Rhymes
5 Little Ducks
Polly Put The Kettle On
Row Row Row Your Boat
Hop Little Bunnies
Stories
Kipper
Billy Goats Gruff
Our Fav April Snaps!
March 2024
World Book Day
We enjoyed celebrating World book day on Thursday 7th March. We had lots of different book characters around the Nursery, from Angelina Ballerina and Paddington Bear, to Cindy Lou Who and Stick Man! We also enjoyed taking part in various book related activities such as baking gruffalo crumble cupcakes, making our own wiggly hungry caterpillars and exploring themed tuff trays. We also loved listening to and taking part in active stories! This style of storytelling provides many psychological and educational benefits, such as encouraging active participation and listening skills, as well as increasing children's willingness to communicate thoughts and feelings.
Our Sharing Library
On the subject of books, you may have noticed, we have a ‘Sharing Library’ in our corridor so help yourself! Any books you no longer use and think the children would love, feel free to bring in to share with other families!
Dates for your diary!
2nd April - we are expecting an egg delievery, so we will have some little chick friends joining us!
W/C 22nd April - Space Week - we will be taking part in lots of spcae themed activities!
3rd August - Preschool Graduation! This will be held at the Nursery, with the ceremony (if the weather holds out!) taking place at the meadows opposite us. It will be early afternoon but we will confirm exact timings closer to the day, along with more information.
Fetch the Engine!
We have been lucky enough to have been delivered a special box from our local Firestation! This included hats and jackets, vehicles, books and a pop up tent. We have loved playing with it all and even making our own fire engines in the garden and we will be sad when we have to give it back.
Our Superstars!
Whatever it is, the If you know of someone who works hard at their job and is constantly a positive face around the nursery, we would love to hear about it. We run a rewards scheme for our staff members to show our appreciation for how hard they work, where they can go and choose treats or gifts to redeem for their stars received. We would love to hear about if you felt any of our staff have gone above and beyond for you so use the link below to submit your positive thoughts to share with them. you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Lets get colourful…
We had a blast celebrating Holi Fest, also known as the ‘Festival of Colours’ on Monday 25th March. We created our own festival in the meadows, using brightly coloured powder paint to throw around, learning all about the patterns we can make. Traditionally, throwing coloured powder on each other is seen to be a sign of love, friendship and unity.
Thank you to everyone that came along, we hope you had fun. Apologies for the longlasting tinted hair and coloured eyeliner we have now given your children!
Spring Menus
Our menus have changed from Winter to Spring from mid March, have a look at what delicious meals are coming up! These menus will also be up in our Nursery for you to look at and they can also be found on our website.
Rhymes and Stories of the Month
Rhymes
5 Little Ducks
Polly Put The Kettle On
Row Row Row Your Boat
Hop Little Bunnies
Stories
Kipper
Billy Goats Gruff
Our Fav March Snaps!
February 2024
Trying New Things
As we are now in a new year, have been trying new things! When children learn new skills, they also build independence, confidence and self-esteem. So helping children learn new skills can be an important part of supporting overall development. We have been playing brand new games, baking things we have never tried before (beetroot cupcakes!) and learning about subjects that are new to us such as nutrition and animal habitats. We also had a visit from the mobile library, were we sat and read books together and got to choose some to keep for the month with our brand new library card.
Dates for your diary!
W/C 4th March - Book Week
7th March - World Book Day! We would love to see the Children dressed up as their favourite book character!
3rd August - Preschool Graduation! This will be held at the Nursery, with the ceremony (if the weather holds out!) taking place at the meadows opposite us. It will be early afternoon but we will confirm exact timings closer to the day, along with more information!
Luna New Year
To celebrate the Chinese New Year, we have been getting very creative! We have all made laterns which you may have seen strung around the rooms, practised writting chinmese numbers and letters and created traditional good luck charms using red envelopes and gold coins. The children also had a chance to try some traditional chinese food such as noodles and prawn crackers and we made our own spring rolls!
For newly funded children: If your child is 2 years old and is eligible for the new funded hours from April, if you havent already, please bring in your funding sheet and let us know your code so we can claim these hours. Any queries please let us know!
Our Superstars!
Whatever it is, the If you know of someone who works hard at their job and is constantly a positive face around the nursery, we would love to hear about it. We run a rewards scheme for our staff members to show our appreciation for how hard they work, where they can go and choose treats or gifts to redeem for their stars received. We would love to hear about if you felt any of our staff have gone above and beyond for you so use the link below to submit your positive thoughts to share with them. you tell your story online can make all the difference.
A sad goodbye but a wonderful welcome back!
With a heavy heart, we wave goodbye to our fabulous Gabby, who has been with us for 7 years. She started with us in the baby room and then worked her way up to be Head of Room. She then stepped up again to become Deputy Manager in 2022 and then in 2023, while Amy was having little Amelia, she took over the role of Nursery Manager. Shes been a wonderful, bubbly (loud) presence throughout the Nursery and she will be greatly missed by all of us. Her last day will be Friday 15th March 2024.
A little note from the ledgend herself……
“Just wanted to say a big thank you and that I have loved my time at Snapdragons. I have met so many lovely families along the way, I have learnt so much and had some of the best experiences of my life. Thank you to all of the staff at Grosvenor, you are all amazing! I am lucky to have called you my team and the children are truly lucky to have you teaching them and caring for them everyday”.
Amy will stepping back into her Manager role from Monday 4th March, and bringing gorgeous little Amelia with her. Make sure to give her a warm welcome back!
Tune in your sirens!
Preschool and Rising 3’s were lucky enough to recieve a visit from the Police! They loved learning about their very important job, trying on the police hats and having a go with their walkie talkies. After asking them 100 times ‘where are the baddies?’ they went outside to have a look at the police car and listen to the very loud sirens! (sorry neighbours!).
Rhymes and Stories of the Month
Rhymes
Tommy Thumb
Goldilocks and the House of Bears
Hickory Dickory Dock
Here we go round the Mulberry Bush
Stories
Goldilocks and the 3 Bears
Each Peach Pear Plum
Pancake Day!
We have been enjoying taking part in pancake day, making our own pancakes with different materials such as felt and playdough, creating role play pancake shops and even got to eat our own at snack time! We loved making fruit faces!
Our Fav Feb Snaps!
January 2024
Santa’s Grotto
We were lucky enough to receive a visit from the big man himself, which (most of) the children loved! They sat on his knee, chatted all things Rudolph and got to open a special present early. Seeing their little faces light up was so magical!
A few little things to remember…
If you have been having a clear out of clothes we would love to take them off your hands as our spares boxes are looking rather empty! We are especially looking for bottoms aged 2-3, 3-4 if you have any of these lying about unused! Thank you in advance!
Please bring a water bottle in with your child everyday and make sure you take it home at the end of each day to be cleaned!
If your child requires nappy cream please bring this in with them!
Dates for your diary!
W/C January 22nd - ‘Trying New Things’
W/C 5th Febuary - ‘Chinese New Year’ (Year of the Dragon!)
We will be dedicating a week per month for fun themed activities, looking at a different topic per month and creating some exciting and educational learning experiences. For January, as we have gone into the New Year, we thought we would focus on trying new things. This could be a new creative skill, trying yummy new foods or practising new games. Any ideas are welcome!
The Chinese New Year starts in Feburary and it is the year of the Dragon! We will start the month off by learning all about it through stories, crafts and games!
Back in the swing of it!
We have come back after the Christmas break ready to learn and have lots of fun! We have particularly been focusing on healthy eating and self care through fruit tasting and taking care of our dolls, brushing their teeth and giving them a bath! We have also been wrapping up warm and enjoying activites in the garden. Take a look at a few of the things we have enjoyed over the first few weeks of 2024! We missed those wonderful little faces!
Our Superstars!
If you know of someone who works hard at their job and is constantly a positive face around the nursery, we would love to hear about it. We run a rewards scheme for our staff members to show our appreciation for how hard they work, where they can go and choose treats or gifts to redeem for their stars received. We would love to hear about if you felt any of our staff have gone above and beyond for you so use the link below to submit your positive thoughts to share with them.
Tell us about your snappies superstar
Its Time for a Story!
Spending time together while reading helps to create strong bonds and promotes healthy brain development. Books can also develop and nourish our imaginations, stimulate sensory awareness, helping us to see, hear, taste, feel, and smell on an imagined level. Children that are read to more often, have improved language and listening skills, experience stronger emotional connections to their loved ones, and gain a lifelong love of reading. Books also expose children to many new words because they often include unfamiliar words or repeat the same words in a variety of sentences throughout the book, which helps children understand the words. We love reading here and always have books avaliable for the chidlren to pick up whenever they fancy, and we often sit together and read a story or two before meal times!
As you may have noticed, we have a ‘Sharing Library’ in our corridor so help yourself! Any books you no longer use and think the children would love, feel free to bring in to share with other families!
Rhymes and Stories of the Month
Rhymes
Wind the Bobbin up
Five Current Buns in the Bakers Shop
Hey Diddle Diddle
Humpty Dumpty
Stories
The Tiger Who Came To Tea
Poems for the Very Young
Our Fav Jan Snaps!
December 2023 (Copy)
We’ve been feeling festive!
We have been enjoying lots of Christmassy activities on the run up to the big day, such as creating yummy treats with gingerbread playdough, painting jolly pictures, making Christmas decorations and hanging them on the tree! We will be carrying on with the festive fun for the rest of Decemeber and are really looking forward to our Christmas stay and play and a visit from Santa Claus himself!
Brrrr….
As its getting super chilly outside, please remember to pack (labelled!) hats/gloves/scafts, waterproofs and wellies with your child each day!
Smore’s Night
With the help of our wonderful Forest School Leader, Nat, we hosted a ‘Spooky Smores’ night on the 23rd Novemeber. We ate our weight in marshmallows and kept cosy by the bonfire! Thank you to all of those who could make it, we hope you enjoyed yourselves!
Dates for your diary!
Christmas Stay and Play - Friday 15th December 3-5pm
Santa’s Grotto - Monday 18th December AM
If your child does not attend on a Monday but you would like them to visit Santa, we will have a slot between 9.30-10am so just let us know that you will be coming!
Just to confirm, we break up for Christmas on Friday 15th December for term time children, and Friday 22nd December for those who are all year round! We will be back and ready for fun on Tuesday 2nd January 2024. If you have any prebooked holiday or know your child wont be attending on certain days between now and before we break up, do get in touch to let us know!
Mark Making
We always encorage children to make their mark! Young children have a natural desire to explore and experiment and enjoy the sensory and physical experience of mark-making. This can be anything from a pen on a piece of paper, to grains of sand running through their fingers. This also gives them the opportunity to express themselves creatively, as this allows them to communicate their feelings or even use marks to tell a story.
Giving children the opportunity to explore different mediums of mark-making, helps to enhance a child’s critical thinking, brain development and language development. Together this gives them the ability to build towards more complex learning tasks in the future. Take a look at the wonderful marks we have been making recently!
Rhymes and Stories of the Week
Rhymes
5 Little Snowmen
Jingle Bells
Christmas Pudding
When Santa Got Stuck Up the Chimmeny
Stories
Grufflo’s Child
The Elves and the Shoemaker
Our Superstars!
If you know of someone who works hard at their job and is constantly a positive face around the nursery, we would love to hear about it. We run a rewards scheme for our staff members to show our appreciation for how hard they work, where they can go and choose treats or gifts to redeem for their stars received. We would love to hear about if you felt any of our staff have gone above and beyond for you so use the link below to submit your positive thoughts to share with them.
Tell us about your snappies superstar
When should I worry about my child’s breathing?
As the winter approaches, the number of respiratory illness rises significantly. This can be a very worrying time for parents, but when should you be concerned about your child’s breathing?
Most chest infections are caused by viruses and so do not usually need treatment with antibiotics. It can be scary if your child has any sort of breathing difficulty. Use your instincts; if your child appears well and their breathing difficulty improves after a short period of time, there is normally no need to worry.
Wheeze is extremely common in young children and is most often triggered by a viral infection. Most pre-school aged children with wheeze do not have asthma.
Children under 2 years of age with breathing difficulty may have bronchiolitis. This is an extremely common condition, caused by a viral infection. It usually starts as a runny nose and cough but their breathing may get worse of the next 2-3 days.
If your child is struggling to breathe, they need to be seen by a medical practitioner and may need treatment.
Call 999 or go to A&E if your child:
· has blue lips
· pauses in breathing or starts grunting
· a harsh breath noise as they breathe in
· too breathless to talk
· is pale, mottle and feels abnormally cold to touch
· is extremely agitated or confused or is very lethargic (difficult to wake)
Ring you GP surgery or contact 111 if your child;
· Has laboured/rapid breathing or they are working harder to breathe (drawing in of the muscles below their ribs)
· Seems dehydrated (sunken eyes, drowsy, not passed urine for 12 hours)
· Is drowsy or irritable especially if they remain this way despite their fever coming down
· Continues to have a fever of 38.0 or above for more than 5 days
· Is getting worse or you are worried
If none of the above features are present, make sure that your child stays well hydrated by offering them lots of fluids. Closely monitor them for any signs of deterioration.
For more advice and guidance, visit NHS Health Together www.what0-18.nhs.uk
Our Fav Snaps of the Month!
November 2023
Spooky Season
We have been enjoying lots of spooky activities on the run up to Halloween, from pumpkin carving to potion making! We also hosted a stay and play on Friday 27th October and we had a spooktactular time! Thank you to all those who could make it, we hope you and your little ones enjoyed it!
Wellbeing Week
We dedicated the whole week (9th-16th) to focus on Wellbeing and our Mental Health.
On Monday we focused on CONNECTING and we decided to connect with eachother through kind gestures, such as baking eachother cupcakes and making cards for eachother. We also spent time with our friends from other rooms for stories and singing time and we also ate snack together!
On Tuesday we focused on BEING ACTIVE, so we took part in lots of physical activities such as yoga, dance parties and races in the garden. Toddlers and Babies also took a trip to Alice Park, we had so much fun burning our energy!
On Wednesday, the theme was TAKE NOTICE so we focused on mindfulness through sunshine circles and attention buckets. We also sat down with our friends and talked about different emotions by using the colour monster to express how we were feeling. Talking to children about emotions is one of the main predictors for emotional intelligence and being able to understand and manange emotions is important for wellbeing in children!
On Thursday we got stuck into learning new skills as the theme for the day was LEARN. We learnt a variety of skills such as baking, needle thread and sculpture building. We also did every day tasks such as practising to put our shoes and coats!
On Friday we focused on GIVING and how we can give random acts of kindness. We took part in show and tells, teddy bear picnics and the Rising Threes took a trip to our local charity shops.
Dates for your diary!
Pyjama Day - Friday 17th November
National Child Day (Wear blue!) - 20th November
Spooky Smores Night - 23rd November 5.30-7pm
Preschool Nativity - 13th December AM + PM
Christmas Stay and Play - Friday 15th December 3-5pm
Santa’s Grotto - Week commencing Monday 18th December (Santa Visit to be confirmed!)
Recycling Week
It was recycling week (16th-20th October) and we took full advantage! We have enjoyed lots of recycling related activities such as bingo, roleplay, matching games, junk modelling, sorting activites and more!
Rhymes and Stories of the Week
Rhymes
Ten fat sausages
Wheels on the bus
Teddy bear turn around
If you are happy and you know it
Stories
Whatever Next
Goodnight Moon
Our Superstars!
If you know of someone who works hard at their job and is constantly a positive face around the nursery, we would love to hear about it. We run a rewards scheme for our staff members to show our appreciation for how hard they work, where they can go and choose treats or gifts to redeem for their stars received. We would love to hear about if you felt any of our staff have gone above and beyond for you so use the link below to submit your positive thoughts to share with them.
Tell us about your snappies superstar
Water Bottles
Just a polite reminder to please bring a water bottle in with your child each day!
Preschool Spaces
We have had a few spaces open up in our Preschool room! If your child is going to school in September 2024, and you would like to book some more days with us, please get in touch!
Flu Jabs!
Immunising preschool children against flu (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Our Fav Snaps of the Month!
October 2023
Wellbeing week
We will be dedicating the whole of next week (9th-13th October) focusing on Wellbeing and our Mental Health. We will be focusing on the 5 steps to Wellbeing throughout the week, which will look something like this:
Monday - Connect. The first day of the week will be all about connecting with each other!
Tuesday - Be Active. We will be having a day where staff and children come in their activewear and we have a physical day, enjoying getting moving in the great outdoors or getting zen with some yoga sessions!
Wednesday - Take Notice. We will be enjoying some mindfulness activities through attention buckets and sunshine circles, talking about emotions. We all know how great laughter is, so please share with us your favourite jokes and we can share these with the staff and children!
Thursday - Learn new Skills. We will be sharing our skills on this day, teaching the children new learning opportunities, such as baking and being creative!
Friday - Give. Research shows the link between doing good things and an increase in wellbeing so we will focus on kindness and giving.
Dates for your Diary!
Concept Photography - 17th October
Halloween Party - Friday 27th October 3-5pm
Preschool Nativity - To be confirmed
Parents Evening - Thursday 2nd November (we will pop our time sheet on the doors of each room for you to book your slot!)
Water bottles
Just a gentle reminder to pack a named water bottle with your child every day!
Rhymes and Stories of the Week
Rhymes
5 Little Men in a Flying Saucer
Miss Polly had a Dolly
It’s Raining its Pouring
Incy Wincy Spider
Stories
Meg and Mog
Owl Babies
Room on the Broom
Our Superstars!
If you know of someone who works hard at their job and is constantly a positive face around the nursery, we would love to hear about it. We run a rewards scheme for our staff members to show our appreciation for how hard they work, where they can go and choose treats or gifts to redeem for their stars received. We would love to hear about if you felt any of our staff have gone above and beyond for you so use the link below to submit your positive thoughts to share with them.
Tell us about your snappies superstar
Those Pesky Bugs!
We have a lot of bugs going around right now, which seem to be very stubborn! We have added the illness policy below as a quick refresh! Let us know if you have any queries regarding our policy.
https://www.snapdragonsnursery.com/illness
Our Fav Snaps of the Month!
August 2023
Graduation
We will be waving goodbye to all our wonderful Pre-schoolers at the end of this month, as they start their journeys at school. We are so proud of them and have absolutely loved watching them grow. We can’t wait for them to start a brand new adventure but we will miss them all so much! We gave them the best send off we could, a bouncy castle, face paints and party bags, what more could you want?
That’s Berry-fic!
You may have noticed your children’s clothes being covered in berries recently, so feel free to send your dry-cleaning bill to our Forest school teacher, Nat!
We have been super lucky to have had Nat with us throughout the summer holidays, she’s been doing some wonderful activities with us recently! She has also provided us with some fabulous berry related activities, check them out below…….
New Faces
You may have noticed a few newbies around the nursery. We have Charlie, he’s started in our Preschool room as an Apprentice. We also have Jasmine in the Preschool room, who is a qualified teacher. Make sure to say hi to them!!
We also waved goodbye to Amy, she’s off for a well-deserved rest before the arrival of her baby girl in September. Keep your eyes peeled for an update!
We have been lucky enough to have Gabby jump right into her spot. I’m sure many of you already know Gabby from being head of our baby room and a few of you may have got to know her more when she maternity covered Lauren Jeffries. She’s the friendly face that is always willing to help and was eager for the next step of being manager of this great nursery. If you need help, any advice or pep in your step the follow the sounds of distant singing and you will find her, she didn’t win “Snappies Superstar” for no reason.
Fancy a clear out?
The children love to play in our mud kitchen, but we are currently low on some vital mud cake and potion essentials! If you have any of the following lying around unused at home, we would love to help you declutter those kitchen cupboards!
- Big metal spoons
- Wooden spoons
- Frying Pans
- Saucepans
- Metal teapots
- Metal saucers/plates/bowls
- Metal utensils
Rhymes and Stories of the Month
Stories
We are going on a bear hunt
Hairy Mclary
Rhymes
Round and round the garden
I had a tiny turtle
There were ten in the bed
The Okey Cokey
Observations
We just wanted to take the time to apologise for any late observations. Weve been experiencing some technical difficulties with our iPads, but we are working super hard to get these updated for you as we go into September. Hopefully, the iPad fairies will bring us some brand-new ones soon!
Quick Reminder To our Babyroom Parents
This is just a polite reminder to all our baby room parents that you need to be supplying nappy rash creams for your child to ensure they are not getting sore whilst being here. As we do not supply this as a nursery, we will make sure to inform you when your child’s cream is running out and will need to be restocked.
Our Favourite August Snaps
July 2023
JULY NEWS
New Admin
We are excited to announce that our new Nursery Administrator is starting on Monday 10th July, Verity!! She may be a familiar face for some you as Verity used to work here with us before heading off to university. We cannot wait to have her back as part of the team and get to know you all.
Saying Goodbye..
Amy, Nursery Manager, will be heading off on maternity leave this month, her last day will be Friday 28th July.
Abbie York, one of our long standing team members, will also be saying good bye to us all on Thursday 20th July. She is embarking on a new adventure which we wish her all the best for but will miss her hugely!
Huge Hello..
Gabby will be taking over as Nursery Manager during Amy’s maternity leave which is amazing news and she cannot wait to take on this exciting and rewarding opportunity!
We look forward to welcoming back Abby Carroll from maternity leave. She will be returning in her new role as Head of Toddlers.
Charlie will also be joining our amazing Pre-school team. He will be completing an apprenticeship with us, starting on Monday 10th July so make sure you say hi if you see him!
Preschool Graduation
Preschool graduation is on Saturday July 15th from 11am-1pm. Any preschool parents who are coming to join us, can you please confirm attendance (if you have not already done so). We will start over at Kensington meadows so please arrive there for 10:45 ahead of the ceremony at 11am. If you could bring a picnic blanket with you to sit on that would be amazing. After the ceremonies finished, we will then make our way back over to the nursery garden where we will have a picnic, facepainting and a bouncy castle for the children to enjoy! We look forward to having you all join us for a fun filled day of celebrating the end of their time with us!
Sun cream Reminder
This is just a friendly reminder that we do not supply nursery sun cream. Each child must bring in their own labelled bottle into nursery to use whilst being here. Unfortunately, if your child does not have sun cream with them on a nursery day, we will not be able to take them outside as there is nothing to prevent them from burning. If you would like to send in a bottle to keep with them here for everyday use, we are more than happy to keep it or we can make sure this gets sent home with your child each day.
These sun creams contain almond oil, so we ask that they are not applied to your child before bringing them into nursery. As we are a nut free nursery this brand can also not be supplied for us to use on your child throughout the day. If you have any further questions around our sun cream policy, please send us an email or pop into the office and we would be happy to clarify anything further for you.
Our policy around sun cream states: Applying sun cream
· Children should be sent to nursery with at least factor 30 sun cream.
· Staff should apply sun cream before taking the children outside and then 30 minutes after taking the children outside, but only when they are out long enough to burn. E.g. do not need to reapply sun cream if you are coming inside after 45 minutes.
· If children are outside for longer than two hours then sun cream should be reapplied.
· This process should be repeated in the afternoon.
· Children should be in the shade when the sun is strongest between 11am-3pm between the months of March and October. If you cannot make sure children stay in the shade, then they should remain indoors.
Our Chosen Charity
As a company, it has been decided that each individual nursery will support a specific charity to support within the local community. We have decided to go with a charity that we have worked with before as they do such lovely work for the families with children aged 0-5 within BANES. Our chosen charity is The Nest Project! Going forward, any fundraising done within the nursery will be sent over to support this amazing organization. Keep an eye out for any upcoming bake sales or fundraising events which we will be holding. If you want to know more about this charity, we will attach the link below for you to their website.
Homepage (thenestproject.co.uk)
Rymes And Stories of the Month
Stories
The Gruffalo
Where the wild things are
Dear Zoo
Rhymes
Five Little Speckled Frogs
Jack and Jill
Peter pointer
Peter Rabbit
July smiles
June 2023
JUNE EVENTS
Father’s Day
On June 19th, we will be making bacon sandwiches for all of our amazing fathers to enjoy. Make sure if you are dropping your child off in the morning to pop into the office for this special treat to start your morning!
June 21st- Make music day
On June 21st we will be celebrating make music day. We will be exploring all unusual types of items around the nursery which we can use to make music and creating our own.
Preschool Graduation
We will be holding our Preschool graduation on Saturday July 15th from 11am-1pm. Any preschool parents who are coming to join us for this celebration can arrive between 10:45-11am. We will start over at Kensington meadows, where we will have the ceremony and time for you to take photos. If you could bring a picnic blanket with you to sit on in the garden or at the meadows that would be amazing. After the ceremonies finished, we will then make our way back over to the nursery garden where we will have a BBQ, facepainting and a bouncy castle for the children to enjoy! We look forward to having you all join us for a fun filled day.
Sun cream Reminder
This is just a friendly reminder that we do not supply nursery sun cream. Each child must bring in their own labelled bottle into nursery to use whilst being here. Unfortunately, if your child does not have sun cream with them on a nursery day, we will not be able to take them outside as there is nothing to prevent them from burning. If you would like to send in a bottle to keep with them here for everyday use, we are more than happy to keep it or we can make sure this gets sent home with your child each day.
These sun creams contain almond oil, so we ask that they are not applied to your child before bringing them into nursery. As we are a nut free nursery this brand can also not be supplied for us to use on your child throughout the day. If you have any further questions around our sun cream policy, please send us an email or pop into the office and we would be happy to clarify anything further for you.
Our policy around sun cream states: Applying sun cream
· Children should be sent to nursery with at least factor 30 sun cream.
· Staff should apply sun cream before taking the children outside and then 30 minutes after taking the children outside, but only when they are out long enough to burn. E.g. do not need to reapply sun cream if you are coming inside after 45 minutes.
· If children are outside for longer than two hours then sun cream should be reapplied.
· This process should be repeated in the afternoon.
· Children should be in the shade when the sun is strongest between 11am-3pm between the months of March and October. If you cannot make sure children stay in the shade, then they should remain indoors.
Admin Replacement
Since Alex leaving, we have found a new replacement for her position! Our new admin, Louise, will be with us part time in June Monday-Friday mornings. Make sure to pop in and say hello and help her get familiar with all the new face !
Our Chosen Charity
As a company, it has been decided that each individual nursery will support a specific charity to support within the local community. We have decided to go with a charity that we have worked with before as they do such lovely work for the families with children aged 0-5 within BANES. Our chosen charity is The Nest Project! Going forward, any fundraising done within the nursery will be sent over to support this amazing organization. Keep an eye out for any upcoming bake sales or fundraising events which we will be holding. If you want to know more about this charity, we will attach the link below for you to their website.
Homepage (thenestproject.co.uk)
Rymes And Stories of the Month
Stories
Jack and the Beanstalk
Jaspers beanstalk
That’s not my….
Rhymes
One Two Buckle My Shoe
Mary Mary Quite Contrary
The Sun Has Got His Hat On
I’m A Little Teapot
Baby Room
The Toddlers
Rising 3’s
Preschool
More Photos to Enjoy
May 2023
Events in May
Coronation Garden Party- Friday May 5th from 3-5pm
Parents evening Thursday May 4th. Make sure to contact the office to book in your slot!
May bank holiday’s which we will be closed - Monday May 1st, 8th and 29th.
Here Comes the Sun
Now that the warmer weather is hopefully just around the corner, here are some things to remember to bring into nursery for your child’s sessions
Sunhat
Suncream (as we do not supply this)
If you have time in your morning routine to apply the first coat of suncream we would really appreciate this, let us know at drop off if this is done and this will help speed up our first outing to the garden. Another reminder, if we have days of the UV being high and your child does not have suncream at nursery we will be unable to take them outside.
Our Snapdragons Family is growing by two little Feet
We are so happy to announce, that our manger Amy Lloyd will be having a little girl in September.
We are currently in the process of recruiting for her replacement and will keep you all up to date with any information once this position is filled.
Collection From the Garden
This is just a polite reminder that when you are collecting your child from the garden in the coming months that the gate going in gets locked on both sides so that children cannot open it.
We’re having a Quacking time!
We loved how many of you enjoyed the ducks as much as we did! We wanted to give you an update on their new home with Amy Lloyd’s parents. Clearly enjoying their new view during golden hour.
You will be missed Stevie and Eggy Lloyd
Sad News
We are sad to say that our Admin, Alex has been offered a new opportunity outside of a childcare environment. This does unfortunately mean that she will be leaving the Grosvenor team, her last day being May 17th. I’m sure you can all agree this is sad news, but we wish her the absolute best with her new adventure!
Concept Photography
Start practicing your best smiles as concept photography will be with us on Monday May 15th to take our photos. If you would like to bring siblings in for these photos, we ask you arrive between 8-9:30. If this is also not your child’s day, please feel free to bring them in between this time.
If you are sending them to nursery in the outfits that you would like them to be photographed in, please make sure to pack some spare clothing so we can still get messy and have some fun without ruining their lovely clothes.
Rhymes and Stories of the Month
Stories
Little Red Riding Hood
Mr Gumpy’s Outing
Spot
Rhymes
Ten Green Bottles
Tractor Tractor Big and Blue
Dingle Dangle Scarecrow
The Farmer’s in his Den
April 2023
April Events
Easter Bunny Visit
We will be having a special visit from the easter bunny on Thursday April 6th!
Hop over to Kensington meadows with us to see what special treats have been hidden in the grass.
Dates for your Diaries April / May
Term time only dates are April 3rd-14th
Thursday May 4th we will be having our parents evening
Kings Coronation Garden party- Friday May 5th. Everyone’s welcome!
New Holi Festival date Thursday April 27th
Lauren Returns
You may see an old or a new face around the nursery as our Deputy Manager and Head EYP Lauren returns from her maternity leave this month! Help us welcome Lauren and baby Maddison back by popping into the office to say hello :)
Illness Reminder
This is just a few little reminders of a couple key points from our illness policy
If you administer your child Calpol or any fever masking medication, they must remain out of nursery for 4 hours before being brought in.
If your child has sickness or diarrhea, they must be off nursery for 48hours from the last time this occurred.
This is just a polite reminder that if your child isn't well enough to attend nursery, please refrain from bringing them in to reduce spreading anything to other children. We are hopeful now that spring is here that this will bring back a bit more wellness for everyone!
BusyLizzy Fitness & Fun Classes
Busylizzy offers pre-and post-natal fitness classes as well as baby classes, workshops, socials and events for local parents. All of their fitness classes are baby-friendly and their baby classes are designed to aid baby’s development across different ages and stages.
To celebrate their new classes now running on a Wednesday and Thursday at Burdall’s Yard, they are offering all Snapdragons mums the chance to try one of their classes for free as well as half-price one-off joining fee when using the exclusive code GROSVENORBABIES50 at sign-up.
For more information about their venues, their full timetable and their prices, please see their website -
To register for your free trial, use the booking page here -
Swaps and Extras
We are happy to say that we can start offering out swaps and extra sessions again where we are able to. As your probably aware, between the months of April-September there is an increase of holidays. Where holiday days are chargeable, we will try our best to make swaps which we can accommodate however this does depend on our occupancy so this may be unmanageable over this period due to building occupancy.
Staff Nominations
If you know of someone who works hard at their job and is constantly a positive face around the nursery, we would love to hear about it. We run a rewards scheme for our staff members to show our appreciation for how hard they work, where they can go and choose treats or gifts to redeem for their stars received. We would love to hear about if you felt any of our staff have gone above and beyond for you so use the link below to submit your positive thoughts to share with them.
Tell us about your snappies superstar
Old Kitchen Wear
We are looking to fill our mud kitchen in the garden with any old utencils or kitchenware you may have. If you have anything which you no longer need and would be happy to donate to us, we would love any contribution to making this area outside more exciting:)
Spare Clothes
If we could please ask that if your child goes home in our spare clothing from nursery or items that do not belong to you that it please be returned and brought back to us cleaned. As you can imagine, if everyone didn’t bring back these items, we wouldn’t have any spare clothing for all the fun water and messy play we do.
March 2023
Our Month Of Events
World Book Day
Come dressed as your favourite book character for world book day on Thursday March 2nd. We can’t wait to see what amazing costumes you come dressed in for the day.
Holi Festival
It’s that time again for everyone’s favourite festival! On Wednesday March 8th, we will be heading over to Kensington Meadows to get messy and have some fun with powder paint. If your child is in on this day, please make sure to pack them a set of white clothes you don’t mind being ruined and a change of clothes for pick up. We wouldn’t want your car looking like a rainbow!
Comic Relief
Help us raise awareness and money for the children in need by wearing red on March 17th. We will have homemade treats all week long for you to purchase by donation to help contribute to this amazing cause.
Mother’s Day
Our lovely chef Sandra will be preparing all our amazing mothers a special treat on Monday March 20th. If you are dropping off your little one to nursery, make sure to pop into the office to get a bacon sandwich before starting your day.
If you have any dietary requirements, please make sure to let the office know beforehand.
Valentine’s Day Stay and Play Photos
Reminder For Our Baby Room Parents
This is just a polite reminder to all our baby room parents that you need to be supplying nappy rash creams for your child to ensure they are not getting sore whilst being here. As we do not supply this as a nursery, we will make sure to inform you when your child’s cream is running out and will need to be restocked.
Preschool Graduation Date
We are so happy to say that we will be holding our preschool Graduation at Warleigh Lodge Farm again this year. We now have a date confirmed for you in hopes that it’s enough notice for all of you to attend. This will be held on Saturday July 15th with the time to be confirmed.
The day will consist of a certificate and medal ceremony followed by a barbeque and tractor ride for the children.
We hope you all will be able to join us for this event as it has always been such a lovely day to spend with everyone.
Recipes to try at home
Potato, Cauliflower and Broccoli Bake
Ingredients:
400g New potatoes
1 large cauliflower
1 large head of Broccoli, cut into florets
1 Leek
500ml milk
50g butter
4 Tbsp flour
200g grated cheese
Salt and Pepper
Method
Pre heat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/ Gas mark 7
Cut new potatoes in half and boil in a pan until soft
Melt butter in pan and add your leeks, broccoli and cauliflower, cook this for around 5 minutes.
Add the flour to the cooled veg and stir, slowly adding the milk and stirring continuously until you have a nice sauce. Add half of the cheese and the cooked new potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the mix into a baking dish, top with the other half of the cheese and bake in the oven for around 20 minutes or until golden on top.
Rhymes and Stories for March
Stories
3 Billy Goats Gruff
Kipper
Rhymes
5 Little Ducks
Polly Put The Kettle On
Row Row Row Your Boat
Hop Little Bunnies
February 2023
Dates for the Diary
Valentine’s day Stay and Play: On February 14th we will be holding a stay and play for parents to drop in if they would like to from 2:30-4pm
Pancake day: On February 21st, our amazing chef Sandra will be making Pancakes for the nursery to enjoy as a special treat!
Saying Goodbye
We will be saying goodbye to one of our amazing toddler staff members Poppy B. If you had the opportunity to meet her, you know how much of an asset she was to our nursery, and we will miss her very much.
Good luck Poppy!!
Collection Times
This is just a quick reminder about collection times as we have had to apply quite a few late charges recently. If you are finding it difficult to collect your child at the time of their sessions ending, please do let us know and we can look at increasing the session to a full day. If your child is booked in for a morning session or to finish at 3pm they are not counted into our afternoon numbers so, please be mindful of this.
The Cold Winter Weather
This is just a friendly reminder over these next few cold months to pack the appropriate clothes for your children as we are still wanting to spend as much time
out in the garden as we can! If you can make sure they are coming in each day with
Hats
Mittens
Waterproof trousers
Wellies
This would be very much appreciated!
Our Stories and Rhymes for the Month
Goldilocks and the three bears
Each peach pear plum
Hickory dickory dock
Here we go round the mulberry bush
Photos from the Month
January 2023
Welcome back! We hope you all had an amazing Christmas and New year. We are looking forward to having all of your smiling faces back at nursery with us.
Events this Year
We have so many events which we love to celebrate here at Snapdragons, but we would love your help with some ideas of any new events we may not have celebrated last year. If your family celebrates any special events or holidays in your household, we would love to hear more about them and include them to our events board.
We look forward to reading your new ideas for us!
Extra Sessions / Swap Sessions
Due to our staffing going into the new year we will not be able to accommodate any swaps or extra sessions requested.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause you, as you know we are normally quite flexible with this. We will be monitoring this on a monthly basis and will let you know when it changes.
Staff Nominations
If you know of someone who works hard at their job and is constantly a positive face around the nursery, we would love to hear about it. We run a rewards scheme for our staff members to show our appreciation for how hard they work, where they can go and choose treats or gifts to redeem for their stars received. We would love to hear about if you felt any of our staff have gone above and beyond for you so use the link below to submit your positive thoughts to share with them.
Tell us about your snappies superstar
The Cold Days Ahead
As the days are becoming colder, we still love to have our outdoor time especially in our brand-new garden! In saying this, we ask if you could please bring your child in the appropriate clothing to be outside for some fresh air throughout the day and pack any spare items of clothing they may need for the according weather. Please make sure all these items are sent in with labels on them so we can make sure they come home with you at the end of the day.
Hat
Gloves
Wellies
Waterproof coat and trousers
Change of clothes
Send Us a Review!
We would love to hear your positive feedback about the nursery! Send us through a review to Day nurseries as we would love to see your feedback.
Story and Rhyme Time
Stories
The Tiger Who Came to Tea
Poems for the Very Young (Michael Rosen)
Rhymes
Five Currant Buns in a Bakers Shop
Wind the Bobbin Up
Hey Diddle Diddle
Humpty Dumpty
Our Preschool Team
Our Head of Preschool Freya
Hi, I’m Freya and I’ve recently become the Head of Preschool after qualifying as a primary school teacher in 2020. I absolutely love working in early years as its where my heart lies. A fun fact about me is I have a sausage dog named Minnie!
Abbie
Hi, I’m Abbie and I have worked at Snapdragons now for 7 years. I work in the preschool room and absolutely love that age group. A fun fact about me is I have my own cake business and a 2-year-old son called Kobi.
Katie
Hi my names Katie! I have been with Snapdragons for two and a half years now and have been based in the Baby room. I will be moving down into preschool, and I am very excited for the new adventure. A fun fact about me is I am working towards becoming a primary school teacher.
The Rising 3's
Our Head of Rising 3’s Lily
I started working at snapdragons as a graduate apprentice and have now completed my early years teacher training. I have always wanted to work with children as I love supporting them to become the best versions of themselves. A fun fact about me is I have a cat, two guinea pigs and three fish.
Georgia
I have been working for Snapdragons for 8 years now. I have always wanted to work in childcare and knew this would be the perfect place to do it. A fun fact about me is I have 3 children and a dog!
Lucy
I started my position in childcare through my work experience at Snapdragons. I loved it so much here that I had to stay. A fun fact about me is I came to Snapdragons Grosvenor as a baby!
The Toddler Team
Our Head of Toddlers Emily
I have worked in childcare since 2010. I love watching the children grow, each developing their own personalities and being able to support them as they find their feet, is a reward in itself. I like to think of myself as the songwriter for the toddler room, a favourite being Jumbo jet. Outside of work I am busy with my own buddle of joy, Honey, my loving very energetic golden retriever, socialising, going on walks and of course tidying up after her. I also do love watching friends, my favourite series, I have lost count of how many times I've watched it, which of course goes perfectly with some chocolate (my weakness).
Elizabeth (Buff)
Hi, I’m Elizabeth but Buff to most toddlers who can’t pronounce my name. I love supporting children to learn new things through exciting play experiences. A fun fact about me is I am a black belt in Taekwondo and have started krav
maga, another martial art.
Poppy C.
Hi I’m Poppy! I started wanting to work with children after I finished school. Ever since starting at Snapdragons I have really found my love for watching children progress in learning and their development. I enjoy spending time with family, my cats and listening to music.
Poppy B.
Hello, I’m Poppy. My favourite thing about childcare is I love watching the children grow and develop and being able to support them with new experiences! A fun fact about me is if you put a Mumma Mia song on I can sing it word for word!
Porsha
Hi my names Porsha! I enjoy working with children because no day is ever the same. One of my favourite things about working in childcare is helping children grow and progress in there learning. A fun fact about me is I got into Somerset county for rugby when I had only been playing for 3 months.
Amy P.
Hi, I am Amy and I have worked for Snapdragons for over 10 years. I love working here and meeting all the wonderful children who come through the nursery. In my spare time I love going out and exploring with my son.
Michell
Hi I am Michell! I was born and raised in Africa and moved to the UK 22 years ago with my Husband. I completed a woodwork course and qualified as a furniture maker. Whilst studying at Chippenham College, I was asked to help in a small play group my daughter attended and changed my career path to childcare ever since then. I have now been with the Snapdragons family for 17 years and love it!
Our Baby Room
Our Head of Babies Lauren
(Reado)
I’m Lauren and I’ve been working at Snapdragons for 4 years. Childcare is the dream job for me, and I am extremely passionate about it. Getting to watch the babies settle into the room and then develop into their own individuals is why I love my job so much! I’m currently training for my Level 5 and will hopefully be done in October. A fun fact about me is I have two children who used to attend Snapdragons.
Izzy
My name is Izzy and I’ve worked in the Baby room since August 2021. I love working within this age range because watching them all grow and develop is so special. I also love getting to create those amazing bonds and seeing all their lovely smiles each day. A fun fact about me is I have a level 3 NVQ in health and social care.
Ellie
Hi I’m Ellie! One of my very favourite things about working in childcare is being able to support a child in finding their own personality and finding out who they are. It’s so rewarding and amazing seeing each and every child grow into their selves. Of course, the cuddles are another bonus to my job, and I couldn’t think of a more rewarding job. Over a year ago I completed my level 3 qualification and now I’m starting a new chapter to complete my level 5 to be the best I can be. A fun fact about me is that I would much rather watch a children’s film than anything else and most weekends that’s what I spend my time doing singing along.
Caitlin
Hi, I am Caitlin and I work in the baby room. I love working with children because they make me laugh and watching them develop is such a lovely thing to see. A fun fact about me is that I love Giraffes.
Alyssa
Hi, my names Alyssa and I like working in the baby room because I enjoy helping them learn and extend their knowledge. A fun fact about myself is I love watching strictly come dancing.
Kassilaena
I Joined the team in October 2022 as a practitioner in the Baby Room. One thing I love to do in my spare time is cooking and baking. I also enjoy sitting at home drinking tea while playing games and spending time with my family and two cats.
