Indoor Play: imagination, learning & fun!
29 Jul, 2014
We all know when living in Ireland our summer may only last a week or two and then we are back to high rainfall or we can even get the four seasons in one day. You look out the window to see that it’s raining during these summer months so what activities can you do with young children. There’s no need to struggle for money to take the children out to the cinema or activity centres, in your home there is so much to do with not spending a single cent. Here are some ideas for imaginative indoor play that won’t break the bank. Music…
“Through a chink too wide comes in no wonder” (Patrick Kavanagh). Lately we have forgotten the importance of playing outdoors and instead focused on rote, academic learning. Nowadays once outdoor play is mentioned, words such as messy, dirty, laundry, illness and unhygienic come to mind which is crazy as we forget the benefits such as teaching children how to; • Help themselves such as tying their coats, fastening their shoes and putting on hats. • Share and take turns as individuals and also part of a group using new materials such as sticks, leaves, bugs and flowers. • Express themselves with the…
Last week was a busy fun filled week at Crawford Childcare in Cork. Our ECCE pre school year has come to an end which we celebrated with a fabulous performance of songs learned over the year, our graduation ceremony and party. I think we will all be singing our show’s finale Firework for a while courtesy of Katy Perry: Cause baby you’re a firework Come on and show them what you’re worth Make em go, Aah aah aah As you shoot across the sky-y-y Baby you’re a firework Come on and let your colours burst Make ‘em go, Aah aah aah You’re gonna leave…
June is a very busy month for all of us here in Crawford Childcare, Glanmire, Cork! Our Montessori children are busy preparing for their big Graduation Day! As their year in Montessori comes to an end and they prepare for primary school we are busy putting together our Montessori song book and getting out our graduation gowns and caps. All of us here in the Montessori are super excited! The countdown is on! We here in Crawford Childcare, Cork are so excited to see Mr Sun shining again. We love to play in our outdoor area – with both water and sand, we sometimes like…
Children have a small stomach and need frequent smaller portions rather than larger meals. Most children will go through a fussy eating stage and most love sugary treats. The challenge we face as adults is to find snacks that they enjoy and are good for them at the same time. Here at Crawford Childcare in Glanmire we have seen some fab snacks come in with the children we care for so we thought we would share a few of these with you. • Fruit – sweet and good for you is a winner with children and adults. Why not try adding a plain yogurt for…
Here in Crawford Childcare, Glanmire the Montessori children have been cantering across the field in their wellies as their interest in horses develop. We have been talking about Oreo of course as well as horses we have met on family trips and holidays. We even made horse food that children could eat from Cheerios, Shreddies and apples. We have learned the parts of a horse and have been practising the different sounds that a horse makes. We have also started making plans for Graduation with the children and have spoken about our transition to big school and what we may like to be when we…
Summer has arrived at Crawford Childcare, Glanmire! Please remember sunscreen and hats as we are hoping to spend a lot of time outside over the next few months. The toddlers have kicked off the summer months with a sudden interest in flowers – their colours and smells especially. We have made some beautiful sunflower crafts and even planted our own sunflower seeds – hopefully they will begin to sprout out soon. With a little care they should grow bigger than us. If your seedling grows this big after taking it home be sure to share a photo with us! The babies have been busy making…
There were plenty of tricks and jokes played as we bounded into April in Crawford Childcare Creche, Glanmire. April fool’s day always makes us giggle here. A common trick is to hide on the teachers and it is fun to watch their confused faces as they look for us. Easter is approaching and the children attending the ECCE scheme in our Montessori will be taking a break from Monday 14th April to Friday 25th April 2014 inclusive. During the break Easter themed camps are planned in our classrooms. The camps will consist of an array of fun activities including egg hunts, nature trails, collage crafts,…
Choosing a creche to educate and care for children offers many advantages. Social and peer interaction opportunities are obvious as your child’s individual needs are cared for in a group setting. Creches in Glanmire, Cork offering a high quality service value play highly. At Crawford Childcare our entire curriculum is formed around play activities following the Montessori belief that play is the child’s work and Aistear, the National Curriculum for children aged 0 to 6 years. Playing with others increases social competence and maturity. Many studies have linked school success with children’s abilities to interact with adults and peers over cognitive ability. Play allows children…
Spring has definitely sprung in Crawford Childcare crèche, Glanmire. March is a fun month including Pancake Day, St Patrick’s Day, Mother’s Day and more. The weather has turned brighter (well mostly) and there is a definite lengthening in the day now which means more outdoor play is available to all the rooms. Please dress appropriately as our little explorers have been rather taken with mud play of late. Wellies are advised and ensure your child has a spare set of clothes so we do not have to limit their play in anyway. So much learning can take place outdoors digging and filling containers, collecting and…
