Latest From Crawford

Latest From Crawford Exploring Room Rudy was taking the jigsaws from the shelves and put them on the table. All the other quickly quickly came over to play with them. We all joined in and while playing with the jigsaws we said the names of the animals on them such as ‘dog’, ‘cat’ and the noises they make. We also spotted some trains and cars and the children looked really happy. It was obvious the children enjoyed saying the animals names and the sounds they make so we will play the ‘noses game’ so we can learn more animal names. Rudy’s Dad told us she loves to play…

Latest From Crawford

Latest From Crawford Last Thursday in the Exploring room the children got to make their own playdough. All the ingredients were laid on out the table for our enthusiastic team. We guided the children on how to progress by allowing them to put in the flour, salt and cinnamon into the bowl. They then added some oil and enjoyed stirring the ingredients before adding some water. They learnt how to stir with the spoon and knead the play dough. Elsie’s Dad thought it was great she was making playdough. In the Adventure room we observed the need of the children to paint on other surfaces and with other…

Christmas Week in Crawford

Christmas Week in Crawford Discovery Room It’s Christmas week and what a busy one! The children have been talking about Santa and some even had a home visit from him. Tucker recently went to Robert’s house for the weekend and he brought a Christmas present in for Tucker which they opened together. On Wednesday night the children performed their show ‘Christmas Around the World’ for their families and it was a great success. After the show we a had a party for everyone and some parents kindly brought in some treats. On Thursday Santa and his elves came to visit and the children sang some Christmas songs for him.…

Starting Big School

Starting Big School September brings the start of a new school year. Many of our graduates from the Discovery Room will be starting “big school” over the next few weeks. This is a time of mixed emotions for all involved, children, parents, siblings and teachers. For some children it will be an exciting time meeting their new teacher and making friends. For other children it may be anxious time heading into the unfamiliar. In order to help to make this transition as smooth as possible here are a few helpful tips; • Ensure you child is independent with managing their snacks, being able to open and close their…

Outdoor Play at Crawford

Outdoor Play at Crawford At last we have started to experience some warmer weather which means that sometimes we haven’t even needed our coats? Here at Crawford Childcare we have been encouraging and teaching the children how to put on their own sun cream with the help and supervision of the adults. This has been an exciting new task for the children as they are quite proud of their growing independence. In the adventure room many of the children have also been practicing their roly poly tumbles. Amelie has mastered doing her tumbles, while many of the others still need a little bit of help. With help from Amanda…

How important is routine to your child’s development

How important is routine to your child’s development Most of us work to some sort of daily routine as adults. We are also responsible, at least in part for creating the children’s we care for routines. Apart from fitting in with our own needs, routines are also important in your child’s development. Routines help children learn self-control. Consistency and keeping to similar times for play, snacks and naps etc provides a sense of security and emotional stability for the child. – A routine can help children to trust caring adults. A child must feel safe before they are able to play and learn. Our baby room keyworkers work closely with parents to ensure…

The Latest Research in Early Childcare Practises

The Latest Research in Early Childcare Practises The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) developed Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework. This is the curriculum framework for children from birth to six years in Ireland. At Crawford Childcare as a leading childcare provider we follow the Aistear curriculum. Within this there is a strong emphasis on play as it is during play that the child learns about the world around them. Childcare providers have an important role in play. They provide support, prepare the environment as well as providing the materials and opportunities necessary for the child. They will also know when to intervene and when to stand back. It is…