Pearly whites
Children from Sparklers Nursery at Castle Douglas, Scotland, learned howto clean their teeth properly thanks to a visit from the 'toothbrushinglady' and her soft toy dog Dougall. Childcare manager Keri Allen said,'All of the children got a cuddle from Dougall and got to practisebrushing on his teeth. They were also given toothbrushing packs and aleaflet to take home for their parents.'
Piano tour
Pre-reception children from Lyonsdown School in Barnet, Hertfordshire,enjoyed learning how to play a simple tune on the piano when concertpianist Hayley Elton and her piano-playing son Curtis visited thesetting on the first leg of their nursery tour (NW News, 25 November2010).
Up and unders
Children from the Norland College nursery in Bath took part in the firstBath Rugby Up and Unders session, which saw them take part in ball gamesand parachute play. Even the nursery's youngest participant, aged 18months, scored a try.
Green fingers
Children from Early Years Childcare in Brighton, East Sussex, were luckyto have some winter sunshine when they visited Preston Park to plantsaplings as part of an initiative sponsored by the Woodland Trust. Thechildren will return to the site in future to see how their cherry treesand rose bushes are growing.
Ducks to water
Ducklings Nursery in Ormskirk, West Lancashire, last month gave itsfirst swimming lesson for children aged two and over. Nursery leaderJanet Dawson said, 'The different environment away from the indoorclassroom has given us a new understanding of the children and theirlearning styles. They have really enjoyed it and we have seen theirconfidence increase. This new service is so popular with parents thatwe're starting a second class.'
IN STOCK
Free resources
Early years practitioners can find free teaching resources on literacy,numeracy, roleplay and festivals at new website Early Learning HQ. Visitwww.earlylearninghq.org.uk.
Storyteller prizes
To celebrate this week's National Storytelling Week, equipment supplierPlayforce is looking for the UK's best young storytellers. Entrants mustre-tell the tale of The Three Billy Goats Gruff using musicalinstruments in an outdoor setting and send in a photo or short videoclip. The winner of the competition can choose from a PlayforceStoryteller Chair or a set of three Toadstools for their school grounds.To enter visit www.Playforce.co.uk. The deadline for entries is 11February.
Do you have a story to tell? Share it with us atnews.nw@haymarket.com.
The best photo of the week will win 30 worth of books andposters
PHOTO OF THE WEEK - Children at Little Acorns Stanlaw in Ellesmere Port,Cheshire, tried their hand at some DIY using real tools. Nursery managerEmma Carney said, 'Children had lots of fun using the tools. One childwas using the tape measure to measure the blocks, then got a hammer tohit the block in the middle. They all got to realise that tools can beused for a purpose but also that they can be dangerous if not usedcorrectly.'
