March at Raising Little Ones…
In March, we have had another very busy, fun-filled month! We have had lots of new little ones join us, which has been great to see the little ones begin to feel comfortable in the room and also has been great to see then begin to build friendships!
This month, we have also welcomed a very special little one! Becca’s baby, Ava. We are delighted welcome baby Ava and can’t wait to welcome her and Becca into the creche when they have settled into family life!
A collection of photos we have taken this month of the little ones!
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Group Story Times-
This month, we have introduced more group story times! The little ones have been able to pick a book together that they want to read and then one of our practitioners has read it to them. While reading the stories, the practitioners have been working hard to make the books more interactive by asking questions and engaging the children in the story, so that we are not just sitting reading the book. Some examples of making the books more engaging are; asking the little ones to find objects on the page, asking the little ones how they think the characters are feeling and then also giving challenges related to the book. For example, when reading the Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson, the little ones went to find a whale of their own to hold while reading the story!
Farm-yard Messy Play-
One of our messy play activities this month was a Farm-yard themed tuff tray! To make up the tray, we began by asking the little ones to find the box with the animals in, and then worked together to pick out all of the farm animals! We then mixed cocoa powder and water together to make some mud, and then put some grass from outside onto the tray with the mud and a bowl with soapy water! Then the little ones got to work! We put some of the animals into the mud, so we then had to clean them after having fun in the mud, so we used the soapy water to clean them. The little ones seemed to really enjoy this activity, it was great to watch them demonstrate the animal sounds too!
Learning About Hygiene-
This month, we have been talking to the little ones about hygiene. We have our two sinks in the room so it is very easy for the little ones to access the hand washing facilities. We have been encouraging washing hands before eating food and also after doing any messy play! Over the course of the month, we have observed the little ones becoming more independent by doing this themselves!
Daily Walks-
We have been continuing to go out on our daily walks. We have noticed this month that there have been some ducks and swans in the pond in Inverleith Park! So on our walks we have often been taking a break to look at the ducks and swans. While doing this, we have also been able to talk about water safety! As, seeing the swans and ducks looks very inviting for a little one but they need to be aware of their surroundings while around water as they don’t want to fall into the water! The children have responded to this very well and have been very good at remembering that when we get to the pond, they can look but they can’t cross a certain line as that is too close to the water.
“My little one has been going to RLO for a couple of months now and we really love it! There are lots of activities for my little one to to and she loves going! The practitioners are very kind and loving which I also love, as I know I am taking my child into an environment where he will be cared for”
Monthly advice for parents…
This month, we would like to give some advice on interactive books for children…
As mentioned above, this month we have been reading lots of books with the little ones, so we wanted to share some of the most popular books from this year…
Babies-
Welcome to the Party (Gabrielle Union)
I’m Up! (Antoinette Portis)
Hide and Slide: My Little Puppy (Jackie McCann)
I’ll Love you Till the Cows Come Home (Kathryn Cristaldi)
Toddlers-
The Runaway Pea (Kjartan Poskitt)
The Day the Crayons Quit (Drew Daywalt)
Bathroom Boogie (Clare Foges)
Milos Monster (Tom Percival)
These books can be found in your local bookshops and also online!
