Sweet Pea Childminding

13/08/2025

☀️ Keeping Cool & Learning Through Play at Sweet Pea Childcare ☀️

This week’s sunshine has had us finding fun ways to beat the heat — and we’ve still been learning along the way! 🌊❄️

💦 Splash time in the paddling pool – great for building physical skills, learning about water safety, and developing confidence in new environments (Physical Development & Understanding the World).

🧊 Exploring ice play – the children loved feeling the different textures, watching it melt, and talking about why it happens (Communication & Language, Understanding the World, Science concepts).

🚿 Water play fun – pouring, scooping, and splashing encouraged problem-solving, hand–eye coordination, and mathematical thinking (Mathematics & Expressive Arts and Design).

🌬️ Chilling in front of fans – perfect for talking about how air moves and how we can keep ourselves comfortable in hot weather (Personal, Social & Emotional Development & Understanding the World).

At Sweet Pea, even on the warmest days, the learning never stops — we just make it extra refreshing! 🍉💧

20/05/2025

🧗‍♀️✨ Climbing into Confidence at Sweet Pea Childminding! ✨🧗‍♂️

Did you know that climbing activities aren’t just fun – they’re fantastic for early development too? 🙌 Whether it’s scaling a climbing frame, navigating soft play equipment, or clambering up a grassy hill, these adventurous moments support so many areas of learning! 🌟

💪 Physical Development – Climbing helps strengthen muscles, improve balance and coordination, and builds gross motor skills.

🧠 Understanding the World – Children learn about space, gravity, and their own bodies as they explore and experiment.

🗣️ Communication & Language – As children plan their movements or take turns, they naturally engage in conversation and language-building.

🤝 Personal, Social & Emotional Development – Climbing builds confidence, encourages risk-taking in a safe environment, and supports teamwork and resilience. 💬💛

🎨 Expressive Arts & Design – Climbing can be part of imaginative play too! One minute it’s a pirate ship, the next it’s a mountain to conquer! 🏴‍☠️⛰️

At Sweet Pea, we see every climb as a leap toward lifelong skills. So next time your little one is scaling the play equipment, know they’re not just playing – they’re learning, growing, and thriving! 🌱💫

14/05/2025

Bubbles, giggles, and sunshine — the perfect trio!

There’s something truly magical about bubble play in the early years. Watching little ones chase, pop, and laugh at floating bubbles is not only heartwarming — it’s brilliant for their development too!

✨ Builds hand-eye coordination
✨ Encourages physical movement
✨ Sparks curiosity and wonder
✨ Supports language development (“Pop!”, “Big one!”, “So many!”)

Whether it’s in the garden or indoors on a rainy day, bubble time always brings smiles, squeals, and sensory joy!

Who knew learning could be so much fun?



Pop! Pop! Pop!

04/05/2025

Why We Love Water Play at Sweet Pea Childminding! 💦

Water play isn’t just fun – it’s a powerful learning experience that supports every child’s development in meaningful ways! 🌱

Whether it’s pouring, splashing, filling, or exploring with different tools, water play engages children across several key areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS):

1. Physical Development 🏃‍♀️✋
Water play helps develop fine motor skills as children grasp, pour, and squeeze. It also encourages coordination and strength – especially when lifting heavy containers or working with water wheels and funnels.

2. Communication and Language 🗣️📚
As children play together, they share ideas, describe actions, and learn new words. This rich, sensory experience naturally sparks conversation and vocabulary growth.

3. Understanding the World 🌍🔬
Through water play, children explore cause and effect, volume, temperature, and changes in state – all early science concepts! They also learn about caring for the environment and the importance of water.

4. Personal, Social and Emotional Development ❤️🤝
Water play is calming and cooperative. It encourages turn-taking, sharing, and problem-solving – helping children build positive relationships and emotional regulation.

5. Expressive Arts and Design 🎨🫧
From floating toys to making bubbly potions, water play inspires imagination and creativity, allowing children to explore textures, sounds, and colours in a playful way.

We set up water play indoors and outdoors – rain or shine – because we know how beneficial it is for learning through play. ☀️☔

Splashing = Learning at Sweet Pea! 🐣💧

09/04/2025

Why Are the EYFS Learning Areas So Important?

At Sweet Pea Childminding, we follow the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) framework to support your little one’s learning and development in a fun, loving environment!

The EYFS covers 7 key areas that help children grow, explore, and shine:

✨ Personal, Social & Emotional Development – building confidence, friendships & independence
🗣️ Communication & Language – developing those little voices and big conversations
🏃‍♀️ Physical Development – from crawling to climbing, moving those growing bodies
📚 Literacy – sharing stories, singing songs & making marks
🔢 Mathematics – counting, sorting & solving problems through play
🌍 Understanding the World – exploring nature, families & communities
🎨 Expressive Arts & Design – painting, dancing, role play & more creative fun

Every day at Sweet Pea is filled with meaningful play and learning – because early childhood is the most magical time to grow.

We love watching our little learners blossom!

21/03/2025

21/03/2025

🌿 The Magic of Outdoor Play! 🌞

At Sweet Peas, we believe that learning happens everywhere, and there’s no better classroom than the great outdoors! 🌳✨

Outdoor play is more than just fun—it’s a vital part of early childhood development. Here’s why we love taking our little explorers outside:

🌱 Boosts Physical Health – Running, jumping, and climbing help develop strength, coordination, and confidence.
🧠 Supports Cognitive Growth – Nature sparks curiosity, problem-solving, and creativity.
💬 Enhances Social Skills – Playing together outdoors fosters teamwork, communication, and emotional resilience.
🍂 Encourages Sensory Exploration – Feeling the wind, touching leaves, and listening to birds provide rich sensory experiences.
🌈 Improves Wellbeing – Fresh air and open spaces reduce stress and boost mood, helping children feel happy and relaxed.

Come rain or shine, we encourage our little learners to embrace the outdoors and discover the wonders of nature. 🌦️💛

11/02/2025

🌟 The Magic of Sensory Play in Early Years! 🌟

Did you know that sensory play is one of the most powerful ways young children learn and develop? From squishing playdough to exploring water, sand, and textures, sensory experiences help little ones make sense of the world around them.

👶 Why is sensory play so important?
✨ Supports brain development – Engaging the senses strengthens neural connections and builds a strong foundation for future learning.
🖐️ Enhances fine & gross motor skills – Scooping, pouring, pinching, and squeezing all develop hand-eye coordination and muscle control.
🗣️ Boosts language skills – Describing textures, smells, and sensations expands vocabulary and communication.
🧘 Encourages emotional regulation – Sensory activities can be calming, helping children self-soothe and manage emotions.
🎨 Promotes creativity & problem-solving – Open-ended exploration sparks curiosity and independent thinking.

At Sweet Peas, we embrace sensory play every day, creating exciting opportunities for children to discover, explore, and grow! 🌈✨

💬 What’s your child’s favorite sensory activity? ⬇️

05/12/2024

We have been busy, busy, busy at Sweet Pea HQ! Getting to know our new Children has been wonderful. Watching them learn and thrive is the best feeling 🥰 here is a little snap shot of some of the lovely things we've been up to! 🫛🌺 Also, we may have some limited availability in the New Year, if you're on the hunt for childcare please get in touch 💕