Hi Free Rangers family! My name is Paloma, which means “Dove” in Spanish.
Read moreLift the Bar
Working in childcare is an emotionally and physically draining, we decided as a team that we also needed to invest time in looking after ourselves and do our best to buck the trend of the two hour toilet research!
Read moreJayne is cooking up a storm in the Free Range kitchen
So I'm Jayne and I have been in the catering industry since I was 16. Whilst at school I used to pack vegetables in a local green grocers.
Read moreCooking with Jayne
At Free Rangers we aim to provide children with a healthy, nutritious and varied diet of foods. We also aim to support children to gain and develop important life skills in a fun and interactive way.
Read moreGloopy fun
Anyone who knows me well enough will know that i'm really not a fan of 'messy play'. I know this may come as a shock due to me being the forest school leader and having to deal with a lot of mud!
Read moreTransitions
The Hive (children under two) and the Burrow (children two to three) have been working hard to improve transition for the children and their families between the two rooms.
Read moreLearning at Free Rangers
We're not an educational sausage factory, we're more of a slightly unkempt allotment offering up fruit and vegetables of all shapes and sizes.That's why we try to make it clear from the outset that we're more interested about where you child is, not where they should be, and how we can support them, not simply push them through their time with us.
Read moreI'm Staying!
As most of you know I was due to leave in July.. and well, I'm still here! A few weeks ago I kindly asked Char if I could possibly stay and she said yes, so I continue to work with the girls in the Hive!
Read moreBridget's visit
Another open mic session from one of the Burrow's (now Den's) lovely mums, listening and looking at a guitar. Thank you so much for the wheelbarrow revamp too!
Read moreMaking the Spark
Today whilst on lunch, Lucy approached me with puppy looking eyes saying my name very sweetly “Lauren, you're a forest school leader!” Of course, my initial reaction was to say “I'm too busy” but I sat and listened. She asked if I could write down a few reasons why we use fires on forest school and the benefits of this.
Read moreHealthy Habits lead to Healthy Outcomes
Some of you may recall a few months ago when we asked families to get involved in our ‘Greenway Challenge’. Back then we were working towards achieving our Department of Public Health: Healthy Outcomes Certificate, which we received in March.
Read moreFood For Thought
There's something wonderful about allowing children to make a legitimate mess. It can provide such fantastic learning opportunities. It's when we apply a certain level of meaning to the mess created that we can see the magic happening...
Read moreNew Beginnings
It’s that time of the year again where we see another group of babies who have grown and developed into young toddlers move on into the Burrow but we also welcome a new set of babies as they embark upon their new adventures here at Free Rangers.
Read moreLanguage and Imagination
Last week’s Forest School activity was focused around language and imagination. Our setting for this activity was the inside of the willow dome, a natural ‘room’ or enclosure, a cosy space perfect for storytelling
Read moreIntroducing: Ellie!
Tea from the Hedgerow
What do you do when the hedgerows are burgeoning with ripening blackberries, and the early apples are starting to drop? You make sure you use them in as many ways as possible! Blackberries have been a focus across the Nursery and in the Den we opted to make some hedgerow tea!
Read moreTeeth are Not For Biting!
Over the past few weeks in the Hive, the children have enjoyed reading stories with their carers - looking at the pictures and talking about what they can see! So recently over circle time we decided this would be a nice time to introduce a "book of the week".
Read moreGross and fine motor skills in the Burrow
Over the past two weeks in the Burrow, the children have been using their gross and fine motor skills within their play. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term gross and fine motor skills, here’s what it means:
Read moreI come to nursery to see my friends
The Burrow is such a lovely room in the way of relationships as the children are at the right age to start building friendships and understanding those around them.
Read moreFrom The Hive to The Burrow and from the Burrow to the Den
It’s that time of year again when we say hello to our new children and goodbye to our older children as we move into new rooms. Don’t panic yet, the official moving date won’t be until September
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