It’s 5-Star Food & Fun at Little Acorns Nursery in Padiham

It’s been five-star food, fun, and feasting at the Nursery during February this year! Children enjoyed making and eating pancakes, parents got to eat breakfast with nursery staff and children for Valentine’s Day, our 5-Star Food Hygiene rating was awarded again for another year, and our little ones even got involved in our Recipe of the Month. We’ll spill all the beans for you below, although not literally of course.

A Renewed 5-Star Food & Hygiene Rating

Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham, has been awarded a 5-star rating for Food Hygiene by the Food Standards Agency.Our Padiham nursery had its annual inspection by the local Environmental Health Officer recently. The purpose was to ensure, as required in all settings serving food, that Little Acorns Nursery has high standards of hygiene and follows the food preparation guidelines specified by the UK’s Food Standards Agency. Once again, Little Acorns Nursery passed with flying colours, achieving a full 5-star rating. That’s the best rating possible and reflects the highest levels of quality for food preparation, the food itself, cleanliness, and competence of staff. So, our thanks and utmost respect go to Kim, our in-house chef/cook, whose high standards, skill and expertise do the children and the nursery proud.

Recipe of the Month

To expand their learning and development and to nurture children’s interests, nursery children get heavily involved in our Recipe of the Month each month — and it’s been no different during the first part of the year. For January, it was the inclement weather that influenced the outcome of the new year’s first Recipe of the Month. Having witnessed snow, rain, hailstone and wind in recent times, the decision was made to choose a warm and healthy meal and, indeed, the final choice went down a storm! The recipe chosen for January was Warm Winter Stew.

One of the Little Acorns Nursery children peeling potatoes for January's Recipe of the Month.Because the recipe heavily involved potatoes, this also tied in nicely with the book Supertato, which our preschoolers have been looking at in tandem with discussions about food and the importance of a healthy diet. The photo shows one of the children peeling potatoes. Others peeled vegetables and even made their own dumplings. The fun activity helped to nurture children’s learning and the development of new skills and knowledge. The final result was both tasty and a huge hit with the little ones!

Recipe of the Month for February almost decided itself, as you’ll see below…

Pancake Time!

Nursery children loved mixing ingredients to make pancake batter on Pancake Day.Shrove Tuesday, a.k.a. Pancake Day, arrived on the 13th of February and it gave us a great opportunity to organise pancake-themed activities for the nursery/preschool children … for the entire week! After all, who doesn’t love pancakes? So, as you’ve no doubt guessed by now, our Recipe of the Month for February was home-made pancakes and it’s a recipe the children really enjoyed getting involved in. They loved mixing ingredients in a bowl to make their own pancake mix. We even set up a ‘Pancake Bar’ (see the main photo at the top), which included lots of yummy toppings that children could use to decorate their pancakes. The toppings included strawberries, bananas, chocolate spread, jam, lemon, sprinkles, honey and cream.

The theme continued all week with further pancake-themed activities laid on for the children. Even the toddlers had fun as they recreated pancake-making by ‘pat-pat-patting’ play-doh pancakes at the play-doh table in the nursery’s home corner.

On Valentine’s Day, the Food Theme Continued

Food prepared for Valentine's Day at the nursery.Valentine’s Day, which arrived on the 14th of February, also involved lots of food. After all, as the saying goes, it is often thought of as the language of love! At the nursery, we organised a lovely Grab ‘n’ Go Breakfast for our parents. This was followed by a special 3-course Valentine’s Day meal for our children in our lovely new dining room, which was set up like a little restaurant (see the photos). Children had sausage rolls to start, cheesy chicken and red pepper pasta for the main course and strawberry mousse – with sprinkles – for pudding. Accompanying this was some delicious blackcurrant juice. It all went down a treat with our nursery children, as did several other activities that were themed towards Valentine’s Day.

Healthy Meals & Snacks at Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham

Our talented in-house chef Kim ensures children receive healthy, nutritious and balanced meals.Kim, our talented in-house chef, prepares tasty home-made meals and healthy snacks for children at the nursery. Meals are prepared freshly, on site, using high-quality ingredients, which are locally sourced whenever possible. They are delicious as well as being nutritionally balanced to include a healthy mix of fish, meat, pulses and vegetables. Learn more about our menus and our approach to serving children here. The link also includes some new example menus that we’ve recently put together.

Special Diets are Catered For

All diets are catered for at Little Acorns Nursery, so if your child is allergic to anything, is vegetarian, vegan, or requires things like halal or kosher food, simply let us know and we’ll make the appropriate arrangements.

Little Acorns Nursery

High-Quality Weekday Childcare in Padiham, Lancashire (BB12)

Little Acorns Nursery & Preschool is in Padiham, Lancashire, near Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End. If you have a baby or child under five and require the best weekday childcare service near Padiham in Lancashire, do consider Little Acorns Nursery. As well as looking after little ones, we give them a high-quality early years education too. Indeed, we bring out the very best in every child and help them achieve personal bests across the board, so they’re ‘school-ready’ by the time they leave us to begin school around the age of five. Contact us if you’d like your child to have the very best start in life — we’ll help children grow into the very best version of themselves, so they’re ready to take on the world and thrive! We’d be delighted to show you and your little one around and you’ll soon see how well they will fit into our warm, caring, and homely environment.

Get in touch today to explore more about a childcare place at Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham.

Little Acorns Nursery & Preschool in Padiham may also suit families in nearby towns and villages including Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End.

Our Sponsored Walk – for a Very Worthwhile Cause

Our Sponsored Walk – for a Very Worthwhile Cause

Fun and games for children at Gawthorpe Park.During the autumn half-term break, adults and children from Little Acorns Nursery in Padiham embarked on a sponsored walk around Gawthorpe Park. The walk took place during a cold and wet Tuesday, on 24th October, with children from our Little Seedlings, Little Acorns and Great Oaks rooms donning Wellington boots, anoraks and wet weather gear for the task. Once assembled, little ones and adults braved the inclement weather and went on to complete the walk admirably, even making the local Burnley Express paper.

During the walk, children made the activity more exciting by spotting wildlife, including squirrels, birds, dogs, and even Gruffaloes and bears! Accompanying adults also encouraged little ones to look out for the changing autumn leaves, which are so beautiful at this time of the year. The sponsored walk followed Baby Loss Awareness Week, which took place earlier in October.When the rain persisted, children were also encouraged to use magic wands to wish it away!

The sponsored walk also followed Baby Loss Awareness Week, which took place from the 9th to 15th, earlier in October. There, children were encouraged to wear something pink or blue during our special Pink & Blue Day, which was organised to allow children who could not make the sponsored walk to take part.

Raising Money for Maggie’s Stillbirth Legacy

Maggie's Stillbirth Legacy helps to support families who suffer the loss of a little one.The sponsored walk was dedicated to a cause that’s extremely close to our hearts — the memory of Yusuf, the baby son of one of our families — as well as aiming to raise awareness of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). £148 was raised through our sponsored walk and a further £52 through a cake sale by our sister nursery, Little Acorns in Hindley Green. All the money raised goes to the chosen charity of Yusuf’s family, Maggie’s Stillbirth Legacy, which helps to support other families who suffer the loss of a little one. The organisation has been running since 2015 and provides resources and training in hospital and care environments to better support such families. Resources provided by them include memory boxes, cuddle blankets, cold cots and angel gowns and the organisation also makes donations to several charities and related causes. It won a Pride of Britain Award in 2021.

Learn more about supporting Maggie’s Stillbirth Legacy here.

The wonderful team of adults and children who took part in the sponsored walk, outside our Padiham nursery.

Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham

Little Acorns Nursery & Preschool is in Padiham, Lancashire, near Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End. Little Acorns is a high-quality nursery in Padiham, Lancashire, which offers a wonderful weekday childcare service to local families. We may also suit families living or working nearby in places like Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End.

So, if you live nearby and have a baby, toddler or preschooler under five, get in touch to discuss the fabulous childcare service and early years education available at Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham. We’ll be happy to show you and your little one around, answer any questions, and explain more. Please get in touch today for more details or to begin your child’s application for a nursery or preschool place:

Follow Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham, on Social Media

If you’re a parent of a child under five, consider following Little Acorns Nursery on our social media channels and here on our blog. As well as showcasing some of the activities and events at our Padiham nursery, we’ll also publicise useful and informative guides, articles and advice about parenting, early years learning and development, and everything to do with childcare. For example, we may publish guides explaining eligibility rules for the various Government-funded schemes for free childcare, or discuss the findings of important studies into the education of under-fives. We may show images from trips the children have been on, or highlight a fun and educational activity that children under five can take part in at home. These are just a few examples, so do follow us if you’d like to be kept better informed.

Follow Our Journal

Follow our blog for latest news, information and updates about childcare, parenting, and early years learning and development.This is what we call our blog (short for ‘web log’) where we regularly publish guides and useful information for parents of children under five. The main blog page can be found here and parents can take a look at the article list and pick out any that they find interesting. They’re all carefully researched and professionally written. Articles include a series of guides and useful information for parents, covering topics like childcare funding schemes, activity ideas, health and wellbeing of babies and children under five, a Hygge explainer, and much more. We add new articles every month and will also include key happenings at the nursery. So, do bookmark this page in your browser if you’d like to keep up to date.

Follow Us on Twitter

Follow Little Acorns Nursery (@NurseryPadiham) on Twitter.We’re @NurseryPadiham on Twitter, so you can follow us at https://twitter.com/NurseryPadiham/

• On Twitter, we’ll tweet images and links to our useful guides for parents and interesting information about early years education, parenting, childcare funding, and much more.
• We’ll include tweets and retweets of other useful information from third parties too. For example, tweets may be about learning and development, books/reading, nature, wildlife, early play, outdoor play, the well-being and health of children, creativity, activities for kids, sport, food, literacy, numeracy, and basically anything to do with childcare or raising a child under five.

Follow Our Facebook Channel

Follow Little Acorns Nursery Padiham (@TotsNursery) on Facebook.We’re @TotsNursery on Facebook (because we took over the Adventure Tots childcare business), so you can follow us at https://www.facebook.com/totsnursery/

Our Facebook profile is jam-packed with updates and includes:

• Information about the nursery — all about us, opening times, etc;
• Facebook ratings — currently we have the highest possible 5-star rating after reviews from tens of people;
• Newsletters from the nursery, as they’re published;
• Photos and videos from the nursery;
• Useful information, guides, and links to the in-depth posts from our main blog;
• Latest updates from what’s been going on at the nursery — events, outings, and initiatives, etc;
• Comments from parents;
• Occasional competitions;
• Posts and re-posts of useful and interesting Facebook posts that we think might interest our parents/families. For example, activity ideas, games, learning and development insights, play ideas, wildlife information for families and children, etc.

Follow Us on Instagram

Follow Little Acorns Nursery Padiham (@LittleAcornsNurseryBB12) on InstagramWe’re @LittleAcornsNurseryBB12 on Instagram, so you can follow us at https://www.instagram.com/littleacornsnurserybb12/

At time of writing, our Instagram profile is pretty new, but we’ll soon be adding pictorial content including:

• Great images showing activities at the nursery/pre-school in Padiham;
• Photos of outings, outdoor play, etc;
• Photos of creative play at the nursery;
• Photos of events involving our under-fives;
• Images with links to highly interesting and useful articles and guides published for parents of under-fives on our main blog.

Follow Our Pinterest Pins

Follow Little Acorns Nursery Padiham (@LittleAcornsNurseryBB12) on Pinterest.We’re also @LittleAcornsNurseryBB12 on Pinterest, so you can follow our pins and boards at https://www.pinterest.co.uk/LittleAcornsNurseryBB12/

We love Pinterest and feel it’s very underrated! Follow us on Pinterest for:

• Interesting photos, images, and videos, particularly for parents of under-fives.
• We also re-pin useful and interesting images and ideas from others who have pinned about early years play, activity ideas, learning and development, etc.
• Our own “title image pins” with links to our highly useful blog posts, articles and guides for parents, information about early years education, parenting, and more.

On our Pinterest channel, pinboards have been created for the following topics: Preschool, Nursery School Activities, Little Acorns Nursery Padiham itself, Early Years, Sensory Activities for Under 5s, Early Years Parenting, and Nature Activities for Under-Fives. We may add more and we’ll be adding more and more ‘pins’ to each category as time goes by.

Find us on Google

Little Acorns Nursery Padiham is also on Google Business.We appreciate that, if you’re reading this, you’ve already found us. However, if you ever need to find us again and aren’t sure where to look, we’re also on Google. Our Google business profile is here. It shows:

• Our reviews (we have a full 5-Star rating at the time of publishing this article);
• Our business details including address, opening/closing times, contact details, etc;
• Photos from the nursery and as uploaded by the public;
• An outside interactive street view;
• Links to the latest blog posts from the nursery;
• A map and directions — particularly useful if you’re visiting or working out distances and travel to/from the nursery.

Review Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham

Review Little Acorns Nursery Padiham on Google or Facebook.If you’re a parent of a current child at Little Acorns Nursery in Padiham, why not write us a review? You can review us on Google (here) and review us on Facebook (here). Many thanks if so. Or, if you have any comments, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Little Acorns: a Nursery & Pre-School for Children Under 5 in Padiham

The highest quality childcare in Padiham, Lancashire

Little Acorns Nursery & Pre-School is in Padiham, Lancashire, near Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End.

At Little Acorns Nursery, we give babies, toddlers, and children under 5 the very best start in life. We are a nursery and pre-school in Padiham that offers weekday childcare and a complete early years education. We’re also conveniently close for those living or working nearby in Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham, or Wood End. Government-funded childcare places are all supported for eligible families, so do get in touch if you’d like to register your child for a childcare place, to arrange a guided tour, or ask any questions. We’re here to help.

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Hygge is Coming to Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham.

Hygge is Coming to Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham.

In today's post, we explain what Hygge means and how it will benefit the nursery and children.One of the exciting new initiatives that we have planned for Little Acorns nursery, Padiham, is to make it a Hygge setting. In today’s post, we explain what Hygge means and how it will benefit the setting, especially the children. Once the Hygge initiative has been fully adopted, it will positively transform the whole feel of the nursery and benefit everyone. Introducing Hygge is exciting and the children are going to love it! To be truthful, we can’t wait to get started!

First, though … what is Hygge and how do you even say the word?

What’s Hygge?

Hygge is a Danish word that's pronounced “Hue-Gah”Counter to the instincts of those whose first language is English, Hygge is pronounced “Hue-Gah” rather than “Hig”. It is popular in Denmark and Norway and is a Danish word that refers to a rather beautiful lifestyle; one of cosiness, homeliness, contentment and comfort. Wellbeing, warmth and conviviality are central to the Hygge approach. Friendliness, a welcoming atmosphere and closer links to nature are key parts of the Hygge way of life too. Having a more simple lifestyle and living far more in the moment are also part and parcel of Hygge. With such facets, Hygge naturally fosters happiness and contentment in everyone that it touches. Indeed, that’s one of the many reasons we can’t wait for both children and staff to start embracing it at Little Acorns Nursery.

Hygge is like a hug but without the physical touch.

Hygge at Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham

Hygge looks and feels warmer and gives children little nooks and corners to read, converse and play in.Once we’ve adopted Hygge at the nursery, it’ll look and feel warmer and far more welcoming, with softer, warmer lighting and a more homely atmosphere. Gone will be anything that looks sterile, cold or even harshly lit. Instead, expect to see soft furnishings including cushions, rugs and blankets. Look out for little nooks where children can gather in small groups to read, play or engage with each other or with staff. Hygge nurseries are also synonymous with dens and teepees, allowing children to ‘nest’ in calm, cosy spaces and corners. All these things will also deaden sound, reduce noise levels, and banish echoes, making for a much calmer setting entirely.

‘True’ Hygge is also associated with candlelight although, of course, for safety purposes, this would be the LED version of candles at the nursery. They’ll still make the lighting magical, though, and it’s even possible to get flickering LED tea-lights.

Hygge is associated with nature, natural objects and materials.We mentioned that Hygge brings people closer to nature and that will be evident not only outside but indoors too. We’ll ensure there are natural objects and materials for the children to explore and handle, including things like smooth pebbles, wood surfaces, pine cones and perhaps reed and wicker items. These will be lovely to handle and to be around, stimulating multiple senses, which is so important in the young. The introduction of appropriate plants will also bring children closer to nature and enhance the Hygge atmosphere.

Hygge often goes hand-in-hand with relaxing music and even calming scents, and we’ll see about introducing some of that to the nursery too. for yet more sensory stimulation, although in a very calm way.

Hygge minimises conflict and leads to harmony, calmness and a very pleasurable day-to-day experience.Children will also be encouraged to be convivial, i.e. be friendly, inclusive, pleasant and welcoming to one another and to staff. We always try to foster a culture of mutual respect and equality, but the introduction of Hygge to the nursery will take this even further. Sharing and politeness are to be encouraged. Play will be calmer and more harmonious. With Hygge, growing friendships will naturally blossom. Hygge minimises conflict and leads to harmony, calmness and a very pleasurable day-to-day experience for everyone touched by it.

With Hygge, children will also be encouraged to live at times more in the moment. They will also be asked to quietly reflect on their day and to think about everything they are grateful for. It’s a great new way for children to see and appreciate the world around them including both the bigger picture and the smaller details. Indeed, it will really bring out their sense of wonder.

Hygge is magical. It will feed children’s hearts, minds and spirits — in profound ways.

We will update this site in due course as we progress on our Hygge adventure, eventually culminating in Hygge in Early Years accreditation. The children and staff of Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham, are really going to enjoy the journey and we hope that parents will embrace some of its values too.

Little Acorns Nursery & Pre-School is in Padiham, Lancashire

Little Acorns Nursery & Pre-School is in Padiham, Lancashire, near Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End.

Little Acorns Nursery & Pre-School is in Padiham, Lancashire, conveniently near to Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End. We offer an outstanding weekday childcare service for babies, toddlers & children aged up to 5.

If you would like to register your interest in a place for your child at the nursery/pre-school, please get in touch. We’ll be pleased to hear from you and will be in touch, by return, to agree the next steps. We’re happy to discuss your child’s nursery application at any time and to answer any questions. Please choose a button to get started …

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