Make your own Jack O Lanterns

Every year we spend a fortune on pumpkins. then after Halloween throw them in the bin and it is so wasteful so this year we decided to economise and make cheaper but just as good ones. We did this by following these easy instructions I found on google:

You will need:

1. Balloons (the rounder the better)
2. Paper mache mix OR newspapers, flour and water
3. Something to stand them in to dry
4. Paint – lots of orange! some green and brown

Instructions:

Blow up the balloons to pumpkin size. Cover them with paper mache (either following the manufacturer’s instructions, or by mixing flour and water to a gloopy liquid and stripping newspaper to layer on the balloon with the flour paste) to make a roundish shape.

Let them dry. (Some products let you bake the object at 150 degrees to get it dry the same day). Pop the balloon trough the paper machie with a pin or large knitting needle.

Add more paper mache to reshape until you are satisfied with the size and shape of your pumpkin.

We found it a good idea  before the paper mache gets too thick, cut out a jack o ‘lantern face.

When the pumpkin is well and truly dry, paint!

I’ve bought orange spray paint, and then several shades of orange craft paint. I sprayed the pumpkin orange, and then used the other shades to make it more realistic. It was less expensive, and less time consuming, than painting the whole thing orange and didn’t risk getting the pumpkin soggy.

If you’ve made a stem, use the brown and green to paint it.

Use small penlight torches to light up your pumpkins

Now you can either keep these pumpkins for next year of as they are so much cheaper to make than using real pumpkins make them again next year

These can also be used as trick or treat bowls by cutting of the top and tying some string to the sides and putting sweets in the middle.

Childminders Diary update:

Havnt filled this in for a while been really busy only got two mindies at the moment but they have been keeping me on my toes.

We go to all the mums and toddlers clubs and they both like it

The little boy I care for, we shall call him A for this diary has just started walking and he is such a cutie but he is in to everything and loves the play groups. He is just starting to play with toys but there is nothing at the moment that really keeps his attention for long. He does like looking at books

I also have an 20mth old girl shall call her B is a diamond she is at that age when she is just soaking up knowledge. She knows all her basic colours, we were doing animal sounds the other day and she loved roaring like a lion.

This month our theme is halloween and we are going to make some cakes and cards. We made some pumpkin lights last week and the children had a great time. We have got two halloween playgroup parties to go to next week so that should be fun. We have already made their costumes will put some piccies up next week.

Diploma In Home-based Childcare Unit 3

Unit 3  was an interesting unit we learnt a lot about childcare in the home and what it expected of us as homebased childcarers.

Working with children can be a very demanding and challenging career. We need to have a good understanding of children. We need to be adaptable to the many different demands from children.

We were also taught how to be reflective, which to be honest is not something I had thought about before. To sit back and look at what I do and ask myself is there anyway I could improve my setting and improve what I do. To look outside my setting to see what I could do to enhance the children in my care. Making me look at my weaknesses as well as my achievments.

I started to make a few notes during the day. Noted what the children played with, what kept there attention longer and what they seemed to enjoy the most, by doing this I  changed a few things to enhance their day.

I also learnt how to be assertive and value myself and not to be walked over by parents or officials. I must admit since taking this course I have made a great improvement in my self assertivness and it has helped tremendously with my parent relationships. Before taking this course was always a bit timid to talk to a parent if I had a problem, now I find it much easier to talk to them and other officials.

The rest of the course was great to I learnt how to market my service, how to write good policies.

During the course we spent an long time on child protection and learning what to look out for. You always think that child abuse is just a child being beaten but there are so many different ways a child can be abused a someone on the outside not recognise it.  I finished this part of the course with a certificate and a lot of information I did not know before.

This unit of the course has really helped me with my chidlcare business and I am now waiting for the result of my assigment at the end. I am now putting all I have learnt into practice and hopefully giving the children the benifit of my training.

Well now on to Unit 2

A Childminders Summer

Not been on here for a while been so busy with the kids during the summer holidays. Had to really  put on my thinking cap to  find ways to entertain the little ones.

As a Childminder of five overactive kids during the schoool holiday , I spend time with the children doing lots of things never a minute to get bored

We did lots of crafts making things from friendship bracelts to monster trucks. We did lots of singing and lots of story telling and lots of visits to the libarary

When the weather was good we had mini sports days out in the garden. We did leaf rubbing and stone rubbing. If the weather was really good we packed a picnic and went to the local park. For the older children I organised treasure hunts, we really had some great times. For the younger ones we had ball games.
One day we had a picnic and took the kites with us the kids were having so much fun they didn’t want to go home.

All in all I think we all had a great Summer Holiday now the older kids are back at school it seems really quite here but not for long another few weeks and another holiday.

I love the school holidays so much and not once did I hear a child say ” I’m Bored”

Tell me what you did with your kids during the summer

EYFS – Course

All I ever wanted to be was a childminder and look after children, if I wanted to become a typist, a record keeper, bookeeper, a filest (not sure about that word but you know what I mean) I would have got a job as a secretary.

I went on a EYFS course on Saturday my day of mind you to find out what this was all about, it seems that I have been doing it all anyway Ofsted just now want me to right it all down on paper, when do they think we are going to look after the children, whose is going to look after A while we are observing and taking notes for B.

I can understand why some minders are giving up seem so much extra work for something we have all been doing for years.

Summer Holidays

Dont know what to do with the kids this summer,how about teaching them a few crafts there are so many out there for young or old, from plaster casting to knitting. Below is a list of childrens sites that specialize in crafts for children.

Grafix Craft Kits for Children
Enchanted learning
Crafters Community

If you have any you would like to add please put them on the message board and I will enter them in here

Cosy Shopper

The Cosy Shopper

cosy-shopper-editorial-baby-toddler-mag-april-20081

When Lisa Marie Penn realised how irritating she found the baby bucket seats insupermarket trolleys, she realised there was an opportunity to be used in creatinga new product, as well as keeping babies everywhere cleaner and happier!

The seats on most trolleys are not clean, can be full of gunk or mess, and as Lisasays, most mums would rather use a baby wipe to clean them, or take pieces ofblankets to lay in them. The seats are so often dirty which is always worrying whenyou are trying to keep baby in a sterile environment. Not only this, but they are cold, hard and uncomfortable too; not making them the ideal place for mum to put babyon an already stressful shopping trip! The Cosy Shopper may just be the perfect solution. Made of warm, double lined fleece in a variety of funky, colourful patterns, including cute animal print with ears, the cosy shopper will keep baby safe, comfortable and germ free. Quick and easy to use, they are an ideal gift for babiesfrom newborn to one year old. The designs include matching blanket sets, and thecover also fits infant carrier car seats to protect them from getting grubby and canbe removed very simply for cleaning.

Lisa Marie is a busy mum; juggling housework, raising her daughters and beforethis venture, working in a bank. The new product means Lisa Marie is now runningher own business, and just goes to show that if you aren’t happy with something, it’s worth making a change! Lisa Marie did, and now the Cosy Shopper will beavailable from a variety of stockists.

See www.thecosyshopper.co.uk or telephonethem on 0845 251 2679 for further information and to see the full range.

Editorial Provided By The Cosy Shopper www.thecosyshopper.co.uk – Telephone: 0845 251 2679

What is EYFS?

For parents and childminders

http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/_doc/11324/00108-2007FLY-EN.pdf

Advertise Tips!!

Looking for ways of advertising I found this list on a mumsnet message board. There is two lists the first one is online places to advertise, just copy and paste into your address bar. The second one is ideas for advetising in your area. Thanks to loonytune who compiled this list.

Online List

www.gumtree.co.uk
www.nannyjob.co.uk  – £9.99 per annum to advertise
www.scoot.co.uk
www.ukvillages.co.uk
www.britinfo.net
www.yell.com
www.118118.com
www.childalert.co.uk
www.practicalparent.org.uk
www.familiesonline.co.uk
www.nctpregnancyandbabycare.com
www.mumsnet.com
www.touchlocal.co.uk
www.netmums.com
www.askyourneighbour.co.uk
www.childrensdirectory.com
www.tinies.com
www.192.com
www.childminder-uk.co.uk
www.childcareindex.co.uk
www.thompsonlocal.com
www.childcareplaces.co.uk
www.childworks.co.uk
www.kyotee.co.uk
www.familyrapp.co.uk
www.babydirectory.co.uk
www.upmystreet.com
www.thelocalweb.net
www.babyworld.co.uk (can’t advertise but can reply to requests for care)
www.justformumz.co.uk
www.ufindus.com
www.movethat.com (London)
www.village-links.co.uk
www.childcareresources.co.uk
www.earlyyearsonline.co.uk
www.simplychildcare.com
www.ufindus.com
www.vivastreet.co.uk
www.the-business-list.com
www.childcaredirectory.co.uk
www.hallolondon.com
www.ukchildminder.co.uk
www.silkysteps.co.uk
www.letsfind.co.uk
www.nitronsearch.co.uk
London-Village.co.uk
www.nannyneeded.co.uk
www.nannynet.co.uk
www.parentscentre.gov.uk
www.thompsonlocal.com
www.mindthekids.co.uk

If an NCMA member, tell them you want to take part in their care-4 advertising. They will register you and the following week you can advertise on childcareplaces the reason you have to wait til following week is because they transfer details from NCMA every Friday) Tel: 02082902410

An emergency/adhoc care booking service – emergencychildcare.co.uk

Other advertising ideas:

Posters/postcards
Newsagents
Post Office
Local Shops
Supermarket Notice Boards
Local Village Notice Boards
Toddlers Groups
Pre-Schools
Library’s
Staff Notice Boards
Health Visitor
Dr’s Surgery
Yellow Pages
Thompson Directory

Other Tips
Always carry business cards or leaflets with you
Put leafelts on the cars in mums and baby spaces when you go to the supermarket.
Do a leaflet drop in your local area.
Do some courses and swap numbers with other childminders close by.
Go to mums and tots groups. tell EVERYONE you are a childminder!!!

Useful Links

I am trying to compile a list of useful links for Childminders if you have any to add could you please enter them on the message board or Email Me! Thanks

The one stop shop for all your craft supplies

1000 Items of Official Crested Football Merchandise

Childminders advertise free just post your details. Mind the Kids

For National and Local Childcare Information Sure Start Childcare Link

This web site if full of information that a childminder might need, policies & Procedures – EYFS pages & lots more Bromley Childminding Association
A great way to advertise your childminding service on these Personalised Sun shades