Trying out this new approach to childcare - as you can see, the children have access to fresh water and plenty of grass to eat... and are perfectly contained! Thoughts?? 😉

Rainy morning = get creative. Here are our rock monsters! RARRR!

A very friendly snail and some very happy children... Fiona

This is Scrump. Scrump likes to visit our garden most nights and eat the mealworms that the birds have knocked off the bird feeders and the bugs in the log pile at the side of our house. It just goes to show that when you try to create a wildlife garden, you never know who might show up! 😍

So happy to introduce Milligan's new friends! Isaac (Éva named him) and Maui (Amelie named him) are 8 week old boys. After a few days of meeting each other through a fence, we took away the partition and they seem to be getting along very well! I feel funny getting new piggies so soon after losing Spike, but Milligan was very quiet and low. Guinea pigs really need company and he's obviously more chirpy since we got the babies 😊

It is with a heavy heart that I have to share the news of our lovely guinea pig, Spike, having to be put to sleep last week. He became ill very quickly and, as is the way with little pets, trying to operate to save him would have been too risky and stressful. My girls have been very upset, and I know that my mindees will be sad too, as the guinea pigs have always been a favourite in our house. We buried Spike in the garden and planted this bush by him - hopefully this will give the children a focus when they think of him. So sad 😢

When researching developing a Nature Garden, it became apparent that one crucial element was missing... Water. In gardens where there is a water source, be it a bird bath, water feature, pond or even a series of containers with rain water, this source gives wildlife the opportunity to thrive. It can also provide habitat for a wider variety of insects and animals. I always loved the idea of a pond, but was put off due to the health and safety aspects, especially where young children are concerned. Also, I knew nothing about ponds! But then I read about container ponds and thought it looked much more safe and simple. We set one up a couple of weeks ago, and here's how we did it...

NATALIE HARROWER: ECO-CHILDMINDER! Hello all! Spring has sprung (although no one has told the weather!) and the children and I have been having lots of fun the garden. As always, the learning is led by the children's interests, and they are fascinated by animals, birds and plants. I also have a lifelong passion for wildlife and conservation and working with the children has inspired me to become an 'Eco-Childminder'. Unfortunately, despite being so closely involved with early education, there are no resources for childminders that are similar to the Eco Schools programme, so I'm going to try and plan my own programme. Look out for future posts about what we've all been up to in our new venture! And please feel free to share any ideas! N x

I've hung up some rainbow crystals in the kitchen - when the sun shines, tiny rainbows are scattered across the room! The children have been trying to catch them!

My little music makers are busy this morning! Love it ❤😊