Activity of the Week-Obstacle Courses

Its been a while since I've written an Activity of the Week blog so I thought I better do one.  This week I am focusing on Obstacles Courses.  This can be done with small children to older children and its really fun.
What myself and my charges do is that we get a variety of garden equipment/toys and set ourselves challenges.  We also time ourselves and see if we can improve on our time. Below I have listed some bullet point ideas of things you can do.

• play tunnels to climb through
• bouncing tennis balls on rackets for a certain amount of times
• getting a ball in a net
• hopping on one leg
• jumping in a bin liner/sack race
• skipping
• press ups for sporty individuals
• bouncing on a trampoline
• running laps
• throwing hoops

I'm going to create a pin board on my pinterest with some further ideas link is www.pinterest.com/nbicester

Wellington country park near Reading in Berkshire

A few hours spent in the late October sunshine with two of my uni friends and gorgeous baby girl at Wellington Country Park near Reading.
http://wellington-country-park.co.uk/

This is a very quick blog post about my trip here in half term as I didn't spend very long here and did not engage with all the activities on offer as we were with a 8 month old so there was not as much she could engage with but did love the animals.

 As you can see from the photo here the weather was beautiful and we had a lovely stroll around the lake which would be lovely at anytime of year as it doesn't take to long and you could stop and have a picnic. 
The petting zoo area is a lovely size and a few different farmyard animals for children to look at.  In the wooded area there were some cool dinosaur models to look at so would be great for any dinosaur enthusiasts.

Facilities include a large café and shop with plenty of indoor seating and outdoor seating. The cost is reasonable for what it is so go on over to the website for further information and details on special events.

They also arrange scavenger hunts and work shops which sounds fun defintley a must for small children.


I liked it here and a day could be made of it but more for 2-8 years for my recommended age of children.

Whats going on in Oxfordshire/Further afield this half term?

October Half Term will shortly be upon us and although I will be enjoying some more annual leave I thought I would share whats going on in Oxfordshire this half term.


Millets Farm-Halloween Events
http://www.milletsfarmcentre.com/event/290

Creepy maze trails, pumpkin carving and Halloween circus to name a few events going on at Millets Farm this week.

Blenheim Palace
http://www.blenheimpalace.com/attractions-and-events/events/2016/autumn/halloween-at-blenheim-palace.html

Spooky tours and ride the ghost train to the pleasure gardens and if you fancy some spooky storytelling sessions.  There is lots to offer here.

Get Creative with Halloween
See my Halloween blog shortly to be published on some fun ideas to do at home with the kids and get those creative juices flowing.

Explore the museums
As always the local museums have some trails, activities and some special events on so check out the websites for Ashmolean, Pitt Rivers etc.

LEGOLAND
http://www.legolandholidays.co.uk/legoland-windsor-events/brick-or-treat.html

Kids go free during half term!! Which is a good incentative to go especially as LEGOLAND is not cheap.

Activity of the week-Musical Washing Lines

Hello, hello its been a little while I must get better at writing blogs but to be honest I have a lack of creative genius sometimes.

Saying that I was going through some of my EYP coursework and came across an idea I thought would be a good activity of the week and that is Musical washing lines.

This activity is suitable for Babies and Toddlers and is another DIY home activity which you can create from things around the house and or their toys.

1. Use some string or washing line cord and attach to something secure, I would suggest draping at the childs height on a fence outside and stapling it to it.

2. Attach some items to the line,  These can be some bells, an old saucepan, a baby rattle, old cutlery(If age approapriate) or anything that jangles.

3. give them a stick or wooden spoon to hit the items with.  I found this photo online and have included it below to give you an idea of what I mean.  This however is a free standing one but as I have said use anything in your own house/garden and improvise.



Go on and have a go and let me know how it goes.

The importance of Outdoor play

This week I have come across Persil's "Why dirt is good" campaign and inspired me to write about the importance of outdoor play for children.  The link to their website https://www.persil.co.uk/why-dirt-is-good/

I am very passionate about getting children outside from an early age and I see very often how easy it is for parents to get out the I pad for their children instead of playing with them and providing them with exciting learning opportunities.  Hey I'm not judging I'm a nanny and I get paid to do this everyday and then I can go home to my childfree home.  I do not believe of depriving children of technology however everything needs to be done in moderation and getting your children outside does not always need to be complicated.

Bournemouth beach taken by Nanny Bicester

The weather is getting warmer and I've been spending more time outside with the children.  Today we have been outside doing mini Olympic style events which is an activity we have come back to time and time again which is really fun and to be honest you can adapt it for all age children.

My charges are very sporty and love the outdoors luckily and although I have not been gifted in my life in the sporty genes I love being outside with children.  When I worked as a nursery manager I would encourage other professionals to get the children outside rain or shine and not because it was an Ofsted requirement!!

Top of Carfax Tower, Oxford taken by Nanny Bicester

Fredick Frobel a childcare theorist studied outdoor play and the benefits for children. His work looked at the importance of the garden in creating outdoor learning opportunities for youngesters and how they learn best by being at nature.  I agree with this as the outdoors can be used to not only physically improve your childs health but mentally.  The simple things as planting flower seeds and watching them grow or just splashing around in muddly puddles will teach a child so much about the world around them and why things happen.

Bourton on the Water, Cotswolds taken by Nanny Bicester

My charges I try to get outside everyday in the holidays and that's mainly to keep me sane!!!  As I have mentioned previously they are very sporty active children at 7 and 10 but entertaining them can be relatively simple.  This week me and the eldest had our lunch at the local park as the weather was gorgeous and warm (didn't last as the next day was awful) and played hide and seek.

The next day we put on our raincoats and went for a bike around the bike route that leads up to Jericho in Oxford which is a short 20ish minute ride ending up at a park.

Activity Ideas

How can we get children outside you ask? How can I detach them from the tablet?  below I have listed some ideas to do with different aged children.

Babies/Toddlers

1. Ice cube play/jelly-  Get some ice cubes/jelly and put on a tray on a mat in a safe outdoor space
2. Duck feeding-take some old bread and go to your local river/park and feed the ducks

Older children

1. Mini Olympics-  design your own style events including throwing, running (my charges improvised and created their own hurdles and long jump)
2. Make animal feeders

Do your children have regular outdoor play? What do they like to do outside? do you ever struggle to get your children to leave the house?

I have created pin boards on my pinterest account to provide further ideas on what to do with children.

www.pinterest.com/nbicester

Happy springtime🐥🐏

Photo taken by Nanny Bicester

Springtime is here finally and there have been a few sunny days hooray!!!if I'm honest though it needs to get abit warmer so us nannies can rock out the sandals and shorts and just simply get paid to be in the sun all day.  Don't you hate us?
Time to get out and about if you haven't already with your little ones into the British countryside.  I plan to write a blog on the importance of outside play very soon.  Persil have started a campaign online "Dirt is good" so follow this link https://www.persil.co.uk/why-dirt-is-good/ which is backed by mum blogger Giovanna Fletcher who has done a vlog on her YouTube channel.  I suggest you check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9sWiLssHGo

Personal news;

The hoildays are still going and the oldest still has a week to go-help me!!! After that I will be going to Edinburgh for a few days with my mum and sister in law for some quality girlie time and some nice cocktails I'm sure.

Recently a few friends, one this weekend have given birth to beautiful and healthy baby girls which is so exciting lots of little girlies!! Wow starting to feel my age of nearly 30 now with many friends becoming parents and my calendar becoming full of children's birthdays. Congratulations to all of them(you know who you are).
I have also been to see my niece and nephew the previous couple of weekends and oh migod such cuties and I'm obviously not at all biased.  M is two and has become fiercly independent as they all are at this age and is able to give everybody the runaround.  Her language is expanding every single day and she has started to go to a childminders now so is also learning about the art of sharing. Good luck M!!
Now to my nephew J.  He is about to turn 6 months old and honestly cannot believe how he has changed so much since I last saw him at new year.  Physicaly he has grown loads and never stops smiling and is such a happy little boy to be around. I got lots of cuddles and had to bounce him up and down a lot which is hard to do now hes getting bigger.

Work news;

photo by Nanny Bicester

In my last blog I talked about some of the places I visited this holidays for the first time since then I have also been to Didcot Wave Pool in Oxfordshire with some friends from gymnastics.  Even I went down the water slide a couple of times, the things I do for my charges.  Although I have been known to enjoy a water slide or two when on holiday at a waterpark.  Next to the pool is a really good park and definitely had more to keep a 9yr old boy and 10yr old girl busy as I find that a lot of parks are no longer have challenging equipment for older children.

The kids also did a blind bake challenge which was a great idea in theory but the reality was not so much with one child having an absolute meltdown when the cake did not work out as it wouldn't cook properly.  As I was not allowed to see the process I have no idea what happened but when I tried to help it ended with me getting shouted at, called a cheat and then being sent to her room.  Other charge was trying to make a Swiss roll which turned out a little burnt bless him! 

Think that's all my news for now

Nanny Bicester xx
@nannybicester