childcare matters - Dizzy Ducks Day Nurseries

CHILDCARE MATTERS
“Treating your children as if they were our own”
December 2014 - Issue 26
It’s beginning to feel a lot
like Christmas...
It’s that time of year, when the woolly hats and warm winter
coats are getting dusted off.
As we started to plan December’s magazine, we began talking about
what Christmas means to each of us, our favourite part of the holiday
period, who we like to spend it with and the traditions we each have.
For me, Christmas always started when we made our annual trip to the
local garden centre to see, what felt like, hundreds of trees lined up
waiting to be picked.
As every family does, we had the obligatory discussion about how
fat, thin, tall or bald each one was, until we finally picked the
perfect Christmas tree. With the tree set up,
Dad then begrudgingly went up in to the
loft to drag out and dust off the decorations.
As your family grows it’s always nice to create some traditions
of your own to make the run up to Christmas a fun, exciting and unique
experience for your little ones. To give you a little inspiration, here are
some ideas of Christmas traditions that our Dizzy Ducks families have:
A day out is a firm favourite with our families.
• A matinee at the Pantomime, can never fail to kick start the
Christmas excitement - oh yes it does!
• Or a trip to see Santa – page 3 gives you some ideas of where you
might find him. A trip to Colchester Zoo can get you in to the spirit of
things, by spending the day with the animals and seeing Santa. The
family all wrapped up with hot chocolate in their flasks (and perhaps
some mulled wine for Mum and Dad) and turkey
and cranberry sandwiches packed in their
lunch boxes.
www.di
zzyduc
“There are no seven wonders of the world in the
eyes of a child...There are seven million.”
Walt Streightiff
ks.co.uk
The ELF on the SHELF - A Christmas
Tradition by Carol V. Aebersold and
Chanda A. Bell
This Month...
Page:
1-2 It’s beginning to feel a lot like
Christmas...
3 Top Toys
Santa’s coming to visit you
4-5 Photo Gallery
6 Rudolph Cupcakes
Merry Monday/ Festive Fridays
7 Festive Activities
8 This Month’s Birthdays
Beginning to feel like Christmas continued...
Let it snow…
But we all know how the weather can often let us
down over Christmas so some traditions at home
can be just as special.
• How about introducing an ‘Elf on the shelf’. This
naughty little elf can create mischief and magic
for children. Doing little tricks like turning the milk
green (with food colouring) or leaving little presents
each day. Who knows what he would do next?
• You can make the usual bedtime routine
Christmassy with the ‘12 books of Christmas’.
Wrap up 12 different books – they don’t need to
be new ones – get your child to unwrap one each
night at bedtime for you to read them.
• Create your own Christmas decorations.
Whether it’s angels made out of paper or felt Father
Christmas’, nothing feels more festive than being
covered in glue and glitter.
Baking cakes, be it Gingerbread men or the
Rudolph cakes on page 6, it is something lots of
mums and kids love to do.
As Christmas Eve falls, we get the whisky and
mince pies ready for Santa (not forgetting the
carrots for Rudolph and the other reindeers of
course!). We know exactly when he’ll arrive as the
Nisbett girls can be found tracking Santa through
noradsanta.org and watching his progress as he
makes his way around the world. Just brilliant!
We’d love to hear what traditions you have in your
family – please share them with me and I’ll include
them in the weekly emails we send to you.
Merry Christmas from all of us at Dizzy Ducks
and we hope you have a fantastic New Year.
Sian
sian.nisbett@dizzyducks.co.uk
Reggie is 3 years and 3 months
old. He created this picture after
recalling his firework experience.
It was made by using brightly
coloured paint and sparkly glitter.
Reggie Rickards
Sophie created this beautiful fireworks
picture by choosing a variety of paint
colours, then flicking them on to paper
to create the explosions!
Sophie Cummings
WOW!!!
All the Explorers (aged from 12
months to 19 months), helped to
create this firework masterpiece.
They used their fine motor skills
to flick and spread the paint.
Harlow Explorers
Charlie is 3 years and 5 months old,
she used her imagination and fine
motor skills, to create this amazing
finger painting masterpiece.
Charlie Clarkson
On the 12th Day of Christmas,
Mothercare said to me…
We headed down to our local
Mothercare branch, where they
provided us with a fantastic list
of their favourite top toys for
Christmas.
Unsure about what special
present to buy your little ones
this year? Have a look at the list,
and hopefully this will give you
some helpful ideas. We’re sure
that these fantastic presents will
be featuring on a number of wish
lists to Santa this year!
Girls Christmas List
• Lights and Sounds Buggy Driver
• Wooden Activity Kitchen
• Plastic Double-Sided Easel
• Cash Register
• Key-Boom-Board
Boys Christmas List
• Giant Sensory Ball Pit
• Wooden Activity Workbench
• Bugs Building Game
• Big City Garage
• 600 Piece Building Bricks
Mothercare Basildon, Mayflower
Retail Park, Gardiners Link,
Basildon, SS14 3HZ
01268 271471
www.mothercare.com
Santa’s coming to visit you!
Santa will be hanging out in the Essex and Suffolk area in the run up to Christmas!
Would you like to know whereabouts your little cherubs can go to meet him?
Look no further than this lovely list...
H Billericay - Barleylands
Christmas Experience
Visit the farm park and get the
full festive treatment, whilst the
children can meet Santa in his
festive grotto and hand pick their
own gift!
magical grotto! You can visit up
until Christmas Eve.
Santa will be there on selected
dates right up until Christmas Eve
(24th December).
Weekends - £10.00 including the
22nd, 23rd and 24th December.
Prices range from £6.00 for
adults, and up to £14.95 for
Children. Prices vary according to
the dates you would like to visit.
Adults who are an annual pass
holder can visit for free.
Visit www.barleylands.co.uk/
barleylands-christmas-experience
H Wickford - Alton’s Christmas
Grotto at Alton’s Garden Centre
Visit Santa every day at Alton’s
Cost of tickets are:
Monday - Friday - £8.00
excluding the 22nd, 23rd and
24th December.
Visit www.alton-gardencentre.
co.uk/santas-grotto/c407
from £4.50 – or both for £5.99.
Visit www.theharveycentre.
com/new-and-events/events/
christmas-comes-to-the-harveycentre
H Halstead, near Haverhill Colne Valley Railway, Castle
Hedingham
Go on a train ride with Santa
this Christmas at Colne Valley
Railway!
H Harlow - The Harvey Centre
Visit this mini winter wonderland,
and pop in to meet Santa too!
Santa will be here on selected
dates - 7th, 13th, 14th, 20th, 21st
December.
The grotto will be open 7 days
a week until Christmas Eve.
Tickets cost £3.50 for under 3`s,
children from 3-15 cost £9.00,
standard adult tickets cost £10.00.
Price includes a hot drink for adults,
and a present for all children.
Times vary according to which
day you would like to visit.
Choose from your child’s photo
to keep forever from £4.50, or a
special Christmas gift from Santa
Visit www.colnevalleyrailway.co.uk
The FUN
at Buttsbury...
Art Attack...
Lunchtime
Laughs...
Arts and Crafts...
Painting
Buddies
at Harlow...
Patient pouring...
Apple bobbing!...
we have...
at Haverhill...
Outdoor Fun...
Fiendish
Bakes
Costume CAPErs...
Muddy
madam
Halloween
Team
Barrowboy...
at Mayflower...
“CUTIE PIE”...
Rock and Roll!..
Messy Fun...
Brilliant build!...
“Pumpkin Pals”
Make your very own Rudolph Cupcakes!
These tasty treats look great, and will be sure to get everyone in the Christmas spirit!
Why not get creative this Christmas, and make your very own
Rudolph cupcakes with your little ducklings.
Here’s what you’ll need...
Method
1. Get started: Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line
a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Gently melt the
butter, chocolate, sugar and 100ml hot water together in
a large saucepan, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool
a little while you weigh the other ingredients.
•
•
•
•
•
•
200g butter, cubed
200g plain chocolate, broken into squares
200g light soft brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g self-raising flour
For the icing:
• 200g plain chocolate, broken into squares
• 100ml double cream, not fridge-cold
• 50g icing sugar
For the reindeers:
•
•
•
•
•
12 large milk chocolate buttons
(we used Cadbury Dairy Milk Giant Buttons)
24 white chocolate buttons
12 red Smarties
Black icing pens
Mini pretzels, carefully cut in half horizontally
2. Make your cakes: Stir the eggs and vanilla into the
chocolate mixture. Put the flour in a large mixing bowl,
and stir in the chocolate mixture until smooth. Spoon
into the cases until just over three-quarters full. Bake on
a low shelf in the oven for 20-22 mins. Leave to cool.
3. Ice the tops: To make the icing, melt the chocolate in
a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.
Once melted, turn off the heat, stir in the double cream,
sift in the icing sugar and mix well. When spreadable,
top each cake with some icing.
4. Have fun decorating: Position a milk chocolate
button on top of each cake, then 2 white chocolate
buttons above it. Use a little icing as glue to stick a red
Smartie onto the milk chocolate button for a nose. Then
use your icing pens to draw black dots on the white
buttons for eyes. Stick 2 pretzel top halves into the top
of each cake for antlers, and stick the bottom half of a
pretzel under the Smartie for a mouth.
These cakes will keep in a sealed container for up to
3 days, but we doubt they’ll last that long!
This recipe is taken from the BBC website - www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2768691/rudolph-cupcakes
Merry Monday and Festive Fridays!
Does doing your Christmas shopping, and those last minute bits
and pieces in peace sound like a dream come true?
Christmas is just around the corner, and we’re going to be getting in the festive mood
by offering our Merry Mondays and Festive Fridays!
We are running a very merry 9am to 5pm session at a special discounted rate, for any
additional sessions booked on a Monday or a Friday for all ages in the lead up
to Christmas.
Email: daisy.campbell@dizzyducks.co.uk
today to find out our special discount, and to book your extra sessions!
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave
to me.... babysitters for my family!
Whether you’re spending the evening rocking around the Christmas tree
or walking in a winter wonderland, you’ll know your kids are safe
and sound at home with Dizzy Ducks’ new babysitting service.
As a Dizzy Ducks family you will receive your
1st months subscription completely FREE!
For more information, call Sarah on
01268 545 904
Georgie’s top tips for fun
fantastic festive activities
• Make reindeer food by mixing up oats,
glitter and Ready Brek. Sprinkle it on
your garden, so that the reindeer’s know
where to come on Christmas Eve!
• Create and decorate a yummy
chocolate log by using a chocolate Swiss
roll. Cover in melted chocolate, and then
decorate with iced ornaments.
• Design pretty icicle tree ornaments
by using a pipe cleaner and adding on
sparkly beads, and then twist around a
pencil for an icicle effect.
• Create a delicious edible Christmas
tree by using a digestive biscuit as the
base, and then coat an ice cream cone
in green coloured chocolate and stick to
the biscuit. Decorate with tasty sweets for
tree decorations.
• Design a special Christmas bauble
with a personalised Christmas message,
to send as a present or to simply hang
on your own tree. Perfect for baby’s 1st
Christmas!
Georgie Fry, our wonderful Deputy
Nursery Manager at Mayflower.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY...
Samuel Clements
3
Olivia Forshaw3
Oliver Ball3
Angel Agyemang
3
Amariah Massey
3
Maya Raftery3
Amelia Edwards3
Jenson Brown3
Maisie Anderson
3
Vinnie Reeve3
Mia Carr3
Seth Prigmore4
Reuben Brangwin
4
Austin Edwards4
Alex Hill
4
Carys Foulser4
Alexander Street
4
Benjamin Anderson
4
NEW STARTERS
Emilliano Colucci
Ellie Mae Moore
Teddy Hudson
Bobby Brown
Maisie Brown
Lewis Flecknell
Oscar Clay
Welcome to the new
families who join us...
Anna Clay
Leo Farrow
Joseph Warren
Lottie Knight
Sophie Martin
Hannah Uka
Amariah Massey
Thomas Anderson
4
Dylan Foley4
Jessica Toll4
James Barton5
Megan Jobbins5
Finley Harris
5
William Clements
6
Lavinia Greenwood
6
Adam Havis
7
Henry Gilbert
7
Paige Rutter11
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to Freddie
Comper who has become
a big brother to his new
little sister Lexi.
Alec Summers
Arminas Tumosa
Aisha Lsa Badamasi
Livvy Oliver
Hayley Rothenberg
Emily Crowe
Get in touch... www.dizzyducks.co.uk
Buttsbury
Haverhill
sue.young@dizzyducks.co.uk
tina.spencer@dizzyducks.co.uk
01277 650 538
01440 702 151
Harlow
Mayflower
coral.pithers@dizzyducks.co.uk
sarah.tayler@dizzyducks.co.uk
01279 454 495
01277 633 555
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01268 545 904
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Designed by Sandra Perry © Dizzy Ducks Day Nurseries Ltd 2014
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