Typical Day
At Blue Button, we have achieved a fantastic balance between routine and spontaneity! This means the children have consistency and a reassuring pattern to their day, but our time together is filled with exciting new adventures and experiences. For example, I planned a morning out at Heaton Park, but when my mindees arrived, they were all talking about sharks and sting rays, so we changed our plans and headed off to the Sea Life Discovery Centre instead! This kind of thing happens often and we embrace it - it's also one of the reasons that I ask for a range of clothing to be kept here. You can find out more about that here!
Here is an example of what that a typical day looks like...
Morning arrival - settling in for the day and playing
Breakfast - together at the table
Main activity - trip somewhere or time in the garden with snack time
Play Time
Dinner time - hot meal (see Menu)
Story time - one to one/group stories
Play Time
Snack Time
Play Time
Home Time
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is paramount at Blue Button Childcare and is reflected in every part of our day. My home and garden have been thoroughly risk assessed and every time we go out on an adventure, I perform a mental risk assessment. For more about our trips out, please click here. I always try to visit a new place with my own family before taking my mindees so I can suss it out first.
When a family joins, they are given a Welcome Pack with all of my comprehensive policies, including my Safeguarding Policy. This clearly lays out all aspects of safeguarding and the appropriate action that would need to be taken. For more information about what to expect when a family joins Blue Button, please click here.
I have completed the necessary first aid and safeguarding training - please click here for a full list of my qualifications.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Playtime
All resources in the playroom are available to all the children. They are changed when required to suit their changing needs and interests and you can find out more about the playroom here.
As an Ofsted Registered Childminder and Early Years Teacher, I follow the Early Years curriculum. The EYFS underpins everything I do and you can find out all about that here.
As well as our adventures, I sometimes introduce themes and into the playroom so that the children have new learning opportunities. These are based upon their individual interests and/or special events happening, for example the Queen's Jubilee or the arrival of our caterpillars. Each theme is always flexible and dependent upon the children's interests. For example, we were learning about taking care of animals as a mindee's dog had recently been to a vets, but this evolved into a doctor's surgery and learning how to take care of ourselves.
You can learn much more about our topics and themes by visiting the Blue Button Childcare Facebook page and seeing what we have been up to.