FATHER'S DAY
Early years settings celebrated Father's Day on 19 June.
At Happy Child Nursery in Shepherd's Bush (top) they held a male role model week and invited fathers, uncles and grandfathers to share breakfast with the children. Dads at Tots n Tykes Private Day Nursery in Pudsey, Leeds (2nd from top), St George's Dragons Nursery in Harrow (bottom), and Little Acorns in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, also enjoyed a special meal with their children.
Children from Sunbeams Pre-School in Alderholt, Dorset (below, top), took their dads on a tour of the setting and painted pictures of their fathers, and Tender Care Nursery in West Croydon, Surrey (below, bottom), dads spent the morning engaged in activities at the setting.
Playdays Daycare Nursery in Bolton, Lancashire invited dads to a forest school session where they helped children build dens for hedgehogs and squirrels, while fathers at Footsteps Day Nursery in Tamworth, Staffordshire joined in with a painting session.
STORYTIME
Sunbeams Educare in Beccles, Suffolk (top) and Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery in Tring, Hertfordshire marked Father's Story Week, 13-17 June.
At Sunbeams Educare, the children welcomed one of the parents, who came in at storytime to accompany the tale of The Gruffalo with music on his keyboard. Dads at Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery were treated to a special picnic with home-made cakes and their favourite sandwiches.
BAKING BREAD
Children from Toppers Day Nursery in Lancashire welcomed staff from Warburtons Bakery, who visited the setting to teach the children how to make hedgehog bread.
CHARITY CLIMB
Two members of staff from Stepping Stones Lingley Mere Nursery in Warrington, Cheshire, climbed Mount Snowdon in aid of charity Winston's Wish, and raised about £300.
NATIONAL SMILE MONTH
Dental playbox co-ordinators from the charity Action for Sick Children joined with the British Dental Health Foundation to celebrate National Smile Month (15 May-15 June).
Since last year, the co-ordinators have visited more than 150 nurseries, schools and playgroups to help 3,000 under-fives and their parents learn about the importance of looking after their teeth and visiting the dentist regularly.
To check if there is a playbox co-ordinator in your area and arrange a free visit, email: dpbox@actionforsickchildren.org www.actionforsickchildren.org.
TEDDIES FOR TEA
The Greenwich Pre-School Alliance held its annual teddy bears' picnic for children under five years old and their families.
About 350-400 children and adults attended the event, which included activities such as sand and water play, construction, role play and forest school taster sessions.
Agencies Home Start and the Sure Start Speech therapists were also there to offer parents advice, while children were entertained by the Bookstart Blue Bear.
THEM BONES, THEM BONES
Children at Elvetham Heath Day nursery in Fleet, Hampshire, went on an outing to the local shop, where they visited the butcher's counter to learn about the similarities between the bodies of animals and humans. Back at the nursery, the children examined the different cuts of meat they had bought.
The trip followed on from a discussion on 'who looks after us when we are ill' and the children's interest in hospitals and the human skeleton.
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