PANCAKE DAY
Oak Tree Day Nursery in Wokingham (below) celebrated Shrove Tuesday on 21 February with a sponsored pancake toss. The pre-school room alone raised £40 for Ikamva Labantu, a charity in South Africa that supports people living in disadvantaged townships in the country.
Children at Little Acorns Washington, Tyne and Wear (top) also tried their hand at flipping a few pancakes, and then ate their finished products topped with lemon juice and sugar. At Stepping Stones Day Nursery in Warrington (bottom), also part of Little Acorns, children made their own pancakes and were left to flip to their hearts' content, substituting playdough and toy pans for the real thing.
ANIMAL ANTICS
Children at Busy Bees nursery in Milton Keynes got up close and personal with a variety of animals, including snakes and giant land snails, when Zoo Labs travelling zoo came to visit. The children took part in a 'Wiggly Road Show' exercise, replicating the actions of the creatures they had seen.
FULL OF BEANS
Children at Little Acorns in Ellesmere Port learned about the journey taken by a bean in order to reach supermarket shelves and their plates. Interest in the subject came about after they read the book Beans on Toast, a dish which they then made for themselves.
AROUND THE WORLD
Twoand three-year-olds took a round-the-world trip from the safety of Firs Day Nursery in Burton-on-Trent, conjuring up a little bit of Latin spirit with a class on flamenco dancing. Bhangra dancing was popular as the children explored the customs of India, before they headed off to Africa. Then it was back to England for a spot of high tea with scones and jam.
MONGOLIAN NEW YEAR
Safe Hands Green Start nursery in Penrith celebrated Mongolian New Year with the help of some visiting parents who told the children about Mongolian traditions and pastimes. The children had the opportunity to try on traditional Mongolian dress and sang some native songs.
Middlesbrough childminder Aileen Parry accompanied some of the children she cares for in the I CAN Chatterbox Challenge. The children sang and signed their favourite songs and also made masks for the tune 'Down in the Jungle'. Putting on the performance for their parents raised nearly £100.
