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HEALTH & WELLBEING Exercise

Posted on By Eamonn

At Rathfarnham Day Care we aim to support children’s psychological and physical well-being by helping them to make healthy choices about nutrition, hygiene and exercise.

Our policy is to provide all children who attend the crèche full time with the opportunities for physical activity each day.

We have regard for “Ready, Steady, Play!” The National Play Policy.

Our staff has taken part in Buntus Start training which is a comprehensive physical activity programme rolled out through the Irish Sports Council for children aged 2-5 years. It has been designed for use in pre-school settings so that childcare practitioners can provide a wide range of learning opportunities for young children to develop their fundamental motor skills,
manipulative skills, co-ordination and balancing skills and develop a positive attitude to physical activity.

 

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Health & Wellbeing Nutrition

Posted on By Eamonn

Here at Rathfarnham Day Care, we promote healthy nutritional choices for our children. We feel it is important at this young age to introduce and educate our children about good nutrition and the health benefits of eating well.

  • We provide healthy meals and snacks freshly prepared and cooked on the premises.
  • Snack time will be enjoyed as socialisation and interaction are encouraged.
  • We do not allow fizzy drinks, sweets, chocolate, crisps, nuts or nut spreads.
  • Water and a fruit bowl are available to children throughout the day.
  • Menus are reviewed and changed on a regular basis to ensure a varied range of food choices for the children.
  • We do not serve Desserts.
  • Processed meat products are kept to a minimum of one serving per week.
  • Healthier cooking methods are used e.g. grilling, oven cooked. No food is fried.

 

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Preparing your Child for Preschool

Posted on By Eamonn

Every child in Ireland has a right to avail of free preschool. This is known as The Early
Childhood Care and Education Scheme (ECCE scheme). It is available to all children prior
to starting school. This funding is a recognition of how important early childhood care and
education is.

The following are helpful tips for you to help support your child to make
the transition to preschool a happy one.

  • Visiting your child’s preschool room before preschool starts can ease the entrance into an unfamiliar
    environment. It provides you with the opportunity to meet your child’s educator and ask about
    routines, curriculum, and daily activities. This is also an opportunity to discuss your child’s interests,
    preferences and particular needs.
  • Take time to fill in the ‘Getting to know you form’ with your child, which the preschool will give you.
  • Take some photos of the preschool environment (if possible) to make a book with your child so they
    can look over it during the summer.
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What is HighScope?

Posted on By Eamonn

What is HighScope?
HighScope was first established in the United States in 1969. It is an approach to early learning which identifies and builds on children’s strengths, interests and abilities. The HighScope approach enables children to be actively involved throughout the whole play session.

Why does a HighScope Setting look like this?
In HighScope settings, the play room is divided into separate area s, defined for the children by low level storage units which house a range of accessible, interesting and where possible, real materials for the children to work with.

Why do we label areas and equipment?
In a HighScope setting each area is visible and named using signs, easily understood by the children, which show the types of activities on offer. All materials are also clearly labelled to allow children to choose, work and replace equipment themselves.

Learn More about HighScope

Nutrition

Posted on By Eamonn

Here at Rathfarnham Day Care, we promote healthy nutritional choices for our children. We feel it is important at this young age to introduce and educate our children about good nutrition and the health benefits of eating well.

  • We provide healthy meals and snacks freshly prepared and cooked on the premises.
  • Snack time will be enjoyed as socialisation and interaction are encouraged.
  • We do not allow fizzy drinks, sweets, chocolate, crisps, nuts or nut spreads.
  • Water and a fruit bowl are available to children throughout the day.
  • Menus are reviewed and changed on a regular basis to ensure a varied range of food choices for the children.
  • We do not serve Desserts.
  • Processed meat products are kept to a minimum of one serving per week.
  • Healthier cooking methods are used e.g. grilling, oven cooked. No food is fried.
Learn More about Our Nutrition

Flower Crown

Posted on By Eamonn

Flower Crown

You’ll need:
 
  • Boning (such as this by Dritz–the stiff but flexible stuff one would sew into a corset)
  • Floral tape (this is a bit stretchy and sticky, which works perfectly)
  • Assorted cloth ribbons–a variety of satin and sheer is best–between 1/4″ and 1/2″ wide
  • Fabric glue or other adhesive
  • For the flower versions: a variety of silk flowers and needle and thread

1 – Cut a slit through the center of the paper plate, leaving about an inch at the edges of the plate. Cut three more slits.

2 – Bend the triangles formed by the cuts upwards, forming leaf-like shapes. Paint the crown light green (or use markers or crayons to color it). Let the paint dry.

3 – Cut out some construction paper or tissue paper flowers for your hat. Any shapes will do – let your imagination run wild and invent your own flowers.

4 – Glue flowers to the crown. Optional: Decorate it with glitter and/or staple two long ribbons of crepe paper to your beautiful hat.

Source – Rathfarnham Daycare

Paper Family Tree

Posted on By Eamonn

Paper Family Tree

1 – Draw a large tree with many branches.

2 – Cut out leaves from the green construction paper or use leaf rubbings that you cut out.
Each leaf will represent a person in the child’s family and should be big enough to write that person’s name on the leaf. Cut enough leaves for each of the child’s siblings, parents, and grandparents (or more!).
Write the name of each person on their leaf. You might want to include the relative’s relationship to the child, like “Grandma Joan Smith.”

3 – Glue the leaves to the tree. Put the child’s generation at the top of the tree, the parents at the second level, and the grandparents at the bottom.

Source – Rathfarnham Daycare

Chicken & Tomato Pasta

Posted on By Eamonn

Chicken & Tomato Pasta

  • Chicken Breasts
  • Penne Pasta
  • Diced Soup Mix (veg)
  • Chopped Tomatoes
  • Mixed Herbs
  • Tomato Puree
  • Dried Basil
  • Cornflour (to thicken)
  • 1 Fill pot with cold water.
  • 2 Add chicken breasts to pot, cook thoroughly remove & chop.
  • 3 Add diced veg ,mixed herbs and basil to pot bring to boil & reduce heat.
  • 4 Add pasta and diced chicken to pot. Cook on a gentle heat.
  • 5 Bring to boil and allow vegetables to cook. Reduce Heat.
  • 6 Add tomato puree, and chopped tomato.
  • 7 When pasta is cooked add cornflour to thicken.

Source – Rathfarnham Daycare

Bubble Prints

Posted on By Eamonn

Bubble Prints

What You Need:

  • Paint
  • Dishwashing Liquid
  • Straw

What You Do:

  • Mix 1 part paint to 2 parts dishwashing liquid in a bowl.
  • Have your children blow into the bowl with a straw.
  • This will cause bubbles to form over the top of the bowl.
  • Now have your kids put a piece of paper over the bowl in order to cause bubble prints to form

Note: Put a small hole near the top of the straw so that your children can not suck up the solution

Alternatively: Put several smaller containers containing different colours near each other. When your children put the paper over it. It will make cool colours.

Idea: Put bubble wrap on a table. Have your children put paper over the wrap and paint. It makes really neat designs.

Bubble wrap Dance Let your children walk and dance bare foot on bubble wrap. They will love the feeling.

Bubble Bottle Get a clear plastic bottle. Fill the bottle about 2/3 full with water, food colouring, and dishwashing liquid. Super glue the lid on and let the children make bubbles in there bottle.

Source – Rathfarnham Daycare

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