Childcare in Cambridgeshire for 4 - 11 year olds

Tom Nethercott here, Deputy Playleader at Girton talking about my recent experience of the PARS course and how it has impacted my practice here within Smartkidz. Having previously been a practitioner in settings where activities were more adult led, the PARS course was something very different to me. However, over the 3-day course I was…

During forest school today we looked at the most hated plant in your garden, the stinging nettle. When asked why do we have stinging nettles, the overruling answer was. “TO STING US!” However, according to www.nettles.org.uk the stinging nettle is a major part of our eco system, housing approximately 40 different species of insect from…

The number of 5 -19 year olds being diagnosed with one or more mental health condition was recorded as 1 out of 9 children in 2017. There has been a steady increase in this area since 2004 and this is mainly down to emotional disorders such as stress and anxiety. Its not hard to see…

35 things to do outdoors this Summer: How many can you do? Smartkidz Summer Holiday Experiences Bingo With technology and electronic entertainment becoming more and more sophisticated children are finding new reasons to stay indoors. A recent study by the national trust found that children spend half the time playing outside that their parents did.…

The two weeks of Easter have seen changes in weather, from cold days to the first definite signs of summer.  With this comes bees and other insects, flourishing trees and plants and fast growing grass. This has naturally offered a wide range of new play opportunities and new experiences for the children. What were open…

The Playwork Principles These principles describe what is unique about play and playwork, and provide the playwork perspective for working with children and young people. They are based on the recognition that children and young people’s capacity for positive development will be enhanced if given access to the broadest range of environments and play opportunities. All…

On Tuesday 9th April, each of our Smartkidz settings boarded the coach for a day at Gulliver’s world of adventure. After just one hour of travelling from the centre of Cambridge we were met by the smiley staff. They soon managed to get 60 children and 14 adult from the coach and through the gates…

At Smartkidz Play and Learn we have a unique approach that we have developed from years of experience and training in childcare, primary education, playwork and forest school. Our inspiration came from the beautiful environment that we developed as our first site, combined with our belief in child led play. We were fortunate enough to…

Finding yourself without childcare at short notice can be a real nightmare. Has your annual leave been cancelled because of a work emergency? Have your usual childcare options fallen through? Sometimes even family or friends can let us down at the last minute. Did they forget to tell you that they’re away next week? Are…