St George and the Dragon has been our theme since coming back after Easter and our impressive display of the St George cross and some fierce dragons have certainly made an impact.  We have been playing with castles and make believe play whilst still looking at different construction and "little finger" toys.  Remember everything in the play room can be borrowed so the fun can carry on at home.

Our recent delivery of new stock and additional resources for our craft and stationery shop are also worth a look!

A reminder of our Thursday night session this week 6.30 - 7.30pm- do come along and support us.

Lots of fantastic comments about the space in the stay and play room - do come along and see for yourselves!

We have just put in a bid for some funds to run some guided play sessions and you can support our bid by visiting www.leicestershireforums.org/shepsh and scrolling down the list of other bids to find our entry "Developing Play - Shepshed Toy Library". Have a read and make a comment. Whilst your comment doesn't act as a vote the judges will take into account the number of community supporters of our project when making our decision.

If successful we willbe able to run some sessions on baby tummy time and physical development / promoting speech and language in the under 5's and some treasure basket and exploration activities - all really valuable stuff so do your bit for us so we can help you!

Please pass on to your friends and relatives who live locally so they too can offer their support.

Many thanks

New Term

Well the Easter holidays are now behind us and we are gearing up for a great lead into the summer term with the Diamond Jubilee celebration picnics and many arts and crafts with a theme of knights, princesses and all things royal.

You will notice a few changes at the toy library so do come and visit us and tell us what you think!

We open again on Monday and continue our usual sessions on Mon / Wed / Fri between 9.30 - 12.00, our next Thursday evening being 26th April from 6.30 - 7.30pm.

All welcome !

EASTER HOLIDAYS

The toy library is now closed for the Easter break - we reopen on Monday 16th April.

We have now said goodbye to both Alison and Nichole after many years of great service and welcome Jane and Maria to the hotseats!

There will be a range of exciting activities planned for next term incorporating St George and the Diamond Jubilee whilst promoting our construction toys for little fingers and looking to the fine weather and playing outdoors.

We look forward to meeting more new faces next term and hearing your views on things you like about the toy library and things you'd like us to do differently.

Thank you for your continued support

Out & About is theme for National Childminders week 2012

Calling all childminders and nannies! Here’s an important date for your diaries – National Childminding Week, 11–17 June 2012. Organised by the National Childminding Association (NCMA), this year’s theme is Out and About.

With its emphasis on the outdoors, the theme gives NCMA members a perfect opportunity to explore the world outside, learn about different cultures and let children’s imaginations run riot!

Check out the great resources that your toy library can offer you!

Find out more and share your ideas on activities, events and resources: at the NCMA site

Little fingers!

This month, we are promoting our range of toys for 'little fingers' - toys that include lacing, threading, stacking, sorting, positioning, stencilling etc. Come and browse our fantastic range or ask advice for something that would suit your little one.

We are also promoting craft activities for 'little fingers' and have a great sale of discounted and end of line bargains. Perfect for the Easter holidays, or as gifts.

With Easter in mind we are organising craft activities at our stay and play sessions: make an Easter mask or an Easter basket (a small charge applies to these activities).

If you are going to be at home for Easter, have you tried one of our story sacks? A book, game, DVD, puzzle and accessories to act out a story or explore a theme. A fantastic bargain at £1.50 per sack per month. Our story sacks include:

• The very hungry caterpillar
• Nursery rhymes
• Bob the builder
• Snow white and the 7 dwarfs
• The wheels on the bus
• Children's cookery
• The old lady who swallowed a fly
• The farm
• Around the world
• Angelina ballerina
• The tiger who came to tea

and many more! You are welcome to browse the story sacks and look for one that suits your child's interests.

Our next evening session is Thursday 29th March at 6:30, and our last session before the Easter holidays is Friday 30th March. We will reopen on Monday 16th April.

Shiny bright healthy teeth!

Our current topic is teeth and we will soon have a friendly dentist come in to give us a talk on oral health. The children have enjoyed using toothbrushes to clean the teeth of the dinosaurs, and they have been fascinated by our 'mega teeth' - you have to see them to believe the size of this set of gnashers!

Here is our information leaflet on teeth:

A Parent’s Guide to Teeth

Questions & Answers about Kid’s teeth

What are the best snacks to give my child?

The best snacks are fruit and raw vegetables – bananas, carrot sticks. Also breadsticks, crackers
or rice cakes. Eating sweets at meal times helps to avoid building up acids by eating between meals.

What are the best drinks for my child’s teeth?

Children over one year old – milk and water. Cow’s milk is not suitable for children under 12months. Fruit juices (not for babies under 6 months) are best had at mealtimes using a straw.
If they are thirsty water is best. Fizzy drinks contain acids that can affect the enamel on your child’s teeth.

Are sippy cups good for teeth?

These cups are like bottles as a child will still need to suck to make them work. A feeder cup without valves is better as the flow is unrestricted. Bottles should be given up by the age of one because the teats and spouts encourage children to suck for long periods which can mean that the drink stays in contact with the teeth for longer and may cause tooth decay.

(Reference www.nhs.uk)


Check food labels for hidden sugars and limit the amount of sugary foods Begin to brush baby’s teeth as soon as they appear using a small soft brush. A high fluoride tooth paste is recommended. Brush your teeth after each main meal with your child so they learn by example.
Take your child to the dentist for regular checkups every 6 months.

(Reference Nursery World and Stop the Rot campaign)