Books, pumpkins, pirates and plenty of playful learning

3 September–23 October 2026 · Autumn term update

And just like that, our first half term is complete! What a wonderful start it has been. Our new and returning Little Owls have settled in beautifully, and it has been lovely to see so many happy faces arriving at preschool, ready to explore, play and learn.

This term we introduced our Book of the Week, and it has been a big hit. Returning to a favourite story helps the children get to know its characters, anticipate what might happen next and retell events in their own words. Without even realising it, they are growing in confidence as communicators, developing their vocabulary and building those all-important early literacy skills. We have loved hearing that the stories are being enjoyed at home—and even spotted on the big screen too!

The team has created some wonderful invitations to play inspired by our books and our Marvellous Me topic. From feeding baby owls to walking the plank, there has certainly never been a dull moment! As we got to know one another, we explored families, likes and dislikes, and all the things that make each of us wonderfully unique. We also helped the children recognise and manage new feelings as they settled into preschool life—an important part of developing confidence, independence and positive relationships.

We always have a plan, but the best learning often begins with the children’s own ideas. Pirate play became such a strong interest that we simply had to squeeze in a pirate week! There was imaginative role-play, teamwork, problem-solving and plenty of adventurous language as our Little Owls sailed the seven seas.

As the air became a little chillier and the raindrops began to fall, we noticed autumn arriving. Then the conkers dropped—and the Little Owls team’s imagination bubbled over! This simple natural treasure sparked curiosity, creativity and countless opportunities for counting, sorting, mark-making and strengthening little fingers.

Before long, the Conker Café was open for business. It was a huge hit! The children took orders, became baristas, cashiers and waiting staff, and recreated familiar real-life experiences together. Their play was full of conversation, number language, cooperation and imaginative thinking.

Tesco Highwoods added even more seasonal excitement with a wonderful donation of pumpkins. We weighed, measured, hammered, scooped, painted and drew them, and even created a small-world pumpkin patch. Every pumpkin offered a new way to investigate, compare, create and wonder.

When children follow their curiosity, one conker or pumpkin can open the door to a whole world of learning.

It has been wonderful to see so many families using our new Home Learning Library. Sharing an activity at home helps children build confidence, curiosity and a love of learning while enjoying special time with the people who matter most. When you have finished with an activity, please return it so another family can enjoy it too.

If you have not yet signed up to Easyfundraising, please do. It is a simple way to raise money for Little Owls while shopping with a wide variety of retailers, who make a donation to our fundraising page at no extra cost to you. https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/lopresch

You can also continue popping your blue tokens into the Tesco Highwoods collection for our Stronger Starts grant until the end of November.

We hope everyone has a wonderful half term break. Please share your adventures with us on Tapestry—we always love seeing what our Little Owls get up to.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday 2 November 2026 for a sparkling new half term filled with lights, colours, autumn discoveries, nursery rhymes and festivities. Christmas is coming!

1st June 2026 – 16th July 2026

What a busy, sunny and fun-filled half term we have had at Little Owls! With warm days, plenty of outdoor adventures and lots of exciting things to talk about, the children have thrown themselves into every opportunity to explore, play, learn and laugh together.

Our little gardeners have been very busy looking after the plants, watering them, checking on them and watching carefully as things began to grow. The best bit, of course, was starting to harvest some of our crops — a very proud moment for our green-fingered Little Owls!

We also had a fantastic time taking part in our fun run with Boxted Runners. There was lots of energy, plenty of cheering and some brilliant determination from the children. Even better, we raised an amazing amount of money for Little Owls — thank you to everyone who supported us!

We were very lucky to receive a Mini Annie CPR dummy kit from the lovely ladies at Boxted WI. The children are already curious about it, and we are looking forward to using it for lots of interesting and important learning.

Parent open week was another highlight. The children loved showing off their favourite places, their learning and the things they enjoy most at preschool. It was brilliant to welcome families in and share a little bit of Little Owls life with you.

Father’s Day gave us the perfect excuse to get creative, with the children making special gifts for the important people in their lives. There was lots of concentration, imagination and, as always, a good sprinkle of preschool sparkle.

Our tadpoles kept everyone fascinated as they completed their amazing transformation into frogs. The children watched the changes with excitement and were very happy to see them hop off to their new home in Kerry’s pond.

World Cup fever reached Little Owls this half term! The children’s interest in football led to lots of brilliant conversations about countries, flags, teamwork and the beautiful game.

We were also very excited to welcome Blue Watch and their fire engine. The children loved looking around, asking questions and finding out more about the firefighters’ important work. The biggest hit of the visit was having a go with the hoses!

As the term comes to an end, we are also saying goodbye to some of our Little Owls as they fly off to their next adventure. Their performance at their leavers ceremony was outstanding and they gave it their all, everyone was so proud! We will miss them and their families very much, but we are so proud of everything they have achieved and know they are ready for the exciting journey ahead.

A big thank you to everyone for your kind words, cards and gifts. Your support means such a lot to the whole team, and we really do appreciate being part of your children’s early years journey.

Tomorrow we are looking forward to welcoming our new Little Owls at their All About Me session. We cannot wait to meet them properly, help them settle in and begin lots of new adventures together.

We hope all our families have a fantastic summer full of fun, sunshine, ice creams, adventures and a little bit of rest too! We look forward to welcoming you back on Thursday 3rd September.

 13^th April – 22^nd May 2026

We bounced into the term with lots of excitement, shiny new resources and inviting new areas to explore. One of our favourite additions has been our growing area, where our Little Owls have been busy planting fruits and vegetables, getting their hands muddy and discovering just how magical it is to watch things grow. Add in plenty of loose parts play and it is safe to say the term has started with curiosity, creativity and lots of fun!

We have also been very lucky to welcome some very special visitors who have made this half term extra memorable. Geoff and Maisie, the Essex therapy dogs, brought plenty of calm cuddles and happy smiles, while Pippin and Millie, the miniature donkeys, trotted in to support wellbeing in the most adorable way possible. It is not every day you get to spend time with such wonderful four-legged friends!

We also enjoyed celebrating Earth Day and Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday with a range of exciting activities covering all areas of learning. From talking about how to care for our world to exploring nature through play, the children showed wonderful curiosity and thoughtful ideas about the world around them.

Our learning about metamorphosis has continued to fascinate us all. We watched our caterpillars patiently spin themselves into cocoons and, as if by magic, emerge as beautiful butterflies ready to flutter off on new adventures. We are still eagerly waiting for the tadpoles to complete their own amazing transformation into frogs, and our Little Owls are keeping a very close eye on every tiny change so that nothing is missed.

Our role-play area has been full of imagination too, transforming first into a busy veterinary surgery and then into a hospital as we explored the topic of people who help us. The children have loved taking on different roles, caring for animals and patients, and using their imaginations to bring the space to life. We cannot wait to see what it turns into next!

Our final half term is already looking wonderfully busy. We will be starting with our annual Fun Run with The Boxted Runners, which is always such a fantastic event. For some of our Little Owls, this term will also bring exciting school transition opportunities, with visits from new teachers and trips to their new schools. There is lots to look forward to, and we know it will be a term filled with confidence, adventure and special memories.

What a wonderfully busy half term we’ve had at Little Owls! Spring has definitely arrived, and with it came new life, new learning and lots of excitement.

We have been on a real adventure with lifecycles this half term, so much curiosity and so many wow moments!  The children were captivated as we watched our chicks hatch. Not to be outdone, our frogspawn has also been keeping us fascinated as it slowly transforms into tadpoles. There’s nothing quite like watching the lifecycle of real animals unfold to spark awe and curiosity.

World Book Day was a fantastic celebration of stories, imagination and creativity. The children loved sharing their favourite books, dressing up, and diving into the magical world of reading. We also celebrated #VHC day (The Very Hungry Caterpillar), The children enjoyed a day filled with themed activities and inviting play opportunities inspired by this beloved story. So much creativity, exploration and storytelling all wrapped into one colourful day.

British Science Week is always a highlight, and this year was no exception! The children got stuck into hands-on activities that encouraged them to predict, explore and wonder. There were plenty of “oooohs” and “ahhhhs” as we experimented and discovered together.

We also spent some time this half term thinking about the special people in our lives. The children enjoyed planting sweet peas and creating beautiful Mother’s Day cards to show appreciation and love. We also celebrated Eid by making cards full of sparkle to share with our families and friends — such a lovely way to learn about different celebrations.

We finished the term with an extra burst of springtime magic — hopping through Easter egg hunts, creating colourful cards, dancing our wiggles out, and sharing cosy stories. We even had a special visit from the farm, complete with a tractor, fresh produce and lots of hands‑on learning that had the children buzzing with excitement!

Some of the Little Owls team went on a little adventure last half term and popped over to the Childcare & Education Expo at Olympia! They came back bursting with fresh ideas, new inspiration, and a wish list full of exciting resources we can’t wait to explore.

A massive thank you to everyone who baked and supported our fundraising bake sale. Your support means so much and helps us continue providing exciting experiences for the children.

What a joyful half term it’s been — full of growth, learning and community.
We can’t wait to see what adventures the next one brings!

The past few weeks have been full of curiosity, creativity, and connection. From birdwatching to storytelling, from exploring emotions to celebrating love, the children have been busy discovering the world around them and the world within them. Here’s a peek into what we’ve been up to.

We took part in the Big Garden Birdwatch, and our young nature detectives were absolutely captivated. Armed with curiosity (and some very enthusiastic pointing!), the children spent time outdoors listening for chirps, scanning the trees, and noticing the colours, sizes, and movements of different birds. We spotted Robins hopping across the grass, cheeky sparrows darting between branches, and even a few pigeons who seemed very interested in our snacks. The children loved talking about what they saw and sharing their ideas about where birds live, what they eat, and how they move. To make our birdwatching even more exciting, the children created their very own binoculars, they became the star of the show. Children used them not only for birdwatching but also for spotting friends, searching for treasure, and pretending to be explorers on grand adventures. It was a brilliant way to support creativity, fine motor skills, and imaginative play. We also made simple bird feeders to help care for the wildlife around us. The children mixed seeds, talked about what birds like to eat, and proudly hung their feeders in the garden. Over the next few days, they kept a close eye on who came to visit—there was so much excitement each time a bird landed for a snack.

National Storytelling Week, a magical celebration of tales, characters, and imagination. The children listened to stories old and new, acted out their favourite parts, and even helped create group stories full of twists, turns, and giggles. Puppets, props, and cosy reading corners helped bring stories to life. The children explored new vocabulary, practised turn‑taking, and discovered the joy of storytelling—whether they were listening, retelling, or inventing their own.

One of the highlights of our recent weeks has been our Parents Stay and Play sessions. It was wonderful to welcome families into the setting and watch children proudly share their favourite activities. There was so much joy in the room—parents building towers, joining in imaginative play, exploring crafts, and reading together. These sessions gave families a chance to see learning in action, and the children absolutely glowed with pride as they showed their grown‑ups around. The atmosphere was full of chatter, creativity, and connection. We loved seeing families play, laugh, and learn together.

With Valentine’s Day approaching, we’ve been celebrating love in all its forms—love for family, friends, pets, nature, and even favourite toys. The children created beautiful heart‑themed crafts, cards, and paintings, each one filled with care and creativity.

From storytelling to birdwatching, from exploring feelings to sharing special moments with families, these weeks have been full of imagination, learning, and joy. It’s been wonderful to see the children’s confidence grow as they explore, create, and connect.

We can’t wait to see where their curiosity takes us next.