It’s been a busy few months for Kippen Playgroup and Toddlers, not only with the regular sessions, but also with our AGM and the ever popular bottle stall we run at the Street Fayre. We would like to extend our heartfelt thank you to the community for helping us, once again, by donating an extraordinary amount of bottles and then supporting us by visiting the stall on the day. We managed to raise an impressive £685 for playgroup and toddlers, with 10% going to the over 60’s Christmas dinner fund. So thank you…and remember to stash all those unwanted bottles for next year!
Springtime for the children at Kippen Playgroup has provided a great opportunity to connect with the natural world and our fully qualified play leaders, Jane and Pam, have been encouraging the kids to go all green-fingered by planting sunflowers, creating personal gardens and adding to Kippen’s stunning blossom display by making their very own cherry blossom tree at playgroup. There’s also been much interest in caterpillars and butterflies, and of course springtime’s star of the show…the mighty tadpole! The children have been experiencing one of life’s earliest rites of passage by watching, in shock and awe, the metamorphosis of the common frog; and, as we all know, it never fails in its wonder.
With ponds and their inhabitants being de rigueur, we had our annual outing to June Waley’s garden for some pond dipping, guddling and mini gorge walking. The children get so much joy from it, whatever the weather, and we are forever grateful to June that she lets them descend on her garden with such vim! The opportunities for learning in this environment extend all the way from a respect and love of the natural world right through to the basics of staying safe at the side of the pond, how to use the nets and how no good ever comes from splashing others when they’re not expecting it! Children who are allowed to take part in this kind of experiential learning will develop confidence and the ability to assess and manage their own risk. Communication, cooperation and resilience all improve simply by having fun playing in a garden and guddling around in a burn.
Kippen Playgroup is about to break for the summer after another busy and successful year, but if you are interested in enrolling your child for next term then please get in touch with Jane Bain via kippenplaygroup@gmail.com. During term time we run two Playgroup sessions per week: Tuesdays and Fridays 9:30-12pm. Two years to pre-school welcome.
Our burgeoning toddler group continues to be a welcoming and friendly get together where mums, dads, grans and grandads can pop in for cake and a chinwag whilst the kids get on with the serious business of playing and forging friendships. We’ve seen a flurry of brand new babies recently, which we’ve found can either cause overwhelming broodiness among other mums or the total opposite! Either way everyone is enjoying some newborn cuddles whilst the ‘new mums’ get to actually drink their tea and perhaps even have a biscuit! We meet at the village hall every Thursday throughout the year, 10:15-12pm, and we welcome little ones from birth to pre-school. Just drop in!
The Wee Vine 