Weather Update

Little Chums is open!

 

There is no snow or ice, but take care on the driveway and all walking surfaces as it is very wet.

 

Babies and Tots parents, please still use the main door.

Weather Warning

If you arrived early at Little Chums this morning, you would have seen members of staff on the driveway giving warnings about ice and very slippery surfaces.  The affected surfaces were salted immediately and we thank our builder friends at G. Adams for helping out.

For your safety, the steps up to the Tots room door and the path around to Baby room door will remain closed for the rest of the week. Please drop-off and/or collect from the main door and please be patient while we bring your child to you.

For the next few days, please drive *very slowly* on the driveway and take care walking in the car park. DO NOT walk on the cobbles, these are not treated as the salt has no effect because it falls in the gaps! 

The forecast for the next few days seems to be more of the same cold weather, including a warning about snow overnight Thursday into Friday. We will keep you updated using our website and social media pages about how we are affected if any snow arrives. If snow does arrive, we will review early on Friday whether we can safely use the cars to transport children to and from New Inn School.

If at all possible for the rest of the week, please collect your child(ren) a little earlier, particularly on Thursday if it begins to snow, so that staff and children can travel home safely.

Snow Fun!

We didn't end up with much snow, but Preschool still managed to get outside to play with the light dusting we did have!

 

They didn't stay out too long because it was *bitterly* cold and some of the children forgot their gloves, but it was still great fun in the crisp air! 

 

See the photos in the album here...

Snow Safety

UPDATE: 

 

The steps to Tots and rear path to the Babies entrance are now cleared, salted and have reopened. Please still take care on *ALL* paths as it is still VERY cold! Please continue to avoid walking on all cobbled areas.

 

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A light dusting of snow has settled at Little Chums.

 

The path to the main building and main Preschool door has been cleared and is salted.

 

The path around to the Baby door entrance and the steps up to Tots Room are temporarily closed. Baby and Tots parents, please use the main door.

 

PLEASE, do not walk on the cobbles in the main car park. Walk on the loose chippings only!

 

Take care!

January 2026 Newsletter

Little Chums has emailed out a newsletter for January 2026. 

Didn't receive a copy of the newsletter by email or deleted it by accident?

Read it online here...

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Blwyddyn Newydd Dda! 

 

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

 

Some children in Preschool have already been at work creating 'vision boards' which show their plans and wishes for 2026!

 

The photos of this activity are on our Facebook page here...

Merry Christmas!

Today is our last day of opening before Christmas, so we'd like to take an opportunity to send an *ENORMOUS* thank-you to all of those children and parents who have brought in Christmas gifts and cards for the staff. They really are very much appreciated and mean so much! 

In return, we hope you've enjoyed all the little Christmas art and craft bits and pieces the children have brought home that they been working on over the last few weeks, as well as enjoying the photos and videos of all the activities over the last couple of weeks!

 

Don't forget, Little Chums is closed on the 24th, 25th and 26th of December and 1st January.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Xmas Film Day 2

Hot on the heels of the Toddlers and Preschool Xmas film day, today Babies and Tots had a PJ day with a short film and snacks and time in the sensory room! 

A nice relaxing experience before the chaotic onset of Christmas day!

The photos are on our Facebook page here...

Xmas Activities!

With Christmas rapidly approaching, by now you should have received lots of art and craft in little gift bags! The children have been incredibly busy over the last few weeks making these little gifts for you! 

But they've also been having lots of Christmas fun (in-between singalongs, parties and lunch!) whether playing in Xmas themed sand, water and fake snow,  making snowmen and baubles out of playdoh, making Xmas crispy cakes, decorating ginger bread trees, making reindeer food, building ginger-bread trains, playing Xmas games, reading Xmas books, making sounds with instruments and moving to Xmas music... the list goes on and on!

We've pulled together just a small sample of photos from across all groups to show you these busy times! Visit the Christmas 2025 activity photo album here...

Xmas Film Day

After being so busy for the last few days, it was a 'chill' day today in Toddlers and Preschool with a chance to sit back, relax and watch a Christmas movie. 

 

But of course, not even that could be simple! Preschool decided to watch 'Polar Express' and turned the Preschool building into a movie theatre complete with ticket entry and snacks!

 

Some photos are on our Facebook page here... 

Xmas Parties 2025

Yesterday was a really busy day! As well as the Santa visit, it was Xmas party time! 

After playing party games and dancing, ranging from music and movement in Baby Room up to a good old fashioned 'conga' line in Preschool, the children tucked into individually prepared party food bags!

See the party photos in the album here...

Santa Visit

Yesterday, Santa visited the children at Little Chums with a present and selection box for everyone! If any children weren't in, Santa has left a gift for them! 

He even took time out of his busy schedule to take a quick trip in the Little Chums car up to New Inn school to pick up the Wraparound children! 

Photos of the children with Santa can be viewed here...

Christmas Singalong 2025

Yesterday, Preschool held their Christmas Singalong and what an absolutely amazing, brilliant job they did!

Thank you to all the Parents, Grandparents and other relatives who turned up to watch! We're sure you'll agree it was well worth taking some time out of your busy day! And thank you for joining in when asked!

 

We would like to say a special thanks to the staff in Preschool, led by Hollie, who have done a tremendous job in helping the children learn the words for all the songs, including some Welsh!

 

We really appreciate all the kind comments afterwards saying how good the children were!

 

Watch the singalong here...

 

 

Xmas Lunch 2025

The children really enjoyed their Christmas lunch today!

After making Christmas crowns and pulling crackers, they tucked into turkey, a mini-sausage, both roast and boiled potatoes, peas, carrots, Brussels sprouts, Yorkshire pudding and gravy! Yum! And don't forget the 'Rudolph' chocolate log cake as a treat for pudding! Double yum!

See photos of the lunch in the album here...

Flying Start Inspection

As Little Chums now provides Flying Start, we are required to undergo regular observations of our toddler age children to ensure we are providing a good quality of provision.  We recently underwent one of these 'mini-inspections', with visitors from the Torfaen Flying Start team (including one of their advisory teachers) making an unannounced visit to judge us on a variety of criteria including, but not limited to, 'Space and Furnishings', 'Language and Books', 'Activities', 'Interaction' and 'Program Structure'. 

We are really pleased to announce that the feedback from this monitoring visit was incredibly positive!  We had really good (often excellent) scores for things such as room arrangement and space, talking with children, responding to children, encouraging and using books with children, fine and gross motor skill development (judged exemplar), maths and number development, dramatic play, and child and staff interaction.  Our overall program structure (our timetable and free play) was judged to be an exemplar.

After the feedback, we also received a congratulatory email from the Head of Flying Start for Torfaen, which has been shared with the staff.

Chantelle and Andrew thank all of the staff involved for their incredible, ongoing, hard work and are sure that the parents also feel the same!