We heard a whisper that the Scarborough Spa Express was coming through Woodlesford Station this morning, so all our children upstairs decided to take a walk over the road to Woodlesford Station.

We are all train spotters here at Jollies so the opportunity to see an actual steam train was just too good to resist!

Our children got themselves comfy at the station (and even had an alfresco snack there as part of their exciting morning) and they waited, and waited, and waited and waited some more….

It was AMAZING the amount of trains that passed… some were very fast and some were slow and some actually stopped in the station, but all were very interesting! Alas there was no steam train though… it had been delayed and we all had to return to Jollies for our lunch.

Despite the lack of steam train it was very much not a wasted opportunity. We found out how to keep ourselves safe at the station, we counted trains and passengers getting on and off, we looked at numbers and signs in the environment all around us and we crossed roads safely and with care. This was alongside having superb conversations about what we could see and hear all around us all the time.

Every moment is a learning opportunity after all and despite the lack of steam our morning was simply a dream!! xxxx

One minute our children are holding Stripy (our Giant African Land Snail), the next he’s inspiring some superb artwork on our huge interactive screen!! xxxx

We love learning through our play as we discover the amazing possibilities of a sand pit… It could be a sandpit we stand at, or a HUGE one we sit in, but the outcome for both is simple… it’s simply AMAZING to explore in!! Xxxx

Emma couldn’t smile wide enough this morning when one of her little ones captured her image in playdough… we think that the likeness is uncanny!! (It’s definitely all in the smile) xxxx

This little one really wanted to create a flower so she set to at the craft table within her room to create…

She used her skills well to draw, cut, paint AND use tape to create her beautiful flower independently with great focus and attention to detail throughout.

Creative ways and determined days spent blossoming here at Jollies xxxx

We are starting to say goodbye to our amazing school leavers and it’s such a bittersweet time, as we know they are ready for this next exciting step, but it’s a real wrench to let them go as we’ve shared so many memories together along the way…

We received this lovely goodbye message from a recent leaver and it has made us all feel really proud.

Thank you again for being part of our Jolly Family; we have all felt privileged to have been part of your lives over the years xxxx

“Well, what can I say. It’s the end of a fantastic era for both ***** and ***** I can honestly say without a doubt the best decision we made was sending our girls to Jollies. From day one the girls have loved every minute. Thank you so much for setting the foundations for them and more! We will deffo call in and say hello soon, plus I managed to hold the tears in until we got to the car and read all the lovely words you’d written Thanks again the **********! Xxx”

After a VERY busy morning this little one took herself over to the book area and laid herself down to look through a book…

Moments of calm and relaxation are just as important as very active learning experiences and we love that our children are soooooo at ease in our home-from-home environment that they can find themselves the time they need to find calm and rest whenever they want/need to.

Active days mixed with restorative restful ways… it’s just the perfect Jolly well-being combination xxxx

Creating awe and wonder as the clouds moving, the birds flying, the leaves swaying in the sky above and many, many other interesting things were explored by looking down in the mirror below!!

Simply fascinating to see the world from this perspective… and the added bonus?! … It was when our little ones noticed their own reflections too; as they were then, of course, able to admire their own gorgeous selves as well!!!!! xxxx

This was the invitation to play waiting for Cheeky Monkeys recently within their room…

Their curiosity was definitely sparked, their interest was piqued and their explorations began!!

The next minute imaginations were sparkling brighter than the treasures being investigated.

At Jollies we like to ignite the spark and then watch the fires of learning burn brightly as our children take their learning off in their individually chosen, very exciting, very different, directions… xxxx

Yet again this beautiful location, situated right on our nursery’s doorstep, provided adventure and amazingness.

Our little Possums loved to feed the ducks, say hello (and pose!) with the Gruffalo, munch some snack, look at the boats and dogs and people and take in everything else they could see around them as they strolled and listened and looked… Oh, and they had a run around on the green as they played the best game of football there ever too

Canal walking days meets footballing ways… a perfect Jolly morning! Xxxx