The Little Diner at Jane's

07/09/2026

My wee explorers were shopping superstars this morning, learning through real-life experiences in our local Tesco 🛒✨

There was lots of opportunities for learning while doing our food shop: spotting numbers above the aisles, naming fruits and vegetables, identifying colours and shapes, talking about foods that are liked and disliked and wondered what some unfamiliar foods might taste like! The children also helped to steer the trolley and practised being polite and considerate around other shoppers, I think they did great!

Back at home, the learning and responsibility continued as they set the table, had snack and then joined in with the clean-up...washing, wiping and hoovering! 🧽

This is my pedagogy in action, learning through real-life experiences at home and in the wider community. Everyday moments like these help children build confidence, independence and important life skills 🥰 Everyone food shops at the end of the day!

Scottish Childminding Association Jane's Childcare Wee Explorers ELC Clackmannanshire Childminders Care Inspectorate Clackmannanshire Council

01/08/2026

01/08/2026

😍 I'm obsessed with the pumpkins! We don't have as many as past years, we reduced our plot and the boss wanted the space for other produce...I'd fill the plot with pumpkins if left alone! 😆

🍅 are my second favourite and I'm excited for the grapes to ripen! 🍇

03/06/2026

10/05/2026

Menu for next week 🍽 Afternoon snacks on the menu might seem a bit boring, they'll likely be totally different on the day! 😆 A variety of fruit and crackers/rice cakes/breadsticks are always available for afternoon snack and after-school snack, if there's muffins on the menu they're available to the after schoolies too 🙂

09/05/2026

Well… The Little Diner at Jane’s has hit a little kitchen challenge! 🍳➡️🚫 Our gas hob has had to be disconnected and for the time being we won’t be able to replace it with an electric one, I need to dust off the slow cooker now! 😅

This is a curveball for me (amateur cook!), especially while I’m working hard to plan menus that meet the Setting the Table Scottish early years food guidance 🍎🥕🥛 Balanced meals, variety, nutritional requirements… all without a hob? Challenge accepted (I think! 😂)

If any fellow childminders, parents or kitchen wizards have favourite hob-free meal ideas that little ones actually enjoy, I’d LOVE your suggestions 👩‍🍳✨

07/05/2026

It was a good job we had soup planned for today, needed something to heat ourselves up since it's been freezing outside! 🥶 Our cheese wands were fun and great for stirring the soup, but they definitely needed more cheese 🧀

Yesterday we had Gruffalo frittatas, they're actually called poisonous warts in the book, but I didn't think this would make them appealing! 😆

04/05/2026

This week's menu 🍽 Catching up with my jobs after the Clackmannanshire Childminders Spring Fayre took over my life! 😆 Wee Bairns Childminding Kids Klub needing another day added to the weekends 🤭