Easter Club Success!
The weather was incredibly kind to us this year for our free easter club supported by the National Lottery Community Fund. We hosted a total of 6 sessions and welcomed just under 200 children and 60 adults in the groups.
The children led their play, swinging in the hammocks, climbing trees and building dens and making bows and arrows. Everyone enjoyed playing in the mud kitchen, which meant we were provided with delicious cups of mud tea and inventive new recipes to ‘try’! Some of the older children even set up a sushi bar. It all looked very delicious.
There were lots of games of hide and seek, digging in the gravel pit, and water
colour painting and of course pond dipping. The newts were admired and then safely returned. It was so lovely to see how gentle and kind the children were to the creatures they found in the pond and under the logs. Their natural curiosity meant that they wanted to learn about the natural world around them and how we take care of it. The Easter themed crafts were beautiful, and the Easter egg hunt and chocolate treat went down well!
garden putting on a show
As well as the beautiful sunshine contributing to the relaxed and joyful Easter sessions, the volunteer gardeners have done an incredible job this spring tending to the garden and allowing it to look its natural best.
The welcome garden was weeded, compost heaps were turned AND sieved! Borders were weeded, seeds sown, hedge whips planted and the pond given a tidy up. A lot or work during the Spring months. Susie the garden lead did treat the volunteers to a very well deserved delicious easter cake before the long easter weekend!
equipped parents
As the Spring Talking Teens course came to an end parents shared how attending the course has reshaped their family life with one parent commenting;
'From day 1 of the course I left feeling more confident, I felt heard and respected. The course has changed my life, it came at a time when I was really struggling and to have had the opportunity to apply the little golden nuggets each week and seeing a change in my relationship with my children has been rewarding!'
Huge thanks to Farnham Town Council and their ongoing support and belief in this course for local parents.
We still have spaces on our Nurturing course starting on Monday 12th May. Please email info@theparentingspace.space to find out more.
sunny & soggy space2play
Not all days have been sunny for our space2play community; a few have been soggy around the edges and at times both children and adults have had to develop their resilience to deal with the challenges that arise when everyone and everything is wet! Cooking on the fire is always a special time. The children are very young, but they all understand about fire safety and how to appropriately move around the outside of the fire circle.
The hammocks and swings have been really popular this term. Swinging and spinning help children in a multitude of ways for example it supports the development of their vestibular system developing balance and coordination. It also helps them to emotionally regulate and enhance their well-being. As the children have got older and are more familiar with routines they look forward to the sessions and remember the friends they will meet. We especially enjoy seeing children that roar at each other when they arrive. We know they mean business and fun will be had!
A huge thank you to the National Lottery Community Fund for their funding and support for these sessions.
adult play
The men in sheds team worked on bird tables for Potters Gate School and notice boards for Farnham Council. They also have a big project to build some large cupboards for Post 19 a charity group in Farnham, for their sports equipment. There was also time for some of the Men in Sheds team to down tools and enjoy the brilliant Easter Decorations the Farnham Forest Schoolteam had put in place to decorate the garden!
We were also delighted to host a staff easter egg hunt for Potter's Gate School and very pleased that the easter bunny had visited the acre for them that morning. We love seeing the space being played in by the adults as much as the children.
reflections from the acre...
We end the newsletter with heartfelt thanks from the families who attended the Easter Club
'space2grow has become such a firm favourite for every member of my family (myself included). I have attended the preschool sessions with my younger 2 but this is the first time my 8 year old came too, and she was equally engaged and enthusiastic about it as the little ones. It's like stepping into a magical, wholesome portal. Catherine & Debbie are the kindest and most attentive people, who make everyone feel happy and valued. My bigger girl tends to shy away from interacting much with new people but felt immediately at ease with the team at space2grow.
10/10! 5 stars! '
