Twinkles Toddler Group

28/05/2026

hope everyone is enjoying half term, just thought I'd share this important bit of information about floating, I hope no one gets into trouble in the water but if you do....

15/04/2026

I could probably tick everyone of those, though I have stopped carrying wet wipes now

I have definitely done every single one of these! How about you? 😅

02/04/2026

Happy Easter to everyone... We now have 2 Mondays and 2 Thursdays off so there will be no Twinkles until Monday 20th & Thursday 23rd April

26/03/2026

Certain shops that issued compostable carrier bags at the checkouts have recently re-evaluated the environmental impacts of these bags over their lifecycle - including disposal in the real world where composting infrastructure is somewhat limited - and have decided to pull them from sale in favour of promoting reusable bags.

I follow a number of groups where members have expressed outrage at this decision, claiming that compostable bags were eco-friendly and could be used in food waste caddies.

If only things were that straightforward.

Food waste in Devon isn't composted - it's treated by anaerobic digestion to generate electricity and soil improver. Composting uses oxygen. Anaerobic means 'without oxygen'. Compostable plastic requires oxygen to break down, so it won't in anaerobic digestion.

And single-use compostable bags potentially have a greater carbon when they are not actually composted: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiehailstone/2023/01/23/are-compostable-bags-as-environmentally-friendly-as-we-think-they-are/

Why do we even ask you to bag your food waste at all? And how come you can use any bag?

Unbagged food tends to spill on our workers. While they wear PPE, it isn't nice working in clothes coated in food.

Loose food also releases spores and foul odours when the worker opens the caddy - again, extremely unpleasant.

ALL bags - even compostable ones - will be removed at the processing plant and sent to Energy from Waste.

But compostable bags are more difficult to remove because they are stretchy.

And they're expensive, so don't waste your money on them.

You can use old bags, like bread bags, salad bags and cereal box liners. You can also use paper bags, but these may rot through (and remember that making and transporting heavy paper - even recycled paper - is still resource-heavy).

You don't need to tie the bag; just fold over the top when it's full and that will be sufficient to stop spills and odours.

Ultimately, do what you feel comfortable with, but just make sure your food is bagged.

24/03/2026

Telling a child that someone has died is one of the hardest conversations many adults will ever have.

You may worry about saying the wrong thing.
You may want to protect them from the pain.
You may not know where to begin.

But children do not need perfect words.

They need clear, honest language, a safe adult beside them, and space to process what they are hearing in their own time.

In this post from The Grief Series, I’m sharing gentle, brain-based guidance on how to tell a child someone has died in a way that supports understanding and emotional safety.

To SAVE, click on the image, tap the three dots, and choose Save.

24/03/2026

When children experience loss, their grief rarely looks the way adults expect.

They may cry one moment and play the next.
They may ask the same questions again and again.
Sometimes their grief appears as behaviour rather than sadness.

In this post I’m sharing a small window into how grief often shows up in childhood — and why understanding this can help us respond with greater compassion.

This is the first post in The Grief Series, where we’ll explore how children understand death at different ages, how grief unfolds in childhood, and how to support difficult conversations.

To SAVE, click on the image, tap the three dots, and choose Save.

21/03/2026

I love this reminder in life....

A little reminder for you today ✨

19/03/2026

03/03/2026

World Book Day on Thursday - dress up if you want to, we will have dressing up and books for the children to use as well