22 Street Lane Nursery - March 2026 Newsletter

Nursery Newsletter March 2026 Play • Discovery • Growth

March Newsletter

Dear Parents and Carers, Welcome to our March newsletter, and a very warm welcome to all the new families who have recently joined us. February was a wonderfully busy month for the children, filled with celebrations and themed days for Valentine’s Day, Random Acts of Kindness Day, Lunar New Year, and St. David’s Day. As we step into March, we have an exciting line-up of events ahead. We’ll begin the month by celebrating Holi (the vibrant festival of colour) and World Book Day. Throughout the rest of the month, the children will also be learning about and taking part in Mother’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Red Nose Day, Eid Al-Fitr and much more. It’s shaping up to be a fun-filled month! With spring fast approaching, we’re looking forward to lighter evenings, warmer days, and spending more time outdoors. The children have already begun planting a variety of fruits and vegetables and are eagerly watching their seedlings grow. To find out more about what we’ve been up to, please read on...

March Newsletter STAFF NEWS

Goodbye, Bec! On Friday 27th February, we said a heartfelt farewell to Bec after more than nine wonderful years as a much-loved member of the 22SLN team. Bec and her family are emigrating to Canada, where she’ll continue her passion for early years education by helping to set up and coordinate a small childcare provision. We know she’ll bring the same dedication, warmth, and enthusiasm to her new adventure as she has to ours. We wish Bec and her family every happiness and success in this exciting new chapter. She will be greatly missed. Good luck, Bec and thank you for everything!

Welcome to Diarmuid! A warm welcome to Diarmuid, who has recently joined our team as an apprentice practitioner. Diarmuid will be working across all rooms during his first few weeks with us… “Hi, I’m Diarmuid, I’ve been around early years care for as long as I can remember - my Mum ran a playgroup when I was young, and growing up in that environment inspired my passion for working with children. What started as having lots of friends to play with soon became a love for supporting and caring for little ones as they learn and grow. I will bring a calm, friendly approach to the nursery and enjoy creating a space where children feel safe, confident, and excited to explore. I love using music, silly stories, and playful games to build connections and support development in fun, meaningful ways. I feel privileged to be part of each child’s early journey and aim to make every day positive, nurturing, and full of curiosity.”

March Newsletter

NEWS

Country of the Month, March 2026: Ireland Throughout February, the children learnt all about China, linked to the celebration of the Lunar New Year! The children enjoyed a trip with Oli to the Oriental Supermarket to collect ingredients for some traditional Chinese dishes, made some beautiful red lanterns, practiced traditional calligraphy and created their own horse pictures, for ‘Year of the Horse’. Throughout March, we will be celebrating Ireland as our Country of the Month. Did You Know: Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle because it is so green and rains for a good chunk of the year. The children will be learning about the Harp, which is the national symbol of Ireland and listening to some traditional Celtic music which features fiddles, tin whistles and harps, and who can resist giving Irish Dancing a go! We will also be celebrating St Patrick’s Day on Tuesday 17th March, and the children will be invited to come into Nursery wearing the colours of the Irish flag.

Valentine’s Day Celebrations Love was most definitely in the air on Valentine’s Day! The children spent some time thinking about those special to them and why, as well as taking part in lots of Valentine’s themed activities.

March Newsletter NEWS

National Storytelling Week At the beginning of February, the children celebrated National Storytelling Week. The children participated in various themed activities and tuff trays linked to some of their favourite stories, and our five core books! Lots of the children also brought in some of their stories from home, which were lovely to share with the rest of the group too.

March Newsletter NEWS

Children’s Mental Health Week For Children’s Mental Health Week, the children spent time exploring their feelings and talking about different emotions. They enjoyed looking at stories such as The Colour Monster and I Feel Angry, which helped spark some lovely conversations. Throughout the week, the children also went on daily outings to the park and around the local community, took part in relaxing yoga sessions in the outdoor garden, and some even enjoyed their very own mini Spa Day with calming, child-friendly treatments. By the end of the week, we were all feeling wonderfully relaxed and zen!

March Newsletter NEWS

Random Acts of Kindness Day To celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day, each room planned a variety of thoughtful activities and talked about why kindness matters and the many ways we can show it to others. The children took part in lots of lovely acts, including handing out flowers and homemade biscuits in the local community, taking part in litter picking, and delivering cards and small gifts around the nursery to staff and other children. We were so proud and impressed by the children’s kindness and generosity!

Shrove Tuesday To celebrate Pancake Day, the children had a fantastic time making their very own pancakes, and some of our older children even took part in a very competitive and fun pancake flipping competition! Oli also cooked up a big batch of delicious pancakes for everyone, complete with a choice of tasty toppings, and they even made some for parents to enjoy too. Yummy!

Happy St. David’s Day! On Friday 27th February we honoured Saint David at the nursery, who is the patron Saint of Wales. The children enjoyed some traditional Welsh dishes including: Welsh Cakes, Rarebit and a Welsh Apple loaf. Delicious!

March Newsletter

NEWS

Ramadan Festivities During February and March, some of our families will be observing Ramadan, a special month in the Islamic calendar. Ramadan is a time for kindness, caring for others, and thinking about how we can be patient and helpful. At nursery, we have been learning about the values of sharing, gratitude, and community through stories and activities. We will be continuing this throughout March, before celebrating Eid on Friday 20th March. If any families would like to share something about how they mark Ramadan or Eid at home, we would love to hear from you!

World Wildlife Day: Tuesday 3rd March World Wildlife Day is held every year at the start of March and aims to raise awareness of the unique ways our world is brought together by the wildlife living in it.

Organised by the United Nations, the day helps people to learn, while spreading the message about areas that are under threat, with tips on what we - as humans - can do to help. We will be teaching the children about important wildlife and endangered species. We will also be continuing to discuss the importance of looking after animals and our environment.

World Book Day: Thursday 5th March We will be celebrating World Book Day and the magic of lots of different stories on Thursday 6th March. The children are invited to dress as their favourite book characters and bring their favourite book along with them to the nursery! Each room will also be arranging their own fun activities to celebrate the day.

March Newsletter NEWS

Holi - The Festival of Colour: Wednesday 4th March In March, the children will be celebrating Holi, the vibrant Festival of Colour. We’ll be learning about the meaning behind the celebration and exploring the joyful traditions that come with it. The children will enjoy colourful, creative activities, such as rainbow painting, messy play, and music, while learning about friendship, togetherness, and welcoming the start of spring. It’s sure to be a bright and cheerful day! To mark the occasion, the children are also invited to wear bright coloured clothing, the brighter the better!

International Women’s Day: Friday 6th March Marked annually, International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. We will be celebrating this at Nursery on Friday 6th March, and the children will learn about some of the amazing achievements that Women have made over the years. If you have any resources of books linked to International Women’s Day at home, please feel free to bring these in!

Global Recycling Day: Wednesday 18th March On this day, we will be learning about the importance of recycling and the ways we can look after our planet! We will also be looking at ways in which we can recycle further at nursery and at home. The children will also do some junk modelling using recycled materials and a range of loose parts.

March Newsletter NEWS Red Nose Day: Friday 20th March Red Nose Day is back this March! It’s that time of year when incredible cake-bakers, joke-makers, telly-watchers, Red Nose buyers and laugh-til-you-cryers, do something to fight poverty through humour and fun, for communities here in the UK and around the world. On Friday 20th March we will be supporting Red Nose Day with a ‘silly’ themed day at the nursery. Children are invited to wear something silly or funny, or come along with an official ‘Red Nose’ to wear on the day!

World Down Syndrome Day: Friday 20th March World Down Syndrome Day is a special day to help people know more about Down Syndrome. Each year for World Down Syndrome Day, there is a theme for supporters to share, as together, we make one strong voice. This year, the message is “Stand Together Against Loneliness”. The children will be learning all about the wonderful campaign, and will take part in lots of activities linked to accepting each other’s similarities and differences, which make us all unique. We will be looking at books such as ‘All Are Welcome’ and ‘Completely Toby’.

March Newsletter NEWS

Eid Al Fitr: Friday 20th March Eid al-Fitr is a religious holiday that occurs at the end of Ramadan. The meaning of Eid al-Fitr, translated from Arabic, means ‘the feast of the breaking of the fast’. Eid al-Fitr officially begins once the religious authorities have confirmed the sighting of the new moon. Approximately 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide will mark Eid as the sun sets and the moon rises on the last day of Ramadan. We will be celebrating Eid al-Fitr with a delicious feast cooked by our chef Oli, along with lots of themed activities. We would love to see your Eid celebrations on Tapestry.

World Poetry Day: Saturday 21st March In March, the children will be celebrating World Poetry Day by exploring the magic of words, rhythm, and rhyme. They will enjoy listening to fun poems, creating their own simple rhymes, and taking part in playful storytelling activities. It’s a wonderful opportunity to spark imagination, build confidence with language, and celebrate the joy of creative expression!

March Newsletter

St. Patrick’s Day: Thursday 17th March

We will be celebrating St Patrick’s Day, which also links to our Country of the Month on Thursday 17th March. The children are invited to wear green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. We will be exploring all things green, shamrocks and leprechauns! The children will be transported to an Irish setting to learn about Irish customs and traditions. Oli and Kim will be cooking a traditional Irish feast for them to enjoy, which we’re sure will be super yummy!

March Newsletter Mother’s Day Stay and Play: Monday 9th - Friday 20th March We would like to invite someone special to attend our Mother’s Day Stay and Play which will be held over two sessions for each room from 3pm to 4pm. Due to space in the room, we can only Chicklets Monday 9th Thursday 19th Ducklings Monday 16th

10 Spaces 10 Spaces 12 Spaces 12 Spaces 12 Spaces 11 Spaces 22 Spaces 22 Spaces 22 Spaces 22 Spaces

Friday 20th

accommodate a limited number of people per session, details of this and the dates for each room can be found in the chart to the right. Spaces will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’d like to attend, please speak to either Shosh or Charlotte at the Reception Desk, who will be able to book your slot.

Wednesday 11th

Goslings

Tuesday 17th

Friday 13th

Cygnets

Wednesday 18th Tuesday 10th Thursday 12th

Swans

March Newsletter

Dish of the Month

Welsh Cakes

See our past selections on: 22streetlanenursery.co.uk/dish-of-the-month/

Ingredients • 110g/4oz salted butter (preferably Welsh), chilled, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing • 225g/8oz self-raising flour, sieved, plus extra for dusting

• 85g/3oz caster sugar • A handful of sultanas • 1 free-range egg, beaten • Milk, if needed

Method 1. Rub the butter into the flour to make breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and sultanas, then stir in the egg. Mix, then form a ball of dough, using a splash of milk if needed. 2. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is 5mm / 1/4 inch thick. Cut it into rounds using a 7.5cm / 3 inch fluted cutter. 3. You now need a bakestone or a heavy iron griddle. Rub it with butter and wipe the excess away. Put it on a direct heat and wait until it heats up. Place the Welsh cakes on the griddle and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until caramel brown. 4. Remove from the pan and dust with caster sugar while still warm. Some people leave out the sultanas, split them when cool and sandwich them together with jam.

March Newsletter

Chicklets Room News

The Chicklets kicked off February with a brilliant celebration of Storytelling Week, bringing our favourite core books ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’, ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’, ‘The Gingerbread Man’, ‘The Gruffalo’ and ‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear’, to life through fun, sensory messy play. From splashing through “mud” to chasing gingerbread men, it was a week full of imagination and laughter! We also marked Children’s Mental Health Week with a calming mini spa day. The children loved exploring petal-infused water, relaxing in a soothing sensory space, and trying gentle cucumber and oat face masks. It was a very peaceful experience for everyone. For Valentine’s Day, the Chicklets baked a delicious strawberry and cocoa loaf. They enjoyed measuring, mixing, and working together to create their tasty treat, fantastic for fine motor skills and teamwork. We also celebrated Lunar New Year with rice and noodle sensory play, helping to build fine motor skills while exploring new textures. The children even enjoyed a special Chinese-themed menu, trying duck and teriyaki chicken as they learned about a new culture. Looking ahead to March, we’ll be embracing all things spring, exploring flowers, colours, and textures, enjoying nature-inspired activities, and celebrating Mother’s Day with some very special creations. It’s set to be a bright and lovely month in the Chicklets Room!

CHICKLETS ROOM

March Newsletter

Ducklings Room News

What a wonderfully busy month we’ve had in our Ducklings Room! We began by celebrating Storytelling Week with activities inspired by our core books: The Gruffalo, The Gingerbread Man, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The children enjoyed themed play such as: Gruffalo crumble playdough, making gingerbread men, exploring colourful trays, and splashing their way through our Bear Hunt messy setup. They also brought in books from home to share during group time, supporting their love of stories and language development. Mental Health Awareness Week was another highlight. We took a refreshing walk to Roundhay Park, spotted ducks and dogs, and continued exploring feelings through flashcards, our Colour Monster playdough tray, and caring for baby dolls. The children practised positive affirmations like “I am happy” and “I am kind.” We ended the week with a relaxing spa afternoon, offering foot massages, oat face masks, afternoon tea, and a cosy quiet corner. We finished the month by celebrating the Lunar New Year. The Ducklings practised transferring rice in our red-themed tray and explored our transformed role-play area, a Chinese restaurant complete

with blossom flowers, soup spoons, fortune cookies, and red envelopes. It’s been a lovely month, and we look forward to more fun throughout March!

DUCKLINGS ROOM

March Newsletter

Goslings Room News

We began with National Storytelling Week, focusing on our core stories including ‘The Gruffalo’, ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’, ‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?’ and ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’. The children enjoyed a range of linked activities such as making Gruffalo headbands, fruit printing, playdough modelling, colour-matching in tuff trays, and going on their own local bear hunt. It was a lovely week that encouraged a love of books, with many children also sharing their favourite stories from home. For Children’s Mental Health Week, we focused on wellbeing and feelings. The Goslings took part in yoga, explored sensory resources, and enjoyed a relaxing spa day in their pyjamas, complete with foot spas and handmade eye masks. We also discussed kindness and families, creating Valentine’s cards for our loved ones. We continued this theme on Random Acts of Kindness Day by making cards for other nursery rooms and delivering flowers to members of our local Roundhay community, which the children were very proud to do. As part of our Country of the Month, we explored China and celebrated Lunar New Year. With it being the Year of the Horse, the children enjoyed horse-themed tuff trays, learning about where horses live and what they eat. We also explored the colour red, created golden coin artwork, and enjoyed a special Lunar New Year banquet with hoisin duck wraps.

GOSLINGS ROOM

March Newsletter

Cygnets Room News

In February, we enjoyed a busy and enriching month of learning and celebration. We began with National Storytelling Week, focusing on our nursery core stories each day. The children loved bringing stories to life through small world and messy play in the tuff tray, including acting out We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and exploring The Gruffalo through themed activities such as “scrambled snake” and Gruffalo crumble. They expressed their creativity through painting, glueing, and sticking, creating symmetrical butterflies and stamping gingerbread men. We also marked Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week with a special spa day. The children enjoyed foot spas, cucumber eye masks, yoga sessions, and nail painting. For Pancake Day, the children decorated pancakes using loose parts and tweezers to develop their fine motor skills. They explored mixing ingredients and created pancake-in-a-pan artwork using a variety of materials. To celebrate Lunar New Year, we explored traditions, visited a Chinese supermarket, and practised writing Chinese couplets and numbers. Our role play area was transformed into a Chinese Takeaway, where the children enjoyed dressing up in cheongsams, taking orders and cooking for their friends. It has been a wonderful month full of creativity, exploration, and meaningful learning experiences. In March, we are looking forward to celebrating Mother’s Day and World Book Day, learning all about Spring, and we’re so excited to spend more time in the garden!

CYGNETS ROOM

March Newsletter

Swans Room News

We began the month by celebrating National Storytelling Week, focusing on our core nursery stories. The children immersed themselves in a range of creative activities inspired by their favourite books. They painted beautiful symmetrical butterflies, carefully drew detailed pictures of the Gruffalo, and explored engaging tuff trays linked to well-loved stories. We also enjoyed lots of cosy storytelling sessions together. Some of the children even took a special bus trip to the local library, where they had great fun choosing new books to share and enjoy. To continue our theme, we took part in some fun baking activities, making gingerbread men, fruit juices, and even a delicious Gruffalo crumble! For National Kindness Day, some of the children went on a walk around the local community to hand out flowers and spread smiles. It was a lovely way to talk about caring for others and being kind. To celebrate Pancake Day, we designed our dream pancakes, drawing all of our favourite toppings. The children also made playdough pancakes, using loose parts to decorate, and thoroughly enjoyed mixing the ingredients together. We also celebrated the Lunar New Year through a variety of meaningful cultural experiences. The children learned about traditional Chinese couplets and practised saying special New Year blessing phrases. They explored numbers in Chinese, created decorative lanterns and fans, visited a Chinese supermarket to observe festive foods and traditions, and even made mochi.

SWANS ROOM

March Newsletter

2026 Events Calendar *Dates subject to change - Please check the website for the latest calendar

Tuesday 3rd

World Wildlife Day

Wednesday 4th

Holi Colour Festival

Thursday 5th

World Book Day

Friday 6th

International Women’s Day

Monday 9th - Friday 20th

Mother’s Day Stay & Plays

March

Tuesday 17th

St Patrick's Day

Wednesday 18th

Global Recycling Day

Friday 20th

Red Nose Day

Friday 20th

World Down Syndrome Day

Friday 20th

Eid Al Fitr

Saturday 21st

World Poetry Day

March Newsletter

2026 Events Calendar *Dates subject to change - Please check the website for the latest calendar

Weds 1st - Thurs 9th

Passover Celebrations

Thursday 2nd

Easter Bonnet and Egg Hunt

Good Friday, Nursery Closed

Friday 3rd

April

Easter Monday, Nursery Closed

Monday 6th

Tuesday 14th

Vaisakhi Festival Celebrations

Wednesday 22nd

Earth Day

Thursday 23rd

St George's Day

Early Bank Holiday, Nursery Closed

Monday 4th

W/C Monday 4th

National Walking Month

W/C Monday 11th

Mental Health Awareness Week

W/C Monday 18th

Grandparents Stay & Play

May

W/C Monday 18th

National 'Share a Story' Month

Wednesday 20th

World Bee Day

Spring Bank Holiday, Nursery Closed

Monday 25th

Wednesday 27th

Eid Al Adha

March Newsletter

2026 Events Calendar *Dates subject to change - Please check the website for the latest calendar

W/C Monday 1st

National Children’s Gardening Week

Friday 5th

Team Training Day, Nursery Closed

W/C Monday 8th

Healthy Eating & G reat Big Green Week

Tuesday 9th

Bicycle Day - Bring your bike to Nursery Day!

June

W/C Monday 15th

Father’s Day Stay & Play

Monday 15th

Parents Evening - Chicklets, Goslings, Swans

W/C Monday 15th

National Picnic Week

Wednesday 24th

Parents Evening - Ducklings & Cygnets

W/C Monday 29th (TBC)

Beach Party Week

Thursday 9th (TBC)

Swans Graduation

July

Friday 31st

Yorkshire Day Celebrations

WC Monday 24th

Carnival Week

August

Summer Bank Holiday, Nursery Closed

Monday 31st

W/C Monday 7th

Rosh Hashanah

September

Friday 25th

Mid-Autumn Festival

Friday 25th

Macmillan Bake Sale

March Newsletter

2026 Events Calendar *Dates subject to change - Please check the website for the latest calendar

W/C Monday 5th

Black History Month

Friday 9th

World Mental Health Day

W/C Monday 19th & Monday 26th

October

Halloween Stay & Play

Team Training Day, Nursery Closed

Tuesday 27th

Friday 30th

Halloween Fancy Dress Day

W/C Monday 2nd

Diwali Celebrations

Thursday 5th

Bonfire Celebrations

Friday 6th

Remembrance Sunday

Monday 9th

Parents Evening - Chicklets, Goslings, Swans

Friday 13th

World Kindness Day

November

W/C Monday 16th

Road Safety Week

TBC

World Nursery Rhymes Week

Wednesday 18th

Parents Evening - Ducklings & Cygnets

Friday 20th

Children in Need

Thursday 26th

Thanksgiving

W/C Monday 7th

Chanukah

Thursday 10th

Christmas Jumper Day

TBC

Swans Christmas Nativity

December

W/C Monday 14th

Christmas Party Week

Tuesday 15th

22SLN Christmas Dinner Day

Christmas Eve, Nursery Closes at 12pm

Thursday 24th

March Newsletter

*ATTENTION* Important Information - Please Read Notice: Glass Door We would like to remind parents to close the glass door behind them for the safety of the children. Please make sure that you do not let anyone in behind you. Thank you for your support. Birthdays Unfortunately, we do not allow parents to bring in birthday cakes treats to celebrate birthdays. If you would like to bring something in, we can suggest stickers, bubbles and other party bag fillers. If it is your child’s birthday, please tell us so that we can celebrate with a class disco! Labels in Clothing To avoid items being lost, please can you ensure that your child’s uniform is clearly labelled including their coats, hats, scarves and wellies. If your child brings gloves to nursery, we strongly advise for these to be attached and threaded through their coat to avoid any gloves going missing.

March Newsletter

*ATTENTION* Important Information - Please Read Drop Off and Collection Please remember that we open at 7.30am and close at 6.00pm, and anyone who picks up after this will be charged a late fee. Absence Please note that we are unable to swap days or offer an alternative day if your child is absent from nursery. We are now extremely busy, and it is impossible for us to do this for all children. This is stated in our terms and conditions. Thank you for your cooperation. Car Park Please can we kindly ask that parents ensure they are only parking in a single car parking bay. As you are aware, we have very limited space, and it is very busy a peak times. Weather Appropriate Clothing With the warmer months upon us, please can you ensure that your child has appropriate clothing for warm weather including sun cream and a sun hat. We would recommend that you provide sun cream which is factor 50 and at least a 4-star UVA rating. If you could please label your child’s sun cream and hat with their name, it would be helpful.

CONTACT US 0333 043 22 22

www.22streetlanenursery.co.uk info@22streetlanenursery.co.uk