Events

We are a not-for-profit charity and rely on the generosity of our parents and the community to help us. We run regular fundraising events throughout the year, and all money raised goes towards improving the facilities and provision we offer. We also hold meetings and celebration events that parents are warmly welcomed to join.

At the moment, it is difficult to plan future events, but we hope to resume our usual programme this September and will be updating this page with confirmed dates as soon as possible! We always welcome any help towards organising these events, and new ideas for future fundraising.

Our regular and recent events include:

Weekly Events

Fun for Ones and Twos

Fun for ones & twos is a group for younger children and their parents or carers, that takes place at the playgroup every week on Monday and Thursday mornings during term time, 9.30 to 11.30 am. Children participate in a range of structured and unstructured play activities led by Cindy Noble, including craft, playdough, story time and outside play.  Attendance fees are £4.50 per session.

Children can join the group from age 18 months, and usually come once a week until they join our main group sessions from age 2 – 3 years. Children become familiar with the playgroup setting and routines with the comfort of their parent or carer being close by. We have found attendance at this group greatly helps children to settle into the main playgroup sessions.

Children are accompanied to this group with a parent or carer who will be expected to stay with them throughout the morning. A drink and snack is provided for the children, and refreshments for the adults. Playground supervision is expected – but it is a great way to get to know other families with children of a similar age to yours.

Fun for Ones and Twos is currently not running as, due to coronavirus restrictions, we are not allowing parents or carers into the building. We will let you know as soon as it restarts!

Summer Holiday Stay and Play

During the summer holidays, playgroup opens one morning a week for children and their parents or carers to “stay and play”. Indoor and outdoor activities are available, as well as refreshments. The mornings are informal and parents or carers will need to stay and supervise their children. These are really sociable mornings and a great way to stay in touch with us over the summer holidays.

Summer holiday stay and play is currently not running due to coronavirus restrictions.

Autumn Term (September-December)

Playgroup AGM

This is the highlight of your social calendar! As a registered charity, we hold an open AGM every November, and all parents are welcome to attend. We review the previous years’ achievements and work, discuss plans for the coming year, and elect the committee. Its really important for us to hear parents views, so please come along. Refreshments provided!

Autumn Walks

We always include autumn walks to the village recreation grounds, to collect leaves, pine cones, acorns and interesting twigs! We rely on parents and volunteers to help us on these walks.

Christmas Fair

We hosted a Christmas Fair in November 2019, featuring stalls, refreshments, mulled wine and mince pies, games and craft activities, and of course the chance to meet Father Christmas! We would love to repeat this in 2020, watch this space!

Meridian Primary School Christmas Play

Our preschool children (age 3 – 4) are often invited to watch the dress rehearsal of the Meridian Primary School’s Christmas Play, performed by the reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children. The children love to watch the action, especially if they spot older siblings or friends!

Nativity Play and Christmas Party

We always end the Autumn Term with a traditional Nativity play, performed to parents in the last week, and a Christmas Party on the last day of term. We hold a raffle at the Nativity play, and ask parents to help provide or serve food at the party. All children from Playgroup are welcome to these events even it it is not their regular day. At the party, Father Christmas comes to meet all of the children individually and they can have their photograph taken with him.

Spring Term (January – April)

Parents Evening

For children who are in their preschool year (age 3 – 4), we hold a parents evening with individual consultations to discuss your child’s learning journey.

Easter Eggstravaganza

On a saturday morning towards the end of term, we hold an Easter Eggstravangza fundraising event. This includes many craft activities, games such as tombola and lucky dip, face painting, train rides, cakes and hot refreshments, a raffle, and of course an Easter Hunt with chocolate egg prizes!

Summer Term (May – July)

Photographers’ Visit

A specialist children’s photographers company visit playgroup to take photographs of the children, which you are welcome to purchase. Before school slots can be booked if you have older children, for group shots.

Parents Evening

For children who will be in their preschool year next academic year (age 2 – 3), we hold a parents evening with individual consultations to discuss your child’s learning journey.

Meridian Primary School Visits 

We have excellent links with Meridian Primary School, and during summer term we arrange for the reception class teacher to visit playgroup and get to know the preschool children (age 3 – 4) who will be attending Meridian the following September. We also take the children for visits to the school. We rely on parents and volunteers to help us on these walks.

We also take all the preschool children to watch the school sports morning, when possible, and enjoy running our own 50 m sprint race at the end!

End of term BBQ

We finish the term with an after school BBQ, including refreshments and a raffle, to celebrate a year completed and wish all our preschool children good luck for starting school in September.