Witches, Goblins, and Ghosts – Oh my!


Thursday, November 3rd, 2016

Halloween is the time when scary skeletons, spooky ghosts and wicked witches roam the world. All of the Giraffe centres enjoyed the build up to Halloween last week, and the children and staff certainly got into the spirit of the festivities!
The children were delighted to dress up for the whole day for their Halloween parties. For some of the younger children,  it was their first time wearing a costume! They seem to have really enjoyed the fun and festivities 🙂

No tricks, just treats please!

Many of our centres participated in Trick or Treat for Temple Street, combining their fancy dress party with a Fundraiser to raise much needed funds for the Children’s Hospital at Temple Street.

Joining in on the fun

The children weren’t the only ones enjoying dressing up though! Many of the staff turned out in costume for the day and some even ran competitions for best costume.

 

Pumpkin Carving Competition

One of the highlights of the week was a friendly competition between the centres for the most creative pumpkin carving!  An astounding 13 finalists were chosen and then it went to a public vote on our Facebook page.  The children were encouraged to help carve their own pumpkins, tracing faces, painting the skin and scooping out the insides to make the pumpkins hollow.

 

Congratulations!

This year’s winner was Giraffe Rathfarnham for this incredibly creative pumpkin display! Well done to all the staff and children who helped make this spooky pumpkin display. The centre will be awarded a fantastic prize of new equipment for all the children to enjoy.

Rathfarnham

Rathfarnham

Here are some of the amazing pumpkin designs from other centres. Thank you to everyone who voted for our creative designs!


The A to Z of Getting Fit with Your Children

If you’re a parent, then you know it’s a constant challenge to balance keeping the kids both healthy and entertained at the same time! That’s why we at Giraffe Childcare have come up with a clever, informative and adorable infographic, titled The A-Z of Getting Fit with Your Children. From Football to Yoga, Playgrounds to […]

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Easy Ideas for Halloween Costumes

Halloween is just around the corner and it’s time to prepare! Whether you’re invited to a party, you’re planning on going trick or treating, or whether you’ll just be hanging out at home, kids just love to dress up for this special occasion. Here are some ideas for easy homemade costumes that won’t break the […]

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Their world is our world

Giraffe Training Academy  – Toddler Staff Workshop Last Saturday, Giraffe Childcare’s Training Academy hosted a training day for 63 practitioners with Lillian and Carol from Early Childhood Ireland, delivering workshops on Facilitating Play Based Learning. Our senior crèche managers acted as our In-House workshop facilitators on the day, and covered a wide range of topics on Managing Children’s […]

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Giraffe Training Academy  – Wobbler Staff Workshop Giraffe Childcare’s Training Academy hosted a training day for 75 practitioners on Saturday with Lillian and Carol from Early Childhood Ireland, delivering a session on Facilitating Play Based Learning.  There were also a range of skills demonstrations modules delivered by some of Giraffe’s senior crèche managers to promote best practice in […]

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How to Carve a Pumpkin

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Affordable Childcare Schemes

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“It takes a big heart to help shape growing minds”. (Anon) Every morning, the pitter-patter of tiny feet and the sound of joyful little voices resonate around the rooms at Giraffe Childcare. Every morning, the carers, chefs and staff teams welcome the children and families at their centre with energy and enthusiasm for the upcoming […]

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If you really want to break the cycle of rivalry and children clashing with one another, allow them to pick activities that they can do together.

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Here’s a great idea to make use of the pumpkin flesh after carving your pumpkin. These are a lovely treat for a Halloween party too. You will need: Pumpkin puree (from one large pumpkin) 250g Self Raising Flour 150g Caster Sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ginger 1/2 tsp all spice […]

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