All About Us

Hello, and welcome to Little Candlewicks. We are a family run childminding service for children aged 0-5 years. We are dedicated to giving our 'Bright Sparks' the best possible start in life. We follow the 'Early Years Curriculum For Wales Developmental Pathways' which are outlined below; 

• Belonging - Also referred to as 'Cynefin', and is the idea of helping children learn who they are and where they fit into the world. This starts as young babies developing strong, healthy attachments with parents and other caregivers, moving onto wider family and then friend groups, but also promoting a love of our local areas, our country and our language and culture. 

• Communication - This includes verbal or non-verbal communication as it's not all about talking. As children develop their communication skills of attention, listening and understanding, they also develop expressive language. We promote this through a language rich environment where we read stories, and sing songs and learning action rhymes. 

• Exploration - From birth, children’s natural curiosity about the world around them is a strong motivator for exploration. Children thrive in inclusive environments, both indoors and outdoors, and where there are open-ended opportunities to play, explore and investigate. It is important that adults allow children the time to be inquisitive and to safely explore the environment around them. 

• Physical development - Movement is strongly linked to cognition and learning. Engaging children in physical experiences and activities at the earliest opportunity can support greater levels of concentration, motivation and memory, as well as support healthy bone and muscle development. 

• Well-being - Adults who create emotionally safe environments can support children to begin to recognise and manage their feelings and behaviour in positive ways. This helps the children to feel confident in themselves and are therefore better able to make choices, show greater resilience and independence. This can also help children begin to understand that actions have consequences.