Toybox

About Me

Hi, I’m Emma, a married mum of two boys, who are both adults now, and the owner of Toybox Childminding.

I gained my NNEB qualification in 1995 and have worked with children ever since. I have been childminding since 2011, having previously worked in a local primary school within the Foundation Unit. Throughout my career, I have had experience working with children with a wide range of additional needs. I am also a Level 2 qualified BSL signer.

My husband, Chris, joined me in 2016 as the demand for childcare places grew. The children absolutely love having Chris here. He is a positive male role model and brings something really special to our setting. We also have an assistant working with us, and my sister, who is NVQ Level 3 qualified and registered as an assistant, is available to provide emergency cover when needed.

I am immensely proud of our little team and everything we have achieved together.

Learning Through Play

At Toybox, we believe that children learn best when they are happy, secure and having fun. We offer lots of opportunities for children to explore, investigate, create and get messy!

We love creative activities such as play dough, painting, cornflour play and lots more. Who doesn’t love getting stuck in and messy? And when I get covered in paint, I can always blame the children! ? I think I’m probably the biggest kid of them all!

We have a purpose-built cabin and dedicated play area where children can explore, play and develop their independence. We also have regular access to our own plot at the local allotment, providing fantastic opportunities for outdoor learning, growing, nature exploration and messy play.

Our Allotment & Chickens

We have regular access to our own plot at the local allotment, providing fantastic opportunities for outdoor learning, growing, nature exploration and messy play.

We also have our own chickens at the allotment, and the children love helping to care for them. They can learn about animals, responsibility and kindness by helping with age-appropriate jobs such as feeding the chickens, collecting eggs and making sure they have everything they need.

Having the allotment and chickens gives children wonderful opportunities to experience nature first-hand, understand where food comes from and develop a respect and love for living things.

We enjoy getting out and about too, with regular trips to playgroups and parks, giving children opportunities to explore different environments and learn through real-life experiences.

Flexible Childcare

We offer:

* Term-time-only contracts
* Holiday-only contracts
* All-year-round contracts

We accept childcare vouchers and Tax-Free Childcare, and we offer funded childcare places for eligible 9-month-old, 2-, 3- and 4-year-old children, including 15- and 30-hour funding.

We provide a mixture of indoor and outdoor experiences throughout the year, always following the children’s interests and stages of development.

Most importantly, we have fun, fun, fun!

My aim is for every child who comes to Toybox to feel happy, safe, secure, valued and loved. I believe that children thrive when they feel comfortable and confident, and that learning through play gives them the very best foundations for growing, developing and becoming independent little people.