Puffins presents new equipment

CHILDREN at Puffins Pre-School in Beer are enjoying new equipment thanks to the Sure Start centre in Seaton and Tesco.

Sure Start, which provides services for families with children under five, has just opened the centre. It has a library of resources pre-schools in the area can loan out free of charge, and Puffins has borrowed some sensory light equipment and a puppet show.

The equipment, worth �1,000, includes fibre-optic lights, a disco ball, and CDs of whale sounds.

“It’s all about interactive learning,” said pre-school leader Julie Weber. “It’s an amazing kit, and the children love it.”

She urged parents with children under five to register their children with the centre, so it can keep adding new equipment to the resources library.

Puffins now also has lots of new torches, flashing lights, and bamboo water channels, bought with Tesco vouchers parents have donated.

The channels cost �85 alone, with the stands at �40. The children spent a whole morning using them to move water across the garden to water the plants.

“It was during our Forest Schools session, when we normally go out and about, but we stayed in the garden the whole time as the children were enjoying it so much,” said Julie. “They all joined in and worked together. It develops their maths skills, knowledge and understanding, and communication skills, as they have to talk to each other and interact.”

Julie is now on the look out for pipes, funnels, tubing and water pumps to take water from the group’s decking area to the garden. All donations gratefully received.

“Maybe local businesses would like to sponsor us,” she said.

With the help of Sarah Williams from Steamers restaurant and James Green, of Jimmy Green’s, the group is building a pulley system to move water and toys from the garden to the decking.

To help with Puffins’ projects, call (01297) 20403.