There are many interesting walks (long and short) around Ilkley for all ages to explore. The Tourist Office, opposite Ilkley train centre, sells leaflets with walks of many varieties, for as little as 50p. You’ll be amazed at what’s out there on your doorstep!

Having a rest, in the shade, at the top of Brook Street.

Stretching our legs at the bandstand.

Spotting “escaped sheeps” in the town!!

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Reaching for the stars!

Moving and shaking and having fun.

Louise runs classes are for children aged between 6 months and 4 years. Tiny Toes Ballet classes are linked to the Early Years Foundation stage offering a progressive, educational and fun experience designed to ‘nurture natural ability’ and introduce a life long love of music and dance.

They have 4 age specific classes held at Ben Rhydding Scout Hut, Otley Courthouse and Guiseley Theatre:

• Tiptoes for 6-18 months
• Twinkle toes for 18m to 2.5 years
• Talent Toes 2.5-4 years 
• Tap Toes 2+ years (Otley only)

Visit www.tinytoesballet.co.uk/northleeds-and-lowerwharfedale

or Facebook @tinytoesballetnorthleedsandlowerwharfedale.

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We have now achieved the Bronze Award on the ‘Woodland Trust’s Green Tree Schools Award’ and we are currently working towards the Silver Award. We have received: Silver Birch, Cherry, Downy Birch, Rowan, Oak, Crab Apple and Dog Rose varieties. The fruity trees were the most popular.

A proud gardener with his tree.

Another tree all potted up and ready to grow.

This one’s gone straight into the garden.

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We’d like to say a Big Thank-you to Grandad Paul for coming in to sort out our planters and scrub the paving stones for us (we didn’t suggest that he do this by-the-way!) before the Easter break. The children had fun planting broad beans with him and we now have lots of plans for lettuces, strawberries, sunflowers and sweet peas in the final term.

Thank-you also to Maggie’s grandparents for helping the children to plant some seeds in the free ‘sow & grow’ pots we received from Innocent Smoothies.

If anyone would like to help with our planting and gardening efforts this term, please send us an email. All help is gratefully received!

We had lots of eager gardeners ready to plant and water the beans!

One of our broad beans ready for planting

Inside, the children planted pots of their own to take home

The cress is doing well!

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1. Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Nell Bank on Good Friday (14^th April) 10am – 2pm. £2 per child. Prize draw at 1.45pm. Children must be accompanied by an adult. www.nellbank.com

2. Love Brownie Bakery Easter Hunt on Saturday April 15th. Entry forms £2 each from the bakery. Crack 10 questions and the answers will lead you to 10 spots around Ilkley where you will collect 10 codes. Return you question sheet and codes to the Love Brownie Bakery in Ilkley Car Park and record your finish time.

The fastest entrant to collect the correct 10 codes wins a selection box of brownies, Love Brownie hamper of goodies, plus a gorgeous hot chocolate! Every entrant gets a free brownie and £1 out of every entry fee is awarded to the school with the most entrants.

3. Easter Bunny Hunt, Addingham from Saturday 8th – Saturday 22nd April. Hiding in and outside the shops in Addingham are 22 Easter Bunnies waiting to be found. Pick up an answer sheet from the Sandwich Shop or the Olive Branch. Enjoy a stroll around this picturesque village, have a run in the park and browse in the fantastic independent shops.

Once you have found them all, take your completed answer sheet back to the Sandwich Shop by 2.45pm on Saturday 22nd April. All correct answer sheets will be entered into ‘The Totally Locally Easter Prize Draw’. The winner of an Easter egg will be drawn at 3pm.

There’s still lots more….

EASTER HUNTS (ON EASTER WEEKEND ONLY):                                                            

Family Easter Eggventure Trail at Skipton Castle Woods, off Mill Bridge, Skipton, BD23 1AW

Saturday 15 April 10am – 4pm

Adult’s free, children £2.50 (over 1 year old & under 16yrs) Booking: Essential

www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/get-involved/events/15-april-2017-easter-eggventure-skipton-castle-woods

Easter Bunny Northcliffe Woods Saturday 15^th April 12.30 – 15.00

Bring a picnic, meet the Easter Bunny in the top field & ride on the miniature railway.

http://www.visitbradford.com/thedms.aspx?dms=3&feature=1000&venue=2184480

Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt at East Riddlesden Hall, Keighley

 Fri 14^th – Mon 17^th April 9.30am – 4.30pm.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events/4423054f-c6f4-4776-a766-172869ff01d1/pages/details

‘Count the Bunny’ & Treasure Hunt with prizes at Shipley Glen Tramway

Sat 15^th – Mon 17^th April 12.00pm – 4.30pm.

http://www.shipleyglentramway.co.uk/

EASTER HUNTS (THROUGHOUT THE EASTER HOLIDAYS):

 Easter Egg Hunt – Crack the Easter Bunny’s Code at Bolton Abbey

Trail Open: 8^th – 23^rd April 9.00am – 5.00pm 

 https://boltonabbey.com/whats-on/easter-egg-hunt/

OTHER FAMILY EASTER ACTIVITIES:

New Wonderlab & Bring the Thunder Family Show at Science and Media Museum, Bradford

Open daily from 26^th March 10am – 6pm

https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/whats-on

Wizard of Oz Adventure at Mother Shipton’s Cave, Knaresborough

8^th – 23^rd April 10.00am – 4.30pm

http://www.mothershipton.co.uk/

Kaleidescope Making Workshop Mon 10^th Apr 10 – 1

The Tap Dancing Mermaid Tues 11^th Apr 2.30pm

Shadow Puppet Theatre Workshop Weds 12^th Apr 10 – 12

Easter Craft & Upcycle Workshop Thurs 13^th Apr 10 – 12

Otley Courthouse http://otleycourthouse.org.uk/regular-activities/school-holiday-activities/

Wild Wednesdays Workshops for all the family at Bronte Parsonage Museum

Weds 12^th & 19^th April 11am – 4pm

https://www.bronte.org.uk/whats-on/383/wild-wednesday-miniature-gardens/388

Easter Stories and Crafts at Ilkley Library on Weds 12^th April 10.15am

Meet Peppa Pig at Bolton & Embsay Railway Sunday 16^th – Monday 17^th April

http://www.embsayboltonabbeyrailway.org.uk/events/peppa-pig

OTHER LOCAL FAVOURITES:

Dan’s Den http://www.dansdenilkley.co.uk/

Clip ‘n’ Climb, Ilkley http://clipnclimbilkley.co.uk/

Ilkley Toy Museum http://www.ilkleytoymuseum.co.uk/

Billy Bob’s Ice-cream Parlour http://www.billybobsparlour.com/

Hesketh Farm Park http://www.heskethfarmpark.co.uk/

Keighley & Worth Valley Railway http://kwvr.co.uk

MORE INFO: http://www.visitbradford.com/thedms.aspx?dms=12&festival=4751

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Please take a look at the table below for sessions during the Easter holidays.

Any group marked with a * is a bookable group. Please ring to book a place. Baby Massage – Suitable for babies 6 weeks to 6 months old. Please ring Strong Close Children’s Centre on 01535 605272 to book. Baby Sensory – Contact Nicola on 07800 930640 for costs and to book.

The Airedale and Wharfedale Children’s Centre Cluster also have an excellent Family Support Team who can offer support and advice within the home and at the centres.

This service offers support to pregnant women and families with children under 5 years old who live within our local community. Services include:

• Positive parenting and behaviour management,
• Breastfeeding,
• Signposting to other agencies,
• Housing Support,
• Home Safety Benefits,
• Physical and Mental Wellbeing,
• Debt Advice,
• Healthy Eating,
• Budgeting,
• Domestic Violence,
• Drug and Alcohol Misuse,
• Play in the Home.

Contact Details:

Address: Ilkley Children’s Centre, Little Lane, Ilkley, LS29 8HZ

Telephone: Strong Close Children’s Centre – 01535 605272

Website: www.strongclosenscc.co.uk/childrens-centre

Little Lane Children’s Centre is a part of the Sure Start Airedale and Wharfedale Children’s Centre Services Cluster.

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There were lots of plant pots and interesting places to search.

“Found another one!”

Everyone’s busy searching for the last few eggs left.

Getting ready to sing our favourite songs to the residents.

Enjoying our Easter Egg Hunt at Straven House last year in 2016.

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We have now achieved the Bronze Award on the ‘Woodland Trust’s Green Tree Schools Award’ and we are currently working towards the Silver Award, which we hope to achieve this by the end of the academic year.

We have received: Silver Birch, Cherry, Downy Birch, Rowan, Oak, Crab Apple and Dog Rose varieties.

The trees we have received are circled.

Here are the instructions on how to plant and care for your free tree. Happy planting!

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All gardeners – especially grandparents – are invited to come along and help the children with the digging, weeding and sowing in our big back garden. The aim is to help grandparents and other gardeners to pass on their knowledge and experience, at the same time as enjoying the fresh air and the opportunity to socialise together.

We’re also planting our growing pack which has been sent to us from Innocent Smoothies and ‘Grow It Yourself’ to help children learn to love healthy food by growing some of their own at school. The growing pack contains 32 Sow & Grow cups, compost, a growing guide packed with fun activities and experiments, and a wallchart to celebrate our children’s growing success.

So please bring along your shovels and trowels and get ready for some gardening. All willing volunteers will be offered tasty and healthy homemade snacks and plenty of tea to keep them going!

If you would like to come along to this free event (no ticket required), please email us at: ilkleypreschoolplaygroup@hotmail.co.uk

or call us on: 07754 793644 and we’ll get the kettle on!

Sewing Seeds in our Planting Area.

Digging with a trowel in our borders.

Harvesting all the big fat marrows we grew.

Our planting area.

Our garden with paved track.

Further info:

Food for Life: Grandparent Gardening Week

Innocent Smoothies and ‘Grow It Yourself’

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The children also had some yummy book-wormy treats to take home, courtesy of Stevie’s mummy. (Thank-you very much.)

Did you know that for a quarter of all pupils receiving a World Book Day voucher this year, the book they ‘bought’ was the first they’ve ever owned?

And, that this annual reading celebration has inspired 6 in 10 pupils to read more.

What great news!

Our very own ‘Singing Mermaid’ came to play!

Hermione cast a spell on us with her brilliant costume!

Answer: Sven the Reindeer, from Frozen.

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