Help Dora Help with Nick Jr

It's that time of year again, Dora the Explorer needs your help to bring exploring to life in pre-schools and nurseries across the UK!  I've already seen the adverts on Nick Jr, and it looks such an exciting idea, I've got to have a word in the ear of Squeaky's nursery.  Do you know a nursery or pre-school that would like to get involved too?

Any nursery or pre-school in the UK can apply to take part, with the chance to win an amazing £20,000!  Each application receives a free pack with 6 activity session plans, following the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, and fitting with this year's themes of cooking, sports day, fairy tales, animals, seaside and music, fitting in with Dora's adventures.  Nurseries can then work through the sessions, and have until the 22nd of July to put together their application for the main award.  This can be spent on anything to help children explore and learn within their nursery - a series of trips out, a wildlife garden, play equipment, as far as your (or their) imaginations can take you.

The judging panel includes Nick Jr's Wake Up World presenter Helena Dowling, along with representatives from The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts, who are supporting the campaign, Dora Magazine, and Chad Valley, who are providing a range of equipment to the five projects chosen as finalists.  These five projects will also receive a visit from Dora herself!  One of the finalists last year was only about 10 miles from my house, but Squeaky & I sadly missed out on the chance to go & meet Dora.  I'm not sure who would have been the bigger fangirl, probably me to tell the truth!  The five finalists will have their entries shown on Nick Jr, for viewers to vote for their favourites later in the year.

If you know a nursery or pre-school that would like to get involved, or you'd like to encourage your own child's nursery to take part, you can get more information, and apply online, via the Nick Jr website http://www.nickjr.co.uk/shows/dora/helpdorahelp/.  

I wonder if I could persuade our bilingual English/Welsh Meithrin to go Trilingual? Hmmmm, even if I say por favor nicely?  (2 years of lessons & a GCSE in Spanish, and that's about as good as I can get!)