Poppies 2025 Round-Up: A Year of Growth and Giggles!

If we had to sum up 2025 at Poppies in just a few words, they would be: joyful, busy, proud, and full of heart. This year has been bursting with laughter, learning, muddy shoes, happy tears, and moments that remind us every single day why Poppies is such a special place for children, families, and our team.

From big celebrations and exciting changes to the quiet, magical moments that happen in between, 2025 has truly been a year to remember across both our Perham and Tidworth nurseries. So, grab a cuppa and enjoy looking back with us at a year of growth, giggles, and everything that makes Poppies… Poppies.

 

🌟 Big Moments & Milestones

Quality Community Moments

At the top of Vicky (Nursery Manager) and Victoria’s (Deputy Manager) list were all the large events we hold for the children and their families; such as sports day, open days, leavers ceremony, Christmas creative morning and so many more. 

“It is on those days that we can see the community we have built, when the nursery is busy and buzzing with laughter and chatter. I think it is one of the things we do best, and you can see the relationships we have built with parents, grandparents and carers, there really is nothing like it.” – Vicky 

The Photoshoot Day

The photoshoot was also listed by management as an epic day! It was one of the first big steps taken along with Poppies’ new marketing consultant Izzy at Innovista Marketing to start promoting our wonderful nursery on a newly designed website and social media content. It was a lot of prep, planning and a pretty exhausting day but the end result was so worth it. 

“Our social media posts are now really professional and show us for what we are, which is an amazing nursery who puts the children and their families at the forefront. Izzy really gets us and seems to intuitively know what we want and how we want to represent ourselves.” – Vicky

I think one of my favourite moments was sharing the video of the Nurseries with the whole team. I felt so proud of Poppies at that moment and I could see the staff glow. It made all the preparation for the day so worth it and really showcased what Poppies is all about.” – Victoria

The New Tidworth Nursery Garden

At our Tidworth nursery, the long‑awaited new garden surface gave the outdoor area a whole new lease of life. Children and staff embraced the refreshed space immediately, using it for everything from active play to creative exploration. 

“It had been a long time coming and was worth every minute of the wait & expense!” – Vicky

 

🌱 Children’s Achievements That Made Us Proud

One of the greatest privileges of working in early years is watching children grow and 2025 gave us countless moments of pride.

School Leavers

For many of our school leavers, this year marked the end of a journey that began in the baby room. Seeing them head off to school with confidence, independence, and excitement was incredibly special. 

“It is a real privilege to know that we have given those children the best foundations for their future learning and hopefully given them and their families a wonderful early years experience.” – Vicky

The Christmas Nativity

Watching three‑ and four‑year‑olds confidently play their roles in front of a room full of parents was a powerful reminder of just how much they grow during their time with us.

Quiet Wins

Equally important were the quieter wins. Throughout the year, our team supported children with additional needs through carefully planned, individualised support. Working closely with SENCOs and external specialists such as Speech and Language therapists, we saw children grow in confidence, communication, and joy.

“Seeing the progress of our most challenged children has been incredibly special. When their individual needs are met, you can see how much their confidence and happiness grows.” – Victoria

🌟 New Poppies’ Team Members & Staff Achievements

Behind every happy child is a team who truly cares and 2025 gave us plenty of reasons to celebrate ours.

We welcomed Daisy, Mollie, Amanda, and Jyoti to the Poppies family this year, each bringing their own warmth, skills, and energy to the team.

There were also significant professional achievements:

• Lea, Sarah, and Victoria completed their Level 3 SENCO training.
• Lauren stepped into the SENCO role at Tidworth, navigating complex transition paperwork to ensure children moving on to school receive the support they need.
• Sarah was promoted to the management team, and Lea to Supervisor – a well‑deserved recognition for their commitment and leadership.

A proud moment shared by many was the effort that went into preparing for our videography day. The teamwork, attention to detail, and sheer care shown by everyone resulted in something truly special.

 

💬 Laugh‑Out‑Loud Moments

Early years are full of moments that are impossible not to laugh at and 2025 delivered plenty.

Here are some of the funniest comments that came from the mouths of babes:

• “Me and mummy have a foo‑foo and daddy has a Norbert.”
• “Why have you got cracks by your eyes?”
• “My Daddy has a willy and I have a small one!”
• “Why have you come as a different Steph?” – I was wearing my glasses”

There were also mishaps that only happen in nursery life, like;

• Discovering chocolate residue on a child’s fingers and faces, after a moment of sheer panic, thinking perhaps it was another more alarming brown substance…
• Heading to the shops after work with tissue and gloop still stuck to your clothes.
• Jumping up and down to the music, having fun before realising all the children have walked off.

It’s these moments that keep the days light, joyful, and unforgettable.

 

🏆 The Poppies Awards 2025

To round off the year, we couldn’t resist celebrating our team with the Poppies Awards, recognising the everyday magic that makes nursery life run so smoothly.

 

🎨 Most Likely to Be Covered in Paint

At our Perham nursery, Kerry took the title with pretty much a clean sweep, a true messy play legend.

At our Tidworth nursery, we had joint winners, with Georgia and Sarah both proudly earning their paint-splattered crowns.

 

🧘 Calmest in a Crisis

Awarded to those who stay cool, calm, and reassuring no matter what the day throws their way.

Our Perham winner is Sheree, while Lauren was the clear choice for Tidworth, both absolute anchors for their teams.

 

📖 Best Dramatic Reading Voice

For bringing stories to life with enthusiasm, character voices, and plenty of flair.

Our Perham winner is Victoria, whose storytelling always captivates little listeners, and Kris took the top spot at Tidworth with their brilliant performances.

 

🎵 Most Enthusiastic at Singing Time

For those who never hold back, actions, volume and energy included!

Claire, our Tidworth Baby Room Supervisor, was the clear sing-song star, earning nominations from both nurseries.

 

😴 Queens & King of the Naptime Settle

Recognising the magical ability to soothe even the busiest little minds.

Our Perham Naptime Queen is Julie, while Tidworth celebrated joint royalty with Kris and Lauren taking the crown.

 

♾️ The Infinite Patience Award

For gently answering “Why?” hundreds of times a day… and still smiling.

This one went to the wonderful Sarah W and Sarah S, who clearly have patience in endless supply.

 

💛 The “Keeps Us All Going” Award

For lifting spirits, boosting morale, and keeping smiles on faces without even trying.

At Perham, this award went to Steph, with a special mention for Sarah A, who keeps the vibes high with her legendary kitchen disco tunes.

At Tidworth, Andy and Claire were the well-deserved joint winners.

 

🤝 Team Player of the Year

For unwavering support, kindness, and always being there for others.

Huge congratulations to Teresa from Perham and Josie from Tidworth for receiving this lovely award.

 

🌟 The Always Goes the Extra Mile Award

For those who consistently give that little bit extra, every single day.

This year’s winners are Hannah F from Perham and the wonderful Neetu from Tidworth, both truly deserving of this recognition.

These awards may be light‑hearted, but the appreciation behind them is very real.

 

💛 What Makes Poppies, Poppies

As we look back on 2025, what stands out most isn’t just the events, activities, or achievements, it’s the people.

The children who arrive curious and leave confident. The families who trust us with their little ones. And the team who show up every day with care, patience, and heart.

2025 has been a year of growth and giggles, learning and laughter and we’re so proud of everything we’ve achieved together.

Here’s to carrying that same warmth, community spirit, and joy into 2026 and beyond.