Discover why our All About Me books are our preferred way of capturing your child's learning, development and memories - creating a keepsake parents treasure long after nursery days are done.
ALL. ABOUT. ME.
For many years, we have successfully used All About Me books across four of our Coastal Childcare settings, where they have become a much-loved way of capturing children's individual journeys and sharing these with families.
Following this success, we have now introduced All About Me books for all children in our Bodmin (Sunhill) and Callington (Kelliwik) early years foundation stage (EYFS) settings.
These learning journals are replacing the online Famly portal as our preferred method of communication with parents and caregivers. This blog explains why we have made this change, why we believe these books offer a more meaningful alternative to online platforms, and how we create them. It also includes real parent testimonials and photos from our other settings, where these books have already been in use for several years.
These books will serve as a personalised diary for your child throughout their time with us.
Why Have We Done This?
Some of these things we just end up taking for granted as being part of a childhood journey. Achievements explained in a handover are sometimes forgotten in the stress of the drive home from nursery, or not shared with a partner. Using an online platform to deliver this type of news is great - but inevitably, passwords and account details get forgotten. And as soon as your child leaves the setting for school, the platform becomes irrelevant and those memories can feel inaccessible.
An All About Me book never needs a password. It never becomes obsolete. It sits on a shelf, gets pulled out years later and brings everything flooding back - with a smile.
Why Communication and Language Matter
These books don't just act as a lovely memento of your child's time with us - they also serve an important role in helping to develop their speech, language and communication skills, as well as boosting their own self-identity.
We ensure that we have group discussions to talk about what parents and caregivers have written about how the weekend was spent, and have active and constructive conversations as a group about these activities and celebrate achievements. We encourage children to talk about what they have seen and done, using the books as a meaningful prompt.
How Do We Make the All About Me Books?
Once you see these books, you'd be right in asking: "How can they find the time to make these?" The work and effort that go into each book are significant - but we think it's so worth it.
Each practitioner and key worker has time allocated in their day specifically to print, cut, glue, stick, label, write and create each masterpiece. We provide all the resources necessary to ensure that photos, drawings, funny stories, observations and milestones are captured beautifully and sent home for you to enjoy.
What Parents Say
"As a father to two children who attended and were grown and nurtured by the Dolphin Preschool & Nursery in Exmouth, I had the absolute privilege to rediscover both of their All About Me books very recently. My son and daughter, at the time of writing, are now 16 and 13 respectively, so their childhood is a dim, yet distant, happy memory. Having a physical, tangible keepsake, full of photos, drawings, handwriting, and many written diary memories across those long-forgotten days, was a real joy to rediscover and share with my family."
— Daniel, Exmouth (Dolphin)
"We really enjoy taking the All About Me Books home so we can see what our little one has been up to. Whether that's days out, fun in the garden or arts and crafts, it's great to have visual insight into his experiences, and he likes looking at pictures of himself too. It's also nice to have something physical to hold and a lovely keepsake as well."
— Louise, Exmouth
"The All About Me books are such a lovely way of seeing what your child has been up to at nursery and is also a lovely keepsake for when your little one gets older - a lovely little personal touch you don't get with an app. I also love that you can add to them; a great way for the nursery to see what your little one has been up to outside of the setting. 😊"
— Charlotte
"As a mum, watching your child start nursery is a huge milestone. There's excitement, pride, and - if I'm honest - a little worry too. You wonder if they'll settle, make friends, and feel safe in a new environment. That's why I really enjoy having the All About Me books. From a parent's point of view, they are so much more than just a nursery activity; they allow you to really see how your child is growing and developing!"
— Georgia, Exmouth
"The all about me books made me feel like I continued to be a part of all the things my children did when they were at The Dolphin. It gave us the opportunity to share in all aspects of their development and to see them grow in all the unique ways they did at nursery. The daily input was so wonderful to see and to share with the children. Now, many years later, they are a wonderful memento of their younger years, which the children love to look at."
— Helen, Exmouth (Dolphin)
"Having the book to look through each and every week is so special - it becomes a highlight of our week! I love to see the variety of images, to get a good understanding of what she's been up to. I love seeing the smile on her face. It makes me feel so comforted and secure knowing that she's having the best time at nursery."
— Jaimie, Exmouth
This Is Why We're So Passionate
We want to be able to give you the same warm fuzzy feeling of having something unique and personal to your child that you can, one day, many years from now, pull out of a dusty box in the loft and just… go… WOW!!
We'd love to hear your feedback. If you're already receiving one of these, please do let us know what you think - by phone, email, social media, or in person. And if you're thinking about joining our family, make sure you ask about our All About Me books when you come to visit us.
The Dolphin Team
The Dolphin Pre School and Nursery, Exmouth