​What is the Drawn to You competition?
(GMCA) want to capture the voice of young children through asking them to draw picture of their teacher/keyworker/childminder and tell them what they love about them, it might be their hugs, patience or love of reading or playing together!  Alternatively, wthey would love to see photos of children with their teacher/keyworker/childminder and 3 key words to describe them.
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You may want to consider involving parents in this as a home learning activity or completing it with children in the setting.

The workforce campaign runs until September 2025, entries will be selected to feature in adverts and other campaign assets across Greater Manchester. This might include digital billboards at the Trafford Centre or adverts on our public transport network!

One setting from each local authority area will be chosen to receive some fun learning goodies from us. We are Green Bean Studios , a Manchester-based children's IP entertainment brand.
Our multi-award-winning brand includes the Green Bean Collection , a retail line of collectable books, ECO toys, games, and outdoor products for children.
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Founded by multi-award-winning author and entrepreneur Anita Frost , Green Bean Studios is built on over 20 years of professional experience in child development, innovation, and business.
Our mission is to inspire a lifelong love of play, learning, and outdoor adventure in children, helping them to thrive.
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How will we use the drawings?
We’re looking to display the drawings in a number of ways in an exhibition hosted by Manchester Art Gallery in June ’25. This may include enlaring drawings or using them in a collage to create a larger piece. We’ll also be looking to use some of the drawings in later stages in the digital aspect of our campaign.

​Please indicate how you with your submission to be used on the consent form. ​

Who can compete in the competition?
All children from ages 0-5 can enter, as long as they attend a nursery setting (school nursery/maintained nursery/PVI or a Childminder in Greater Manchester). Greater Manchester includes the following local authority areas:

• Bolton
• Bury
• Manchester
• Oldham
• Rochdale
• Salford
• Stockport
• Tameside
• Trafford
• Wigan

How to submit entries?
Settings to post submissions and consent forms to School Readiness Programme, Tootal Buildings, 1st Floor, 56 Oxford Road, M1 6EU or scan and send via email [email protected] (School Readiness Project Officer).
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Please complete 1 consent form for each child/early years practitioner featured in submitted materials.
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The deadline to enter is 12th May 2025.
We hope this is something you’ll want to support and look forward to hearing from you!

It's been a fantastic National Storytelling Week for Green Bean and our friends! We've enjoyed visiting schools and libraries, and connecting with both new and existing fans.
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We were especially thrilled to have Sarah from Wigan join us this week. Sarah, who was born partially deaf, has learned Makaton and British Sign Language (BSL) through the NHS since she was two years old. We're excited to announce that Sarah will be joining the Green Bean team this year as a Precious Moments Ambassador. She'll be supporting our fans at storytime by accommodating children and parents with additional learning needs and teaching all children about different forms of storytelling.

National Storytelling Week 2025 runs from Saturday, February 1st to Sunday, February 9th. You can participate by downloading our Green Bean resources.
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This wonderful annual event celebrates the power of sharing stories. Stories teach us about the world, foster empathy, provide relaxation and escape, and help develop essential literacy skills and school readiness.

The theme for National Storytelling Week 2025 is "Reimagine your world." The world around us is full of secret lives, places, and possibilities – from unexpected encounters on the way to school to strange sounds at night or unexplored paths. The most extraordinary stories can come from the most ordinary places; they just need someone to discover them.
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Visit our [website address] to learn more about Green Bean and our fun learning books.

Green Bean is a friendly companion for children from birth through primary school age. Through play, Green Bean teaches valuable lessons that support social and emotional development and promote healthy, sustainable living. Green Bean and five unique friends live in the beautiful Adventure Dales, where they love to learn and play together.

You can watch Green Bean on YouTube!

Setup the craft table with a container of plain paper and mesh cups of utensils. Then use a clear shoe organizer for all the other supplies: paint, stamps, glitter, glue, Play Dough, scissors, etc. 

Kids' love crafts for many reasons, including:
Emotional expression

• Crafts can help children express what they enjoy, what they are scared of, or what means the most to them.

Sense of accomplishment

• Children feel a sense of accomplishment when they finish a project​

Brain development

• Art and crafts can benefit children's brain development in several ways, including improving problem-solving and critical thinking skills

Motor skills

• Creating things with their hands helps children improve their motor skills.