Children from Mama Bear’s Day Nurseries across Bristol have been busy creating bright and colourful rainbow pictures as a symbol of love and hope amidst the coronavirus crisis. 

The children of key workers, who are still attending settings across the city, have joined in with the #chasetherainbow movement and created rainbow pictures to be displayed in the nursery windows or outside on the settings’ fences and gates.

Nursery managers say the activity has been enjoyed by all so they will now be taking part in the latest craze to display and ‘hunt’ teddy bears.

Mama Bear’s owner Tony Driffield said “The children have loved creating the rainbows which have helped to bring fun and colour to our nursery windows.

“We also wanted to do something to brighten the day of passers-by and show our appreciation and gratitude to all key workers during this testing time.

“We only have children of key workers and vulnerable children in attendance at nursery at the moment and they have created some beautiful art.

"We’re looking forward to now taking part in the bear hunt, inspired by the children’s book ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’, where we will display our stuffed animals in the windows for other children to spot.”

Mama Bear’s is a family-run group with 24 nursery settings in Bristol, Somerset and Devon catering for children aged three-months to five-years.  

Following Government guidelines to close schools and nurseries to all children except those of key workers or those who are vulnerable, Mama Bear’s has temporarily closed and merged some settings.

The group this week announced that it will not be charging parents who pay for their sessions and are unable to send their children to nursery, anything for the month of May.

Tony said: “These are difficult times for everyone but we are doing our upmost to support our parents, both key workers and otherwise, as well as our dedicated staff, who themselves are key workers and doing a wonderful job.”

More information on Mama Bear’s Day Nursery can be found at www.mamabear.co.uk