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Lime Grove children celebrate World Animal Day

There was delight for children at Lime Grove Day Nursery in Hemel Hempstead as they celebrated World Animal Day with activities themed around the beloved ‘Dear Zoo’ book.

Dressed in character as their favourite wild animals, children were greeted by balloons and safari backdrops as they arrived at the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Park Road, where they posed for photos with their families before heading inside to begin the fun.

After following the different animal footprints on the floor and discussing which creatures they could be from, children were thrilled to pen their very own ‘Dear Zoo’ inspired letters, writing to the zoo to describe their ideal pet, before posting them in the red post-box.

Later in the day, children were captivated as they received a special visit from the ZooLab, where expert animal handlers introduced the group to an array of exotic creatures, from tarantulas to giant snails, which they pet whilst learning about habitats and care routines.

As part of the festivities, children enjoyed a picnic tea complete with handmade sandwiches, cakes and fruit and veg platters, whilst families enjoyed a bake sale of animal decorated cakes, with all proceeds going to The Trussell Trust food bank network to help local people.

To extend the learning experience, Lime Grove families sent in pictures of their own pets and experiences of visiting the farm and zoo, which were compiled into their own nursery version of the ‘Dear Zoo’ story for all to enjoy, building on key communication and language skills.

Lime Grove Day Nursery Team Leader, Robyn Shuck explained;

“Our Dear Zoo festivities for World Animal Day were a roaring success and everyone had a fantastic time. We continuously strive to ignite our children’s passion for reading and promote a lasting love for the environment and the creatures in it, so this was a brilliant way to bring both together. There were endless chances to showcase creativity and our little ones loved immersing themselves in all the opportunities on offer.”

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Windmill Hill celebrate European Day of Languages

There were learning opportunities at every turn for children at Windmill Hill Day Nursery in Swindon as they celebrated European Day of Languages with a series of exciting activities.

At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Windmill Hill Business Park, pre-schoolers showcased their creativity by making inspired arts and crafts, from flags to famous landmarks including the Eiffel Tower and Leaning Tower of Pisa, before exploring the European countries on a map and using talking tiles to practice common words and phrases.

As part of the festivities, children took part in a special tasting session complete with traditional food items from around the world including croissants and Welsh cakes, before taking to the kitchen to bake their very own bread and cheese scones, all whilst learning basic kitchen safety and developing fine motor skills, teamwork and communication.

During the celebrations, families also enjoyed a themed bake sale to celebrate the rich diversity within the nursery, with parents bringing in offerings of their signature dishes including Italian focaccia, German bienenstich cake and Spanish ensaimadas, with all proceeds going to The Trussell Trust food bank network to help local people facing hardship.

Windmill Hill Day Nursery Quality Manager, Karamay Pritchett explained;

“We had a brilliant time celebrating European Day of Languages and we have been so impressed by our children and their enthusiasm to learn more. This occasion not only highlighted the importance of language learning, but also helped foster a sense of unity and appreciation for diversity among our pre-schoolers, all whilst raising money for charity.”

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Knowle Green children enjoy police visit

Following an interest in ‘people that help us’, children from Knowle Green Day Nursery in Staines were delighted to welcome local police officers to the setting to learn more.

At the award-winning setting on Knowle Green, pre-schoolers were captivated as they listened to the Surrey Police officers speak about their important role in keeping people safe within the community, before being given a guided tour of the police car and its sirens, as well as having a chance to try on the specialist uniform, including protective vests and hats.

During the experience, the group were thrilled to be introduced to resident police dog, Chester, whilst his handler spoke about the training their canine companion had received and examples of cases he could assist with, much to the fascination of the children.

At the end of the visit, pre-schoolers were able to ask the local heroes questions about their job roles and journey to becoming police officers, with the experience inspiring role play and dress up activities back inside, putting their newfound knowledge into practice.

Knowle Green Day Nursery Manager, Chanelle Weaver explained;

“We are immensely grateful to the Surrey Police officers, who went above and beyond to ensure this was a memorable experience for our children. Their dedication to educating our pre-schoolers on personal safety and fostering trust with the community is inspiring and this opportunity has really helped take our learning on the subject to a new level.”

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Greengables children receive special Tonies donation

There was delight for children at Greengables Day Nursery in Owlsmoor as they received the generous donation of a Tonies box and accessories, having been nominated by a kind-hearted parent from the Yeovil Road setting as part of the ‘Tonies on Foot’ scheme.

The scheme, which appealed to members of the public to nominate worthy community organisations including schools, libraries and hospitals, was applied to by nursery parent, Steph Bowring, with her application granted for the nursery to receive a Tonies box, headphones and a total of four character figures complete with stories and songs.

The Tonies box is now being enjoyed by groups of all ages across the nursery, with figurines including Disney Baby Lullabies and In the Night Garden for younger children and Paw Patrol and Paddington for pre-schoolers, supporting interests and key skills ready for school.

Greengables Day Nursery Quality Manager, Shannon Axtell explained;

“We are so grateful to Steph for nominating us for this scheme as Tonies is such a brilliant resource which has already proved so popular within the nursery. As well as fostering creativity and imagination and helping develop communication and language skills, the Tonies box is a fantastic tool for introducing technology to the children. We are now looking forward to adding to our collection of figures to immerse ourselves in a world of new stories.”

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Windmill Hill children showcase entrepreneurial skills

Following an interest in ice cream shop role play, pre-schoolers from Windmill Hill Day Nursery in Swindon were delighted to showcase their entrepreneurial skills and make the most of the last of the September sunshine with a special ice lolly sale.

After creating posters in arts and crafts sessions to advertise the occasion, children from the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Windmill Hill Business Park excitedly helped practitioners set up the stand, before making their sales of treats including rocket lollies, choc ices and homemade lemonade, created by talented Nursery Chef, Paul May.

During the exciting experience, children used their language and communication skills to sell the ice lollies and practiced their mathematics by counting the money exchanged by their happy customers, with all proceeds from the sale going to The Trussell Trust charity.

Windmill Hill Day Nursery Manager, Kayleigh Blaylock explained;

“This was the perfect way to round off the summer and the children were so thrilled to be able to serve some real customers after all their practice. Not only was this opportunity brilliant for building on their interests and key skills, but a great chance to talk more about the important work of food banks and the positive impact our donation will have on local people.”

Windmill Hill have adopted The Trussell Trust for a year-long fundraising and donation drive.

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Roald Dahl Day at Lime Grove

There were ‘swashboggling’ celebrations at Lime Grove Day Nursery in Hemel Hempstead as children dressed up as beloved storybook characters to mark the annual Roald Dahl Day.

Celebrated each year on the iconic author’s birthday, children and colleagues from the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Park Road were delighted to showcase their creativity with costumes from his famous works, including Matilda, The Enormous Crocodile and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as well as taking part in a series of themed activities.

From creating their very own marvellous medicine, to making Roald Dahl inspired arts and crafts using recycled materials and reading some of his captivating tales, there were exciting learning opportunities at every turn for the group of young book lovers.

Lime Grove Day Nursery Team Leader, Robyn Shuck explained;

“We had a fantastic day immersing ourselves in the magical world of Roald Dahl and celebrating all that the occasion had to offer. We hope to nurture a life-long love of reading in our children and these activities are also brilliant for capturing the imagination, building literary confidence and developing communication skills.”

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Highfield children celebrate National Beach Day

The sun was shining for children at Highfield Day Nursery in Edgbaston as they celebrated National Beach Day with a series of exciting activities to bid their final farewell to the nursery.

Armed with their buckets, spades and inflatables, pre-schoolers from the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Highfield Road took to the sand at the specially created beach, where they enjoyed digging for buried treasure and showcasing their skills with a sandcastle building competition, before taking to paddling pools in the garden outside.

Having put on their waterproof suncream and sun hats, children enjoyed splashing around in the cooling water and playing filling and emptying games to develop hand-eye co-ordination and motor skills, before taking to the shore for a traditional seaside lunch of fish, chips and peas, served in authentic takeaway containers to further replicate the exciting experience.

The celebrations were the final goodbye before heading to school for the ‘Class of 2023’, who also enjoyed a bittersweet graduation ceremony, with proud families watching on as children received their certificates of achievement to mark the important milestone.

Highfield Day Nursery Deputy Manager, Louise Walker explained;

“We had a brilliant time transforming the nursery into a beach to make the children’s final days at Highfield extra memorable, and their reactions were certainly worth it. Although we’re very sad to see them go, we are hugely grateful to have been a part of their Early Years journey and will always treasure the memories we made during their time here.”

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Nurturing interests at Brinds Well

There were exciting learning opportunities at every turn for children at Brinds Well Day Nursery in Chelsfield as they took part in a series of activities inspired by their interests.

With one child sharing their experience of visiting a sunflower garden, pre-schoolers from the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Hawstead Lane were fascinated to learn more about the flowers and their life cycle, before planting their very own sunflower seeds, which they will continue to care for and monitor growth to practice early math and measuring skills.

To extend the focus, children worked together in small groups to co-research the iconic ‘Sunflowers’ painting by Vincent van Gogh, using books and the interactive whiteboard to learn more about the artist and the inspiration for his artwork, before showcasing their creativity by making their own masterpieces, using images and real flowers for reference.

Following an interest in bears across the nursery, each age-appropriate room selected their own themed book, with choices including ‘That’s Not my Bear’ and ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’, with themed activities inspired by each book, from packing suitcases for Paddington Bear’s travels to making porridge in the kitchen for Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

As part of the activities, children enjoyed travelling around the nursery to different London themed locations made famous by Paddington and tried marmalade on crackers, before taking to the garden for their very own teddy bear’s picnic, complete with their favourite cuddly toys and treats including homemade sandwiches, cakes and fruit and veg platters.

Brinds Well Day Nursery Manager, Vanessa Watkins explained;

“We have had a wonderful time watching the children immerse themselves in these activities. Observing and following their interests allows us to further tailor our curriculum and learning experiences to their individual needs. We believe that when children are engaged and passionate about what they’re learning, the possibilities for their growth and development are endless.”

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Outdoor exploration at Lime Grove

Children from Lime Grove Day Nursery in Hemel Hempstead have been embracing the last of the warm weather with a series of outdoor activities to delve into art, sport and nature.

At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Park Road, pre-schoolers started by exploring the practice of ‘plein air painting’, which is the process of painting outdoors with the subject in full view, using a range of natural materials collected from the garden as inspiration for their artwork, as well as tools for making their marks on the paper.

After creating their masterpieces, young explorers enjoyed searching for minibeasts with magnifying glasses and observing the insects in their bug hotels, as well as tending to the fruit and vegetables growing in their planters, ready to be picked and used in nursery meals.

From bike riding to beanbag throwing, there were also plenty of opportunities to showcase physical skills as children took part in a special Sports Week, trying out a variety of activities for the first time and working together in teams to follow the rules and learn new techniques.

During the activities, children spoke about the importance of exercise to healthy lifestyles and the benefits this can provide, as well as measures for staying safe in the sunshine.

Lime Grove Day Nursery Team Leader, Robyn Shuck explained;

“We are advocates of all-weather play the whole year round as there are endless benefits for the children and so many exciting learning opportunities to be had, all whilst aiding both personal and social development. We have been soaking up the September sun and have had so much fun whilst improving motor skills, co-ordination, confidence and teamwork.”

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Highfield Sports Day raises funds for charity

There were exciting opportunities at every turn for children at Highfield Day Nursery in Edgbaston as they showcased their skills during a special Sports Day at the setting.

At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Highfield Road, children of all ages were delighted to try a range of physical activities, from younger groups taking part in sponsored walks and exercises to develop motor skills, to older children trying some traditional Sports Day challenges including the egg and spoon race, sack race, relay and obstacle courses.

During the festivities, children worked together in teams to follow the rules and learn new techniques, whilst families and colleagues made donations to The Trussell Trust, raising a grand total of £273.00 for the worthy cause, which will help local people facing hardship.

Highfield Day Nursery Deputy Manager, Louise Walker explained;

“The children had a fantastic Sports Day and were thrilled to try some of these activities for the very first time. Not only was it lots of fun, but brilliant for developing key skills such as co-ordination, balance, teamwork and self-esteem. We are also incredibly pleased to be able to make this donation to The Trussell Trust with the help of our generous families, who do such crucial work in providing emergency food parcels to those who need it most.”

Highfield have adopted The Trussell Trust for a year-long fundraising and donation drive.

Category: Nursery

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Lime Grove children celebrate World Animal Day

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Windmill Hill celebrate European Day of Languages

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Knowle Green children enjoy police visit

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Greengables children receive special Tonies donation

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Windmill Hill children showcase entrepreneurial skills

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Roald Dahl Day at Lime Grove

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Highfield children celebrate National Beach Day

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Nurturing interests at Brinds Well

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Outdoor exploration at Lime Grove

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Highfield Sports Day raises funds for charity

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