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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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