Special celebrations at Hampstead Gate

Festivities were well underway at Hampstead Gate Day Nursery in Milton Keynes as children took part in a series of special activities to mark both Remembrance Day and Diwali.

To honour those who lost their lives in conflict, pre-schoolers from the award-winning setting on Eelbrook Avenue created their very own poppy artwork whilst listening to reflective music and learning about the symbolism of the flower, before watching a short, age-appropriate film on why the day is commemorated and holding a two-minute silence to pay their respects.

To mark Diwali, children started by watching a video of a family celebrating, which explained the meaning behind the Festival of Lights and the customs involved, inspiring the group to make their own decorative diya lamps from clay, and embellishing them with colourful jewels.

As part of the festivities, children danced to traditional music with brightly coloured scarves and lights, before taking their finished diya lamps home alongside a tealight to use with their families during the period, representing the triumph of light over dark and good over evil.

Hampstead Gate Team Leader, Ashleigh Smith explained;

“We believe its important to mark a wide range of events in nursery throughout the year to promote a wider understanding of the world and provide the children with a variety of rich learning experiences. Through these celebrations, we aim to instil values of compassion, respect and cultural appreciation in our little ones, and they really embraced and enjoyed all the activities on offer.”