Personal, Social and Emotional Development: Why PSED is So Important in Early Years

9th November, 2023

Some of the most fundamental skills in life are the things we learn early on. Understanding and managing emotions, building positive relationships and developing a sense of self-awareness are among them, and these are all examples of personal, social and emotional development (PSED for short). In this article we’ll explore the importance of PSED and […]

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Supporting Your Child Settling into Nursery: A Guide for Parents

4th August, 2023

Starting nursery is an exciting milestone for both children and their parents. It marks the beginning of a new chapter in a child’s life, providing them with opportunities to learn, socialise, and grow. Although this is an exciting time, the transition from home to nursery can be challenging for some children. As a parent, it’s […]

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5 Number Recognition Activities for Toddlers

19th May, 2023

Mathematics plays a critical role in early childhood development as it helps children develop problem-solving skills, logical thinking, and spatial awareness. Through number recognition activities for toddlers and babies, children learn to count, recognize shapes, and understand basic mathematical concepts such as addition and subtraction. Early exposure to mathematics also prepares children for success in […]

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Baby smiling in baby room

How to Make a Tugging Lid for your Baby

14th March, 2023

Babies are curious people who love to explore their surroundings, and what better way to do that than through play? At All About Children, we love offering a range of learning opportunities, helping our children to experience a range of activities for developing their senses,motor skills, inquisitiveness, and curiosity. A tugging lid is a delightful […]

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outside wind sock

How to Make a Windsock With Your Little One

28th February, 2023

Here at All About Children, we love to get outside with the children in all weathers. One type of weather that can be especially fun for little ones to experience is the wind – whether it’s a gentle breeze or a full-on gusty gale! In this blog we’ll show you one way to have fun […]

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boy playing with Christmas decorations

Christmas Activities for Babies and Toddlers

21st December, 2022

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! This is a magical time of year for young children, and much of the joy of the season lies in those exciting Christmas rituals and activities that you take part in together at home as a family. In this blog we’ve put together some of the best […]

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Children at nursery gaining the benefits from Scientific activities

The Benefits of Science in the Early Years

30th November, 2022

Children are naturally drawn to the things that make them curious about the world around them. Channelling this curiosity and encouraging them to develop through science can make for some great learning activities.  Read on to learn about some of the benefits of different early years science activities.   Why science education is important for early […]

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halloween pumpkin

Halloween Activities For Preschoolers

24th October, 2022

Halloween is a wonderful time for you and your little one to enjoy some spooky, light-hearted fun over the half term break. To kick-start the half term with some fun seasonal activities over the October break, we’ve put together some of our favourite Halloween activities for preschoolers for you to enjoy with your child and […]

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children mirroring staff member

Communication and Language Activities for Early Years

30th September, 2022

Research suggests that the most important stages of a child’s development is from birth up until 3 years old. Every interaction your little one has in their early years, whether that be in nursery or at home, is teaching them more and more about how to communicate with the world around them.  Teaching your children […]

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outside environments

Outdoor Sensory Activities For Preschoolers

8th August, 2022

Being outdoors is essential for young children’s development. It’s a rich environment full of stimulating experiences for all five senses, from fragrant flowers to the sound of birdsong, to the rich and varied textures of different plants.  At All About Children it’s our priority to provide daily access to outdoor space in all our nurseries, […]

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Nursery activity

Summer Learning Activities for Preschoolers

5th July, 2022

If your preschooler is spending some time off nursery during the summer holidays, there are lots of ways to keep them learning with bundles of fun! Check out these top summer learning activities for preschoolers.  The importance of play and learning activities for preschoolers While preschoolers aren’t yet doing any formalised lessons at nursery, everything […]

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a baby playing with water to Keep Cool during summer

Top Tips for Keeping Your Baby Cool in the Summer

8th June, 2022

With the summer finally upon us, most of us are pleased to welcome the warmer weather, but we also know how challenging it can be to keep your child cool in the heat. Here are some top tips on keeping babies and children cool in the summer months. Prevent your child from overheating Babies and […]

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children looking at peas grown

Gardening Activities for Toddlers

6th June, 2022

Most toddlers don’t need much encouragement to get out into the garden! As well as being a fun place to play, the garden is a rich source of learning. Check out these fun gardening activities for toddlers, which will help children to get closer to nature and discover more about the world around them.    Benefits […]

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a nursey staff member using nursery rhymes with a baby

Why Nursery Rhymes Are Good For Babies

29th April, 2022

Nursery rhymes are part and parcel of a young child’s life. And as well as being a lovely way to interact with your baby or toddler, they can actually play a big part in supporting their development! Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of nursery rhymes, how we use them at our […]

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Skills Every Child Should Learn

26th January, 2022

As adults, there are many essential life skills that we use every day and take for granted. But for preschoolers, these skills don’t develop straight away: they need to be learned and perfected through practice. Here we’ll take a look at the key life skills every child should learn in their early years, with some […]

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Child Eating Fruit

The Importance of Nutrition in Early Childhood

25th October, 2021

A healthy diet in early childhood is essential to build a strong body and nourish a developing brain. The benefits of good nutrition for young children extend beyond the early years, creating lifelong healthy eating habits.  In our Paddington nursery setting, a wide variety of nutritious meals are offered that incorporate all food groups. Parents […]

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Children weaving in activity

Why Weaving is a Great Activity for Preschoolers

15th September, 2021

Have you ever done weaving with your preschooler? This is a crafty activity that ticks all the boxes for your youngster: it’s fun, colourful and creative, and it’s also a brilliant way to help them develop the fine motor skills they need. What is weaving? Put simply, weaving joins together two sets of threads, one […]

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Dad playing with his children

How to Support Brain Development in Early Childhood

26th August, 2021

As a parent, you’re witness to the incredible rate at which a child grows and changes from birth. But did you know that brain development in early childhood is faster, more sensitive and has a bigger impact on their lives, than at any other age? That’s a pretty mind-blowing thought, but the good news is […]

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How to Encourage Learning Through Play

14th June, 2021

As adults, we tend to see work and play as two very different things – at opposite ends of the spectrum. But for children, play and work are one and the same! The first five years in children’s lives form the bed stones of their learning and the experiences that they have are crucial in […]

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All About Children Join in Celebrating World Book Day

4th March, 2021

Books, reading and storytelling is an important experience we share with children at our nursery. It is also a fun activity for parents to do at home whatever their age. What is World Book Day? World Book Day is a national day that helps raise awareness of the love of reading and sharing stories. Celebrating […]

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How to Support your Child’s Mental Health

2nd February, 2021

How to Support your Child’s Mental Health Discussions surrounding mental health have significantly increased over the past few years and it is now more important than ever before. Encouragement to reach out for information regarding the serious topic is often shared on social media, however, this often tends to be directed towards teenagers and adults. […]

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Button Battery Safety at Home

22nd January, 2021

Button batteries have the potential to be one of the most dangerous items for children in the home.  Here are some guidelines and safety tips for you about button battery to keep your little ones safe. What is a button battery? Button batteries are small round batteries, of varying sizes, that you can find in […]

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Large Pumpkin

Pumpkin Playdough

30th October, 2020

Playdough is beneficial to children’s development in so many ways. With autumn approaching why not make this autumn-inspired pumpkin playdough to develop your children’s: Fine Motor Skills Math’s and Literacy development Science and Discovery Imagination and Creativity Sensory development What you need to make pumpkin playdough Half a cup of flour Half a cup of […]

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Pumpkin Activities

24th October, 2020

As well as being great fun, carving pumpkins and exploring winter vegetables can help your children develop many skills. These include developing muscle strength, problem-solving, creative designing and testing theories, to name a few. For this activity, what you need and the process you follow will depend on your children’s ages and capabilities. Toddlers will […]

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Fun Shaving foam Activities!

21st October, 2020

Mark making is such an important part of a child’s development. You can support your child in many ways to develop early skills needed to start writing, art and drawing. Our fun shaving foam activity is one that will support these skills. Using Shaving Foam for Sensory Play Children imitate other children and adults using […]

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DIY Paint

Children enjoy exploring and experimenting with colour from a young age. They tend to like to mix things together like mud and water or sand and water. Children develop initial interest in how colours can change and make new colours when they are mixing them together by using mediums like paints or play dough. As […]

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sticks collected from the woods

Stick Man Activities For Preschoolers

19th October, 2020

The Stick Man is a book by Julia Donaldson telling the story through rhyme of an adventurous stick that struggles to find his way home after going out for a jog. He encounters many challenges, including being played with by a dog and being used for a fire! The book is a great hit with […]

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practitioner and toddler

Helping your baby to communicate

Babies communicate as soon as they are born through crying, cooing, squealing, facial expressions, eye contact, smiling and body movements like moving legs in excitement or distress. Here are some ways you can support your baby. When you dress, feed or bathe your baby, talk them through what you are doing. Talk about what is […]

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Flower Painting and Sticking

At the nursery, we like to use visual aids to encourage the children to become more involved in creative activities. By placing a visual aid in the centre of the table, we’re able to encourage the children to discuss what they can see and smell. You can set up this activity to do in your […]

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spiced biscuits

Autumnal Baking Ideas

Autumn is the perfect time to fill your home with some amazing smells including ginger, cinnamon and mixed spice. Baking supports your child’s development Baking at home is a great way to support your child’s development. Baking together can help your child develop a number of skills, including: Counting Problem-solving Fine and gross motor skills […]

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Three socks ready to be filled with sand during a sand play activity

Sand Play With Socks and Spoons

Toddlers like to explore and play with sand so why not make it more interesting and different by using a selection of different size socks and spoons. What you will need? A large bowl and sand. This can be dry sand or wet sand, however, it must be “play sand” that is appropriate for use […]

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Coloured straws

Colander & Straw Threading

15th October, 2020

Here are a few simple activities with help strengthening fine motor skills. Children develop their fine motor skills every day, and the wonderful part is they enjoy any activity that involves fine motor skills practice. There are lots of everyday activities that help develop fine motor sills like: puzzles and shape sorters, stacking objects, drawing, using […]

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a young boy laughing

How We Feel

Children’s wellbeing and emotional health is so important, but we can sometimes find it difficult to know how to approach this with our children. Look at these pictures below, talk about how they look like they are feeling? Do you think they are feeling the same in the pictures or different? Can you place these […]

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a mother and baby talking

Building Sentences With Toddlers

Why Talking and communicating for the first time is a great milestone in a child’s life. It allows them be heard by parents, carers, and friends clearly. It also enables them to communicate their needs and wants without the frustration of not being understood. How Once your child begins to uses single words each time […]

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Paper clay making

How to Make Paper Clay

10th October, 2020

Homemade Paper Clay is easy, simple and fun to make! If you would like your clay to be a whiter clay finish, you can use toilet paper instead of shredded newspaper. (Shredded newspaper is cheaper and more eco friendly) What You Need to Make Paper Clay Shredded newspaper ripped into long strips 1 large bowl […]

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Tweezer Play with conkers and other objects

Seasonal Tweezer Fun

9th October, 2020

With your Autumn treasures, you find you can transform these into endless fun. Here are some conversations which can be inspired by this activity and support your child’s learning and development. To support children’s learning you could ask questions such as: How many green leaves have you found?  How many orange leaves have you found? […]

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Bring Your Superhero Play Alive!

This article will suggest  how you can support, guide and promote your child’s learning and development if they are interested in superhero-themed play What is Superhero Play? Superhero play is a form of imaginative or dramatic play in which children use figurines, costumes, or other props as accessories to imitate the superheroes that they admire. […]

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baby crawling through tunnel

Create a Movement Space

Adults and children alike flourish when they exercise and stay active. Children are robust at a young age and they are developing their physical skills and can explore different kinds of movement from their first jumps to climbing up high in a tree, using ways of movement they have never used before. At times when […]

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Pumpkins in a field

Pumpkin Fine Motor Activities for Preschoolers

During the autumn months, pumpkins are everywhere! These good-looking gourds are not only a great way to introduce the joys of the season; they can also be a cheap and cheerful tool to encourage children to develop their fine motor skills. We’ve put together some pumpkin-based activities that preschoolers can enjoy, using lots of movements to […]

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Water Play Can Be Fun!

5th October, 2020

Exploring in water is a fun experience for children, which also provides learning opportunities and enjoyment! Bath time, splashing in a swimming pool, allowing your little one to wash their own hands in a bowl of water and any other opportunity to play with water is a valued experience for them. Water is an open-ended […]

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Ice Cubes

Natural Ice Play

Natural ice play offers lots of learning opportunities for children to explore cause and effect and use their senses. By simply freezing ice cubes and pouring them into a tray to explore, can cover all areas of the EYFS. You can ask children some of the following questions/experiments and record your findings on the following; […]

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A girl drawing what she is thankful for on paper

A Family Gratitude Jar

28th September, 2020

The power of gratitude is never-ending Gratitude can strengthen relationships, improve emotional well-being and improve self-esteem. How can we strengthen gratitude at home with our children? First, talk to your children about what gratitude is: “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”. Give them examples to help them […]

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Practice Counting With Conkers

It’s now officially Autumn! So why not try some fun activities using conkers? To begin this activity, take your children out on an autumnal walk to search for some conkers to use. Once you’ve collected your conkers, you can do lots of different activities, including using the conkers to practice counting. To start, grab a […]

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A floating boat for carrying pennies

Design a Boat to Balance Pennies

This activity is going to challenge your child. The idea is to design a small boat using stationary and kitchen items with the aim that this boat will be able to float and hold 20 pennies! Your child can be as creative and imaginative as they want to be and together you can plan the […]

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baby playing with light

How Children Learn Through Our Philosophy

27th September, 2020

At our nursery, the resources we use with your children are very often made of natural material and where possible the real item itself, but does it really help your child learn more than when using plastic resources? Whilst we do feel that some plastic items have a role to play at nursery (e.g. plastic […]

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socks on a washing line

Fun with Socks!

18th September, 2020

Socks are a part of a daily routine for mostly everyone especially in cooler weather. We put them on our feet in the morning and then take them off when we get home or before our bath. Socks come in all shapes, sizes, colours and patterns and they can sometimes be fluffy to keep our […]

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Book in a bottle

To engage children in literacy and stories we think creatively in how to do this. One way that we deliver this to the children is to make “themed” bottles to go with the stories. These are known as Literacy Discovery Bottles. Here are some ideas of how to create a selection of discovery bottles in […]

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Follow the Leader

All children like to copy and imitate adults every day. One great activity you can explore with your child is Follow the Leader. Here are three simple steps to show you how to play Follow the Leader. Step 1. Start the game by explaining to your child they have to copy the things you do. […]

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Squeezy Piping Bags

Making squeezy piping bags with your toddler is a simple yet fun activity for them to do. It also supports their fine motor development. You will need: Piping bags Flour Water Method Fill the piping bags with flour and water at different consistencies. Some with a runny consistency, and some with a thicker consistency. Cut […]

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cluster of pine cones

Fun Autumn Activities for Children

17th September, 2020

Smooth, shiny conkers and crisp, crunchy leaves: Autumn is a season that young children can use all their senses to enjoy. Try these fun and educational autumn activities for children, toddlers and preschoolers. Autumn treasure hunt This time of year is perfect for getting outdoors for a walk. Why not turn your next outing into […]

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baby crawling

Obstacle Course

14th September, 2020

When we say create an obstacle course for babies, we automatically think about what possibly can a young baby do on an obstacle course? However, we are not suggesting something that would be too challenging for young babies. We are simply thinking of a physical activity that can help develop their gross motor skills. If […]

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magnetic letters

Letters Matching Game

13th September, 2020

This activity lets children practice their letters and sounds in play. For this activity, you need a few magnetic letters and you place them onto a baking sheet. You then need to write the letters that have been chosen on a piece of paper for your child to use as a key. Next, you cover […]

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Acorn Families

The high winds and changing weather make this the perfect time to go for an autumn walk and collect your treasures. This activity can fill up your weekend! Give your children a paper bag each and go for a walk in the woods so they can collect slabs of wood, twigs, leaves, moss and especially […]

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coloured straws

Pompom Race With Straws

Children enjoy having the freedom to explore new things and learn through play. This activity is a great way for you to support your children with their problem-solving skills. Moving the pompom around the track without using their hands will challenge them to think outside the box and use the straw provided to move the […]

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Why developmental movement is so important?

Developmental movement refers to the way we move in the first years of our lives; the movement that helps us develop – everything from a new-born baby’s reflexive movement of hands and feet, through to a toddler learning to kick a ball and climb a climbing frame and children developing the skills that they need […]

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Playdough Letters

8th September, 2020

As toddlers and preschoolers approach school age, many start to take an interest in the letters they see everywhere, from their favourite books, to billboards. They may begin to sound out the letters in their name, or notice familiar letters on words or signs they see every day. It’s never too early to encourage this […]

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Colourful windmill

Making a Pin Wheel Windmill

4th September, 2020

As Autumn arrives, the changes in weather start to become more noticeable. Sharing these changes with children is an excellent way to introduce seasons and the different types of weather we experience during different seasons. Pin When Windmills are a great way to capture and demonstrate the increased wind flow. They are fun and easy […]

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spiders web

A Spider’s web

A spiders web activity will help your child to learn problem solving as they must find a way of getting through the spider’s web….. You will need some masking tape, mini pompoms and some feathers. Children enjoy having the freedom to explore and learn through play, and this activity will help encourage them to make […]

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How to build A Story Fort

You can be creative and imaginative at home by making your very own story fort. Gather some blankets, sheets, covers, pillows, pegs or twine and make the most imaginative fort in a space at home. Ask your children to collect the items you need and tell them you will be building a story fort. Talk […]

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Red balloon

Balloon Rockets

To make your balloon rockets, all you need is: A Balloon Some string A plastic Straw Sellotape 2 chairs 1 Paperclip First of all, you need to tie a piece of string to a chair, then feed the string through the straw. Once you have completed this you then tie the other end of the […]

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avocado puppet

Dancing with Planet Munch Puppets

Planet Munch Puppets are part of a programme that teaches children and families healthy lifestyle messages. During lockdown, they have continued to teach healthy lifestyles and sent out messages through their creative activities. Hundreds of families have enjoyed this programme over the past 10 years and now they have teamed up with Arts Council England […]

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Hopscotch Game For Preschoolers

28th August, 2020

Hopscotch is a game played outside where the players throw a twig or bean bag onto a numbered pattern of squares marked on the ground. We will be showing you a number of ways this game can help benefit your child’s learning. How to play a game of Hopscotch You need a piece of chalk […]

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Flashlight Treasure Hunt

Children enjoy having the freedom to explore and learn through play and a flashlight treasure hunt enables them to do just that! This activity can be done at any time of the day, you can just switch off the lights and pull your curtains shut, but it may be more fun when it starts to […]

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DSG Nursery

Simple And Quick To Set Up Physical Activities

Physical activity is important for children of all ages. But if you are at home isolating, it can be hard to give your little ones the opportunities to move that they would normally have. Here are some simple and quick physical activities that are easy to do with your child at home. By getting involved […]

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A child building bricks as part of a construction activity at nursery

Construction Activities for Preschoolers

25th August, 2020

If you’ve ever watched your toddler building a tower out of bricks, you’ll know that construction is an activity that can really engage preschoolers. But there’s no need to shell out for expensive Lego sets or other construction toys: instead, you can support your child to build and create using whatever objects you already have […]

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Girl with hoop

Hoop Blending

24th August, 2020

Here’s an activity that you can do to support blending sounds and letters together. This activity is an exciting way of encouraging children to learn how to blends sounds together. What is blending? Blending is the ability to join sounds together to read a word. It is important to immerse children into blending from a […]

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Two red dice

Movement Dice Game

14th August, 2020

Pictured here is a standard dice. Children and adults will use these original dice for number games, board games etc. When you think of different ways you could use dice if you designed your own, the opportunities are endless. In this activity, we are looking at making a ‘Movement’ dice. Each side of the dice […]

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Building a Nest

Birds build their cosy nests up in trees to prepare for the arrival of their chicks. Did you know birds only spend a few days building their nests, but still build a design unique to their breed? Can you help your children build a nest that will keep a clutch of eggs safe? It’s time […]

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water play with children

Water Play Activities for Babies and Toddlers

Water play can be lots of fun! In the summer, it’s a great way to keep cool. Water play can also help young children to learn about science, play together with others, and develop both their sensory and gross motor skills. What is water play? Water play includes any kind of play activity using water. […]

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DIY Egg Shakers

Making DIY egg shakers at home is a fun activity that can lead to more activities which include language, music, rhyme, and repetition. This activity can also help the development of gross motor skills. For This Activity You Will Need the Following: Any small plastic container you can tape together Tape to wrap around the […]

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Feed your Babies Curiosity for Animals and Wildlife

Young children tend to have a natural interest in animals big and small.  If you have a pet in the family, quite often your pets name will be the first word your baby will try to sound out. Young children will most likely sound out animal noises as they are easy to make and repeat […]

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a child mark making with a member of staff

Mark making – tips for parents

Let’s explore what mark-making is and how you can support your child to develop the early skills needed to start writing and develop mathematical understanding, creative expression, art, and drawing. Children love to imitate adults and will use a wide variety of tools and resources to make marks, these early ‘scribbles’ are an important part […]

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Games to Get you Active and Moving

Here are some fun ways to be active with no cost or equipment needed. The games will also involve following instructions, turn-taking and will involve lots of fun. Simons Says Each time “Simon” gives you an instruction you follow this, if you give an instruction without “Simon says” at the beginning you need to continue […]

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Colour Matching

Colour matching is a great way to support younger children who are beginning to identify colours, as well as the development of categorisation skills. You can start by collecting a selection of objects from around your house that consist of just one or two key colours. These could be toys, household objects, fruit or vegetables, […]

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Butterfly Feeder

How to make a butterfly feeder in just a few simple steps. This great home-made feeder will bring the butterflies to your garden and is a great way you to see butterflies. You will be able to see these mesmerizing insects, look at their beautiful colours & patterns, and you do not even need to […]

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a baby communicating they are happy

Let’s Get Moving!

When your baby grows and become more aware of what is going on around them, they will start to reach out and make sounds to be heard. Most of the time we guess what they would like or what they are trying to tell us, they often point to things they want. If your baby […]

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a pile of ice cubes

Painted Ice Tunnels

4th August, 2020

A fascinating experiment as you observe the salt melting craters into the ice, that’s where the colouring seeps through and creates beautiful, coloured tunnels! You will need: Blocks of ice Ice Cream tub Food Colouring Salt Paintbrush Bowls Here is what we do next Take an old ice cream tub to freeze a block of […]

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A cup of colourful cheerios

Disappearing Cheerio

This is an enjoyable activity that involves active learning, problem-solving, exploring and will help develop the skills of remembering where an object first started and watching to see where it finishes. What you will need are some Cheerios and some opaque plastic cups. This game is the same as playing the shell game, however hiding […]

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boy in sand

Edible finger paints

Children begin to enjoy the sensory experience of making marks and we encourage this by providing materials that they can make marks in, for example in damp sand or flour. A great and safe way to support this early desire to mark-make is exploring with edible finger paints. Essentially you can crush foods that your […]

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young girl clapping her hands

Clap with me, 1,2,3

Here are a few ways you can introduce clapping with rhyme. Why do babies clap their hands? Once babies learn to clap it is a skill that they love to repeat. Clapping is a positive action as we tend to do it whilst we praise so it is even more enjoyable for babies. Babies use […]

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Children’s Books That Help With Emotion

Coronavirus has changed lots of children’s routines and daily patterns like continuous hand sanitising, hand washing and new rules for playing with their friends. Change can often upset children as they feel secure in their routines. However, what we have all been through this past year, may be more stressful as children are able to […]

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a game of bowling

Letters Bowling

This is a wonderful activity for kinaesthetic learners as well as a great way to get the children up and promote team-building skills. This activity is mainly adult-led with the intention of teaching young children the basic but important elements of letters and sounds. Materials 10 empty cans (make sure to use a can opener that […]

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How to Make an Erupting Volcano

Making an erupting volcano at home with your children can be a really fun and exciting project! To Make the Volcano: To make a “real-life” erupting volcano you will need the following: 150ml of Vinegar Baking powder A water bottle with the top cut off 3 tablespoons of washing up liquid What You Need to […]

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magnetic balls and sticks stuck together

Magnetism Science

27th July, 2020

This activity explores magnetism. It requires the simple task of using a magnet to steer a coin through the side of a plastic bottle using a maze. What you will need for this activity A large plastic bottle A coin A magnet A marker pen How does it all work? A magnet is anything that […]

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2D Stick Art

Creating 2D stick art allows children freedom of expression and also helps them learn about spatial relationships and shapes. It’s a great activity for you to do whilst at home with your young children. What you will need: Big sticks Small sticks Pine cones and other interesting natural materials Task your children to collect all […]

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staff member interacting with children using real objects

Play With Household Items

It doesn’t take much to keep your children entertained, especially if we teach them the value of simple play. Let your imagination run free; safe household items make for excellent playthings. Take a household item nearby and see how your children can turn it into a toy. For instance: Roll duct tape back and forth […]

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girl sitting on a yellow potty

How to Start Potty Training: Toilet Training Tips From an Early Years Expert

Toilet training is one of the biggest challenges for parents and toddlers alike! There’s so much potty training advice out there, but putting it into practice isn’t always easy. In this article, we’ll offer some information for parents based on advice from early years expert and PACEY president Penny Tassoni. We’ll explain how to start […]

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Benefits of Music in Early Childhood Education

Music helps children to develop their social, physical and communication skills. Discover more about the benefits of music in early childhood education.   A guide to the benefits of music in early years education You know you’re the parent of a young child when you find yourself singing the same nursery rhymes over and over […]

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How Do Plants Take up Water and Nutrients?

This simple experiment with cabbage leaves and food colouring is a great way for you to describe to your children how plants take up water and nutrients. You can ask your children to make predictions at the beginning about what will happen. To begin the experiment, just fill a clear cup, jar or bottle halfway […]

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How to Make Gingerbread Men

The following ingredients will make about 10 Gingerbread people. What you need: 100g golden syrup 225g plain flour 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 heaped tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional) 50g unsalted butter Preparation method: First of all pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5 and grease 2 baking sheets. Sift together all […]

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pitta pizza

Pizza Pittas

17th July, 2020

Making pitta pizza’s is a great way to encourage children to prepare and make food for themselves. By having opportunities in the kitchen, it’s another way to further develop your child’s cookery skills. Cooking covers many areas of learning and adds the extra bonus that children are more likely to eat the food they have […]

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uncooked pasta

Pasta Bracelets and Necklaces

Creating pasta necklaces and bracelets with children is a really lovely and creative way to support their physical development. Dyeing the pasta also offers opportunities to create and experiment with mixing colours and creating new colours. Be adventurous with this and let your child’s unique creativity shine through. Children need to be supervised at all […]

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Number play using an abacas

Baby number play

It is never too early to start number play with your baby! You can start to count anything and everything, for example when you are walking up the stairs with your child, count the steps. Encourage older siblings to count as they play with their baby brother or sister. Sing numbers, say numbers, and use […]

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Creating Holiday Homes for Little People

We all enjoy going on holiday and the elves, leprechauns, fairies, and goblins are no different! Go outside and collect leaves, sticks, moss, pebbles and flowers with your children to be used in the holiday homes. Then, find a large Tupperware container, a plastic tub, a basket or something similar to create the home in. […]

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twigs to paint

How to Make Nature Paint Brushes

Toddlers and preschoolers love to paint. They also love nature! So here’s a clever and simple activity that combines the two. We’ll show you how to make your very own nature paint brushes, an activity that helps children to get creative and learn about the world around them.  You will need:  Twigs or small sticks, […]

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wooden alphabet letters

Letters and Sounds

Letter recognition is an important part of a child’s development, however more important is knowing also what sounds letters make. This helps them later on with spelling words. We have a fun and easy letter sound activity that will make learning fun. What you will need Keys and locks (That all fit correctly) Masking tape […]

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All About Children Nurseries Re-open

10th June, 2020

We would like to share with you a message from our Childcare and Education Director, Clair Drury, explaining what measures we will be taking in our nurseries to make sure everyone is kept safe when we re-open. If you have any questions, contact our friendly team today.

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Parent Update

We are currently preparing to open from 1st June 2020. We will be introducing a phased return for our children and families to help support them settle back into their routines. Existing parents will be contacted next week to confirm their requirements. We will also be sending out copies of our operational plan and all […]

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Covid-19 Information for Parents

23rd April, 2020

It is really important for us all to follow Government advice and stay home during the pandemic. We are here to help and share useful resources to get us through this period. What to do when your child is unwell It can be confusing and difficult to know what to do when your child is […]

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Easter eggs in a basket

Fun Easter Weekend Activities

9th April, 2020

1) Make an Easter bunny You’ll need: A sock Rice Scissors Thread or string Ribbon A pen Method Put a small amount of rice into the toes of a sock to make a bunny tail shape, then tie securely with a piece of thread or string.  Half fill the next section of the sock with […]

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What Our Parents Say

Very talented and caring staff. My son really loved this nursery. He learnt a lot in all aspects from communication, relationship building, being independent, to learning maths, shapes, letters, word, sentences etc. Really pleased with the development. Thanks to all the lovely staff, you are all the best.

Vaibhav H (Father of Child)

My daughter has been in the nursery since the Baby Room. It has been an incredible journey. Now she is in the pre-school and every day she is excited to go to the nursery. She loves the staff, her key worker, the other kids, the setting (especially the garden). She really enjoys all the activities organised through the week/day. She enjoys and has fun while learning. The staff encourage and support multilingual families making the kids feel proud they can speak more than one language. Now the staff are also getting her ready to go to school this September. The staff have always been amazing, very approachable, flexible and caring.

B C (Father of Child)

The staff are so kind and caring, they all know my daughter even those in different rooms. She skips in to see them every day and they are as excited as me when she does new things. It's a home away from home.

H G (Mother of Child)

I can't thank the staff enough for giving me peace of mind when my child is with them. The number and variety of activities each day is amazing and the fact they manage to get in the garden or go on trips - even in winter is fantastic. My child's development is streets ahead of his peers who don't attend nursery.

S H (Mother of Child)

The nursery has a lovely nurturing and vibrant atmosphere which my son loves. There is plenty of space for him to explore and learn via the vast range of toys and equipment they have. I know he is well cared for. I am always well informed and I work together with the nursery staff to give my son the best possible experience.

Claire F (Mother of Child) 

The care, consideration and attention my son receives is exemplary. Staff pay attention to his strengths and weaknesses and verbalise them to us and ideas for developing them are implemented. All staff demonstrate an excellent attitude and have excellent relationships with their designated children.

A D (Father of Child)

The staff were warm, caring and professional and the facilities are great. We felt like our daughter was part of a big family. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all working there.

E S (Mother of Child)

I have been impressed by the level of care given to my son since he started. The daily warm welcome of the staff makes both children and parents alike feel at ease. Seeing the smile on my boy's face as we drive into the car park is proof enough for me that the team are doing something right.

Alexander M (Father of Child)

My little girl has recently started and is absolutely loving her time at nursery. The settling in sessions were brilliant and really helped put my mind at ease, especially with me starting back at work. The ladies in the Baby Room are super friendly and enthusiastic and I can't thank them enough for their support in what could have been quite an emotional rollercoaster.

G W (Mother of Child)

Once I drop my son off into the Baby Room, I feel he's as safe and as well looked after as I do at home.

Laura R (Mother of Child)