Babies Room: 0 – 18 months
We understand that starting nursery can be a challenging time for both children and parents/carers, and we’re here to make sure that transition goes smoothly.
It is extremely important that you feel happy leaving your most precious possessions with us, safe in the knowledge they will be extremely well cared for, stimulated and have an amazing time. All practitioners within Babies Room hold their Paediatric First Aid qualification, as well as Level 2 Safeguarding and Food Hygiene.
We operate a key worker system, and Home Books are completed daily to share the highlights from your child’s day; we want you to be involved in the important moments in your child’s Explorers’ journey.
The Learning Environment: Inside
In 2021 extensive building work was completed, allowing us to create a new, bespoke facility for our youngest Explorers. Staff were instrumental in design decisions, and we feel we have created something really special that has your child’s learning and development at its heart.
Babies Room is a large space, providing room for little ones to move freely and to support them in achieving those first precious milestones. The environment is carefully planned and has a calm, natural, home-from-home atmosphere, with a range of exciting heuristic resources, such as:
- Stacking and posting resources
- Simple puzzles designed to encourage critical thinking and problem solving
- Real and natural objects, such as fruit and vegetables, pinecones, hats and scarves
All of our resources spark curiosity, develop language and lay the foundation of early imagination skills.
The Learning Environment: Outside
Outdoor play is vital for a baby’s development. Babies Room has access to a beautiful new garden space, that is laid to soft artificial grass to enable our babies to explore in safety. The area consists of messy trays, a sand and water station, a mark-making zone, mud kitchen, mirrors, staggered blocks used to promote gross motor skills and a tepee – a lovely cosy spot where children can escape the sun for some quiet time.
In addition, Babies Room also has a secret garden! A magical, bark-covered space where our babies can listen to the wind blowing through the tress and hear the magical sounds of the various wind chimes.
The Hidden Curriculum
As part of our hidden curriculum, we embed key features that create the natural rhythm of the day in Babies Room. If you walked into the room, you would hear a range of wonderful language being clearly modelled and repeated, as well as an undercurrent of singing and storytelling. The song bag is an important part of our daily routine, as well as reading our book of the week and other stories.
Messy and sensory experiences are also provided daily and play a significant role in the holistic opportunities on offer. The children are gently encouraged to use all of their senses to explore a range of textures using objects such as jelly, slime, foam, flour, pasta, frozen berries and much more. Our skilled practitioners are always devising new experiences taking into account each child’s individual needs and any allergies. As well as this, the children are offered imaginative mark-making experiences, and daily sand and water exploration.
Establishing Routines
Care routines, such as nappy changing, are carried out throughout the day with patience and kindness as our staff build those first important relationships, giving children confidence and allowing them to feel safe and secure to explore in their new surroundings.
Snacks and mealtimes are a social occasion where children are encouraged to be independent and have a go at feeding themselves as they eat a varied, nutritional diet. Staff work closely with families and children when weaning, going with their chosen technique and pace.
We have a snug, cosy area which is a safe space for children to be cradled to sleep, rest or just have some special time for stories, cuddles and songs. The snug area also offers a range of books, a music system and a range of musical instruments to explore.