Baby & Toddlers

Tuesday & Friday - 9:30am - 11:00am

The activities and toys provided for the children are planned around the EYFS. This framework sets the standards for learning, development and care for the children from birth to the end of the school year in which they turn five.

At the heart of the EYFS is the principle that young children need to play in order to have fun, make friends and to begin to learn and understand about the world around them, whilst recognising that their welfare and safety are paramount. It aims to achieve this by focussing on the following 5 major outcomes:

• Being Healthy
• Staying Safe
• Enjoying and Achieving
• Making a Positive Contribution
• Economic Well-being

In addition there are four themes that underpin the framework:

• A Unique Child - Every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
• Positive Relationship - Children learn to be strong and independant from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person.
• Enabling Environments - The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children's development and learning.
• Learning and Development - Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of learning and development are equally important and inter-connected.

It is important to know that ALL providers are now required to follow EYFS in order to ensure that whatever setting parents choose they can be confident that their child will receive an experience that supports their development and learning.

Babies

A carpeted area is provided for the babies. This is equipped with activity frames, baby rings and soft cuddly toys to more sensory and activity toys. There are a variety of rattles to help aid the babies grasping movement. The area is also laid out with soft blankets to encourage the babies to spend time on their tummies thus encouraging neck muscle development which will help with coordination, balance and postural control, which is the foundation for all movement skills, it increases babies' confidence and independence helping them to become motivated to explore their surroundings as they learn to control their bodies.

Toddlers

There are a variety of different toys and opportunities available for the toddlers. These include

• Opportunity for children to run around, use large motor skills, and try out a variety of large equipment and ride on toys.
• Crafts - painting, college, chalk, colouring, sticking and more, sometimes related to themes, such as Easter and Christmas.
• Opportunity for messy play – play dough, sand, exploring soil, cereal and water.
• Opportunity to recreate roles, dressing up or playing in the home corner.
• Stories and singing as a group, music and movement sessions.
• Table top activities - puzzles, simple games, construction, small imaginative play toys.
• Comfy story corner with a variety of books to share.

We encourage the toddlers to learn to become independent whilst playing in safe surroundings.