It’s time for us to share all our wonderful nursery experiences from August 2026 with you all!
Goodbye Graduates!
We had a wonderful time celebrating our graduation at the end of July; we spent a fun day at ‘Peaks Edge Carnival’! We played lots of games with our families. After the celebrations, we waved goodbye to a few of the children, the others we got to keep for a little while longer, and we spent the summer securing those school ready skills and making lots of memories.
Summer in the Sun
This summer has been a HOT one, I’m sure you’ll all agree! To allow for us to use our outdoor spaces in all weathers, we have had 3 lovely permanent shelters built. They provide shade & UV protection in the summer as well as protection from the rain and our cold winters. The EYFS statutory framework emphasises that outdoor play is crucial for the physical, emotional, social and cognitive development of children. We ensure that all children have access to the outdoor within their sessions with a variety of engaging activities. The link below takes you to the NHS guide to physical activities. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/physical-activity-guidelines-children-under-five-years.
Our children in Pre-School have spent lots of time in the garden playing and planting. They have all been very carefully caring for the plants. We have managed to grow some juicy strawberries, bright yellow sunflowers, and we still have a watermelon plant that we’re hoping will produce us some fruit in the early Autumn. Our Toddler Room have loved their bug hunts, using the tools to dig, poke and rummage for different creepy crawlies. The Babies have enjoyed working on their physical development with some risky play, and also made the most of their shelter by sharing stories and songs with their grown ups in them.
Kingswood Pen Pals
During the school holidays, the Pre-School children from Kingswood Day Nursery, our Dore branch, made a long journey on what felt like the only rainy day of August, to see the company lion cub at Crystal Peaks. Once they had seen the lion, they came to join us for lunch! The children all enjoyed meeting each other, and we hope to keep this collaboration up over the coming months.
Messy Play
At Peaks Edge, and across the wider company, we follow an “in the moment planning” model, and we focus on “child-led activities”. We may set up invitations to play, but all activities that the children take part in are open-ended, and designed to provoke curiosity. When a child engages in a messy activity, this is spontaneous, their imagination and creativity is ignited, and they are in a zone of development.
Sparkling Spaces
During the year, we try to limit changes to the children play spaces. We understand the importance of continuity and familiarity for the children, to help them reach their full potential. Over the summer, we have had some time to revamp some of the areas of each room and we are excited for the children to join us and explore their newly improved environments.
