This week, our littlest learners dove into a vibrant world of language, music, textures, and animals! From jungle stories to safari prints and shark-filled seas, every activity was designed to awaken their curiosity and support early development.
Come see how our Hatchlings grow through language, discovery, and creativity
This week, the babies joined Miss Sara for an interactive storytime as we read Who’s Hiding on the Farm? Each lifted flap brought surprise and delight as the hatchlings discovered familiar animals like dogs (gǒu 狗), sheep (yáng 羊), cows (niú 牛), ducks (yā 鸭), chickens (jī 鸡), and even tiny mice (lǎoshǔ 老鼠)!
Our hatchlings got creative with a sensory art activity inspired by African culture. Together, we decorated a big African mask using textures like pom-poms, feathers, sand, and pipe cleaners. This hands-on experience encouraged fine motor skills and sensory exploration while introducing the meaning behind traditional African masks—used in celebrations, storytelling, and ceremonies to express identity and culture.
Later in the week, we used dot markers to decorate colourful maps of Africa. As the babies dotted and stamped, they worked on their hand-eye coordination, grip strength, and began developing early spatial awareness—all while learning about the shape and diversity of the African continent.
For Shark Awareness Day, babies created underwater scenes using blue foam. This activity helped develop motor skills while introducing the idea of marine life and ocean habitats..
We took advantage of the beautiful weather with a stroll along Barbican Highwalk. The babies loved circle time in the sunshine, singing familiar songs and enjoying the sights around them. Out hatchlings also fish in the pond and practiced counting up to three as we watched them swim!
This week’s sensory play was full of excitement and discovery! We introduced liquid sensory bags, filled with a mix of water, pom-poms, bumblebees, cinnamon sticks, and orange slices. The babies loved squishing, squeezing, poking, and patting the bags, exploring the textures, colours, and even the natural scents. This experience encouraged tactile development, cause-and-effect thinking, and fine motor skills—all through play!We also transformed our room into a magical indoor jungle! The babies explored wild animals like tigers and zebras through toys, visuals, and textured play. From soft vines to leafy greenery, our little explorers used all their senses to dive into this imaginative world. It was a wonderful opportunity to nurture their curiosity, language, and sensory awareness.
Our children had a wonderful outing to the Barbican water fountains this week! They watched the water splash and shimmer, explored the area safely, and shared giggles with friends and teachers. We enjoyed a healthy snack in the sun juicy orange slices were the favourite! This outing supported sensory development, communication, and confidence in new environments.
The children recreated animal prints with sponges, brushes, and their fingers—leopard spots, cheetah stripes, and lion manes came to life on paper!
They also learned the Mandarin names for these animals: Leopard – 豹 (bào), Lion – 狮子 (shīzi), Cheetah – 猎豹 (lièbào). It was brilliant to see them confidently try out the new sounds and vocabulary while having creative fun.
This week’s Sporty Minis session focused on coordination, movement, and balance.Children practised walking over floor ladders, crawled through colourful tunnels, and took part in an egg-and-spoon challenge that had everyone laughing and concentrating hard! These playful challenges helped strengthen gross motor skills, build resilience, and promote teamwork.
To explore the African savanna, the children made lion masks using paper plates, coloured paper, and craft supplies.
They snipped strips of yellow and orange paper to create manes, added ears, and drew whiskers and noses developing fine motor skills and creativity while learning about lions and African wildlife.
This week, our preschoolers explored Africa through cooking, storytelling, art, and movement. These rich, immersive experiences helped them understand different cultures, build language, and develop important social and physical skills.
Come see how we prepare children for school and the world beyond
In our multilingual storytelling session, we read Handa’s Surprise in Mandarin Chinese. The children loved recognising the story while hearing it in a new language. This helped them build listening skills, cognitive flexibility, and an appreciation for how stories connect us across cultures.
The children enjoyed making fufu, a traditional West African dish. They measured, mixed, and mashed the ingredients—building early maths and language skills while learning about different food customs.
We also explored the cultural significance of African hair braiding. The children learned how hairstyles can tell stories about community, tradition, and personal identity.
This activity promoted respect for diversity and gave the children space to reflect on their own uniqueness and that of others.
We celebrated a few special birthdays this week—including Alba’s! The children shared fresh fruit, goody bags, and songs, building social confidence and emotional expression.
We also said heartfelt goodbyes to a few friends moving on to new schools. Through group conversations, we supported these transitions with empathy and warmth.
At Fortune Park, our little explorers enjoyed outdoor play, running freely and investigating seasonal changes in nature. They worked together on imaginary games and used natural materials to inspire creativity, while building physical strength and curiosity about the world around them.
In Sports Mini the children continued preparing for Sports Day with balance games, relay activities, and group challenges.They practiced teamwork, perseverance, and coordination—all while having lots of fun. It was fantastic to see their confidence grow!
Miss Molly’s session, we practiced some calming yoga poses and breathing exercises. These peaceful moments helped children recognise how to slow down, focus, and relax their bodies, an important step in managing emotions and staying ready to learn.
We can’t wait to continue exploring and celebrating new ideas together next week.
Hatching Dragons is proud to support our founder Cenn John, running the Cardiff Marathon this October to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital. Inspired by the loss of a sibling to congenital heart disease and Down’s syndrome, this fundraiser aims to help children facing life-threatening illnesses.
We would love for our Hatching Dragons community to join us in supporting this cause. Every donation, no matter how small, can help change a child's future.
In case you missed our update last week regarding important changes—including the new fee structure starting 1st September 2025—we kindly ask you to review the details.
Please take a moment to catch up and see how this may affect your family:
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