Baby Room Highlights | Islington | Hackney | City of London
At our nursery in the City of London, spring has brought a season of joyful learning, sensory discovery, and cultural celebrations for our youngest learners—the Hatchlings! Designed for babies aged 6 months to 2 years, our activities nurture communication, creativity, and confidence through hands-on, play-based learning in a caring environment.
Our Modern Languages sessions have been full of excitement! This week, the Hatchlings practiced recognising and saying animal names in Mandarin. They became experts at identifying:
鸭鸭 (yā yā) – Duck
狗狗 (gǒu gǒu) – Dog
We also introduced a brand-new animal: 斑马 (bānmǎ) – Zebra. The babies loved learning this new word, often pairing it with the familiar sound of "mama"! Through songs and playful activities, our children built early multilingual vocabulary and listening skills—a key part of our childcare approach in Hackney and Islington.
This week’s outing brought our babies closer to nature with a wonderful circle time session outdoors. Singing favourites like Five Little Ducks and Old McDonald, the children clapped and smiled under the sun. They spotted ladybugs, flowers, and insects, sparking natural curiosity and building early science awareness through playful exploration.
Outdoor adventures are an essential part of the experience at our nursery in the City of London, helping children connect with the world around them while developing gross motor and observation skills.
As part of our regional education theme, we took a sensory journey to Southern Europe. Our Hatchlings explored a sensory tray inspired by the Italian flag—identifying red, white, and green colours through hands-on play. Activities like this build cultural awareness, colour recognition, and fine motor development from the earliest stages.
In another exciting sensory activity, the children embarked on an insect hunt! Using their fine motor skills, they searched through green vines and colourful flowers to find bees, snails, and frogs floating on lily pads.
This activity encouraged hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, and language development, all within a rich sensory environment—a signature of our preschool programmes near Islington and Hackney.
This week, we had magical visits from two of our specialist teachers:
Specialist-led sessions bring music, mindfulness, and magic to our early years curriculum in Central London, helping children grow in confidence, creativity, and communication.
As part of our Southern Europe cultural education focus, we explored the fascinating history of Venetian masks, a beautiful tradition from the Carnival of Venice.
Children learned how, historically, Venetian masks allowed people to mingle freely, conceal identities, and express themselves without judgment. Through lively discussions and visual storytelling, the children gained insights into Italian culture, history, and artistic traditions—a cornerstone of our early years curriculum in City of London.
In one of the week's most hands-on activities, the Blue Dragon class became Pasta Explorers!
Children delighted in feeling different pasta shapes—from twisty fusilli to long, slithery spaghetti—learning new vocabulary and textures through sensory play.
Messy, tactile activities like this promote language development, fine motor skills, and curiosity, making sensory learning a vital part of our approach at our nursery near Hackney and Islington.
Sporty Minis:
This week’s Sporty Minis session was full of energy! Through exciting games like "Flip the Cones" and stretchy exercises, the children worked on gross motor coordination, balance, and strength. Activities like these help build the foundation for lifelong physical confidence and healthy habits.
Finding Calm with Mindful Molly's Movement:
In contrast, the children enjoyed a calming session with Miss Molly, focusing on stretching, gentle movements, and mindfulness. Moments of stillness support emotional regulation, body awareness, and self-soothing techniques—skills that are essential for early years emotional development.
Musical Magic with Lucy Sparkles and Friends:
The week finished with a joyful sensory music session led by Becca Sparkles. The children engaged in imaginative play, pretending to create fruit salads by chopping and mixing colourful pretend fruits.
Together, they sang along to Peter Rabbit and shook magic music eggs, filling the room with rhythm, movement, and laughter. These sessions promote teamwork, musical memory, creativity, and fine motor coordination—essential parts of holistic development at our preschool near St Paul’s Cathedral.
City Preschool Weekly Highlights | Childcare Near St Paul’s Cathedral | Hackney & Islington
This week at our City of London preschool near St Paul’s Cathedral, our Dragon Flight class embarked on an exciting journey of cultural exploration, early literacy, STEAM learning, and specialist-led activities. Our little learners combined art, language, numbers, and movement to create a vibrant week of discovery and growth.
In our regional education programme, the children explored Spanish culture, focusing on the traditional clothing, customs, and famous cultural symbols of Spain.
Traditional Spanish Dress: Children learned about the vivid colours and styles of traditional Spanish outfits. Using a range of creative materials, they designed their own beautiful costumes, expressing themselves through artistic creation and cultural appreciation.
Spanish Bull (西班牙公牛 – xī bān yá gōng niú): The children were introduced to the cultural significance of the Spanish bull. They drew and decorated their own imaginative bulls, strengthening fine motor skills and their understanding of global traditions.
Southern European Stained-Glass Windows: Inspired by the vibrant stained-glass windows often found in churches, children created their own colourful window displays using tissue paper. In connection with our Mandarin language learning, they practiced the words for:
Church – 教堂 (jiào táng)
Window – 窗户 (chuāng hù)
This rich cultural experience combined visual arts, language development, and cross-cultural learning, all part of our dynamic programme at our nursery in the City of London.
In maths-focused activities, our preschoolers worked on number recognition and counting skills:
Number Block Worksheet: The children completed exercises circling numbers 1 to 5, strengthening early maths foundations through hands-on practice.
Dice Colour-Counting Game: Children rolled two dice—one for colours, one for numbers—and matched the correct number of coloured bears into a cup. This playful activity supported fine motor development, colour matching, basic arithmetic, and turn-taking—all important skills in our early years STEAM curriculum near Hackney and Islington.
In small group literacy sessions, our preschoolers worked on:
Laminated tracing cards: Children practiced letter formation and word-picture association by tracing simple words with dry-erase markers.
“Splat!” Word Game: Children raced to find and hit the correct word as it was called out, encouraging quick word recognition, listening skills, coordination, and teamwork.
Our lively approach to literacy ensures children stay engaged and build a strong foundation for future reading and writing.
Our week was further enriched by vibrant specialist sessions:
Sporty Minis: The children participated in high-energy games like "Sharks and Fish," practicing running, jumping, and gross motor coordination in a fun, dynamic setting.
Mindful Molly's Movement: After energetic play, Miss Molly’s session introduced calming moments, as the children hopped like bunnies and then relaxed with sensory toys and breathing exercises—helping to support emotional regulation and self-awareness.
Music with Lucy Sparkles and Friends: Our children sang cheerful Easter-themed songs and acted out movements from Sleeping Bunnies, showcasing their creativity, musical memory, and imaginative play.
Specialist sessions at our preschool in the City of London bring joyful learning experiences that help children develop confidence, expression, and mind-body connection.
Our nursery offers a warm, stimulating environment in the heart of Central London, easily accessible from Islington and Hackney. With a focus on creativity, outdoor exploration, cultural learning, and music, we support every child’s early journey with care and intention.
📍 Located in the City of London, we welcome families from across Hackney, Islington, and the surrounding areas.
👶 Enrollment is open for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers aged 6 months to 5 years. Enquire now!