Babies at Westminster Nursery
This week, the babies use Makaton signs for "star" and "moon" during songs like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". They enjoy making the signs as they sing along. Alongside the Makaton signs, we also introduce simple animal sounds and actions, like “baa baa” for sheep and “woof woof” for dogs. The babies excitedly mimic the sounds, showing their growing ability to connect words with actions. We also read picture books, encouraging the babies to interact with the images by pointing or reaching for the pictures, which helps develop their early communication skills.
This week, the babies were introduced to the Mandarin song “挖呀挖呀挖” (Wā ya wā ya wā), which is about planting seeds and watching them grow. They had a wonderful time listening to the song and joining in with the actions, such as digging and planting. The repetitive nature of the song helped with language learning and rhythm development. Some babies smiled and tried to make the motions, and a few even joined in with words like "wā" (to dig) and "huā" (flower).
花园 (huā yuán) – garden, 挖 (wā) – to dig, 种子 (zhǒng zi) – seed, 花 (huā) – flower, 小小的 (xiǎo xiǎo de) – tiny
This week, we explore the start of Spring and the excitement of Easter through sensory play. The babies enjoy exploring our Spring-themed tuff tray, filled with soft fabrics, twinkling lights, star-shaped objects, and spring flowers and leaves to touch and feel. In preparation for Easter, the babies create playdough eggs, rolling, squishing, and pressing the playdough to strengthen their hand muscles and improve hand-eye coordination. They are also introduced to springtime textures, such as soft cotton wool for clouds and yellow chick toys, encouraging further sensory exploration as they feel the seasonal changes around them.
Our STEAM activities continue to be a favourite with the babies! This week, they were fascinated by the colourful bubble snake, watching as the bubbles floated, popped, and changed shape in the air. This activity helped develop their visual tracking skills and hand-eye coordination, as they eagerly followed the bubbles with their eyes and reached out to pop them. The sensory experience also introduced them to cause and effect, as they observed how their actions could make the bubbles move and burst.
This month, we’re focusing on Being Good, which means showing kindness, helping others, and being a good friend. We’ve been talking a lot about what it means to be kind and how small acts of kindness can make a big difference.
Here’s how we’re practicing Being Good:
Storytime: We started by reading the story The Lion and the Mouse, where a small mouse helps a big lion, showing that even the smallest of us can be kind and helpful. The children are learning that everyone can do good things, no matter how big or small they are.
Role-Play: In our role-play area, the children have been taking care of their baby dolls, feeding them, and rocking them to sleep. They’re practicing how to be gentle and caring, just like we are with our friends.
Sharing and Teamwork: The children are also practicing sharing toys and taking turns. We’ve been encouraging them to help clean up after playtime and to work together when building things with blocks or playing with toys. They’re learning how important it is to share and take care of the things around them.
Animal Figurines: We’ve used animal figurines in a tuff tray, where the children learned that kindness doesn’t depend on how someone looks. Just like in the story, we’re teaching them that kindness comes from the heart, no matter what.
Compliments and Kind Words: We’re also encouraging the children to use kind words, like saying "please" and "thank you." When they share or help a friend, we praise them, showing how good it feels to be kind.
This week, we’ve been busy practising our counting skills all the way from 1 to 10. The children have been using marks to represent quantities, such as drawing a line for each item they count. This activity helped them connect numbers with real-world objects, and they had lots of fun seeing how many marks they could make while counting!
In Mathematics, the children also explored different shapes like triangles, squares, and rectangles, spotting them around the room and in their play. These hands-on activities encouraged the children to recognise patterns and work on their problem-solving skills. Whether building with LEGO or using shape templates, the children enjoyed connecting the dots between shapes, quantities, and numbers, all while developing their spatial awareness and fine motor skills.
In Phonics, we revisited the sounds of “s” (for snake), “a” (for ant), and “t” (for tap). The children loved singing the sound songs and making the animal actions. They also explored objects around the room that start with these sounds, strengthening their listening skills and early literacy.
This week, we've been having so much fun celebrating spring with creative activities! We started by drawing egg shapes, which was a wonderful way to practice using crayons and markers. The children loved decorating their eggs with bright colours and fluffy feathers. This activity helped them practice their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as they worked carefully on their creations.
As we explored eggs, we talked about what eggs are, who lays them, and where they come from. The children learned about different animals that lay eggs, like chickens, ducks, and even reptiles. They were very excited to hear about these animals and the eggs they lay!
A big highlight of the week was a sensory activity where the children placed small pieces of paper on balloons. After waiting for the paper to dry, they got to pop the balloons and see the surprise egg-shaped creations inside! It was a fantastic way to explore textures, practice turn-taking, and develop patience while waiting. The children also enjoyed painting chick faces on their eggs, discovering yellow and white colours, and using their fine motor skills to paint carefully inside the lines.
With the sunny spring weather, it was the perfect time to enjoy outdoor fun and creative activities. The children have really enjoyed welcoming the new season, and we can't wait to share even more exciting spring adventures with them!
Music Club
The children had so much fun in Music Club this week! They explored making both loud and quiet sounds by clapping their hands and stomping their feet. It was exciting to see them listen carefully and follow instructions, creating little patterns with their movements. This activity helped them practice their listening skills and understand how sounds can be different, like loud and soft. It also gave them a chance to get creative and move to the beat!
Cooking Club
In Cooking Club, the children learned about vegan food, which means food that comes from plants, like fruits and vegetables. They had a great time exploring how plants grow and talking about eating healthy foods. Next week, we can’t wait to make salads, smoothies, and energy bars together to celebrate Veggie Month! This will help the children learn about yummy and healthy foods while having fun with their friends and trying new tastes.
Physical Development
Coach Charles helped the children practice their ball skills this week. They’ve been bouncing and passing balls, which helps them build their big body muscles and learn how to work together. The children have been learning about sharing and taking turns while practicing these skills. It’s been great fun to see them improve their coordination and teamwork!
Mindfulness & Storytelling
Miss Molly brought lots of Easter-themed fun to the children this week. The children loved shaking eggs and listening to happy music. The most exciting part was when they found a hidden bunny inside a lettuce! This activity was a lovely way to help the children feel calm, explore their emotions, and notice all the wonderful things around them. It gave them a chance to practice focusing and feeling curious about the world!
This week the children were immersed in the colourful and intricate world of Spanish tile designs. They explored geometric shapes and symmetry as they created their own stunning tile patterns using crayons, coloured paper, and various collage materials. Through this activity, they developed a deeper understanding of patterns and design, all while having fun with vibrant colours and textures.
One of the week's most exciting moments came during our STEM challenge! The children worked together with the practitioners to create a rolling ball game using everyday materials. They started by building clay structures and attaching them to a cardboard base, but when the initial structures didn’t stick, it sparked brilliant problem-solving discussions. The children came up with ideas to strengthen the design, including using glue, sellotape, and even wooden sticks. Once the game was secure, the children had a blast rolling small tinfoil balls down the track, eagerly watching to see if they would land in the collection box. This hands-on challenge encouraged collaboration, engineering thinking, and perseverance, while allowing the children to explore their creativity through building and problem-solving.
This week, the children had a delightful trip to Longmoore Park, where they embraced the sunny spring weather and explored the wonders of nature. As they wandered through the park, they observed the changing season, noticing how flowers were beginning to bloom and how the trees were showing new growth. The children engaged in meaningful conversations about the different plants, trees, and animals they saw, deepening their understanding of the natural world.
Our music sessions this week were filled with joy as the children learned the fun Mandarin song “挖呀挖呀挖” (Wā ya wā ya wā), which is all about planting seeds and watching them grow. This playful, repetitive song was a hit with the children, sung in both Mandarin and English. Through the song, the children practiced rhythm, language learning, and physical movement. Key vocabulary from the song included:
花园 (huā yuán) – garden, 挖 (wā) – to dig, 种子 (zhǒng zi) – seed, 花 (huā) – flower, 小小的 (xiǎo xiǎo de) – tiny
We also explored garden growth by using a fun song to help the children understand the concepts of big, small, and bigger. Imagining gardens of different sizes, the children planted tiny seeds in a small garden, big seeds in a larger garden, and extra big seeds in the biggest garden. This interactive activity helped them grasp size concepts while enjoying movement and repetition.
Outdoor Fun – Nature Name Boards
The children took their creativity outdoors this week during a nature-inspired craft session. They went on a nature walk to gather materials like flowers, grass, and leaves. Back inside, they used these natural finds to decorate their name boards. This activity supported name recognition, fine motor coordination, and an appreciation for the textures and colours of the natural world. Each name board turned out to be a beautiful reflection of the child’s creativity and connection with nature.
Sports Session: Football and Dodge Game
In our sports session this week, the children focused on improving their football skills, including dribbling, passing, and teamwork. They also played an energetic game of dodgeball, working on their coordination, agility, and quick reflexes. Both games encouraged fair play, cooperation, and plenty of active fun. The children had a great time learning and practicing essential physical skills in a playful and supportive environment.
Read along about our fantastic and most exciting holiday clubs in central London and learn about activities, excursions and classes we provide through our specialist programmes led by expert teachers!
Know someone who’d love Hatching Dragons? Refer a friend and enjoy 5% off your fees for every family you recommend – no limit to how many families you can refer!