Learning through play...
Play is essential to young children and can produce deep and meaningful learning. Play gives children the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills and develop their knowledge through hands on experiences.
When children play they learn to socialise and interact with others. Play empowers children to discover their own solutions and enables them to develop at their own pace. Play motivates children and is a powerful vehicle for all seven areas of learning that are outlined in the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Outdoor Play
At Butterflies we believe that the outdoor environment is just as important as the indoor environment and we see it as an 'outdoor classroom. This is why the children are able to have free flow access to the outdoor area on a daily basis. The Outdoor area supports all areas of learning but it has a big emphasis on physical development (prime area of learning.) Children have the opportunity to run, jump, balance, climb and build dens. These activities keep children fit and healthy and also encourage them to take risks. Playing outside also encourages the children to learn about the natural world by searching for mini beasts, planting and watching things grow and collecting natural objects to explore and investigate.
Partnership with Parents
The staff at Butterflies Day Nursery pride themselves on having excellent partnership with parents and achieve this in many different ways such as daily verbal communication, regular newsletters, sharing observations, parents' evenings, stay and play sessions and nursery trips.