Squirrels Nursery 2026 - 2027

      Welcome to the Squirrels Class!           

A warm welcome awaits your little one to the Squirrels-our cosy and nurturing nursery space specially designed for children age 2 to 3 years.

At this stage of early development your child will begin exploring the world around them through play,creativity and gentle routines.In Squirrels, we focus on building strong relationships,encouraging independance and supporting early langauge,social and motor skills in a safe,stimulating environment.

Our caring and experienced team is here to help each child to feel secure,happy and ready to learn,at their own pace.

From messy play and story time to songs and outdoor adventures,every day is full of fun and discovery!

ALL ABOUT ME 🌟

During our All About Me topic, our 2–3-year-olds will have lots of opportunities to explore and celebrate what makes each child special and unique. Through play, conversations, stories and activities, children will be encouraged to share their likes, dislikes, favourite things, hobbies and interests with their key adults and friends, helping to build confidence, self-expression and early friendships. We will also learn more about the special people and animals in their lives, sharing family photos and talking about their homes and pets. This topic will support children’s personal, social and emotional development by helping them recognise and express their feelings, develop a sense of belonging and begin to understand that everyone is different and special in their own way. All of this will take place in a warm, caring and inclusive environment, where every child feels valued, listened to and celebrated. 💕🏠🐶

🍂 AUTUMN TERM AT SQUIRRELS NURSERY 🍁

This Autumn, our little Squirrels will enjoy discovering the magic of the changing season through hands-on, sensory and nature-based play. We will explore crunchy leaves, conkers, acorns, pinecones and other natural treasures, using our senses to touch, smell, listen, look and investigate. We will learn about our woodland friends, including squirrels and hedgehogs, discovering where they live, what they eat and how they get ready for winter. Through simple activities, stories, songs, messy play, outdoor exploration and creative experiences, we will encourage our children to be curious, make choices, ask questions and express their ideas. Most importantly, we will have fun exploring together, building confidence, creativity and a growing love for the natural world. 🐿️🦔🍁🌿

                                   How we learn through play in Squirrel's…

  In Squirrels, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, with a strong focus on the three prime areas of development: Communication and Language, Physical Development, and Personal, Social and Emotional Development. These areas are at the heart of everything we do, as they form the foundation for children's future learning, wellbeing, and success.

Communication and Language

• Listening and attention
• Understanding
• Speaking                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

We promote communication and language in Squirrels by:

• engaging in frequent face-to-face conversations with children during play and daily routines,

• narrating what we and the children are doing to model rich vocabulary,

• using songs, rhymes, and simple stories to build listening and speaking skills,

• giving children time to respond in conversations and valuing all attempts at communication,

• using visual aids, gestures, and sign language (if applicable) to support understanding,  ,

• encouraging turn-taking in conversations and group activities,

• repeating and expanding on what children say to build sentence structure and vocabulary.

Physical development

• Gross motor skills (e.g., running, jumping)

• Fine motor skills (e.g., using utensils, writing)

• Health and self-care (e.g., hygiene, nutrition)

We promote physical development in Squirrels by:

• having our very own bespoke-designed outdoor area, which provides rich opportunities for physical development. It encourages children to explore, climb, balance, run, and engage in active play that supports both their gross and fine motor skills.

• offering a range of materials like playdough, chunky crayons, and building blocks to strengthen fine motor skills,

• encouraging activities that involve coordination and balance, such as obstacle courses, dancing, and ball games,
• Provide a cosy, quiet area to rest or sleep

Personal, Social and Emotional

• Self-regulation and behavior

• Building relationships                                                                                                                                                          

• Developing self-confidence and self-awareness                                                                                                           

We promote Personal, Social and Emotional Development in Squirrels by:

• building warm, trusting relationships through consistent key person interactions, helping children feel safe and secure,

• encouraging turn-taking and sharing during play to develop social skills and cooperation,

• supporting children in naming and understanding their emotions using simple language and visual cues,

• modelling positive behavior and gentle conflict resolution,

• promoting independence in self-care tasks such as tidying up, choosing activities, and feeding themselves,

• celebrating individual achievements to build self-confidence and a sense of belonging,

          providing comfort and reassurance during moments of upset, helping children learn to self-regulate over time.

                                                                                                         Daily Items 

                              A bag with a change of clothing

       Nappies and wipes

                                                                                                         A water bottle                                   

                                                                                                        Coat, hats, gloves (labeled please)                                                                                                 

                                                                                        Lunch box or hot dinner to purchase                                                        

Sleeps- For all children , a flat sheet and a blanket is required and can be left on their pegs.This is for all children even those who dont necessary sleep but may need for rest times or chidren who may become ill.

Comforts and dummies are allowed for sleep times only,or if required whilst settling in. 

Weather exploring

• We love to explore the outdoors in all weathers, please make sure your child has suitable clothing for fun in the sun, rain, wind or snow.
• Suncream must be applied before coming into your childs session.

Changes to collection

• If somebody else is collecting your child, please can you let staff know as soon as possible.

Tapestry

We love to see all the things that our children get up to when they are not at Squirrels. Please share these moments on Tapestry.

We also love to share photos in class either through tapestry or emails sent During your child's time in Squirrels, we will also update their learning journey on Tapestry for you to enjoy!                                  

Meet Sandy our class Squirrel.Sandy would love to have a turn to go home with you and have wonderful adventures

together with you and your families!

Website address

For any enquiries for Squirrels class please contact:

k.melvin@woodlands.cheshire.sch.uk