A morning welcome
Here at Nanny Bears we recognise that mornings can be a challenge, and we’re committed to doing everything we can to ensure a positive and smooth start to the day for our families. We provide nappies and wipes so you have less to worry about and are more than happy to cater for children who have an early start to arrive in pyjama’s, as we will dress them after breakfast.
You will both be welcomed by a member of our family and have time to discuss anything important or tell us about your exciting adventures over the weekend so we can extend this into the nursery.
Your little one will then either have breakfast or speed off to play with friends and you can head off to work feeling calm and ready for the day.
Child-initiated play
Children are able to freely potter and explore our invitations to play which have been set up by our highly trained practitioners encouraging children’s curiosity and imagination. We believe in treating every child as an individual and inspiring them to develop their own little personalities, so they can pick and choose what they wish to do throughout the day.
Learning through play
Every day our practitioners lead small group sessions with a planned focus based on the children’s Individual Learning Plans. These sessions are led through fun and unique play activities that encourage children to extend their development and learn new skills, these sessions are based on the children’s own learning styles and their current interests. As the practitioners know the children so well, these activities are often adapted on the spot to ensure the children can reach their full potential by being able to express their own ideas and plans for the activity.
Mealtimes
All meals, snacks and smoothies have been passionately planned and prepared to promote healthy eating and to encourage children to have a strong love of a different range of foods.
We believe that meal times are at the heart of a family, a time where we can come together to engage with each other and reflect on the day. We promote a relaxed and sociable atmosphere for our family meals, where the older children are encouraged to lay the table, serve themselves and help clear up, while babies are supported to feed themselves.
Happy little minds
At Nanny Bears we have a strong emphasis on promoting positive wellbeing to everyone in the family so we engage in daily mindful activities such a yoga, baby massage and gratitude sessions where we talk about what makes us happy. Throughout the day children are supported in managing and expressing their feelings, talking through their emotions and understanding empathy. Our practitioners use positive language to guide children through all activities and praise achievements and perseverance.
Outdoor learning
All children spend time engaged in outdoor learning every day. Our gardens have been just as thought-fully designed as our indoor spaces, providing the perfect area for physical activities such as climbing, balancing, riding, playing ball games and completing obstacle courses.
Many of our outdoor areas include mud kitchens, water play, sand exploration trays and a planting stations for Forest School-inspired learning experiences. We also learn outside of the nursery on trips into our local communities.
Sleep and Rest
We believe that rest and good sleep is essential for all children’s well-being and development. Our nurseries are designed to easily convert into cosy sleeping spaces with soft mats and gentle music. When children first join Nanny Bears we follow their home sleep routines, and then continue to support children to sleep at the time that suits them.
As we all know, yawns are contagious, and we find that children tend to adjust to snuggling up amongst their friends quite quickly. When they’re ready they’ll drop down to one nap, which is usually best timed to happen after lunch. Children who no longer require a sleep in the day may still want to rest, and are able to take themselves off to our ‘hygge’ corners designed to feel relaxed, calm and secure.
Home time
At home time, Parents are encouraged to chat with us and to hear all about their child’s day and accomplishments. It’s a perfect opportunity to get to know the team, and the other parents, and to ask any questions you may have about how your child is progressing. If you have something you’d like to discuss, then our managers’ doors are always open for a quick chat – or a longer meeting.