A strong child

Babies and young children need  support as they begin a journey of self-discovery from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person. The beginnings of autonomy can be seen in the relationships which exist as babies and young children play and explore alongside a close, attentive, warm and sensitive adult.
Me, myself and I is about helping young children to get to know themselves and their own capabilities. The respect, care, love and emotional support experienced by babies and children helps them to develop emotional safety, trust and a positive self image.
Being acknowledged and affirmed by important people in their lives leads children to gain confidence and inner strength. Exploration within close relationships leads to growth of  self-assurance, promoting a sense of belonging which allows the young child to explore the world from a secure base.

A skilful communicator

To become skilful communicators babies and children need to be together with a key person and others in warm and loving relationships. Being together leads to the wider development of social relation which include friendship, empathy, sharing emotions and experiences and becoming a competent language user. Early attempts at finding a voice are rewarded in a variety of ways, increasing confidence and encouraging children both to extend their range and increase their skills. They use their voices to make contact and to let people know what they need and how they feel. Babies and young children do not merely begin to make sense of what is going on around them and express themselves, they start to learn about 'conversation'. This requires listening and responding appropriately. They learn the 'rules' of communication through making meaning with their key person and with other supportive adults and older children. It is in these relationships that their early   attempts to converse are interpreted, responded to and valued.

A healthy child

Being healthy means much more than having nutritious food and being free from illness.  For babies and young children, being special to someone and cared for is vital for their physical, social and emotional health and well being. Emotional well-being includes relationships which are close, warm and supportive; being able to express feelings such as joy and sadness, frustration and fear. Meeting children's physical needs is fundamental to their well-being. Growing and developing children who are physically well will have the energy and enthusiasm to benefit from the wide range of activities on offer to them. Knowing when to ask for help, being protected and keeping safe with adult support, ensures that babies and young children quickly become skilful in a range of movements involving both large and fine motor control. In time, they make healthy choices as they learn about their bodies and what they can do.

A competent learner

Competent learners from birth, babies only a few hours old gaze at patterns which resemble the human face in preference to others. They are able to distinguish between things, and show that they like some things better than others. In this way young children learn to  make connections between different objects and experiences. As they engage in pretend play with gestures and actions, feelings and relationships, ideas and words, they become increasingly  imaginative. Children become creative through exploration and discovery as they experiment with sound, media and movement.

Regular visitors

Creativity, imagination and representation allow children to share their thoughts, feelings, understandings and identities with others, using drawings, words, movement, music, dance and imaginative play.

The children aged 2 ½ and over have weekly sessions with a football coach from Carroll Academy. This is an excellent opportunity for our children to fine tune their physical skills and get some of that much needed 180 minutes of physical activity every day.  These sessions take place in the local park, whatever the weather and our staff get fully involved!

Busy Lissie – Movement to Music  
Another friend of the nursery is Lis Brough who leads group sessions of child-led dance and drama mixed together, utilising a range of musical genres. Lis’s sessions support children with their creative, physical, personal, social and emotional development within an exciting, fun-filled atmosphere.