Happy childrenYour child is an individualWe encourage each and every child to be independent in their selectionof activities throughout the day. Our staff are passionate about child-ledlearning and will ensure your child can choose their own activities andexperiences. They can visit the animals at the farm, join in at messy play,cook in our fully fitted, child-size working kitchen, sit quietly and read a bookor relax in our sensory room – the opportunities are endless.Finkley Down FarmWe have unlimited access to the farm so can spend time there in the morningbefore it opens to the public and the children love it; whether they arebased at Finkley or visit from another Finkley nursery. A real highlight eachday is collecting eggs from ‘Cluckingham Palace’. The children get a realunderstanding of how the animals at the farm change from season to season– spring is magical when we get to feed the baby lambs and goats. The farmattractions do not end there – there’s the soft play area, climbing frames, rideon tractors, go carts, sheep races and everything else the farm has to offer.InsideInside we have intentionally chosen to do-away with conventional roomswhere the children are divided by age group. Instead we have a freeflowing space divided into zones. We find that this gives each child betteraccessibility to everything there is to play with as well as the scope toestablish broader friendship groups – the older children tend to be verycaring towards the smaller children and the smaller children learn from theolder children who become excellent role models. It’s also great for childrenwho have brothers and sisters at the nursery so they can spend timetogether when they can’t be at home. Communication flourishes.Messy play is a hugely important part of our nursery life and the children loveit. Whether it’s sand and water, gloop or potions, messy play gives childrensensory experiences and lets their imagination run wild. With messy playthere are no rules so children can experiment and have fun whilst learningthrough those hands-on opportunities.At Finkley we link our activities and messy play to our theme of the weekto enhance learning even further. This can range from football pitches todinosaur swamps to wiggly worm spaghetti which inspires the children’simaginations and creative minds. Through messy play activities childrenexplore textures, sounds and smells and it allows the staff to extend learningby asking open ended questions developing children’s critical thinking skills.Our sensory space is really effective for children who need a bit of quiet time.It’s a space where we can support children who might need to take a minuteto reset and refresh in a calm and secure environment. Ensuring childrenfeel safe, secure, and comfortable is one of our top priorities – we create ahome-from-home environment to encourage and support this. By knowingour children and their individual needs we can better prioritise the supportneeded to help them thrive. We frequently use the phrase Finkley family,because to us, that is exactly what it is.We have child-sized working kitchens in most of our nurseries so children canlearn those all-important skills by helping to prepare their own food as well asbake some treats and healthy snacks.It’s so important for children to have access to books so we have a dedicatedreading areas in each nursery. It’s a great opportunity for our keyworkers tospend one-to-one time reading stories with each child.OutsideOur gardens are a really fun place to be and we love the children to be outsideand play with their friends as much as possible so they benefit from fresh airand plenty of exercise. They can play in the mud kitchen, plant vegetablesand watch them grow, spend time reading in the outdoor reading area, builddens and relax in the outdoor sensory spaces we’ve created.7
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