As the leaves turn golden and the nights grow longer, we have had two exciting events to celebrate: Halloween and Bonfire Night!

This month we thought we’d do a blog post on something that affects us all and can be difficult to navigate as a parent of young children. At First Steps we are great believers in finding balance in childhood experiences.

September marks the beginning of a new school year, and we are thrilled to welcome both new and returning children to First Steps Nursery. Our Pre-Schools are buzzing with excitement as children reunite with friends and meet new ones..

At First Steps Nursery in Poole, our little explorers recently embarked on an egg-citing journey with some very special guests: ducklings!

As parents, we often view the start of nursery with a mix of emotions – pride, anxiety, and excitement. It’s the beginning of our children’s journey into independence. But what does this mean for our little ones, especially in terms of social development?

Learning to celebrate and value cultural, religious and community events and experiences are key values of the seven areas of learning in the EYFS. Studying the Easter story at nursery helps to understand the world, including other cultures and traditions.

World book day is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the world of books with the children.

Pretend play gives children space to experience a whole range of emotions, real or otherwise. Our childcare practitioners at First Steps Nursery can create learning moments to talk through the different emotions we experience, both positive and negative.

Socialisation is a crucial part of healthy development in babies. During the first few years of life, your baby's brain is rapidly forming connections and pathways that will influence their cognitive, emotional, and social abilities in the future……

With the new 2 year-old funding commencing in April this year, there are many questions being asked from who gets it? how to apply? and what does it cover?

This month we have been supporting one of our local food banks Hope for Food and we were thrilled to gain lots of lovely donations from our families.

The children have loved being in the garden despite the cold weather and there have been lots of opportunities for new learning.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

Our October holiday club has just come to an end and we have had a brilliant week. The children enjoyed coming in to find the room decorated for Halloween and enjoyed having their photos taken on our Halloween back drop using our spooky props.

Here at First Steps Nursery we want to ensure our parents are kept up to date with all aspects of nursery life including detailed updates of your child’s day, observations and assessments completed by your child’s key worker and invoicing and payment information. We use Parenta’s Parent Portal to ensure we keep parents informed, the app includes the following information;

Autumn is the perfect time for children to enjoy the wonders of nature. The crisp autumn air, colourful crunchy leaves and weird and wonderful fungi mean it’s an exciting season to go out and explore all that the natural world has to offer.

And, from September 2024, eligible working parents can claim 15 hours of free childcare per week for their children from the age of 9 months until they start school.

At the end of their time in pre-school, the children will have increased levels of confidence and be socially interactive, ensuring a smooth transition to full-time school.

Find out what our babies get up to during a typical day at First Steps Nursery in Poole…