Sparkles Room
Our SPARKLES room is where your baby’s Sunbeams adventure begins, here is where all the youngest children have lots of fun and cuddles. We combine babies with toddler age in this room because they get along so well and the toddlers have a real sense of care and love for our babies. There is enough room and staff in this room for our toddlers to spread their wings and separate from our babies.
Our fantastic Sparkles staff are trained and experienced in caring for children from birth to 2 years old. The love and warmth this team give to ensure you and your little one feel as settled and reassured as possible as you first join Happy Little Sunbeams family.
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Homely, Nurturing & Calming...
At this very early age, babies are taking everything in, watching and observing everything around them, listening to all the sounds, and learning by feeling and touching in sensory exploration. The space is homely, nurturing and calming, providing plenty of interesting objects and activities for babies to ’discover & explore’. The Sparkles team understand the links between physical development and brain development and so give plenty of space and freedom for babies to explore the interesting areas including discovery baskets, soft play, and sensory equipment. As your child is learning to talk, the team provide lots of opportunity to promote conversation, developing language and communication through thoughtful interactions, singing and stories. Lots of chattering goes on in Sparkles!
’Heuristic Play’ (playing with and exploring a selection of every-day objects, chosen for their sensory interest), and natural play materials are offered in ’Treasure baskets’, which are enjoyed by all the babies. The children also regularly enjoy messy play. This can involve gloop, spaghetti, shaving foam, jelly, ice cubes, anything that babies like to touch and feel (safely of course, with an adult close by!)
Sleepy Time...
Babies are also included in Sunbeams’ outdoor philosophy where they derive huge enjoyment and development opportunities from going outside to explore and play, engaging all the senses.
Children in Sparkles can get tired because they are so busy at nursery, so we have a cosy, quiet sleep room where your child can sleep if you would like them to. It‘s hard work having so much fun!
And They're Off!
Sparkles room caters for children from birth to 2 years so when they are no longer babies and they are keen to get going they can. The children in this room are ready to explore and start going on their own little adventures! Toddlers start to find their feet and independence is really starting to shine through.
Each day the Sparkles staff carefully plan activities that are engaging and exciting, bringing new challenges and experiences for the children. To support the child in their quest to a newfound freedom, adults provide a fantastic environment where children are safe to independently explore, experiment and learn through play. Children display many schematic behaviours at this age such as ‘connecting’ and ’transporting’, and the environment has been designed to enrich these patterns of learning.
Of course, the children have access to the outdoor area every day. A quick pause for sun cream or a woolly hat and they’re good to go!
Let's Get Messy!
Creative and messy play has an on-going place within our Sparkles Room, as it does throughout the nursery — the team encourage and provide daily opportunities for the children to have fun expressing themselves, developing their fine motor skills along the way. Toddlers have access to a variety of mark making and messy play materials; large and small scale, wet or dry, outdoors and in, messy, gloopy, sticky, colourful — lots of mess and great fun!
Positive interactions and regular communication from adults (the Sparkles room is always chatty!) ensures the children’s vocabulary, speech and listening skills are enhanced and encouraged. Language is developing rapidly at this stage and children are beginning to put sentences together. Looking at books, listening to stories, rhyming and rhythm are all important steps and greatly enjoyed by all the children in Adventurers and at Sunbeams.
At this young age children start to develop their own bonds between each other which is lovely to see. During circle times, other focused activities and in general play, the team teach the children how to share and take turns —a difficult but necessary part of growing up!
Children at this age can still get tired because they are so busy at Nursery. Sometimes story time is so cosy on the cushions and beanbags that the children just cannot resist a snooze. We also have a cosy, quiet sleep area where your child can sleep.
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