Leaping Toads Day Nursery, Dagenham

🌼🌿 Today was all about fun, laughter, and little moments of happiness 🫶
Our toddlers had a wonderful time exploring the garden, enjoying the fresh air, and discovering the world around them.
From giggles shared with friends to curious little adventures, every moment was filled with joy ❤️
It’s days like these that remind us how important it is to let children play, explore, and simply be happy in nature 🌿✨

Babies are naturally drawn to everyday objects that aren’t traditional toys; their curiosity deepens and their engagement reaches a whole new level when exploring these materials. In our baby room, we nurture this instinct through heuristic play. Heuristic play is a child-led, open-ended approach where babies are free to discover and investigate a variety of natural and everyday resources, supporting their curiosity, creativity, and independent learning.

Last week, our babies delighted in a red and white sensory exploration using the messy tray, alongside engaging mark-making activities. In celebration of St. George’s Day, they explored the England flag 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 through hands-on play and created their own marks ✏️ on pre-drawn shields inspired by the theme. These experiences not only sparked their imagination but also nurtured their natural curiosity and creativity.

A gentle, joy-filled day with our toddlers and the chicks 🐥💛

There was so much wonder in our toddler’s little faces as they watched the chicks move and listened to their soft chirps. Some pointed excitedly, others sat quietly observing, taking it all in at their own pace 🦋✨
Today was all about early learning—building confidence, practicing gentle hands, and beginning to understand how to care for living things. Even the smallest interactions were big moments: a soft touch, a shared smile, a moment of calm curiosity🥰❤️
It’s amazing to see how these experiences help nurture kindness, patience, and a love for the world around them 🌼

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🌈✨Welcome back to our little toads! 🐸🍄

Over the past couple of weeks, our focus has been on warmly welcoming our toddlers back after the half-term holiday☀️
We understand that transitions can be big moments for little ones, so we have been gently supporting everyone to resettle into their routines, reconnect with friends, and feel safe, happy, and confident in their environment 🦋🥰
It’s been wonderful to see so many smiles, hear laughter filling our room again, and watch friendships blossom as the children dive back into their play and learning 📝❤️
We are so proud of how well everyone has settled back in, making the most of every moment and truly enjoying their time with us! ⭐️
Additionally, we would like to extend a hearty welcome to our new families 🏡We are delighted to have you with us 💌
EarlyYears

Our babies have been joyfully singing nursery rhymes while exploring a variety of fun, colourful props 🎵 These engaging resources help capture their attention, keeping them actively involved throughout each singing session. Not only does this playful approach support early learning, but it also encourages independence and nurtures confidence from a very young age.
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Over the past few weeks, our little ones have been joyfully exploring Easter 🐣 and Spring 🌺🌼🌹🌿through a variety of sensory and creative activities. They especially loved the bright, vibrant colours in the messy tray and discovering new ways to engage with textures and materials.
At Leaping Toads, we are passionate about giving our babies 👶 meaningful opportunities to learn and grow, while introducing them to special celebrations, seasonal themes, and the beautiful colours of Spring.
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🌿 Join Our Team at Leaping Toads! 🌿
We’re currently recruiting a Level 3 Nursery Practitioner to join our Leaping Toads nursery in Dagenham!
📍 Rectory Road, RM10 9SA
🕒 Full-time, all year round
💷 Competitive salary
A Level 3 Early Years/Childcare qualification is essential.
If you’re passionate about early years and want to grow your career in a supportive, friendly setting, we’d love to hear from you.
📩 Send your CV to: [email protected] and we’ll be in touch.

This morning, our nursery was proud to attend the Barking and Dagenham Chamber of Commerce event, connecting with local organisations and businesses from across our community.
It was inspiring to hear the exciting vision for the future of both the Chamber and the borough, shared by the Chamber’s officers and Cllr Dominic Twomey, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council .
At Leaping Toads Nursery, we’re passionate about being an active part of our local community and creating strong partnerships that benefit the children and families we support every day.
A big thank you to Laura Iosifescu for the invitation - we’re proud to be part of such a vibrant and forward-thinking network.
LocalBusiness CommunityMatters

🌿🌄☀️IT IS GARDEN TIME☀️🌄🌿
Outdoor play for toddlers offers crucial benefits, including enhanced physical development through running and climbing, stronger immune systems from sunshine and fresh air, and better cognitive development through sensory exploration 👐💦🌸
It improves mental health by reducing stress, promotes social skills like sharing, and fosters creativity and emotional regulation through imaginative, unstructured play 🛝👦🏽❤️