Smarties Day Nursery and After School Club

21/06/2026

02/06/2026

🐞 Why Exploring Bugs is Important in Early Years🐞

Children are naturally curious about the world around them, and exploring bugs and minibeasts provides wonderful opportunities for learning and development in the early years.

Searching for insects in the garden, lifting logs to discover woodlice, or watching a caterpillar crawl along a leaf encourages children to observe closely and ask questions. These experiences help develop important scientific skills such as investigating, predicting, and problem-solving.

Exploring bugs also supports communication and language development as children learn new vocabulary and describe what they see. Conversations about habitats, life cycles, colours, and movement help to extend children's understanding of the natural world.

Outdoor bug hunts promote physical development too, as children move, balance, crouch, and carefully handle natural materials. Working together to find and identify minibeasts encourages teamwork, sharing, and cooperation.

Most importantly, spending time with nature helps children develop a sense of wonder and respect for living things. By learning about insects and their important role in our environment, children begin to understand how to care for the world around them.

At our setting, we love encouraging children to become little explorers, discovering the fascinating creatures that share our outdoor spaces and building a lifelong appreciation for nature.

02/06/2026

Loose Parts Play 🍁🍂🪨🪵

🍁Encourages Creativity and Imagination🍁
Children can use materials in countless ways, creating their own games, structures, and stories without fixed rules or outcomes.

🪵Develops Problem-Solving Skills 🪵
Children experiment, test ideas, and find solutions as they build, sort, balance, and manipulate materials.

🍂Promotes Independent Learning🍂
Loose parts allow children to make choices, follow their interests, and take ownership of their play experiences.

🪨Enhances Communication and Language Skills🪨
Children discuss ideas, negotiate roles, explain their creations, and develop new vocabulary through collaborative play.

🪵Supports Physical Development🪵
Handling, carrying, stacking, and arranging loose parts helps develop both fine motor skills and gross motor skills.

🍂Encourages Social Skills and Cooperation🍂
Children learn to share resources, work together, take turns, and respect others' ideas during group play.

🪨Develops Mathematical Thinking🪨
Children naturally explore concepts such as counting, sorting, measuring, patterns, shape, size, and spatial awareness.

🪵Builds Confidence and Self-Esteem🪵
There is no right or wrong way to use loose parts, allowing children to take risks, make decisions, and feel proud of their achievements.

🍂Supports Critical Thinking🍂
Open-ended materials encourage children to plan, predict outcomes, evaluate their ideas, and adapt their approach when needed.

🪨Promotes Inclusion🪨
Loose parts can be used by children of different ages, abilities, and interests, making play accessible and engaging for everyone.

02/06/2026

Lots of lovely continuous provision areas and activities within our baby room 🌈

28/04/2026

🌈 Nurturing Little Beginnings at Smarties Day Nursery & Pre-School, Meols 🌈

Our 0–2 year old room is a warm, calm and caring space where your baby can feel safe, loved and supported every step of the way.

We understand how important these early months and years are, which is why our experienced and nurturing team focus on:
✨ Building strong, secure bonds
✨ Creating a cosy, home-from-home environment
✨ Encouraging sensory play and early exploration
✨ Supporting each child’s individual routine and development

From curious sensory trays to peaceful corners for rest, every detail is designed with your little one in mind 💫

📅 Now taking enquiries – come and see our beautiful baby room for yourself!
📩 Message Bethany on
[email protected]

Because every big journey starts with the smallest steps 💕

27/03/2026

🐰🌸 A Big Thank You to the Easter Bunny! 🐣🍫

We would like to say a huge thank you to the Easter Bunny for delivering such delicious Easter eggs to all the children and staff at Smarties Day Nursery & Pre-School Meols 💛

Wishing all our families a very Happy Easter holidays filled with joy, laughter, and special moments together 🌷🌈

27/03/2026

🌸🐣 Easter Fun is Here! 🐰🌈

Get ready for a joyful celebration full of bright colours, sensory play, and adorable Easter animals!

This Easter, we’ll be diving into a world of:
✨ Sensory trays filled with soft chicks, fluffy bunnies & hidden eggs to explore
🎨 Colourful crafts bursting with springtime shades
🥕 Tactile play using different textures, from squishy to crunchy
🐥 Animal-themed activities to spark imagination and storytelling

It’s the perfect way for little ones to learn, play, and discover through hands-on fun while celebrating the magic of Easter 🌷

Come along and let your child’s creativity bloom this season!

Limited spaces for September! Book your show around with Bethany by emailing [email protected]🌼💛