Mini Explorers Nursery

🧸🧺🌞 Yesterday, we celebrated National Picnic Day with a very special Teddy Bears' Picnic.

The children were delighted to gather their favourite teddy bears and head outdoors for an exciting picnic experience filled with laughter, friendship and fun. Together, we enjoyed sharing stories, singing songs and engaging in imaginative play as our teddy bears joined us for the adventure.

Our picnic provided lots of valuable learning opportunities too. The children practised their communication and language skills as they chatted with friends, developed their social skills through sharing and turn-taking, and strengthened their independence by helping to prepare and organise the picnic. They also explored the natural environment around them, noticing the sights, sounds and textures of the outdoors.

Outdoor experiences like these help children to build confidence, develop strong relationships and create lasting memories while learning through play. Judging by the huge smiles on everyone's faces, our Teddy Bears' Picnic was a roaring success! 🐻💚

The children have been having lots of fun taking part in football-inspired activities in our sand pit! They enjoyed rolling, passing, kicking and throwing balls to one another, developing their coordination, balance and teamwork skills along the way.

As the excitement grew, the children set off on a special trophy hunt, digging through the sand to discover hidden treasures. This encouraged problem-solving, communication and collaborative play as they shared ideas, worked together and celebrated their finds.

Through play, the children developed their physical skills, confidence and perseverance while enjoying the thrill of friendly competition and teamwork. Most importantly, they had great fun learning and exploring with their friends! ⚽🥇🏆

🌧️💦 With a slight change in the weather, what better way to spend a rainy morning than puddle jumping!

The children had lots of fun splashing through puddles, making big splashes and little splashes, and watching the water ripple and move. There were plenty of smiles, laughter and excitement as they explored the rain and embraced the outdoors.

The children enjoyed a visit to the paddock where they picked fresh strawberries straight from the plants. They carefully searched for ripe strawberries, discussing the different colours they could see and identifying which ones were ready to pick.

The children compared the strawberries they had collected, noticing differences in size, shape and colour. They used descriptive language to talk about their observations and shared their ideas with one another.

After picking, the children took part in a taste test, eagerly sampling the strawberries and discussing the flavour, texture and sweetness. This provided a wonderful opportunity to explore their senses and develop new vocabulary.

Together, we talked about how strawberries grow, what they need to thrive, and the environment in which they are grown. The children learned that strawberries need sunshine, water and healthy soil to produce fruit, helping them develop an understanding of the natural world and where food comes from.

Whilst exploring the track, our Hoppity Hares noticed the barley and how much it has changed and grown over time. This naturally led to lots of curiosity, wondering, and discussion as the children began to really look closely at what they could see.

We took a moment to stop and observe the barley in different areas of the track, encouraging the children to notice similarities and differences. The children began comparing what they could see, spotting that some areas looked fuller and taller than others, and sharing their thoughts about what might be affecting this.

We talked together about what plants need in order to grow, including sunlight, water and nutrients from the soil, and the children began to make links between these ideas and their observations in the environment.

This supported the children’s developing understanding of the natural world, while also encouraging early mathematical thinking as they compared, described and began to talk about size and growth.

The children used a rich range of vocabulary throughout, including words such as “taller”, “bigger”, “growing” and “different”, and were confident in sharing what they had noticed with their friends.

It was a lovely example of how everyday curiosity about the world around us can naturally lead to meaningful learning in both communication and early understanding of nature. 💚

📚💚 5 Amazing Things That Happen in Your Child's Brain During a Bedtime Story.

That bedtime story you're reading each night is doing so much more than helping your child wind down for sleep.

When you read aloud together, your child's brain isn't just listening to a story - it's actively building language, strengthening memory, developing empathy and forming connections with you.

Here are 5 incredible things happening during story time:

🧠 1. Your brains begin to connect

Research shows that when parents and children read together, their brain activity starts to synchronise. The pauses, facial expressions, tone of voice and shared attention all help children absorb and understand what they're hearing in a way that screens and audiobooks simply can't replicate.

📖 2. The perfect conditions for memory are created

Strong memories are formed when children feel safe, emotionally engaged and involved in a meaningful experience. Shared reading provides all three, which is why many of us still remember stories that were read to us as children.

✨ 3. Their brain is predicting what happens next

As the story unfolds, children are constantly making predictions and connections. This active thinking helps strengthen language, comprehension and understanding of story structure.

And that's why reading the same book again and again is never a waste of time! Repetition helps build and strengthen important neural pathways.

❤️ 4. Empathy is growing

Stories introduce children to different characters, emotions and experiences. As they begin to understand how characters feel and why they behave in certain ways, they are developing empathy and social understanding.

🤗 5. Your presence matters

Snuggling up with a book releases oxytocin - often called the "bonding hormone". This helps children feel secure and connected while also supporting memory and learning.

Simply being present, engaged and sharing that moment together makes a real difference.

🌟 What does this mean for families?

You don't need to read for hours. Just 10–15 minutes of shared reading each day can have a positive impact on language development, attention, emotional wellbeing and future literacy skills.

Try asking:
"What do you think will happen next?"
"How do you think that character is feeling?"

These simple conversations help deepen understanding and encourage children to think critically about what they're hearing.

At the end of a busy day, story time can feel like just another part of the bedtime routine.

But from a child's perspective, it's one of the most powerful things you can do together. 💚📚

✏️🌿 Our Farm School 1 children combined early writing skills with outdoor exploration as they practised writing the first letter of their names.

The children searched for sticks to use as natural writing tools before working together to pour water onto the mud, making it soft and perfect for mark making. Using their sticks, they carefully traced and formed the first letter of their names, showing great concentration and determination.

As they wrote, the children proudly talked about the sounds their letters make, helping to strengthen their phonics knowledge and letter recognition. It was wonderful to see their confidence grow as they explored literacy in a hands-on and meaningful way.

Learning doesn't just happen at a table - some of the best opportunities for writing, communication and creativity can be found outdoors in nature! 🌳💚

🦋✨ Over the past few weeks, our Hoppity Hares have been captivated by the incredible transformation of our butterflies.

We began with tiny caterpillars and watched in amazement as they grew bigger each day. The children carefully observed each stage of the life cycle, from caterpillar to chrysalis, eagerly anticipating what would happen next.

When the butterflies finally emerged, there was great excitement as we admired their beautiful wings. We made sure they were fully formed and strong before handling them and preparing them for their journey into the wild. The children helped care for the butterflies by providing slices of orange and sugar water, learning about the importance of meeting their needs.

Before releasing them, Sam gently held one of the butterflies so the children could take a closer look. They were fascinated by the stunning patterns and colours on its wings, spotting beautiful shades of orange, black and yellow. Together, we reflected on how much the butterfly had changed since it was a tiny caterpillar.

Observing the butterflies throughout their life cycle sparked curiosity, encouraged meaningful conversations, and helped the children develop a deeper understanding of growth, change, and the natural world around them.

The children were so proud of the butterflies and excited to watch them spread their wings and fly away into the world. 🧡🦋

Our Farm School One children enjoyed an exciting day exploring nature and developing their gross motor skills by climbing trees! They carefully stretched, balanced and reached for the branches above, whilst learning the importance of giving their friends enough space to climb safely and confidently.

As we explored, we had some wonderful discussions about the life cycle of trees. The children were fascinated to learn how trees are planted, how long they take to grow, and the important role they play in our environment. We also discovered the protective plastic tubing around some of the young trees and talked about how it helps support them as they grow strong and straight towards the sky.

Experiences like these provide fantastic opportunities for physical development, risk assessment, communication, and a deeper understanding of the natural world around us.

What a wonderful day of learning, exploration and adventure outdoors! 🌳💚

We’re so excited to be welcoming lots of wonderful families to Mini Explorers this coming Saturday for our Baby Room Open Morning! 💚

It’s always such a joy to show families around our beautiful nursery, introduce our caring team, and share what makes Mini Explorers such a special place for little ones to learn, play and grow.

✨ We now only have 2 show around slots remaining at 11:15am, with all other times fully booked.

Our baby room cohort has limited spaces available, which are offered on a first come, first served basis, so we do encourage families to secure their place early to avoid disappointment.

Eligible parents may also be able to access Early Years funding from 9 months+, helping to support childcare costs and make high-quality early education more accessible.

If you’re already booked in, please do check your inbox as we’ve sent an email with further information along with our Nursery Welcome Pack.

If you’d still like to visit, this is your last chance to book one of these final spaces:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mini-explorers-nursery-baby-room-open-morning-2026-tickets-1989441180124

We can’t wait to meet you and your little ones on Saturday 😊

Mini Explorers Nursery Baby Room Open Morning 2026 Discover the magic of Mini Explorers at our Open Morning. Explore our unique nursery and Farm School environments.