Newlands Early Years Centre

31/08/2026

We are so excited to welcome existing and new families back next week. We still have very limited spaces for 2 year olds and spaces for 3 and 4 year olds to start from September. If you know anyone looking for a wonderful, homely preschool for their little ones please share this post with them so they can get in touch. Thank you

27/07/2026

23/07/2026

Each year we like to support a charity that has a meaning to the local community or our preschool families. This year after a wonderful educational visit from Jayne at The Happy Hedgehog Rescue Yateley we decided to raise money for the local hedgehog rescue.

Throughout the year, we have raised £103, which I will be dropping round to them soon. Thank you for all your support.

If you have a charity that means a lot to yourselves please do comment with your recommendation below.

23/07/2026

What a wonderful end to the year.

We had a wonderful graduation party and ceremony and are so proud of all the children that we have now sent off to the next phase of their life.

We now would like to ask you to complete a review for us using the following link so that other families are able to find us and we can continue to provide local children with outstanding care, attention and education in their early years.

Submit a Review for Newlands Early Years Centre

19/07/2026

🍂 Autumn Places! 🍂

It’s not too late to secure your child’s place for this autumn.

Join us at our upcoming Open Day and discover how we inspire children to learn, explore and thrive through play. Meet our friendly team, explore our learning environments and find out why so many families choose Newlands Early Years Centre.

Whether you’re looking for a place now or planning ahead, we’d love to welcome you.

📩 Register your interest today by emailing [email protected] or send us a Facebook message.

15/07/2026

Recently, one of our children was deeply absorbed in creating her own paper model — and the highlight was mastering the sellotape dispenser all by herself. With careful concentration, she pulled the tape, pressed it down, and used the cutting edge to snip the perfect piece to secure the folds in her design.

Moments like these are powerful examples of Development Matters in action:

Strengthening fine motor control — coordinating both hands, using precise finger movements, and building the muscles needed for early writing.

Building independence — choosing her own tools, solving problems, and taking pride in completing each step herself.

Developing perseverance — practising the tricky pull‑and‑cut motion until she mastered it.

Expressing creativity — designing, folding, and fastening her paper creation exactly the way she imagined.

13/07/2026

🟩 Swampy, Squishy, Sensory Science!

Recently, the children explored a wonderfully messy, imaginative “swamp” made from chia seeds and water — a gloopy, wobbly slime that invited curious hands and big ideas. As they dipped, squeezed, stirred, and splashed, the children were fully immersed in rich learning.

Through this sensory swamp play, the children were:

Investigating materials — noticing how the chia seeds absorbed water, how the texture changed, and how the slime moved when they manipulated it.

Developing fine motor skills — scooping, pinching, squeezing, and pouring the mixture to create rivers, islands, and muddy hiding spots.

Building language and communication — describing the slime (“sticky!”, “squishy!”, “gooey!”), sharing ideas, and planning their swamp scenes together.

Understanding the world — exploring cause and effect, predicting what might happen if they added more water or seeds, and making connections to real swamps and habitats, including adding dinosaurs and animals.

Expressing creativity — inventing stories, characters, and adventures within their chia‑seed swamp world.

The playroom was full of excitement as children experimented freely, discovering how natural materials can transform into something magical with just a little imagination. 🌱💚

10/07/2026

🦋 A Magical week with Our Butterflies!

After patiently observing the last of our butterflies throughout their chrysalis stage, the children were fascinated to see the butterflies slowly stretch, dry their wings, and gain strength.

This experience was a beautiful example of Development Matters in action:

Understanding the world — noticing changes over time, talking about life cycles, and making sense of the natural world.

Developing observation skills — watching closely as the butterflies prepared for flight, spotting colours, patterns, and delicate movements.

Expressing creativity — drawing what they saw, capturing the shapes and colours of the butterflies in their own unique artwork.

Building language and communication — sharing ideas, asking questions, and describing what they noticed.

Once the butterflies were ready, the children gently released them into the garden — a moment filled with excitement, wonder, and proud smiles. Experiences like this help children connect deeply with nature and develop a sense of care for living things. 🌼🦋

09/07/2026

🌱 Celebrating Healthy Choices at Preschool! 🌱

We’re proud to share that our team has completed Hampshire Council’s Healthy Eating & Nutrition training, earning a special badge and certificate in recognition of our commitment to supporting children’s healthy lifestyles. This achievement reflects the positive changes we’ve already made — and the joyful learning happening every day.

Through these experiences, the children are developing key skills across Understanding the World, Physical Development, and Personal, Social & Emotional Development:

Healthy decision‑making — children vote for their snack, learning to express preferences and consider others.

Independence skills — pouring their own drinks and helping prepare snack time builds confidence and coordination.

Food group sorting — exploring shopping items and categorising them supports early maths and scientific thinking.

Active bodies, active minds — enjoying Sticky Kids, Danny Go, and yoga helps children strengthen gross motor skills, balance, and wellbeing.

We’re excited to continue embedding healthy habits into our daily routines, helping children understand how to care for their bodies and make positive choices as they grow. 💚

08/07/2026

☀️ Sunshine + Imagination = The Perfect Preschool Café!

Our children transformed the open house in the garden into a bustling little play café, serving “drinks,” taking orders, and welcoming their friends with big smiles. This kind of imaginative outdoor play is more than just fun — it’s rich learning in action.

Through their café role‑play, the children were:

Communicating confidently — taking orders, negotiating roles, and chatting with customers.

Developing early literacy — making signs and scribbling “receipts.”

Building maths skills — counting cups, sharing ingredients, and organising who gets served next.

Strengthening social skills — taking turns, cooperating, and solving little problems together.

Exploring the world — using real‑life experiences to shape their play and make sense of everyday routines.

The sunshine made everything feel extra special — laughter, teamwork, and creativity blooming all around the garden. We love seeing the children lead their own learning with such enthusiasm and imagination. 🌼💛