Reach For The Stars Dunshaughlin

Reach For The Stars Dunshaughlin Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Reach For The Stars Dunshaughlin, Nursery, 116 Cnoc Tiarnach, Dunshaughlin.

It was a week of big feelings and gentle rhythms for our oldest group, who said goodbye to their heroes as the last of t...
29/08/2026

It was a week of big feelings and gentle rhythms for our oldest group, who said goodbye to their heroes as the last of their friends headed off to junior infants — and then opened their arms to welcome new faces into the room. Everything moved at the children’s pace: slow pedagogy, soft settling-in, claiming spaces, and shaping the week exactly as they wanted it. One of the loveliest moments came when a soon‑to‑be leaver and her friend, who still has another year with us, built an apple pie together from playdough — a perfect snapshot of connection, continuity, and care. Every single day, the children requested an obstacle course, and every single day they powered through it with joy. Meanwhile, a determined group of boys worked together to find every item in the room that could stick to the vertical board, testing, laughing, and discovering side by side. A week of endings, beginnings, and completely child‑led magic.

Playdough has a kind of quiet magic that early years researchers have been talking about for years — a simple material t...
29/08/2026

Playdough has a kind of quiet magic that early years researchers have been talking about for years — a simple material that does powerful work. As children squeeze, roll, pinch, and shape it, they’re strengthening the small muscles in their hands and fingers, building the dexterity they’ll later need for writing, self‑care, and all sorts of fine‑motor tasks. But the benefits go deeper: studies in early childhood wellbeing show that rhythmic, repetitive sensory play like playdough supports mindfulness, helping children regulate their emotions, lower stress, and settle their nervous systems. There’s something about the soft texture, the slow movements, the chance to focus on the moment. In those quiet minutes at the playdough table, children aren’t just creating; they’re calming, strengthening, and growing. This is even more important during transitions, as children are supported and given time to self-regulate.

From the moment our newest, tiniest recruits stepped through the doors this week, you could see their brave little heart...
29/08/2026

From the moment our newest, tiniest recruits stepped through the doors this week, you could see their brave little hearts working overtime. At just two years old, everything is big and new — but with the older hands showing them the ropes, each day brought more smiles, more play, and more confidence. You could almost watch it happen in real time: shoulders relaxing, voices growing louder, feet moving faster across the room. By the end of the week, they weren’t just visiting — they were claiming the space, finding their favourite corners, and beginning to call Reach for the Stars their very own.

This week our Rising Stars have been exploring famous artists, and Pablo Picasso captured their imagination beautifully....
22/08/2026

This week our Rising Stars have been exploring famous artists, and Pablo Picasso captured their imagination beautifully. Inspired by his bold shapes and playful perspectives, the children experimented with geometric pieces, arranging them to create anything their minds dreamed up — robots, houses, animals, and wonderfully abstract designs.

They also became portrait artists, carefully observing their friends’ features and sketching what they saw — big smiles, tiny freckles, spiky hair, and all the unique details that make each child who they are.

Through this kind of art exploration, children learn to look closely, think creatively, and express themselves with confidence. Picasso would be proud of the masterpieces they created.

We had some new friends join our happy crew this week in Shining Stars, and we also welcomed the gang from Twinkle Stars...
22/08/2026

We had some new friends join our happy crew this week in Shining Stars, and we also welcomed the gang from Twinkle Stars as they made the big move up to their new classroom.

Children have an incredible ability to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary — and this week in Shining Stars, they proved it again. With nothing more than crates, they became snails in the the garden, with one crate to climb into and another on top to make a cosy home. Another day, and they were heading to the airport, passports and tickets in hand, ready to take off on an aeroplane adventure.

Imaginary play isn’t just adorable — it’s essential. Research shows that pretend play strengthens children’s language, problem‑solving skills, social understanding, and creativity. When children imagine, they’re not “just playing”… they’re building the foundations for thinking, communicating, and making sense of the world.

In our setting, imagination is always celebrated, protected, and encouraged.

This week and every week, our three age groups have been deeply engaged in construction play — indoors, outdoors, big, s...
02/08/2026

This week and every week, our three age groups have been deeply engaged in construction play — indoors, outdoors, big, small, bold, intricate.

Outdoors, the children worked together on large‑scale builds using crates, tyres and planks of wood. These team projects are full of gross motor learning: lifting, carrying, balancing, testing weight, adjusting angles, and figuring out how materials behave. As they build, they’re also building confidence, taking appropriate risks, and strengthening their muscles while testing their own theories — What happens if we add one more plank? Will the tower stay steady? How can we make this bridge stronger?

Indoors, the focus shifts to fine motor mastery. Smaller blocks, loose parts and intricate pieces invite children to slow down, use careful grip, place items with precision, and practice patience as they design tiny worlds and detailed structures. This quieter, concentrated construction play supports coordination, problem‑solving, perseverance and creativity.

Across all ages, construction play links to the four themes of Aistear — Well‑Being, Identity & Belonging, Exploring & Thinking and Communication. Children collaborate, communicate, take turns, make decisions, and express their ideas through hands‑on building.

Our youngest children in Twinkle Stars have been busy exploring the kind of play that makes hearts race and smiles stret...
26/07/2026

Our youngest children in Twinkle Stars have been busy exploring the kind of play that makes hearts race and smiles stretch wide — risky play. These moments are always closely monitored, but they’re also intentionally supported, because taking small, manageable risks is not just exciting… it’s essential.

As the children climb, balance, jump, wobble, and occasionally tumble, they’re doing far more than moving their bodies. They’re learning to test their limits, to trust themselves, and to adjust their movements when something doesn’t go quite as planned. Yes, they might fall over — and that’s okay. It’s in those tiny stumbles and brave retries that real learning happens.

Risky play helps children develop:
✨ Strong gross‑motor skills
✨ Confidence in their own abilities
✨ Early risk assessment
✨ Resilience and problem‑solving

When we allow young children to take some risks, we’re not encouraging danger — we’re supporting growth. We’re giving them the space to discover what their bodies can do, to make decisions, and to learn from experience rather than adult instruction alone.

These early years are where courage is built, one wobbly step at a time.

Our Rising Stars have been absolutely fascinated by insects lately — spotting them in stories, talking about their favou...
26/07/2026

Our Rising Stars have been absolutely fascinated by insects lately — spotting them in stories, talking about their favourites, and imagining all sorts of tiny creatures with wings, legs, and wiggly antennae. So, as always, the educators tuned in and built on that interest, creating experiences that honoured the children’s curiosity.

To spark creativity, the children were invited to design their own insects through open‑ended art, using shapes, colours, and textures to bring their imagined creatures to life. No templates, no limits — just pure imagination.

Then came a challenge that the children loved: a tricky insect trap designed to promote fine‑motor skills and hand‑eye coordination. Using tweezers, they worked carefully to rescue the insects from “peril,” navigating obstacles and problem‑solving their way to freedom. Every attempt showed determination, focus, and fun.

This is what child‑led learning looks like — observing an interest, responding to it, and weaving meaningful learning through play. When we work with children’s ideas rather than imposing adult ones, their engagement, joy, and learning shine even brighter.

Today our Shining Stars were deep in conversation about one very important topic: the beach. What happens when you go th...
26/07/2026

Today our Shining Stars were deep in conversation about one very important topic: the beach. What happens when you go there? What do you feel? What do you see? Their ideas tumbled out — ice creams, paddling, sand between toes — and that was all the prompt they needed.

So the educators leaned in and helped make their beach dreams come alive.

Suddenly the sand tray became a shoreline. The children whipped off their shoes and socks and dug their tiny toes deep into the sand. They made ice creams from sand, carefully scooping and shaping their “flavours” with total seriousness. And then they went for a paddle, splashing through their imaginary waves.

For a while, they weren’t in Reach for the Stars at all. They were there at the beach. The reason for this is that young children have that incredible ability to step fully into their imaginations and live the moment as if it’s real.

A simple conversation became a seaside adventure. All it took was curiosity, creativity… and a little bit of magic.

🔬✨ Shining Stars: Little Scientists With Big Curiosity! ✨🌋This week, our Shining Stars stepped straight into the world o...
19/07/2026

🔬✨ Shining Stars: Little Scientists With Big Curiosity! ✨🌋

This week, our Shining Stars stepped straight into the world of science, and what a week it was. We mixed, poured, froze, squeezed, stirred, and watched things change right before our eyes — because that’s what real scientists do.

We started with painting using ice. We held the cold blocks, watched the colours melt, and were fascinated as our pictures slowly appeared. It felt like magic, but really we were exploring temperature, change, and cause‑and‑effect through our hands.

Next, we made our own playdough. We measured, mixed, kneaded, and watched the ingredients transform from powder to dough. We were learning about texture, states of matter, and following steps… but to us, it was just fun.

Then came the excitement of making lava lamps to take home. We watched bubbles rise and fall, colours swirl, and oil dance in slow motion. Our eyes were glued to the bottles as we discovered how liquids behave differently. It was mesmerising.

And for the grand finale…
🌋 We made an exploding volcano!
We gathered around, counted down, and watched the eruption burst out of the top. There were squeals, gasps, and huge smiles as our volcano fizzed and foamed. It was the perfect ending to a week of discovery.

We explored science all week long — experimenting, predicting, observing, and wondering.

Our Shining Stars are curious, confident, and full of questions… just the way scientists should be.

Address

116 Cnoc Tiarnach
Dunshaughlin
A85XE86

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6pm
Tuesday 8am - 6pm
Wednesday 8am - 6pm
Thursday 8am - 6pm
Friday 8am - 6pm

Telephone

+35316831122

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Reach For The Stars Dunshaughlin posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category