Daily Routines

A Typical Day in the Nursery for Acorns

Please note, this is just an example of our daily routine. Whilst nursery openings, lunch time and home times stay the same, we like to be flexible with other timings to suit the children’s needs or special events/activities that we have planned.

Morning

Doors open 8.45 - Children come in, hang their coats up, and choose an activity in the Nursery.

9.10 - Large group time. Children gather together, to say good morning and sing our 'Hello' song.

9.15 - Small group time. Children split into smaller groups for an adult led activity, which may be phonics/literacy/maths related.

9.25 – Free-flow choice of activities both inside and outside. The door to our garden is opened for children to come in and out as they want to.

9.45-11.00 - Café time. In small groups, children join an adult for a drink, snack and a chat! This happens during the free-flow activities. Children are chosen to come to café, and then return to their play.

11.25 - Tidy up time

11.30 - Singing/Story time

Doors open 11.45 - Home time, or Lunch time for children staying for lunch.

11.45-12.30 - Lunch time. Children sit at our big table to eat their packed lunch.
They have a choice of activities to do with their friends once they have finished eating.

Afternoon

Doors open 12.30 - Children come in, hang their coats up, and choose an activity in the Nursery.

12.55 - Large group time. Children gather together, to say good afternoon and sing our 'Hello' song.

13.00 - Small group time. Children split into smaller groups for an adult led activity, which may be phonics/literacy/maths related. (These activities are rotated so that children staying all day will have a different activity from their morning one.)

13.10 – Free-flow choice of activities, both inside and outside. The door to our garden is opened for children to come in and out as they want to.

13.30-14.45 - Café time. In small groups, children join an adult for a drink, snack and a chat! This happens during the freeflow activities. Children are chosen to come to café, and then return to their play. The snack will be different to the morning one, to provide variety for children who stay for the whole day.

15.10 - Tidy up time

Doors open 15.15-15.30 - Singing/Story time while children are collected to go home.

A Typical Day in the Nursery for Squirrels

The daily routine in Squirrels is less structured than in Acorns, to suit the needs of our younger children.

When the children come in, they are able to move freely between playing and learning both indoors and outdoors. Activities are set up each day, based on the children's interests and learning needs.

The children sit down for café time altogether, with an adult at each table. Children are encouraged to have a drink of milk or water, and a healthy snack.

After café, the children often ask to do some singing, so we use this as an opportunity to bring the children together for a short group time, where we may talk about special things that are happening, or practise our "signs of the week".

Following this we have a free-flow choice of activities inside and outside again. Adults use children's interests and/or their requests to support them in their learning in a choice of adult guided activities.

Lunch time is at 11.45-12.30.

Many of our children have a nap after lunch and in the afternoon.

The structure of the afternoon is then similar to the morning, with children freely able to access both indoor and outdoor activities, café time and a short group time. We often end the day with some dancing to our Sticky Kids CD!

All of our children's nappies are checked regularly throughout the day and changed whenever needed.