What we do in our sessions:

 

 

Whether you opt for a morning, an afternoon session or full day (or a combination) we always have a fun packed sessions planned!

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Arrival

At the start of each session, children line up in the nursery garden. When the door opens, they say goodbye to their loved one and head inside to begin their day. A friendly practitioner will be at the door to greet your child and register them into the building.

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Once inside, your child will choose a peg to hang their belongings on and find their name badge on the registration board, an activity that helps build name recognition and encourages independence through self-registration. They will then head to the bathroom to wash their hands, ready to begin a fun session of free play.

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Free play

Free play is a valuable part of the nursery day, giving children the opportunity to explore, discover, and enjoy all areas of the nursery and the wide range of resources we offer. Alongside this child-led exploration, we also plan fun adult-led activities that your child can choose to take part in.

During free play, children might enjoy:

• Messy and creative play

• The home corner and role play area

• Small world play (e.g. cars, construction, pirates)

• The mark-making area

• Maths activities

• Problem-solving games and puzzles

• Water and sand play

• The book/cozy corner

• Computer and interactive whiteboard activities

• Outdoor play (climbing equipment, scooters, trikes, balls, and our much-loved games of chase!)

 

Our practitioners actively join in with the children’s play, getting down to their level to interact, support, and extend learning. They model language, introduce new vocabulary, encourage problem solving, and support social skills like sharing and turn-taking.

We believe play is a vital part of early learning. It allows children to follow their interests, develop confidence, and engage deeply in meaningful experiences.

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Group time

When the tambourine rings, it’s time for group time! All the children gather together for a shared activity, or they may be split into smaller groups for more focused learning sessions. These might include phonics, maths games, science experiments, or other hands-on, engaging activities.

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During group time, we explore all seven areas of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development

• Physical Development

• Communication and Language

• Literacy

• Mathematics

• Understanding the World

• Expressive Arts and Design

 

Group time activities are designed to be fun, active, and meaningful. On alternating days, we also include singing sessions to build language, memory, and confidence. You can find more details about our singing, phonics, and maths sessions further down the page.

Some examples of group time activities include:

• Silly Soup (sound recognition)

• Listening Games

• Marshmallow Gloop Experiment

• Sports Day Races

• Pirate Treasure Hunts

• Planting Seeds and Learning About Growth

• Disco Dough (fine motor skills)

• Attention Meadow (attention-building games)

• Puppet Shows

• Food Tasting

• Hygiene Practice (e.g. blowing noses, using tissues, washing hands)

• Practising Putting on Shoes and Coats

 

At Meadow, we believe learning should be fun, exciting, and full of laughter. When children are engaged and enjoying themselves, they often learn without even realising it. Our skilled practitioners are here to inspire a love of learning and help every child build the strong foundations they need for the future.

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Singing

Every other day, children take part in a lively and engaging singing session. These sessions include traditional nursery rhymes, number songs, and circle games that encourage movement, interaction, and lots of smiles!

Singing is not only fun—it also supports a wide range of learning. Through songs and games, children develop skills such as:

• Number recognition

• Turn-taking and listening

• Rhyming and alliteration

• Memory and sequencing

 

For children who are learning English as an additional language, the repetitive and musical nature of singing helps build vocabulary and confidence in a fun, social environment.

 

Our singing sessions are a joyful part of the day and a wonderful way to support early communication and language development.

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Phonics / Maths Activities

Phonics and maths are introduced in a fun, engaging, and hands-on way, both through focused group activities and throughout the children’s everyday play.

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Phonics:

In our phonics sessions, children are first encouraged to tune into and identify different sounds through playful listening games. As their phonological awareness develops, they begin to explore initial letter sounds, simple blending, and building basic words.

To support this learning, we use resources such as our two much-loved Beat Babies, which help children develop rhythm, rhyme, and a love of language.

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Maths:

During maths activities, children are introduced to number names and encouraged to use mathematical language in real-life contexts. As their understanding grows, they begin to consolidate skills such as counting with one-to-one correspondence, ordering and sequencing, measuring, weighing, and exploring 2D and 3D shapes.

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Learning Through Play:

Phonics and maths are also embedded naturally throughout free play. Our skilled practitioners:

• Create a language-rich environment and actively listen to children’s play

• Model sounds in small-world play (e.g. “choo choo” for trains), helping children connect sounds with words

• Encourage early writing by having children deliver letters between practitioners

• Carefully select books to reflect children’s interests and nurture a love of reading

• Support early literacy by providing mark-making opportunities in role play (e.g. shopping lists, architectural drawings)

• Introduce new vocabulary and explain meanings

• Celebrate children’s home languages by learning and using key words and phrases

 

Mathematical learning is also woven throughout the day. Practitioners might:

• Explore concepts like size by comparing towers ("big, medium, small")

• Encourage counting during routines (e.g. setting out chairs for snack time)

• Introduce time and sequencing in play (e.g. “It’s bedtime for the baby now!”)

• Establish clear routines to support understanding of time and order

• Explore speed and time outdoors using trikes, scooters, and even stopwatches

 

At Meadow, we believe that teaching moments are everywhere. Our passionate, child-centred practitioners are always present, ready to extend learning, nurture curiosity, and make a lasting difference in each child’s development.

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Snack time

After group time, we enjoy snack time, a calm and sociable part of the day where children can relax, chat, and refuel.

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Each session, four children are chosen to be milk monitors, a role they take great pride in. As milk monitors, they ask their friends what they would like to drink, pour the drinks, hand out the snacks, and return the tray to the kitchen when everyone has finished.

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This simple routine provides a valuable opportunity for children to practise responsibility, turn-taking, and listening skills. It also helps them build confidence and develop positive relationships with their peers in a relaxed, supportive setting.

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        "I love being a milk monitor!"

 

 

 

 

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Free play

After snack time, the children are invited to return to their play. The milk monitors proudly announce that it's time to play again, and the children head off to continue exploring their chosen activities and areas.

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During this time, children who wear nappies or pull-ups are checked and changed if needed. At Meadow Nursery, we prioritise children’s comfort and hygiene. Nappies are changed as and when needed, if a child shows signs of being wet or soiled, they are changed promptly. In addition to this, we always carry out at least one nappy check during every three-hour session, even if there are no obvious signs.

For children who attend all day, nappy checks and changes continue regularly throughout the afternoon to ensure they remain clean and comfortable.

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We kindly ask parents to provide nappies, nappy bags, and wipes in a clearly named bag so we can support your child with everything they need.

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Story time

At Meadow Nursery, we have a real love for books, and we share this passion with the children during our daily story sessions.

Our storytelling is lively and engaging, whether we’re reading a favourite book or acting out a story through play! We often use puppets, props, and expressive voices to bring stories to life, and we love encouraging the children to join in and become part of the storytelling experience.

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Throughout the session, there are plenty of opportunities for children to explore books, literacy, and written texts in a fun and meaningful way. We also have our own nursery library, where children are encouraged to choose books to take home and enjoy with their families, helping to nurture a love of reading that extends beyond the classroom.

 

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Lunch Club or Home Time

After story time, children attending the morning session only will be collected between 11:35am and 11:45am. It is important that all morning children are collected promptly by 11:45am so that Lunch Club can begin smoothly for our full-day children.

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For those staying or coming in for Lunch Club or attending all day, the next step is a trip to the bathroom to wash hands, followed by sitting down to enjoy lunch with a practitioner. Parents are asked to provide a nutritious packed lunch for any day their child attends Lunch Club.

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Each lunch table is supervised by a dedicated practitioner who sits with the children, supporting conversation and ensuring mealtimes are calm, safe, and sociable.

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To help reinforce good habits, we kindly ask parents to model sitting at the table during mealtimes at home, as this is expected at nursery. Sitting while eating helps reduce the risk of choking and ensures children are always appropriately supervised.

For more information on Lunch Club guidelines, please visit our Lunch Club tab.

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All Day Session

For children attending all day, the routine follows a similar structure to the morning session, with lunch and an afternoon of play, learning, and care.

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To keep the day fresh and engaging, our afternoon group activities, singing sessions, and story times are different from those in the morning, giving children the chance to explore new resources, ideas, and learning opportunities.

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Children attending a full day or afternoon session are collected between 3:20pm and 3:30pm, and we kindly ask that all children are picked up by 3:30pm, when the nursery doors close for the day.

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