“Sometimes, it’s the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”
Babies learn from the people around them and how they are attended to, the environment that they are in and the opportunities it provides. At minihome the key worker is a crucial part of each baby’s learning environment. By providing a warm, loving relationship they become a secure base from which the baby can begin to explore with confidence.
We make sure that there is regular dialogue, about each baby’s changing needs, between the key worker and the family. As well as daily feedback we provide termly review meetings with your key worker and invite you to contribute to your child’s developmental record at least twice each term.
We follow the routine that you have established for your baby, offering milk feeds and naps as you have indicated. Our younger babies are held for bottle-feeding. Changing and feeding are used as opportunities for play, growth and development. They are carried out with love and attention, as needed by the child and not according to a pre determined schedule. These are times when babies can be helped to discover their own bodies and play with water when washing hands and experience new tastes, smells and sensations whilst eating.
Key workers engage with babies, using a soothing voice and simple language, encouraging imitation and copying your baby. They provide sensory activities for your baby to explore; water, ice, dough and gloopy, sticky, edible things to feel; things to rattle and bang. Talking with, singing to and physical play with babies forms much of the activity for our youngest group.
A variety of toys are introduced, soft and hard, noisy and silent, small to develop finger gripping and large for hugging. There are toys that respond to actions, things to push and pull and turn. Toys range in the level of visual stimulation and in the textures introduced. So that not all toys are brightly coloured.
Treasure baskets are introduced to this group and continued through to our toddler room. These contain collections of everyday objects made of natural materials such as shiny metal, leather, straw, wood and fabrics. There are a variety of different balls of different materials plus beanbags.
Books are read as well as used for feeling and looking at.
There are mirrors at floor level, and a variety of textured surfaces for babies to be placed on.
Babies are encouraged to discover their bodies through foot rattles, massage and assisted movements.
For mobile babies the activities are an extension from the pre-crawling group. Babies lead the way with their interests and are introduced to new experiences by key workers. Toys are available within reach to allow babies to begin to make choices and have preferences.
The range of toys is broader and includes blocks and things to push or pull along. Items requiring finer manipulation are introduced. Low steps and slopes and soft play blocks are available to develop movement alongside pushalongs, carts, rockers and tunnels, plus group action songs and dancing.
Babies as they develop take part in painting, mark making with crayons and chalks, moving to music and making sounds and rhythms. As their interest in pretend play starts to grow, adults show them how play in the home corner and with dolls, cars, animals and other small world play items. We enjoy looking at how people from a range of cultures and religions celebrate festivals. In the spirit of extending knowledge and understanding of difference we use direct sensory experiences to provide babies opportunities to try the foods, music, clothes and rituals typical of these festivals. Families are very welcome to share their traditions and ways of celebrating with us at nursery.
There is time outside every day in our garden. Babies love to use the push along carts and bikes as they begin to walk. Hours of fun are had with water and bubbles throughout the summer and ice in winter. For small babies just feeling the wind in the air, seeing the trees and leaves moving and the light changing are all vital parts of their sensory experiences.
Babies go out of the nursery to the local parks to use the play equipment, see more of the natural world; ducks, deer and birds as well as the seasonal plants and mini-beasts throughout our local area. They also visit local supermarkets and shops for fruit and vegetables for their home corner or to prepare for snacks or for food to use in cookery or sensory play such as play dough or cornflour gloop.
Babies, like all children at Ballerup, are observed by their key worker and others to plan and provide for their developmental needs. We also assess their development to ensure that any developmental issues are picked up on and appropriate action taken to support you and your baby to access additional help if needed.
