I’m often asked by parents what their child has been doing during the day, so I thought it might be useful to focus this blog on one “average” day (if there is such a thing in nursery!) rather than a whole week…
The day begins with a warm welcome and an opportunity for the children to settle into play, greet friends, and build relationships with their familiar adults.
At 9:50, we tidy up — an opportunity for the children to use their sorting and organising skills. Then we head outside to continue our play, supporting physical development and exploring the world around us.
After outdoor play, we line up and count the children together before going to our key groups for snack and phonics. Our phonics sessions are playful, often involving singing or music. We also count the cups and decide whether we need “more or less” to make sure everyone has one.
Once we finish our phonics work, we return to the business of learning through play, supported by carefully chosen resources that help the children learn as they explore, until 11:15, when we come together for a short maths session. Then we visit the toilet and wash our hands ready for lunch.
When lunch is finished, we head back outside for a brief blast of fresh air. At 12:30, we return inside for story time and a group task, usually pre-writing skills.
Next, the children have time to explore their interests, learning either independently through play or alongside an adult.
By this time of day, we begin to think back over all the things we’ve discovered and enjoyed, and we work together to tidy our classroom so it’s cosy and ready for tomorrow. Finally, at 3pm, we wind down with a little yoga, singing, or a story before heading home — with the children proudly collecting their own belongings and getting themselves ready to go.
And that’s our ‘average’ day — but across the week we also weave in extra sessions such as cricket, dance, and activities linked to our current interests. We even welcome visitors from time to time, like the police visit we had on Monday. I couldn’t possibly leave out photos of that wonderful experience!
Thank you for reading!