A Typical Session

We work towards meeting the Early Learning Goals of the Early Years Foundation Stage and plan activities around the children's individual needs and interests, so life at Puddleducks never gets boring! Details of the activities planned are displayed in the setting and also on the notice board in our playground to keep you informed of the fun activities we will be up to.

At 9am, a member of staff welcomes your child in off the playground. After they have hung up their coats, registration begins, which gives the staff a chance to say ‘hello’ to each child individually.

The first part of the session is usually given completely to child-initiated play. This means that children plan what they would like to play with, then they go and play with it! We allow them free access to our outdoor area during this part of the session, where we have a playhouse, a climbing frame, a sandpit and lots of wheeled toys to choose from. Research has shown that learning through play is very effective, and we manage to cover lots of our Early Learning Goals in this part of the session.

About halfway through this part of the session, the children are offered a healthy snack and a drink. Refreshment time is informal, and allows children to chat with friends or an adult about their morning activities. We hold the Healthy Eating Quality Assurance award, and always ensure that our refreshments are healthy and varied.

Child-initiated play and refreshments last for just over half the session. Following tidy-up time, the children then begin group work. Our younger children often do ‘exploratory’, hands on activities during this time, whilst the older ones tackle more challenging tasks.

The session usually ends with a story and a few rhymes or songs, before we hand the children back to you.