Our pre-school children are situated in a separate area, formerly the village library which includes a large airy main room and a conservatory. The room is divided into different areas for the children to learn and explore, in a stimulating learning environment including a mark-making area, ICT area, messy play and a multicultural area. There is a separate kitchen for drinks and snacks and separate toilet facilities. The children are encouraged to serve themselves a healthy snack and their own freshly prepared meals with adult supervision and encouragement.
Children move into the pre-school room at the time in their development when they are ready for a more structured approach. The aim of the pre-school room is to promote a smooth transition from toddler to confident pre-schooler, and to prepare your child for the next stage in their development and education e.g. Primary School. All of the children in this room are encouraged to work and play independently as well as part of a group and are encouraged to participate and co-operate in new activities. A full range of activities are available and these include: –
Learning letter sounds to jolly phonic rhymes
Reading/quiet corner Sand and Water
Art and craft Role play
Construction Music and Dance
ICT Skills Exploring the environment
Mathematics Cookery
Outdoor activities including gardening
The range of activities and resources offered are structured so that your child reaches their full potential, as they move between the different activities of their choice as well as planned focused activities. At Tiddlywinks we promote free-flow play allowing all of the children to have the opportunity to experience the outdoor environment both morning and afternoon, equalling the amount of indoor playtime available allowing the children to choose for themselves whether they want to be inside or outside.
The Imaginative investigators have their own outdoor area which consists of a concrete area, grassed area and a vegetable plot. The outdoor areas are set up to mirror the indoor areas of provision so if a child chooses to play mainly outdoors they are still given opportunities to develop their learning and development skills. By providing the children with a variety of resources within an enriched outdoor environment, the setting is able to support and extend children’s learning