Moving, Shaking and Exploring
Music and Movement
It is believed that a child’s brain develops fastest in the first three years of life. In order to give all the children under its care the best start in life Watermead Day Nursery has used Kimble’s for over 6 years to provide a dedicated, weekly, age appropriate, multi-sensory, music and movement program. During the sessions the children not only have great fun, but they experience new ways of keeping fit and healthy, explore musical sounds through voice and instruments and discover all about music which helps to satisfy the hunger for stimulation.
When music and movement are combined and incorporated into a child’s learning experience a wide variety of skills can be developed including physical, visual, language, listening and musical. In addition to these it can also help to develop creative thinking, memory extension and social skills. Together these skills give children a huge head start in their learning and help them achieve their true potential.
Kimble’s visit the nursery several times a week.
Creepy Crawlies
As part of Watermead Day Nurseries commitment to outdoor learning, and to help the children develop a strong, positive relationship with the natural environment and a better understanding of the surrounding world, the setting is home to a variety of creepy crawlies and animals which the children can handle and interact with. This helps to educate them on appropriate ways to interact with insects and spiders, and allows them observe, first-hand, the different characteristics of creepy crawlies. It also helps to build self-confidence and a better awareness of the surrounding environment through structured interactive sessions. Children also learn about responsibility through caring for the animal’s day-to-day needs such as feeding.
In the interactive sessions the children are introduced to such things as metamorphosis, where they can observe the changes some insects undertake as they grow, and they also learn such things as how insects view the world differently from us.
By giving the children in its care easy access to a variety of animals and creepy crawlies Watermead Day Nursery hopes to help instil a heathy regard and appreciation of nature in its children.
After all,
“Unless we are willing to encourage our children to reconnect with and appreciate the natural world. We can’t expect them to help protect and care for it.”
David Suzuki
