Daily Routine
Registration & Breakfast
We recognise that mornings can be a challenge, and we’re committed to doing everything we can to ensure a positive and warm start to the day for our families.
You’ll be welcomed by our staff team, and then met by either your child’s key person or a member of your child’s key team at the door to your child’s Family Room. This is a chance to discuss anything important or simply what you got up to at home so we can extend this into the childcare.
Your child will then either have breakfast or settle down to play with an educator and friends, while parents are free to grab a coffee and a bagel from the breakfast bar and answer some emails in the parents’ area before heading off to work.
story Time
Our Story Time is so much more than just reading a story. We believe that reading with children is a crucial part of their development. It is an important way to support them with their communication and language skills. We aim to read two stories a term and create a scheme of work based around the story. This includes activities such as; prop making, role play where we encourage the children to act like the characters in the story and outdoor activities to teach them about the world around them.
This is one of the few times in a preschool day where the entire group gathers as one. We promote an environment in which the children are comfortable to share their thoughts, ideas and views and know that they are being listened to and respected. It is the perfect opportunity to help them to grow and develop.
Child-led Play
Children are able to freely explore and play with our many resources including specialist atelier art equipment, dress-up stations and the Mini Bees Childcare Library. They can also categorise materials, create stories and explore make-believe play, block play, sensory and water play. Children can also familiarise themselves with the world around them through mini-models of vehicles, animals and people, or through research on our digital tables.
Healthy Snacks
A healthy body produces a healthy mind. We promote healthy eating throughout the day and do not provide any sugary or unhealthy meals. Please refer to our menu for more information.
Outdoor Activities in Local Park
To enhance the children’s learning and give them the opportunity to connect with nature and understand the world around them we take the children on a daily trip to the park.
Each day we have a new learning intention where we encourage the children to participate in activities planned around their development.
Lunchtime
All Mini Bees Childcare meals and snacks are prepared from scratch by our in-house chefs. We have two family mealtimes where the children eat as a group with their key educators.
We promote a relaxed and sociable atmosphere for our ‘family’ meals, and the children are encouraged to lay the table, serve themselves and help clear up. Lunch is served at 11.30am for our younger children and 12pm for the older ones. Dinner is served at 4pm. A snack bar is available throughout the day where children are able to come and enjoy a snack with a couple of their friends.
Nap / rest time
We believe that good sleep and/or rest is essential for all children. Our childcare rooms are designed to easily convert into cosy sleeping spaces with gentle music and soft mats.
When children first join the childcare we follow their home sleep routines, and then continue to support children to sleep at the time that is right for them. As we all know, yawns are contagious, and we find that children tend to adjust to snuggling up amongst their friends quite quickly. When they’re ready, they’ll drop down to one nap, which is usually best timed to happen after lunch.
Children who no longer require a sleep in the day may still want to rest and are able to take themselves off to our ‘hygge’ corners, designed to feel relaxed, calm, and secure.
Key Person led learning
Every day our educators will lead small group or individual sessions, either with a communication and emotional literacy focus or exploring one of the Mini Bees Childcare extras such as Spanish, yoga or cookery. They will also explore and research new topics with the children, extending their knowledge of the world around them. Insights and updates on these experiences are shared through the Mini Bees Blossom Childcare App.
Teatime
We serve team time meals at 4pm. All meals are provided by an external professional caterer especially designed for early years.
Focus Activities
This is the planned activity time by the keyperson for each child considering their individual needs.
Goodbye Circle Time
Visit us and meet our team of childcare and early education professionals and see how the environment has been designed to encourage children’s development and love of learning.
Pick up time
At home time, parents are encouraged to come in and chat with the educators and hear all about their child’s day and accomplishments. It’s a perfect opportunity to get to know the team, and the other parents, and to ask any questions you have about how your child is progressing. If you have something you’d like to discuss, then our managers’ doors are always open for a quick chat – or a longer meeting.
Don’t forget to grab your piece of fruit on the way out – our ever-popular evening snacks will make those buggy rides home go just that little bit smoother.
