We cater for Babies from six weeks old. Babies are offered a stimulating and playful environment appropriate for their age and stage of development with an emphasis on natural materials to stimulate the senses which is where much of a baby’s development derives, such as the use of “Treasure Baskets” which also incorporate an extension of the home from home environment.
Even when they are only a few months old, babies are beginning to learn about their environment and to develop the basic intellectual, physical and social skills that they will rely on in later life. We provide a safe and caring environment that is rich in colour, sound, movement and touch for the children to explore and in which they can begin to develop their mobility. The children enjoy sensory and tactile experiences such as playing with paints and water, exploring a variety of natural objects in a “treasure basket” or simply enjoying a book and a cuddle with an adult.
We work with you to adapt to the way you care for your baby at home, so that feeding, nappy changes and sleeping all take place at times to suit your baby’s individual routine. Everything we do is designed to give your child the best possible standard of care.
We have a very relaxed atmosphere with babies we care for and are led by your child’s needs and routine. We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage which ensures your baby enjoys daily activities that are designed around their interests. This offers the best possible start to your little ones learning journey and allows us to continually plan for their next stage of development.
We appreciate that the difference between a six month old baby and twenty three month old child is substantial, so the activities are differentiated appropriately to ensure all of the children are appropriately challenged.
The nursery room itself is bright and welcoming, making learning and play all the more enjoyable. When a nap is required, we have a separate 'Sleep Room' which is calm and peaceful, allowing your baby to rest just as they would at home. When asleep, babies are checked every 10 minutes and this period of rest is recorded in your child's personal record which will be discussed with you at collection time. Your child's Key Person will also give you a daily breakdown of what activities your child has participated in, how much food they have eaten and what nappies they have had!
Activities Babies include painting, sticking, sensory play (for example, cornflower & jelly play) treasure baskets, water play, music time and story times.We ask that you provide a change of clothes for every session as we have LOTS of messy play and at this age sometimes a nappy change can require a change of clothes too! As the children use the garden every day we ask that you ensure they have appropriate clothing for the weather conditions. i.e rain coats, sunhat etc.
There is a nappy changing area, enabling staff to change children as and when they need changing, as parents would at home.
Formula milk, nappies, wipes, nappy creams are supplied for the babies at no additional cost* (please consult with us regarding current provisions). The staff will discuss your babies sleeping and eating routine with you to ensure continuity for your child whilst at Huggie Bears Family Childcare and at home.
Huggie Bears Family Childcare is Breast Friendly and if you are Breast Feeding you are welcome to bring in your own Breast Milk, which we would be happy to label with your child’s name and date and place in our fridge until feeding time. If you would like to Breast Feed Baby at the setting, we encourage mothers to do so. A private area can be provided if required.
A daily log is kept for each child and sent home each day so that parents and carers are always well informed of the content of their child's day. We’ll work closely with you through the weaning stage to introduce a varied diet according to your routines and preferences.