Peter Pan Special Needs Nursery

Books

With stories and pictures they will understand and enjoy. Books are for them to look at and to handle and for grown ups to read and talk about. Enjoying books in this way helps the child later to enjoy learning to read.

Music

Everyday sounds are a vital part of the young childs world. In a nursery their attention is drawn to the many different sounds made by birds and cars, wind and rain, bells and drums. They will join in singing and moving to music and learning to listen.

Painting

Children paint freely and choose their own colours, and are not limited in the number of paintings they do. There are easels, paints, paintbrushes and large sheets of paper. They are not shown how to paint and at first may simply wish to cover the paper with colour. When they have had a great deal of experience with that, they may begin to paint people and houses. They should not be urged to reach this stage too quickly.

Water

The children find this fascinating, and they need not get soaked in the process. Plastic aprons are provided. Play can be experimental - studying what the water does when it is poured, splashed or dripped. Water is soothing to the excited or tired child; it releases the timid or restricted child and is a safe outlet for the aggressive child. In using sand and water, children gain ideas about weight and volume.

Home Corner

A corner is cut off from the rest of the nursery to give a cosy home feeling without shutting off completely from the rest of the group. Furniture and dressing up clothes of the right size are arranged here. The children pretend things like shopping, meal times and bathing the baby. Through identifying with the parents they find relief from jealousy. Children may also find relief from the anxiety of being the youngest. This activity helps children to socialize which is just as important as learning colours, numbers etc.

Other Activities

Your child will also have a chance to experiment with clay, dough, paste and paper, construction toys and wood. She/he will sometimes see Nature & Interest tables to help him/her form ideas about the world. Children gain in skill and understanding through their play especially when they have a chance to share their enjoyment with an adult and to talk about their discoveries. We also regularly visit the shops, library and park as well as going on day trips out, giving children experiences of the community and the wider world.