Kirkintilloch Nursery
Day nursery for children in East Dunbartonshire
Looking for a professional day care nursery in East Dunbartonshire? Get in touch with Happy Days Nursery today.
Kirkintilloch NurseryMoonbeam Room (6 weeks - 2 years room)
We believe that children learn through play. Play provides opportunities for children to be actively involved in their learning through exploring, investigating and experimenting and also express their ideas and feelings in many different ways.
We work alongside the Pre-birth to Three - Positive Outcomes for Scotland's Children and Families guidelines and support the key principles of responsive care, relationships, respect and the rights of the child.
The babies are given lots of cuddles and attention and are encouraged to reach their developmental milestones at their own individual pace. The children can play freely with more challenging activities such as sand, water, painting, construction toys, jigsaws, imaginative play etc.
Activities to help your child develop
We have a flexible daily routine that includes sensory/discovery play, songs and story time and physical/outdoor play. Our outdoor play area can be accessed during wet weather as it is partially undercover so that the children are always benefiting from fresh air. The children play outdoors and go for walks in the local community daily.
Outdoor play
Weather permitting, the children are taken for walks in the local area, both morning and afternoon every day.
Parents are provided with a daily communication sheet to keep them informed of their child's day at nursery.
When your child becomes 2 years old they will move into our Rainbow Room when they are developmentally and emotionally ready.
Comprehensive pre-school and baby care services
The Moonbeam Room has its own kitchen area for mealtimes with child sized tables and low feeding chairs to promote fairness, equality and social skills.
There is a nappy changing area where every child has his/her own bag of nappies, wipes, spare clothing etc. A sleep room is provided where children can rest / sleep in peace and quiet or they can sleep in our cosy prams outside under the canopy.
Kirkintilloch NurseryRainbow Room (2-3 yrs room)
We use a ‘responsive planning’ system to plan meaningful learning experiences that take account of individual interests, needs and stages of development.
There are three main areas to Rainbows Room:
- The main area: offers an imaginative area, physical area, construction area, jigsaw table, book/quiet area and sensory area. The children are able to choose where they would like to play during ’free-flow play time’.
- The messy area: offers activities such as play dough, sand, water, painting, drawing and junk modelling. The children are able to express themselves through these hands-on experiences.
* The quiet room: The quiet room is a tranquil area where the children can take part in quieter calming activities and relax.
Entertainment and activities to keep your children stimulated
Throughout the day, the children experience welcome time, story time, singing, snack time, lunch, outdoor play and rest/sleep time. Weather permitting, the children are taken out to the outdoor play area or to the local park, both morning and afternoon for some fresh air and exercise.
In the Rainbow Room, there is a separate changing area where each child has their own individual basket for nappies/pull ups, wipes and a change of clothing. There are also child size toilets for those children who are starting or have mastered toilet training! Parents must provide nappies/pull ups, spare underwear and wipes where necessary.
We provide a healthy snack for the children in the morning and afternoon sessions. Parents must provide a packed lunch for children attending the morning session. The children dine in our separate snack area. Home routines are still paramount in the Rainbow Room so sleep/rest and mealtimes are planned to meet the individual child's needs. We have individual beds and blankets for the children to enjoy a peaceful sleep.
3 year old children will move into our Star Room when they are developed mentally and emotionally.
Kirkintilloch NurseryStar Room (3 years - 5 years)
Our Star Room is a stimulating and happy environment where we make each child feel important and valued. The children experience a well-planned day that balances structured activities and free flow play. We promote learning and development through ‘active play' experiences that meet each individual's needs and interests. The children and staff plan a balanced and meaningful curriculum that puts the children at the centre of their learning.
Curriculum for excellence
In the Star Room we use the ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ for all aspects of curriculum planning and aim for all our children to become successful learners, cofldent individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.
There are 8 curricular areas that staff incorporate into their plans to ensure the children experience a balanced curriculum:
Literacy and English
The children have the opportunity to listen to rhymes and stories, take part in group discussions at ‘together time‘, read books and recognise words, use a variety of tools for mark making, and experience emergent writing through imaginary situations.
Numeracy and mathematics
Throughout the playroom the children have the opportunity to experiment with numbers. Staff offer appropriate challenging activities that include opportunities to count, sort, measure, use large numbers, recognise and write numerals, use money and understand time sequences.
Health and well being
The children are learning about healthy living and emotional, social and physical well-being. We actively promote sharing and being kind to others, following our ‘golden rules’, independence skills and making choices and decisions. The children have opportunities for fresh air and exercise outdoors on a daily basis.
Expressive arts
The children are encouraged to express themselves in different ways and be creative through art and design, drama, dance and music and singing.
Religious and moral education
By celebrating a variety of festivals and traditions we enable the children to learn about religions, cultures, values and beliefs and the diversity of our society.
Sciences
Through day to day experiences and topical activities, the children can learn about their environment, living things, senses and develop investigative techniques.
Social studies
The children are developing their understanding of the history, heritage and culture of Scotland. Also, we aim to broaden the children's understanding of people and places in the past and present. The children are encouraged to participate in enterprising activities to prepare them for the world of work in future years.
Technologies
The children have access to a variety of ICT equipment to enhance their learning and problem solving skills. They also take part in recycling activities as part of our ongoing ECO work.
Extra-curricular activities
Our curriculum is also extended outdoors in our enclosed outside play area. The children can choose whether to play indoors or outdoors at free play times of the day.
We offer the following ’extracurricular’ activities on a weekly basis for all the 3-5 year old children:
- Music and movement (With fully qualified dance teacher)
- Spanish lessons (With fully qualified languages teacher)
- Library visit
- Baking
- Outings in the nursery minibus
- Trip to recycling banks
We regularly visit our other nursery within the Leisuredrome in Bishopbriggs where the children have access to:
- Soft play in ‘Charlie's Big Adventure’
- Football pitches (outdoor and indoor)
- Gymnastics studio
Dining
The children's independence skills are promoted through helping to prepare the snacks and cleaning of tables. We operate a snack bar where the children choose when they wish to have their snack and thrive on the self-service experience.
Parents must provide a healthy packed lunch for children staying for lunch between 11:30 am and 1 pm. This is stored in the fridge until served.
Happy Days Nursery is a ‘smile too’ nursery in Bishopbriggs. We provide every child with their own personal toothbrush and every child is encouraged to brush their teeth once a day in nursery.
