We would like to give a very warm welcome back to all our returning children and families after the summer break. We hope you have all had a lovely few weeks together and have come back feeling rested and ready for the new term. We are looking forward to the next seven weeks and all the learning, exploring and fun they will bring.

We would also like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all of our parents for the lovely gifts and kind gestures you gave to the teams at the end of last term. They were very much appreciated and it was incredibly thoughtful of you all.

This week is all about settling back into nursery life. We will be welcoming some new children to Crickets Nurseries and helping our returning children get back into the familiar routines of the nursery. We know that coming back after a long break can feel a little strange at first, so we will be giving the children plenty of reassurance, encouragement and time to settle back in at their own pace.

We will also be revisiting some of the important ways we keep ourselves and each other safe. This will include talking about listening to trusted grown-ups, being kind to our friends, looking after our nursery environment and understanding some of the simple rules that help everyone enjoy their time at nursery.

As we settle back in, we will be encouraging the children to talk about their summer and share some of the things they have been doing with their families. We will give them opportunities to talk about places they have visited, people they have spent time with and some of their favourite things they have done. This is a lovely way for the children to reconnect with their friends and gives them the opportunity to develop their confidence in talking and listening to others.

We will also be spending time getting to know ourselves and thinking about what makes each of us special and unique. The children will be encouraged to talk about their names, families, interests and some of the things they enjoy doing.

To support this learning, the children will be creating their own name badges and taking part in our self-registration activities. These simple routines are a really useful way of helping children recognise their own names, develop their independence and feel that they have an important place within their nursery group.

A little reminder for parents and carers

Please make sure that all of your child’s belongings are clearly labelled, including lunch bags, coats, hats and rucksacks. This makes such a difference at nursery. Being able to recognise their own name helps children begin to identify and take responsibility for their belongings, while also helping our practitioners make sure everything finds its way back to the right child.

It is lovely to have everyone back together, and we are excited to begin another term together. We are looking forward to seeing the children settle back into their routines, hearing all about their summer adventures and watching them grow in confidence as the new term gets underway.