The youngest children in the nursery are cared for in our Younger Squirrels group where they remain until soon after their first birthday. Younger Squirrels is all about nurture and care. The staff are selected for their patience and loving natures and see it as a vocation to work with our youngest. Staff working in Younger Squirrels have received ‘Blossoming Babies’ training. Children of this age need familiar faces, carers who know them well as individuals, working in partnership with their parents/carers. Consistency of care for all children in the nursery is very important, but it is absolutely essential with the youngest children. There are plenty of opportunities throughout the day for cuddles and quiet 1:1 time, whether sharing a story together or having a sing song. Our key person system allows the children to build special, loving and secure relationships with staff, resulting in babies who feel loved, relaxed and free to explore and learn in a safe and stimulating environment. Babies settle into the warm, homely environment of Younger Squirrels quickly and happily, using their own comforters if needed. There is a strong focus on the three Prime Areas of learning at this early age. These key areas of learning are Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development & Communication and Language. Consequently, the staff ensure that activities are targeted around developing these key skills with your baby. We always ensure that there are a range of stimulating activities to catch the interest of our Younger Squirrels. Lots of time is given over to promoting early language through high quality interaction at all times. The staff are also experienced in helping our little ones make the leap to being independent walkers and will work with each child at their individual level to provide plenty of support in their physical development; from reaching out to touch activities, to supervised tummy time to supported walking around the room – we will be there every step of the way! We believe in our youngest being given the freedom to really explore using their whole bodies to really get stuck in and hands on, as is their nature! Therefore you will often see sensory and ‘messy play’ activities on a large scale based on the floor which allows our little ones the best opportunity to explore and learn! We endeavour to make as many of our activities as possible edible to keep our babies safe.