windmill hill city farm

Cherry Blossom is the room for babies from 3 months to 2 years. We have space for nine babies at any one time. There are 4 qualified and experienced members of staff, each of which act as a key person to a group of between 5 and 6 children. We ensure that a strong and secure bond is created with both the child and their family from the early stages all the way through their time with us.

The room is warm and bright with low windows so they can see outside into the garden, see trees and also watch the passing goats and sheep. We have a separate kitchen and nappy changing room and a partitioned area for sleeping. The younger babies sleep in cots and the toddlers progress to sleeping on a mat on the floor.

We have a flexible structure to the day based around meals, snacks and sleeping times. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework is followed which involves close observation of the babies and careful planning of their individual needs and interests.

We do a lot of sensory and messy play and try to do one activity a day including; playdough, paint  & glue, cornflour gloop, sand & water, baked beans, jelly, ice and coloured pasta. We make treasure baskets out of natural materials with the children which they find fascinating. There is a lot of singing, dancing and music being played in our room. We have a wide range of suitable toys, musical instruments, books and creative materials. Recently we have incorporated a music & massage session into our planning which the children really enjoy.

The soft floored outdoor area specifically for the babies is used on a daily basis. The area is partially shaded by trees but we also put up a gazebo during hot weather. Regularly we do more physically challenging outside activities using our indoor resources. We do gardening and recently grew potatoes with the children. We try to go on outdoor visits occasionally to the farmyard, library and our local park.

We treat each baby equally while catering to their individual needs. We try to make the experience of coming here as welcoming and homely as possible and also to have lots of fun.