City of London School Highlights: April 11th

Springtime Adventures at Our City of London Nursery

Baby Room Highlights | Islington | Hackney | City of London

At our nursery in the City of London, spring has brought a season of joyful learning, sensory discovery, and cultural celebrations for our youngest learners—the Hatchlings! Designed for babies aged 6 months to 2 years, our activities nurture communication, creativity, and confidence through hands-on, play-based learning in a caring environment.

Learning Body Parts in Mandarin: Early Language at Our Islington/City of London Nursery

This week in our Modern Languages session, our Hatchlings explored Mandarin vocabulary, learning the word for “head” (Tóu) while working on puzzle activities with Teacher Sara. The children also explored the concept of transportation in Mandarin, learning the word for bus – Gōngchē while playing with the famous red London buses and practicing counting from 1 to 5 in Mandarin.

These sessions reflect our commitment to early years multilingual education in Islington / City of London nursery, supporting cognitive development and cultural awareness from the very start. 

Local Adventures in the Sunshine

Our babies at the City of London nursery had a wonderful time outdoors this week, enjoying excursions to Fortune Park and a scenic walk around St Paul’s Cathedral. The little ones giggled, toddled, and explored the vibrant flower walls, pointing out rainbow colours and chasing sunbeams. Some of our younger babies enjoyed simply observing the world from their bench, watching birds fluttering nearby—supporting early observation and sensory awareness.

Outdoor time is an essential part of our childcare programme in Hackney and City of London, promoting gross motor development, exploration, and appreciation for nature.

Singing, Clapping & Sunshine: Circle Time Fun

Our garden came alive with music during circle time under the spring sky. Our Hatchlings sang their favourite nursery rhymes like Five Little Ducks, Sleeping Bunnies, and Old MacDonald. They clapped, swayed, and giggled along with friends as colourful leaves fell from trees and flowers brightened the garden floor. These shared musical moments encourage language development, rhythm, and early social interaction—core elements of our early years curriculum in Central London.

Easter Egg Hunt & Sensory Play

To celebrate Easter, our babies participated in a joyful Easter egg hunt, developing their fine motor skills while scooping and exploring a variety of textures—from soft shredded tissue to smooth pretend eggs. These seasonal activities provide engaging sensory experiences that support developmental milestones.

In our sensory play session, the Hatchlings took part in bubble wrap painting using their hands, feet, and whole bodies. This messy, exploratory activity boosted tactile learning, motor skills, and creative expression, giving babies the freedom to explore materials in a playful, safe space.

A Taste of Italy: Hatchlings’ Pizzeria Adventure

As part of our regional cultural exploration of Southern Europe, our Hatchlings opened their very own Italian pizzeria! With flour-like textures, colourful toppings, and pretend pizza slicers, the children engaged in imaginative play and hands-on sensory learning.

This culinary-themed role-play activity supported fine motor coordination, teamwork, and a love for learning through themed activities—hallmarks of our childcare approach in nearby nursery of Islington and Hackney.

Creative Spring Adventures at Our City of London Nursery

Early Years Fun in Islington, Hackney & Central London

This week has been another fun-filled journey at our City of London nursery, where we blend creativity, outdoor exploration, and specialist learning to provide enriching experiences for children aged 6 months to 5 years. With sunshine, songs, and seasonal crafts, our little learners had plenty to smile about!

Toddlers: Blue Dragons group

Easter Arts & Regional Activities in Hackney and Islington

As Easter approaches, our children got into the festive spirit with a creative craft activity, designing their own Easter eggs using traditional springtime colours. We looked at different patterns and styles of eggs, then let the children express themselves with independent, imaginative designs.

These types of cultural and seasonal activities support creative thinking, fine motor skills, and help children understand global celebrations—a key part of our early years education approach in City of London nursery near Islington and Hackney.

Outdoor Exploration at London Wall Garden

Our Blue Dragon class enjoyed an inspiring outing to London Wall Garden, where the children were encouraged to observe nature and express what they saw through watercolour painting. Surrounded by trees, flowers, and springtime colours, they noticed the many shades of green and the vibrant blooms around them.

Bringing nature into our City of London nursery setting gives children the chance to slow down, connect with the world around them, and develop observation skills—while also building their creative confidence.

Specialist Sessions with Music, Movement & Mindfulness

We were treated to two fantastic specialist sessions this week that had everyone smiling!

On Friday, Miss Molly during Molly's Mindful Movement led an interactive musical experience filled with favourites like Five Little Chicks and Hop Little Bunnies. The children explored movement, rhythm, and emotional awareness, dancing and swaying to calming music enhanced by soft lights. These mindfulness-based sessions help children understand and regulate their feelings, supporting social-emotional development in a nurturing, playful way.

Later, Becca from Lucy Sparkles brought a sparkle of joy with her exciting music and movement session. The children learned about different musical instruments, explored the sounds they make, and even played a parachute game where they worked together to push a ball around. This hands-on fun promoted teamwork, sound recognition, and gross motor skills—making learning dynamic and joyful.

Creative Learning, Cultural Discovery & Mandarin Fun at Our City of London Nursery

Dragon Flights Weekly Highlights | For Ages 6 Months to 5 Years | Islington • Hackney • City of London

At our Dragon Flights classroom, little minds soared through exciting themes, hands-on learning, and cultural celebrations. From Southern Europe to sensory gardens, this week at our City of London nursery was full of creativity, language exploration, and real-world adventures for our preschoolers.

Regional Theme – Spotlight on Italy: Pizza Play & Cultural Discovery

As part of our Southern Europe cultural series, our children explored the beautiful country of Italy—with a special focus on one of its most iconic traditions: pizza! Using paint, paper, and creative cutting skills, they crafted their own giant pizzas, choosing toppings and learning about Italian cuisine along the way.

This activity combined art, culture, and fine motor development, reflecting the dynamic learning environment we nurture at our nursery near Islington and Hackney.

World Health Day – Role-Play as Mini Doctors

To celebrate World Health Day, we created a hospital role-play area where the children became doctors, nurses, and healthcare heroes. They gave pretend check-ups, wrapped bandages, and discussed how doctors help us stay healthy and strong.

Through imaginative role-play, children develop empathy, social communication, and an understanding of health and hygiene—core themes in our early years education programme in Central London.

STEAM Focus – Mandarin Numbers & Math Magic

In our Mandarin and Maths learning sessions, we explored counting from 1 to 10 in Mandarin (一 to 十), using fingers and visuals to support number recognition. Children matched numerals with puzzle pieces and had fun playing coin bingo, reinforcing early maths skills through engaging games.

This is part of our commitment to STEAM learning at our City of London preschool, combining Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math with creativity and multilingual language acquisition.

Chinese Club – Sensory Springtime Adventures

Our Chinese Club brought the garden indoors with a spring-themed sensory play session. While digging in sand and building tiny castles, children learned new Mandarin words like:

• 🐝 蜜蜂 (mì fēng) – bee
• 🐛 虫子 (chóng zi) – bug
• 🦋 蝴蝶 (hú dié) – butterfly
• 🌸 花园 (huā yuán) – garden

Multilingual learning enhances memory, focus, and cultural awareness, all essential components of our early years curriculum in the City of London.

Specialist Yoga & Mindfulness with Molly's Mindful Movement

Our beloved specialist teacher Miss Molly brought peace and balance with her weekly mindfulness and yoga session for children. The children practiced breathing, stretching, and taking turns through group activities that support both emotional regulation and gross motor coordination.

Mindfulness is a key part of our child-focused approach to wellbeing at our City of London / Hackney nursery, helping even the youngest learners develop focus and calm in a fun, supportive way.

Excursion of the Week – A Day at the Postal Museum

One of the week’s biggest highlights was our exciting trip to the Postal Museum! Children explored how letters travel through the post, drew their own postcards, and watched real trains zoom past on miniature tracks.

Outings like these give our learners a chance to connect classroom themes with the real world, expanding their curiosity and understanding of communication and technology through hands-on exploration.

Looking for a Nursery in the City of London, Islington, or Hackney?

Our nursery offers a warm, stimulating environment in the heart of Central London, easily accessible from Islington and Hackney. With a focus on creativity, outdoor exploration, cultural learning, and music, we support every child’s early journey with care and intention.

📍 Located in the City of London, we welcome families from across Hackney, Islington, and the surrounding areas.

👶 Enrollment is open for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers aged 6 months to 5 years. Enquire now!