active play Archives | Little Acorns Nursery School

Why Every Family Should Try a Digital Detox

Mark — Mon, 18 May 2026 12:35:12 +0000

For most families, electronic screens are everywhere. Across the country, there are TVs in living rooms, with many households also having them in kitchens, dining rooms, and even bedrooms. Smartphone use is also prolific. Additionally, we have tablets, computers, game consoles, e-readers, and even wearable smartwatches that have screens. So, rather like the movie title, "Everything Everywhere All at Once," electronic screens are nothing short of ubiquitous. But what effect does watching such screens have on people, particularly children? And is there an argument for taking a significant break from them once in a while? Today's post explores the topic and explains Why Every Family Should Try a Digital Detox, whether for a day, a week, or significantly longer. Let's dive in.

The Benefits of Sport in the Early Years – & Exciting Chorley News!

Mark — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 10:46:09 +0000

In exciting news, Chorley made it to the National press and TV this week and there has been a huge amount of buzz about what's been going on. For anyone who missed it, the story involves Chorley Football Club and stars from two pop groups. Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy from Boyzone and Brian McFadden from Westlife visited a Chorley FC match. Along with Boyzone's Ronan Keating, they are exploring the possibility of buying a stake in the club. The story has gone completely viral with the likes of Sky Sports, ITV and the BBC having sent camera crews to cover it. The stars' visit and interest in Chorley Football Club have been the talk of the Nation and have certainly put Chorley on the map!

“This is a game-changer that has the potential to bring our town into the limelight like never before, generating a buzz and publicity that will shine a bright light on Chorley and the local area.” — Chorley FC

With Chorley Football Club being only 4.8 miles and a 14-minute drive from Little Acorns Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, this news has certainly registered on our radar. What's more, it's sure to fire up greater interest in sport from children in the Chorley area. Perhaps some of them could even end up being sporting stars of the future! With all that in mind, we thought we'd take the opportunity today to explore the value and importance of sport to children in their early years.

Encouraging Learning Through Play at Home

Mark — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 18:01:24 +0000

As we discussed in our recent post The Power of Learning Through Play in Early Childhood, play helps babies and children to improve cognitive skills, social skills, motor skills and emotional growth. It feeds the imagination, boosts creativity and fosters a love of learning. Language skills benefit, problem-solving abilities are enhanced, and children naturally pick up maths concepts and even elements of science through play. With that in mind, today's post follows up with the topic of Encouraging Learning Through Play at Home.

How to Encourage Learning Through Play at Home

Play-based learning doesn't stop when children leave childcare nurseries; it continues at home, where parents and caregivers play a crucial role in fostering an environment that supports exploration, curiosity, and growth through play. Through the suggestions outlined below, parents can help children more optimally benefit from everything that learning through play provides — while at home.

The Power of Learning Through Play in Early Childhood

Mark — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 08:00:54 +0000

In the world of child development and early education, there is a simple yet profound truth: children learn best when they are learning through play. Play is the universal language of childhood and, indeed, it transcends both borders and cultures. Whether it's building sand castles on a sunny beach or arranging blocks on the floor at home, play is the gateway through which children explore, discover, and grow. But how and why is play so important? And can it benefit even babies, the tiniest members of society? In today's article, we'll unravel the secrets of learning through play. We'll refer to some findings of scientific studies that attest to its incredible impact, explore play's significance in the early years and infancy, and explain how childcare nurseries like ours harness its potential to nurture young minds. So, join us today as we explore the power of play and why it should be at the heart of every child's learning experience. Let's open the door to a world where fun, laughter, imagination, and natural discovery pave the way to a brighter future for our children.

The Benefits of Outdoor Play in the Early Years

Mark — Sat, 12 Feb 2022 17:01:21 +0000

In today's post, we take a look at the importance of outdoor play for children in their early years. Indeed, there are many benefits, as we'll see ... Outdoor play is great fun for children — of course — and that should not be overlooked as a benefit. After all, any healthy childhood should be about adventurous play and fun just as much as it should be about learning. However, as we all know, playing and learning are very closely interlinked. That is why outstanding childcare settings like Little Acorns Nursery firmly believe in learning through play. Having fun anywhere, but particularly outdoors in the fresh air, will help children's wellbeing in terms of mental and spiritual health too. Playing outdoors will lift the spirits and give children a myriad of opportunities for fun, learning, self-improvement and physical wellbeing. Such activity releases the hormone cortisol in the brain and that helps to naturally reduce stress and anxiety.

Children benefit from the simple act of being outdoors.

Playing outside is also a healthy release from things like TV, electronic screens and, potentially, from an otherwise more sedentary lifestyle. Away from the confines of the indoors, outdoor play allows children the freedom to move about more freely. Outside, they'll learn to navigate spaces, obstacles and play equipment, all the time improving spatial awareness, coordination, balance and gross motor skills. These include running, jumping, climbing and so on. Their fitness levels will naturally improve too, as they build stamina, muscle and strength. This is all incredibly good for them. Outdoor play is also a feast for the senses. During the early years, sensory experiences are very important, not least for their brain development. Playing outdoors will give them many sensory opportunities, for example in terms of what they hear, see, feel, touch and smell. Outdoor play teaches children to be creative, inventing adventures and challenges with their friends, all the time stimulating their brains and minds just as much as their bodies. They benefit socially too, of course, growing closer bonds with their peers (and supervising adults), learning social skills like communication, understanding right from wrong, cooperation, and so on.

Outdoor Play at Little Acorns Nursery

At Little Acorns, we understand the importance of outdoor play. Little ones, from the age of two have access to our outdoor gardens and play areas — all under close supervision, of course. We have invested heavily in a whole range of exciting, stimulating and educational outdoor facilities for the children to explore, play with and learn from. As they do, they will not only learn but they'll also hone fine and gross motor skills, improve coordination and balance, improve physical fitness, enhance social skills and build friendships. They will also soon become better at recognising and balancing risk, they'll become more independent as they move around freely. They'll also learn from mistakes. Their self-confidence and self-esteem will also naturally grow. These are all incredibly important skills that will stand them in good stead as they gradually approach the age where they'll leave us to ...

Exercise & Active Play for Under-Fives

Mark — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 17:16:38 +0000

A healthy lifestyle is crucially important for health and wellbeing at any age, but it's even more important in the early years. At this age, children are still at a critical time in their physical and mental development. We wrote last month about the need for healthy eating for toddlers and preschoolers and now follow this up by exploring the importance of exercise and active play for under fives.

The Importance of Exercise for Under-Fives

Generally speaking, under-fives should be encouraged to be active. There are many benefits of this including remaining physically fit, getting to know and enhancing physical abilities, honing motor skills (fine and gross) and improving coordination and balance. In addition, it helps the very young to develop visual and sensory skills. Physical activity is also part and parcel of the development of new neurological pathways in the brain. All these skills and benefits will become increasingly important as children grow, develop and become ever-more active and independent.

Exercise for Babies — Tummy Time

Exercise for babies comes in the form of light, active play. At this early age, even starting as newborns, they can begin via floor activities known commonly as Tummy Time. Here, the supervising adult places them on their stomach on a suitably comfy, safe and soft area of the floor and encourages them to move their head, arms and legs.

Close supervision is essential for your baby's safety and, of course, the baby must always be awake when they're in this ‘prone’ position

Allowing babies to move on their tummies will help to strengthen limbs, neck, shoulder and back muscles and also help the infant to develop their motor, coordination and visual skills. It's also believed to help babies avoid ‘positional conditions’, including the development of skull deformations and neck problems. As we mentioned before, it even helps babies' brains to form new neural pathways. Tummy time should last only 3 to 5 minutes when they first start as young babies, with the infants attempting it only 2 to 3 times over the course of each day initially. As they grow towards the age of 12 months, this can be slowly increased to suit the baby's increasing strength and physical abilities. Eventually, the baby will be able to roll over sideways in both directions, be able to sit and self-direct — and may indeed be crawling by the time they're around 7 to 9 months of age.

Exercise for Toddlers

By the time they are toddlers (1-2 years old), they will usually have mastered all of the above and be adept at self-directing, grasping, pulling, pushing and moving around unaided. Indeed, toddlers should now be active each day for around ...