Walk into almost any early years setting and you will see resources, activities, planning, observations and carefully considered environments. But great early years practice doesn't begin with any of these things. It begins with knowing the child. - Before we decide what a child needs to learn next, what resources to provide or how an environment should be arranged, we need to understand the person standing in front of us. What fascinates them? What makes them laugh? What mak

Getting ready to meet your baby Packing your hospital bag is one of those moments when everything can suddenly start to feel very real! There’s no perfect hospital bag, and every birth and hospital stay is different. But having the essentials ready can give you one less thing to think about when the time comes. As a general guide, aim to have your bag packed by around 36 weeks — a little earlier if you’ve been advised that your baby may arrive sooner. Here’s our Bump, Baby &

"Every child finds their voice in their own time. Our role is to give them something worth saying." One of the questions we are asked most often by parents of two-year-olds is: “Should my child be talking more?” It's a completely understandable worry. Social media is full of videos of chatty toddlers, and it's easy to compare your child with others. The truth is that language development between the ages of two and three varies enormously, and there is a wide range of what is

When children reach their pre-school year, it is natural for parents to start thinking about school. Should they be able to write their name? Should they know their letters? Should they be starting to read? At Saffrons, we absolutely want children to develop a love of reading and writing. But we don't believe that getting children to read and write as early as possible should be the goal. Instead, we concentrate on building the foundations that will allow literacy to develop

There is something quite extraordinary about watching a baby learn to move. First comes the tiny turn of the head. Then reaching, rolling, pivoting, pushing, crawling, pulling themselves upwards and, eventually, those first independent steps. It can be tempting to think that our job as adults is to help babies reach these milestones as quickly as possible. We sit babies up before they can sit independently, hold their hands to help them walk or place them into equipment desig

One moment your toddler is happily getting ready to leave the house. The next, they're lying on the floor because you gave them the blue cup instead of the green one. To us, the problem can seem tiny. To a two-year-old, it can feel enormous. Tantrums are one of the most challenging parts of toddlerhood for adults, but they are also a very normal part of development. Between the ages of two and three, children are developing an increasing desire for independence, while the par

Rethinking Sleep Through Relationships, Respect and Trust As parents and educators, it can be easy to view sleep as a challenge to be solved. How do we get babies to sleep longer? How do we encourage children to nap? How can we help toddlers settle more easily? Yet when we look through the lens of the Pikler approach, we begin to see sleep differently. Rather than viewing sleep as something adults do to children, Emmi Pikler invites us to see sleep as a deeply personal and de

Preparing Children Not Just for School, But for Life For many years, success was often measured by academic achievement. Could a child read, write, count and perform well in exams? Whilst these skills remain important, the world our children are growing up in is changing rapidly. Many of the jobs our children will do have not yet been invented. Technology is transforming how we live and work. Information is available at the touch of a button. In a world where knowledge is inc

When we think about independence in young children, it’s easy to imagine: Putting on their own coat Feeding themselves perfectly Following instructions Being “confident” and outgoing But true independence at age 2–3 looks very different. It’s not about doing everything alone. It’s about developing the confidence to try. Independence Starts From Within Before a child can become independent in practical ways, they need to feel: ❤️ Safe ❤️ Secure ❤️ Understood This begins lon

As parents, we are often bombarded with choices when it comes to baby toys. Flashing lights, loud noises, and endless gadgets promise to stimulate and educate our little ones. But what if the most powerful learning tools for your baby were actually the simplest ones? At Saffrons Park Nursery, we believe in the magic of & "less is more" especially when it comes to toys. Instead of constantly entertaining your baby with complex gadgets, we encourage the use of simple, open-ende