My Under 5

Self-care for little Explorers

West Street Neighbourhood Nursery in Erith, Kent, enjoyed a great day of activities for Children’s Mental Health Week in February. The Explorers were treated to their very own spa day, indulging in foot soaking, nail painting, and hairstyling in the salon, creating a delightful atmosphere filled with laughter as they jumped up and down splashing everyone – adults included.

A lot of language skills were exercised, and a great deal of fun was had by all!

After a thorough clean-up, the children relished a delicious lunch consisting of a healthy vegetable curry, rice, and a vibrantly coloured, fresh fruit salad. In the afternoon, they ventured outdoors, breathing in the fresh air while utilising their homemade telescopes to spot birds.

The day’s focus on self-care, relaxation, laughter, healthy eating, and exposure to fresh air worked wonders for these little Explorers.

Ladybirds’ lunar love

The children at Ladybirds Nursery in Halton, Runcorn, enjoyed a fantastic stay-and-play session themed around Lunar New Year in February.

Many parents and carers joined in for some exciting activities with their little ones, who had a great time playing with red, yellow, and gold materials like playdough, rainbow rice, and paints. The children not only helped their families prepare Chinese food for snack time, but they showed off their chopping skills as they added ingredients to Chef Lorraine’s wok to make delicious noodles. They all felt so proud of their hard work!

In the Chinese restaurant role-play area, the children enjoyed pretending to cook and eat different foods. They also had a blast dancing to music, twirling ribbon sticks, and moving to the rhythm. In China, red is considered a lucky colour that brings happiness, success, and good fortune. It’s a tradition to wear red and give gifts of money, known as ‘lucky money’ or ‘New Year’s money’, in red envelopes or packets. To spread good fortune and blessings, each child received a lucky red envelope with a gold chocolate coin inside.

Following some excellent feedback of the day, the Ladybirds’ team has decided to set up a regular cooking club for the children!

What have you been up to?
Under 5 wants to know! To share your own stories, please email editor.u5@eyalliance.org.uk with the subject line ‘My Under 5’.