Fun & Educational Nursery Activities for Early Years
At Little Mowgli, our nursery activities for children aged 0–5 are vibrant, diverse, and thoughtfully designed to spark joy and foster holistic development. From crafts and messy play to literacy, numeracy, and outdoor adventures, our jungle-inspired programme offers rich learning experiences that align with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. This page showcases the range and richness of our activities, demonstrating how we nurture creativity, curiosity, and growth in a nurturing, nature-based environment.
Craft & Messy Play: Sensory Exploration, Fine Motor Skills
Craft and messy play are cornerstones of our curriculum, providing sensory-rich opportunities that engage young learners while developing essential skills. These activities encourage creativity, sensory exploration, and fine motor development, tailored to each age group’s abilities.
In our baby room, infants explore sensory materials like soft dough or textured fabrics, stimulating early cognitive and tactile awareness. Toddlers dive into messy play with finger painting, squishing slime, or splashing in water trays, which strengthens hand-eye coordination and fosters self-expression. Preschoolers engage in more structured crafts, such as cutting and pasting to create jungle animal collages or moulding clay into shapes, honing fine motor skills and concentration.
Our dedicated art and messy play areas are stocked with a wide range of materials, including natural and recycled materials—think leaves, twigs, and cardboard—reflecting our jungle theme and promoting environmental awareness. For example, children might create a “jungle mural” using leaves and paint, combining sensory exploration with collaborative creativity. These activities not only build dexterity but also encourage problem-solving and emotional regulation, as children navigate the tactile chaos of messy play in a safe, supportive setting.
Messy play also supports sensory processing, particularly for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). Our educators adapt activities, such as offering calmer alternatives like brushing paint with feathers, to ensure inclusivity. Through craft and messy play, children at Little Mowgli develop confidence and a love for creative expression.
Literacy & Numeracy Fun: Songs, Stories, Counting Games
Literacy and numeracy are woven into our daily activities through playful, engaging methods that make learning fun and accessible. By incorporating songs, stories, and counting games, we lay the foundation for early reading, writing, and mathematical skills, tailored to each developmental stage.
For infants, literacy begins with lullabies and rhyming books read during cuddle time, fostering early language development. Toddlers enjoy interactive story sessions, acting out tales like “Dear Zoo” with puppets, which builds vocabulary and listening skills. Preschoolers participate in phonics games, such as matching letter sounds to objects (e.g., “L for leaf”), and begin tracing letters, preparing them for writing.
Numeracy is equally dynamic. Babies explore counting through songs like “Five Little Monkeys,” while toddlers sort shapes or stack blocks to learn about size and quantity. Preschoolers engage in counting games, such as tallying leaves collected outdoors or playing shop with pretend money, introducing basic addition and problem-solving.
Circle time is a daily highlight, where songs and stories tie into our monthly themes, encouraging group participation, turn-taking and social skills. These activities align with EYFS goals, ensuring children develop communication, language, and mathematical understanding in a joyful, meaningful way.
Outdoor Adventures: Obstacle Courses, Scavenger Hunts
Our outdoor spaces are a jungle-inspired playground where children embark on adventures that promote physical development, teamwork, and a connection to nature. These activities, designed for all ages, encourage exploration and resilience in a safe, stimulating environment.
For toddlers, outdoor adventures might involve a simple obstacle course with logs to step over or tunnels to crawl through, building gross motor skills and confidence. Preschoolers tackle more complex courses, balancing on beams, and building co-ordination through learning to ride tricycles with pedals. Infants explore the outdoors through sensory walks, exploring plants or listening to birds, supported by our staff.
Scavenger hunts are a favourite, tailored to monthly themes. During an “animals” topic, children search for hidden animal pictures in the garden, promoting observation and teamwork. A nature hunt might involve collecting twigs or stones, sparking discussions about textures and the environment. These activities encourage critical thinking and align with EYFS areas like understanding the world.
Our outdoor area features a mud kitchen, water play station, and sensory spaces, providing endless opportunities for open-ended play. These adventures not only boost physical health but also nurture emotional wellbeing, as the calming effect of the outdoors helps children regulate emotions.
Overview of EYFS Framework
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a UK-wide framework that sets the standards for the learning, development, and care of children from birth to five years old. It provides a structured yet flexible approach to early education, ensuring that children receive high-quality care and learning experiences that promote their growth.
The EYFS is built around seven key areas of learning and development, divided into prime and specific areas. The three prime areas are:
Developing listening, understanding, and speaking skills.
Encouraging movement, coordination, and healthy habits.
Building self-confidence, relationships, and emotional resilience.
Introducing early reading and writing skills.
Exploring numbers, shapes, and problem-solving.
Discovering people, communities, and the environment.
Fostering creativity through art, music, and imaginative play.
The EYFS framework emphasises a balance between adult-led and child-initiated activities, with play at its core. It also highlights the importance of ongoing observation and assessment to track progress and tailor support to each child’s needs.
At Little Mowgli, we embrace the EYFS as a guiding principle, ensuring that every activity aligns with its standards while remaining engaging and fun.
Cultural, Seasonal, and Celebratory Events
At Little Mowgli, we celebrate diversity and the rhythm of the year through cultural, seasonal, and celebratory events that enrich children’s understanding of the world. These events foster a sense of community and align with our inclusive ethos, ensuring every child feels valued.
Cultural events introduce children to global traditions. For example, during Diwali, children create rangoli patterns with coloured rice, while a Chinese New Year celebration might involve dragon dances and lantern crafts. These activities, supported by stories and songs, promote cultural awareness and respect.
Seasonal events connect children to nature’s cycles. Each new season brings a host of new experiences and activities for our children, for example, in autumn, going on an autumnal walk through the local park, noticing the changes in the leaves, and collecting natural resources to create seasonal collages. In spring, planting seeds to observe how they grow, and establish care and nurturing for the world around us. All of these experiences broaden the children’s understanding of the world around them.
Celebratory events mark milestones like birthdays or nursery achievements, with group activities like decorating a card, and hosting a birthday party with games. These events build social-emotional skills and create joyful memories.
Sharing our Learning
To showcase the vibrancy of our activities, we share regular updates of activities completed through the Tapestry app, with lots of pictures. We celebrate new achievements, show progress through repeated activities and reflect through a child’s journey here at nursery at all of their successes. We also invite parents to share their own updates on the activities and adventures you get up to at home, to build discussions between children and practitioners in nursery and share in the partnership of learning.
Through our diverse range of crafts, literacy, numeracy, outdoor adventures, and celebratory events, Little Mowgli creates a rich tapestry of experiences that inspire and educate. Our jungle-inspired activities nurture every child’s potential, making learning an exciting journey.
For more information about our Nursery Activities, visit www.littlemowgli.com or contact our team today.
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Real Reviews, Real Experiences
My two children aged 4 and 2 have settled in perfectly, they really have enjoyed attending. They both come home telling me all about the activities they have done that day. The smooth transition by the staff with settling in days at the nursery put me at ease and now they both attend two full days a week.
My 3-year-old recently started attending, and the transition has been smooth and reassuring. The staff are friendly and attentive. It’s been lovely to see my little one settle in so quickly and happily. Highly recommend to any parents looking for a safe, nurturing environment
My little brother has just started nursery and we was soo worried on how he would settle in but honestly he has loved every minute of being at nursery and always has a lot to tell us upon returning home I would highly recommend mowgli nursery
My nephew has recently joined the nursery and he has settled in so well he absolutely loves the team who look after him he’s always asking to go to nursery soo that’s a change keep up the good work Mowgli nursery and thankyou for being so welcoming and being courteous to our cultural needs
Brilliant nursery, my Niece and Nephew absolutely love coming here! Staff are so welcoming and nurturing and they have plenty of activities for the children throughout the day. Would recommend to others looking for a homely, safe setting to send their little ones!
I recently had a look around the nursery with a view to putting my x2 children in with me only working around the corner.
To say how pleasantly surprised i was with there facilities and organisation is a understatement, The children are booked in for the start of July, Im Really looking forward to seeing them develop here.
Such an amazing nursery with great access to the outdoor area. The children are made wonderfully healthy food with caring staff around them. The children even get access into Jungle World playarea, which is a highlight for them all. Would definitely recommend.
We Serve Families Across...
Little Mowgli Nursery welcomes children from across Leyland and nearby areas such as
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