Our Nursery Curriculum: Learning, Play & Growth at Little Mowgli
At Little Mowgli Nursery, our nursery curriculum is thoughtfully designed to provide children aged 0–5 with a structured yet flexible framework that supports their development through engaging, age-appropriate learning activities. Rooted in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, our daily routines and educational plans foster physical, social, emotional, and cognitive growth in a nurturing, jungle-inspired environment. This page offers parents a clear understanding of our day-to-day structure, highlighting how we balance routine, play, and learning to create a vibrant experience for every child.
Overview of Daily Routine
A consistent daily routine provides young children with a sense of security and predictability, enabling them to thrive. At Little Mowgli, our schedule is carefully crafted to balance active and restful periods, ensuring children have opportunities for learning, play, nourishment, and rest. While the routine varies slightly by age group to accommodate developmental needs, the following is a typical day for the children in our Giraffe room (ages 2 – 5):
7:30–8:00 AM – Arrivals and Free Play: Children are warmly welcomed by our staff, settling in with free play activities like building blocks or drawing. This gentle start helps ease the transition from home to nursery.
8:00–8:30 AM – Breakfast time: Children all sit around the table together for breakfast. We encourage independence and a sense of self by allowing children to choose their breakfast, with choices of cereal, toast, fruit and more.
8:30–9:30 AM – Focused Activities: Children engage in planned activities, such as fine-motor drills or themed learning games, which our practitioners plan specifically for each child to meet their age-related learning goals.
9:30–10:00 AM – Morning Snack: A nutritious snack, such as fruit and veg with either breadsticks or ricecakes, is shared in a social setting, encouraging healthy eating habits and conversation.
10:00 AM–10:30 AM – Child-Led Play Indoors: Children choose from activities like role-play in our themed areas, construction or arts and crafts. Offering choice of activities allows our children to build their independence and express their preferences.
10:30–10:45 AM – Circle Time: All children will come together to either share a story, take part in dancing and movement, or play music. We express our creativity and work together as a group.
10:45 – 11:30 AM – Outdoor Play: Children access our outdoor provisions, with activities such as water play, building in sand, role-play in our mud kitchen or driving cars. There is always an activity for everyone!
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM – Lunch Time: A balanced, home-cooked meal is served, with options for dietary needs. Mealtimes are a chance to develop manners and social skills.
12:15 – 12:30 PM – Session Changeover: For children attending for half days, collections and drop-offs will take place, while the children are accessing free-play activities.
12:30 – 1:00 PM – Child-Led Activities: Children will express their likes and dislikes through their choice of activity. Practitioners set-up activities throughout our continuous provision to encourage learning and progress.
1:00 – 2:00 PM – Nap time / Quiet Time: An opportunity for our younger friends to nap, while our older children take part in quiet activities, such as gardening, drawing or story-telling.
2:00 – 2:30 PM – Afternoon Snack: A nutritious snack, such as fruit and veg with either breadsticks or ricecakes, is shared in a social setting, encouraging healthy eating habits and conversation.
2:30 – 2:50 PM – Circle Time: All children will come together to either share a story, take part in dancing and movement, or play music. We express our creativity and work together as a group.
2:50 – 4:00 PM – Focused Activities: Children engage in planned activities, such as fine-motor drills or themed learning games, which our practitioners plan specifically for each child to meet their age-related learning goals.
4:00 – 4:30 PM – Light Tea: A small meal prepared by our kitchen to replenish at the end of the day. Children are taught and encouraged to use correct cutlery and use table manners while eating at the table with friends.
4:30 – 5:30 PM – Free play and Collections: A final opportunity for the children to play with their friends. Children lead the play to explore their interests, while practitioners converse with parents about the nursery day.
For infants and toddlers, the routine is more flexible, with additional nap times and sensory-focused activities. Our low staff-to-child ratios ensure every child receives personalised care throughout the day.
Monthly Learning Themes
Our curriculum is enriched by monthly learning themes that make education exciting and meaningful. These themes, inspired by key learning about the world around us, connect to the EYFS areas of learning and are designed to engage children in topics they are interested in. Examples include:
Down in the Jungle: Children explore different animals in the jungle, discussing their appearance and copying their sounds and movements. Older children may discuss different animal habitats and compare animals to one another.
People who Help Us: This theme introduces children to a variety of professions and look at the types of people we come across. From firefighters to shopkeepers, children will explore through role-play and dress up, as well as meeting visitors to nursery to learn more about the world around them.
Seasons: Each season brings a new learning topic. Opportunities to discuss the changes we observe in nature, explore natural materials we find and look at the different cultural celebrations that take place. We also share seasonal stories and create lots of artwork inspired by the world outside.
Themes are introduced during circle time and woven into activities throughout the week. Activities are always planned based on children’s age-related expectations and development targets.
Example Activities by Age Group
Our activities are tailored to each age group’s developmental stage, ensuring they are challenging yet achievable. Below are examples of activities aligned with our curriculum:
0–12 Months: Sensory play is key, such as exploring textured toys or listening to nature sounds. Our youngest children will explore more general themes, such as ‘Colours’ and ‘Shapes, linking to our curriculum themes where possible. At this age, children are making bonds with their key adults and familiarising themselves with the nursery environment.
1–2 Years: Toddlers engage in hands-on tasks like stacking blocks or splashing in water play, working closely on the Prime areas of development. During a theme with an animals focus, they might enjoy a ‘safari walk’ looking at the animals in our setting or sing songs about jungle animals, promoting motor skills and language development.
2–3 Years: This group enjoys more structured activities, such as drawing simple shapes or sorting objects by colour. When learning about taking care of ourselves, they might create a collage of happy and sad faces, encouraging emotional awareness and fine motor skills.
3–5 Years: Preschoolers participate in complex tasks like early writing or counting games. When learning about the seasons, they might go on a nature walk to collect colourful leaves, or discover the different celebrations across cultures, fostering creativity and curiosity about the world around the,.
These activities are delivered in our indoor classrooms and outdoor jungle-inspired spaces, ensuring a balance of structured learning and exploratory play.
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.
How We Track Progress and Communicate with Parents
Tracking children’s progress is integral to our curriculum, allowing us to support each child’s unique developmental journey. Our educators use a combination of observation, documentation, and assessment tools to monitor growth across the EYFS areas. Daily observations—such as noting how a child shares during play or solves a puzzle—are recorded in individual learning journals on the ‘Tapestry’ App. These journals include photos, artwork, and written notes, creating a comprehensive record of each child’s achievements, shared daily with parents to create a partnership of learning from nursery to home.
We regularly evaluate each child’s progress against their age-related expectations, following the Early Years Framework, in addition to ‘Development Matters’. Each month, we highlight a couple of targets for each child that will be worked on closely with adult support.
Communication with parents is a priority at Little Mowgli. We share progress through:
Daily Updates: Brief chats at drop-off or pick-up, supplemented by our Tapestry app where parents receive photos and notes about their child’s day.
Parent Meetings: Regular meetings to discuss learning journals, assessment outcomes, and next steps, ensuring parents feel informed and involved.
Events: We aim to welcome parents into the setting regularly for key events, to learn further about our curriculum implementation, in addition to building a community amongst our children and parents.
Newsletters: Monthly updates highlighting the learning theme, upcoming events, and tips for extending learning at home.
This open communication ensures parents are partners in their child’s education, fostering a collaborative approach to development.
By combining a structured daily routine, engaging themes, age-appropriate activities, and robust progress tracking, Little Mowgli’s nursery curriculum provides a nurturing and stimulating environment where children flourish. Our jungle-inspired approach makes learning an adventure, preparing children for future success while celebrating their individuality.
For more information about our Nursery Curriculum, visit www.littlemowgli.com or contact our team today.
Explore Little Mowgli Nursery
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
Still have the questions?
If you have any questions or enquiries please feel free to contact us on the following details provided below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
