Who remembers our pumpkin experiment back in October?! Finally, last week's warm weather has helped the seeds germinate 🎉 Do you think we will actually get a pumpkin in time for autumn this year? 🤞🏻🎃 #mickleover #preschool #discover #growyourown

Painting isn't always at the easel! Excited painting fun 😂😍🥰 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Preschool can be a messy place! It's best to always wear your scruffs 😊 but so much learning and development happens along the way. Painting isn't always at the easel. Developing wrist strength for writing, and hand eye coordination. Giving opportunity to explore, design, space and colour. #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Being a not for profit setting means that any money not required for sustainability of Preschool can be put back into providing the best for your children. Sometimes, additional funding, fundraising and donations mean we can make large purchases. We are delighted with our new area, enhancing our outdoor environment. As always we will follow the children's lead in how the area is used, but with some carefully added resources, this week has already seen a positive impact on mark making, numeracy and communication skills for our outdoor learners ❤️ #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Amazing what can be made from leftover wood!! The children have loved using this open-ended resource to build a road, adding their 'home bricks' to make Mickleover and then working together to build a challenge track for the cars. We can't wait to see how they'll use it next! ❤️ #mickleover #preschool #openendedplay #learningthroughplay

What an adventure we had at @national_forest_adventure_farm today. The children all had a different bit which was their favourite, including the bus journey and lunch! A huge day for our Preschoolers, as they get to experience a trip without their parents and use the skills they learn at Preschool in a different environment. Well done to all 🤩 We had a very sleepy journey home 😴 🥰 #mickleover ##preschool

#minibeasts 🥰 opportunities to discover, think about recycling (composting) growing, pattern, characteristics, protection, our amazing natural world.... #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

We've packed a lot into this 4 day week! Just a snippet in the pictures. It's been fabulous to see the discovery and learning. Your children are amazing 🥰😍 #mickleover ##preschool #learningthroughplay

The sun is out! Time to get growing. Topping up the allotment planters and sowing seeds. Keep your eye out for changes as our snack grows 😁 We even found a carrot stull growing from last years crop! 😆 #mickleover #preschool

What a treat 😍 A farming family who attend Preschool brought some babies to see us. A pygmy goat named Derek, and 2 poulet (young chickens). Fabulous experience, thank you so much 🥰 #mickleover #preschool

Who remembers sewing on binka as a child? The stitches at Preschool may be a little unorthodox but great for hand eye coordination, wrist strength and sense of achievement 🥰😍 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Lots of learning has been taking place today as a collection of cardboard boxes were explored. Imaginative play as they were used for pizza boxes, cake boxes and watches with amazing capabilities! Noticing which boxes were strongest and looking at why. Patterns in the corrugated card and in nature. Noticing the warmth felt playing inside the boxes. So much to explore. You have to love a cardboard box! 🥰 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay #loosepartsplay

Today at Preschool we talked about Holi and what each of our families celebrate 🥰 Wishing those celebrating Holi a happy and colourful time #mickleover #preschool

Some shaving foam added to the mud kitchen was fun. Watching how it changed and changed what it was added to. Lots of experimenting and language opportunities 🥰 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Some of the things we loved this week. We have a strong interest in Mario and Sonic just now. As always, following children's interests has led to some fabulous engagement and learning. Don't forget it's half-term next week. We're back Monday 26th 🥰 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

We're trying not to get too excited by the warmer, drier weather, but we just can't help it! 😁🎉 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

This morning some of the children worked together to build a pathway and bridges to get from one side of the large hall to the other. Learning cooperation and communication skills, resilience, shape and measure, creative design, balance, risk and safety all through play 🥰 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

We've been talking about people who help us, so today we had a visit from our local police team. The children tried out some police equipment, including the car! Tried on uniform and had plenty to say to the officers. Later in the day, we drew around one of the children who was pretending to be a police officer, then the children were able to recall the equipment they'd seen and how it is used by the police to help others 🥰 #mickleover #preschool

What do you see? 🤔 #mickleover

It was a bit like an episode of Masterchef in the sand today! Gave perfect opportunity to explore size, weight, subitising, pattern, talk about food preferences and sequencing 🥰 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

We're back! 😁 Some of today's invitations to play and explore, added to by the children, carefully extended by our early years practitioners 🥰 #mickleover #preschool #earlyyears #learningthroughplay

Merry Christmas from us all at Mickleover Methodist Preschool. We hope you have a fabulous time and look forward to seeing you ready for more adventures in 2024 🎄🎉 #mickleover #preschool

Wow! What a fantastic family Christmas craft session we had this morning. Lovely to see so much creativity, the children talked about it all day. Shared memories to treasure 🥰🎄🤶🎅⛄️#mickleover #preschool #christmas #craft

We braved the winter rain this morning to walk over to All Saints Church Christmas tree festival. We had lots of chatter about which was our favourite, noticing and recognising numbers, letters and colours used in decoration. It was lovely to explore a little more of our community inside the church, and get that festive feeling #mickleover #preschool #christmas

Our new light up colour changing building blocks are providing a challenge for the children at different stages of development. Those drawn by the sensory appeal of light are beginning to construct a tower, others order by size, make a structure stronger, work out which way to turn the blocks to make the colours the same or different or a pattern, as always, #learningthroughplay 🥰 #mickleover #preschool

Lovely to welcome back Rachel from Dancing Digits Derby today. She'll be with us on a Wednesday afternoon up until Christmas, helping us with number, counting, pattern and mathematical language, all whilst dancing and moving to music. Fabulous 🥰😍 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

The first half term is done! What a tremendous eight weeks it's been. We've seen every child grow in confidence, build relationships, learn and develop new skills, all through play. You have amazing children 🥰 (Movie is a snapshot of some of the activities from the last couple of weeks) #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay #halfterm

Some play inspiration to discover, set up before the children arrived this morning. What will you notice? 10 people standing on 10 logs? Recognise written numbers? Match number to quantity? Play imaginatively? Remember and recall family events? Simple, open-ended resource, ready for the children to follow their own ideas, carefully supported by our staff team #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

This morning's Preschool session was spent out and about, learning through play about our community and environment. We visited Mickleover Manor Woodland. Our activities led us to explore nature, think about how to care for the environment, think about shape, texture, measure, attention and listening, storytelling and adventure 😍 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay #forestplay #woodland

Do you remember yesterday when the brushing sounded like music?.... This was an adult led activity inspired by yesterday's observations, the children used our loose part resources in the mud kitchen area to create sounds, noticing differences and similarities. Attempting to play rhythms and singing along 🎶 🎵 #mickleover #preschool #loosepartsplay #learningthroughplay

Extending the children's learning today by adding shaving foam resource to their building play. This gave opportunity to think about how to make the building stronger, and to talk about what joins bricks in real life. A lot of fun was had smoothing the foam, experimenting, and role play. When it was all done, there was just as much learning happening as the bricks were washed and floor swept. A lovely observation from a child was the rhythm the sweeping brush made. She said, "It's like music" 🎶 🎵 🥰 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Nature gives us so much to explore 😍 Properties to explore. Quantity and measure. Language development. Creative design. Observing change. #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Here are a few of our play inspirations set up this week to help our children see how loose parts can be used, resources for discovery and discussion, opportunities to add and extend, and to let the children lead where the play goes next 🥰 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay #loosepartsplay

A group of boys and some clay, squeezing, squashing, twisting, adding the things they need to make their own creations #openendedplay #learningthroughplay #mickleover #preschool

What a first week back we're having in the sunshine 😍 Today we harvested our carrots. They were a bit small and had been in the ground a bit too long, but they gave opportunity to extend language, use tools, measure, order and use in creative play 🥰 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

We're often told people didn't know Preschool was here (Methodist Church, Station Road) so we invite you to have a little look round.... Children choose freely where they want to play, select and request resources. There are areas for discovery and to spark curiosity. Quiet areas, and places to climb, run, jump. Somewhere to be with friends, somewhere when you need a bit of space. We change and adapt our environment to meet the needs and interests of our children, here it is set up ready for today's welcome sessions. We are so excited to begin a new academic year and adventures together 🥰 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Don't forget our welcome sessions this Friday 😁 September already! If your child is starting at Mickleover Methodist Preschool this September, you can request to join our closed Facebook page Mickleover Methodist Preschool Parent Page, where we share more information relevant to our group 🙂 #mickleover #preschool

The Preschool doors are closed right now, but we are excitedly preparing for September 😁 If you are looking for a Preschool place, please contact on mmplaygroup@hotmail.com availability Mon 9.15-12.15 Tues to Fri 9.15 to 4pm #mickleover #preschool

Yesterday was our last day before the summer break. We celebrated with our leavers fairground games. It is always so hard to say goodbye, but so amazing to think of the journey and memories made. We have amazing children and families 🥰 Enjoy your next steps of school, but please stay in touch. For those returning in September, we can't wait to see you again x #mickleover #preschool

Today's snack was definitely not grown in the garden! Look at the size of this watermelon!!! How many words can you think of for big? #mickleover #preschool #summer

Emergency❗️These children were deeply engaged in a fire engine role play game. They improvised with props and used their imagination or experience to come up with rescue scenarios. Problem solving, working together, playing in role. Added resources and careful adult input extended their learning further 🥰 #learningthroughplay #mickleover #preschool

Playing with shapes helps to develop problem solving, understanding space and measure, creativity, language around size, weight, position. Coordination and hand strength #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

This week we have begun to welcome our September starters into Preschool. If you are thinking about a place at Preschool it may be useful to know we allocate places in the date order they are added to our waiting list, so always worth registering your interest early. Call 07811 756532 or email mmplaygroup@hotmail.com #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Some play and craft inspiration ready for the children this morning. Then the children take the lead and take it where they want, and the day is filled with discovery, ideas and #learningthroughplay #mickleover #preschool

Playdough is a fantastic resource to develop wrist strength for writing, imagination and role play, creative design. Do you know it's easy to make at home? Why not have a go.... 2 cups plain flour (all purpose) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (baby oil and coconut oil work too) 1/2 cup salt 2 tablespoons cream of tartar 1 to 1.5 cups boiling water (adding in increments until it feels just right) food colouring (optional) Mix the dry ingredients together, then add the wet until dough begins to form, kneading it together. #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Sunday scrolling, thinking about the week passed and the one to come. This time of year means transition time for a lot of our children. We explore this through play, the figures in this play inspiration convey different emotions, helping the children to talk about how they are feeling. Alongside this we have uniforms in the home corner for dressing up, challenges such as balancing items on a tray (preparing for lunch times) PE games, adult led listening games, books and social stories, photos from school, visits from teachers, walks to the schools, additional school visits when needed, sharing information to and from school. It is a busy but rewarding time, seeing the children ready for school, as we also prepare for our new September starters 🥰 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Splish, splash, splosh on the water slide 🎶 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay #summer 🥰

Splish, splash, splosh on the water slide 🎶 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay #summer

At Preschool we want to develop our children's awe and wonder in the world around them. We do this by following their interests, adding to and extending their learning, also by maintaining our own delight in discovery. It's a journey we feel honoured to be part of 🥰 #mickleover #derby #learningthroughplay #aweandwonder

Thank you for reading this - its a long post 😊 At Preschool we are passionate about adapting and providing activities and experiences which follow the children's individual interests, extending and introducing new learning. But do you know you can be a part of that too? As a non profit group (meaning once overheads are covered, all money goes back into the children's learning) we are supported by a parent committee. As this academic year comes to a close, all of the current committee members are moving on with their children. We need new committee members to continue running the way we do. Could you be a part of this? The committee meet once a term to discuss what is happening at Preschool and if there are any major decisions to be made. They support Preschool with organising fund raising, and can play a more active role if desired (for trips, craft events etc) If you are a parent with a child attending from September, or upcoming years, please consider joining the Preschool Committee. The committee is a perfect way to make a difference and be a part of your child's first steps in education. Please see Salina or comment if you are interested in joining the committee ready for September. Thank you

Evolution of a simple activity. Some creative shape frames to explore. To begin with there was mark making inside and around the frames. Then matching and naming shapes. Grouping them and recognising quantity. Then, paints were mixed, noticing the changes taking place. Children used different tools to create different effects. Lastly, the children added scissors, snipping around the edge, developing hand eye coordination, and strengthening hands for more prewriting development 🥰 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Learning maths skills through play. Helping our children to understand how quantity and number relate. Asking, what do you see? Helping develop skills to subitise #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Come and play 🥰🌞 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

We have quite a few children interested in time at the moment. Measuring time, talking about the time of day and when things will happen, to being interested in clocks and numbers, through to exploring 24-hour clock and analogue. So much to fit in at Preschool 😁 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

There's been quite a bit of gardening happening at Preschool recently. Carrots grown in a clear trough to see under the soil. Carrots planted in the Preschool allotment, hopefully for snack (the broad beans and strawberries are looking good). Planting of salad crops to taste and explore in the mud kitchen. A fabulous opportunity to learn about growing, food, changes over time, recycling, following instructions, and so much more #learningthroughplay #gardenersworld #mickleover #preschool

A celebration for a Coronation 🫅🏻🥰 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Last week a role play shop inspired a visit with a small group of children to @birds_bakery Mickleover, to buy some bread. The children requested the bread and paid with money. The bread became snack, with practice to spread butter. Later we mixed our own dough, noticing the change from soft flour to sticky mix, and then stretchy dough #mickleover #preschool

Apparently the weather will be getting warmer, we're heading for the beach 😍 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay #beach

5 Hungry Caterpillars arrived at Preschool this morning #mickleover #preschool #ericcarle #insectlore

It's time to register for places starting September 2023. Inclusive setting for children aged from 30 months. Government funding available up to 30 hours. Call 07811 756532 email mmplaygroup@hotmail.com or call in to see us at Mickleover Methodist Church, Station Road DE3 9GH #mickleover #preschool

Today saw a full return of our annual Preschool trip following covid restrictions. We went to Bluebell Dairy farm, and had the farm to ourselves! It was lovely to see and feed the animals, but above all, it was a huge step in our children's independence development. The children had the opportunity to transfer skills learned on days out with their families, along with what they learn at Preschool. A fabulous day 🥰 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Keen to share her learning from home, one child brought in a volcano experiment, which was awesome! It is such a privilege to see the children at Preschool develop, often from shy beginnings to confident learners, moving on to being ready for school 🥰 #mickleover #preschool

Measure, mix, pour, explore. Extending language, thinking about size, more and less, noticing change, experimenting with cause and effect 🥰 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

We hope our families who attended the Easter craft session this morning enjoyed themselves. It was great to see you. There is another opportunity on Friday afternoon 😊 #mickleover #preschool #Easter #craft

It's time to register for places starting September 2023. Inclusive setting for children aged from 30 months. Government funding available up to 30 hours. Call 07811 756532 email mmplaygroup@hotmail.com or call in to see us at Mickleover Methodist Church, Station Road DE3 9GH #mickleover #preschool

Some flowers for inspiration. Some techniques and tools modelled. The rest of the ideas are from the children. We don't always end up with a recognisable finished creation but so much learning happens in the process. Ask, "tell me about your picture" 😁 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Snow!!!!!!!!! #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

With spring in the air we've been having a garden tidy. How many shapes can you spot? 🔺️🔴🟥 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

A scissor challenge ✂️ #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Now we've learnt how the tools work and what they do its time to get creative mixing materials and ideas #mickleover #preschool #woodwork

Learning new skills #mickleover #preschool #woodwork

Mark making opportunity with shapes, a chance to name shapes and introduce 3D shape names, use language for shape characteristics, and think about shapes in the environment or being used for a purpose 🟣🟨🔷️🔺️ #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Preschool woodwork, learning about staying safe and using real tools to create. It takes quite a lot of determination and perseverance to get it just how you want it 😍 #mickleover #preschool #woodwork #learningthroughplay

The sand unit had a refresh today. Tools and inspiration added to think about pattern, size, measure and sequencing. As always, the children can and do add anything and everything to the sand, following their own interests and learning 😊 #learningthroughplay #mickleover #preschool

What happened here? Open ended inspiration. Where will it take you? 😊 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay #openendedplay

Merry Christmas everyone 🌲

The last Preschool week before Christmas is here! It's been lovely seeing families together creating Christmas crafts at our drop in sessions. Don't forget tomorrow we finish with our Christmas singalong . We'll be back to Preschool on Monday 9th January 😍 #mickleover #preschool

A little bit of Christmas 🎄 😍 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Just some of the things we've discovered, explored and enjoyed today at Preschool 😍 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

We have been asked by the church to remind families please not to park in the crosshatch area. This area is intended for turning and allowing access for emergency services. There was a case last week where a car was clipped by another due to the turning space having a car parked in it. If the carpark is full, please park elsewhere and walk. Thank you 😊 Also, please only park in the disabled spaces if you have a disability. Other hall users may need these spaces too.

Following interests and learning styles, this unit is now extending a group of children who are loving fire engines in their play 😍🥰🔥🚒 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay #firefighter

Thank you to Mickleover library today for inviting us in for a puppet show storytime. We tied it in with our story telling week. This week some of our parents have been coming in to Preschool to share favourite stories. The children have listened well and shared stories between themselves too ❤❤❤❤❤❤ ❤😍📖 📕 📘 📗 📓 📚 #mickleover #preschool #lovereading #storytelling

Creative inspiration. What will you choose? #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay #getcreative

Thinking about where our food comes from, how things grow and trying new things, today's adult led activity included picking, preparing, cooking and eating brussel sprouts! You'd be surprised how many children enjoyed them!! We also planted some broad beans ready for our allotment planters ❤🌱 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay #growyourown

Well, how did that happen?! Bubble, bubble, bubble, POP!!! #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Reminder❗We would like to invite our current Preschool parents and carers to our Preschool curriculum information evening and AGM. It is this Thursday (20th October) at 6.30pm. Come along, have a coffee, cake and a chat, get to know a bit more about how Preschool runs, what and how we help your children learn, and how you can support learning at home.

This was fun! An opportunity for noticing change with colours and patterns. Turn taking, listening and attention development, extending language 😍 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Exploring Autumn. Colours, size, weight, quantity, texture, language extending, turn taking, sharing, making links with home, imagination and creative development 😍 #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay #autumn

Today we made flour and water dough following on from the story of the Little Red Hen, who bakes some bread. We experimented with adding water and flour, noticing the changes. The children used some fabulous words to describe what they saw, felt and smelt. Linking the activity to previous experiences. Alongside sensory exploration, working together, extending language, listening and attention, story telling and recall... #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

Would you like to join us? We are looking for two enthusiastic, level 3 qualified early years practitioners to join our busy team. Be a part of our journey, information in the photo 😁 #mickleover #preschool #earlyyears #derby

Snack time is great for reinforcing skills learnt at home, table manners and social skills, along with thinking about healthy eating and where our food comes from. Today's toast gave opportunity to further develop independence skills, hand eye coordination and staying safe when using tools #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay #snacktime

Numicon is a great resource to help children understand number and quantity, number patterns, subitising, simple addition and subtraction. We added numicon windows to our sand tray beach huts today, #learningthroughplay ❤ #mickleover #preschool #numicon

What an incredible lady ❤

What will you choose? Resources are set up in the morning to spark an idea or follow an interest. The children choose what they want to do at Preschool, making their learning relevant to them. The staff are on hand to carefully extend and develop learning as they go #mickleover #preschool #learningthroughplay

What a shame our British summer decided to return today! It was lovely to catch up with a few of you on the park this morning, even if we didn't last very long. Hope you enjoy the rest of the holidays and hope to see you all soon 😊 #mickleover #preschool #britishsummer

And just like that, another year has gone! Have a fabulous summer everyone. Don't forget our meet up on the park, welcome sessions and welcome back picnic. We'll be back for Preschool sessions Thursday 1st September 🌞 (Photo is our resident boy band/rock stars who put on a concert for us all today 🥰) #mickleover #preschool #summer