Parents play day at Kids 1st Quorum!

Do you remember the very first day you dropped your child at nursery? The roller-coaster of emotions you felt; the racing, anxious heart; the feelings of joy and nostalgia at the same time? You know...those of wanting your baby to grow on one hand, but wanting him to remain just as perfect and little as he is on the other? That empty feeling of going home after dropping them off at nursery for the very first time, not knowing how well they'll adapt?  Do you ever wonder what your toddler does at nursery on a daily basis?

We've all been there! Thankfully, as humans, we adapt incredibly well to changes in our environment, and even if it's harder at first to drop your little one off at nursery, you will soon become very curious about what they get up to on a daily basis. 

At Kids 1st Nurseries, we often have play days, picnics, parties and all kinds of events where we involve our parents. We understand the importance of having children experience nursery with their parents, as this also helps with their development. Furthermore, for parents, it's an incredible opportunity to be a part of their little one's lives, maximising their experience at nursery. 

In order to do this, Kids 1st Quorum organised a parents play day on the past Thursday, 31st May - a great way of involving families with what goes on at nursery. From playing in the gardens to reading stories; from painting to playing hide and seek; from riding bicycles to cuddling in the sun, it was great to see the children interact with their families. But let's go back to the beginning...

We were blessed with a wonderful day! The weather was beautiful: warm and sunny! So, naturally, some children enjoyed sunbathing with their parents, relaxing for a little while before moving on to the next exciting activity!

One of the activities the children enjoyed outdoors in the gardens was playing a game where their parents would have to hide a tennis ball and other objects for them to find. 

As the afternoon went on, some children helped themselves to some fresh water in order to stay hydrated on such a hot day.

Seeing the children interact with their parents was a unique moment. Watching them explain where certain objects were kept, showing what their friends had built, or even expressing how they'd like to go on the slide with their mom and dad were some of the heart-warming moments we witnessed. 

All the children were smiling from ear to ear, but it wasn't just outside that lots of activities were taking place. 

Inside, some children sat in a circle with their parents as they played lots of different games. In one of the games, the children had to close their eyes while sat in a circle, and the nursery nurses would tap one of the children on their shoulder. This child would then have to hide under a massive rainbow parachute, and the remaining children and parents in the circle would then have to guess which child was 'missing' from the circle.

One at a time, the children raised their hands to guess who was missing, and once they'd guessed correctly, the game would start over.

At one point during the game, we could swear we saw some parents slide under the parachute as well...Everyone was having fun!

For these children, this was the activity of the day! But these little ones weren't the only ones to enjoy the presence of their parents at nursery. Every child, from Starfish to Seahorse also had a chance to show their moms and dads how fast they were at finishing everything on their plates during lunch time, for example. But there were lots more activities planned for the rest of the afternoon!

For dessert, the children enjoyed a delicious brownie. Some of them really, really enjoyed dessert....

In the Starfish room, the babies were crawling, walking and playing with lots of exciting sensory toys.

We then moved into a different room, where the children sat quietly on the floor, getting ready to listen to a story about a spider, not before hearing all about a lion's adventures. Of course that cuddles from mom and dad were more than welcome, in fact, encouraged!

Sat on their mom or dad's lap, the children were very attentive to the story. Once the story was finished, the nursery nurses asked the children if they'd like to sing for their parents. 

One at the time, we witnessed some of the bravest children get up and sing a song in front of everyone: their parents, their peers and the nursery nurses. At the same time, some children peaked through the windows with curiosity.

The day was almost coming to an end, but the children made the most of it, using every single second to explore, run around, ride bicycles, play hide and seek, paint, and show their favourite spots on the playground to their parents.

Soon, it was time to say goodbye. We took lots of photos of the children with their parents doing different activities. We couldn't finish this post without sharing some of the remaining photos with you. We hope you like them! 

Dropping your children off at nursery on their very first day might be a cocktail of emotions, and particularly hard for the first few weeks or even months! A daunting and somewhat lonely feeling that makes us wonder and wish they could stay little forever might refuse to leave our minds in the beginning. However, at Kids 1st Nurseries, in these moments when children, parents and nursery come actively together through the planning of fun activities and play days, we understand the importance of supporting both the children and their families, involving parents in the little one's lives as much as possible.

We can't wait to return to Kids 1st Quorum to photograph more incredible moments, events and play days, where we get to share the children's adventures at nursery. 

See you soon, Kids 1st Quorum!