What Do Children Do at Nursery? Baby Room (0-1 Year)

What Do Babies Actually Do at Nursery All Day?

If you’re a parent of a baby under 12 months old, you might have wondered exactly what your little one will get up to during their time at nursery. It’s a question we hear often at Tommies Childcare, and the answer might surprise you.

The Baby Room at a Tommies Childcare nursery is where the magic of early childhood education begins. Our Baby Rooms are the calmest and cosiest spaces in all of our nurseries – specially designed to meet the unique needs of babies from 6 weeks to around 12 months old. It’s a place where care, routines, and early learning experiences all come together to offer the youngest in our care the very best start in their early years.

The Baby Room Environment

Each of our Baby Rooms has been carefully designed to feel warm, secure, and inviting. We have specifically chosen a muted colour palette to create a nurturing environment that feels safe and secure.

Furniture has been specifically chosen to help children develop and reach early milestones, including crawling, pulling to stand, and taking their first steps. Rest assured, all resources in our Baby Rooms are age-appropriate and free of any choking risk.

In some of our newer and larger nurseries, you may also find dedicated sleep rooms, allowing the babies a space to sleep away from the main room. Alongside sleep rooms, self-contained milk kitchens provide our practitioners a space to prepare and serve bottles and food. That way, our Baby Rooms become self-sufficient units in our nurseries.

Routines

We understand that for our youngest children, daily routines vary depending on their age and the routines already established at home. Our goal is to support both you and your child to make the transition from home to our nursery setting as smooth and nurturing as possible.

We also recognise that children move from receiving one-to-one care at home to a nursery environment where one early years practitioner cares for every three babies. To support this transition, we implement several thoughtful approaches:

• An extended settling-in process designed to help children build positive relationships and feel secure enough to separate from their parents or carers when their nursery journey begins.
• For babies who are exclusively breastfed but require a bottle at nursery, we kindly ask parents to prepare their child to accept a bottle before starting. This helps our nursery team effectively meet your child’s feeding needs.
• Lastly, we request parental support in managing sleep associations that cannot be replicated in the nursery environment, such as breastfeeding to sleep, rocking, or pushchair sleep routines. While we provide reassurance and comfort during nap times, supporting these transitions at home before nursery greatly benefits your child’s ability to settle confidently in our care.

Early Learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

As our babies are the youngest members of the Tommies family, we place great emphasis on nurturing secure attachments that form the foundation of their emotional development. We ensure consistency within our teams because we understand how vital stable relationships are for your child’s well-being and confidence.

Alongside building these positive relationships and supporting individual care routines, our Babies enjoy engaging in a wide variety of play-based activities designed to help them explore and develop essential skills, including:

• Tummy time to strengthen muscles and encourage early physical development.
• Sensory baskets filled with a variety of textures, sounds, and shapes to stimulate their natural curiosity.
• Mirrors to foster self-awareness and early communication skills.
• Singing songs, rhymes, and gentle stories to support early language and listening skills.
• Daily outdoor activities, whatever the weather, to promote physical development and well-being in our nurturing nursery environments.
• Messy play with different textures, including activities such as finger painting, playing with playdough, sand and water exploration, and using textured materials like rice, pasta, or fabric scraps. These hands-on experiences encourage sensory development, fine motor skills, creativity, and problem-solving. Messy play also supports children’s natural curiosity and helps them build confidence as they explore new sensations and express themselves freely in a safe and nurturing environment.

At such a young age, babies may be meeting other babies and children for the very first time, which is a crucial step in their social development. These early interactions help them begin to understand social cues, develop empathy, and learn the basics of communication and cooperation. Being in a nursery environment allows babies to experience sharing space and attention, which lays the foundation for positive relationships and social skills that will support their emotional growth and confidence as they continue to develop.

Social and Emotional Development

In our Baby Rooms, social and emotional development is a key focus, nurtured through a range of carefully planned activities and interactions. Babies are encouraged to build positive relationships with their key person and other nursery practitioners, fostering a sense of security and trust. Through gentle, responsive care and consistent routines, babies begin to develop attachments that are vital for their emotional well-being.

Our practitioners support babies in recognising and expressing their feelings by responding sensitively to their cues and emotions. Activities such as singing familiar songs, sharing stories, and engaging in calming sensory play help babies feel safe and valued. Group interactions, even at this early stage, introduce babies to the beginnings of social skills like turn-taking, eye contact, and early communication.

The benefits of these social and emotional development activities are profound. They lay the foundation for self-confidence and positive self-image, helping babies to feel secure in their environment and comfortable exploring new experiences. By supporting emotional regulation and early social interactions, we help babies develop resilience and the ability to form healthy relationships as they grow. This early nurturing environment also promotes a strong sense of belonging and prepares them for the transitions ahead in their early years journey.

Key Person

At Tommies Childcare, we understand just how crucial secure, trusting relationships are, especially for our youngest children. That’s why, in line with the Early Years Statutory Guidance, every child is assigned a Key Person from our dedicated team of nursery practitioners.

The Key Person builds a close bond with both you and your baby, providing consistent care and support. They also carry out ongoing assessments to monitor your child’s progress and are always on hand to answer any questions or concerns you may have. This approach helps nurture your child’s well-being and ensures they feel safe, confident, and ready to explore their early years setting with joy.

Parent Partnerships

At Tommies Childcare, we know that parents are your child’s first and most important educators. That’s why we’re committed to working closely with you throughout your child’s nursery journey. To support this partnership, we ask parents to complete an ‘All About Me’ form before their little one starts, helping us understand their unique needs and preferences right from the very first settling-in session.

Each day, you’ll receive updates through our Famly App, keeping you informed about meal and feeding times, nappy changes, sleep routines, and the exciting activities your child has enjoyed. We also love welcoming parents into our nurturing nursery environment during special events throughout the year. We hold two parent information evenings annually, where you can connect with your child’s key person to discuss their development and progress in detail.

Supporting Your Baby’s Early Years Journey at Tommies Childcare

Choosing the right nursery for your baby is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a parent. At Tommies Childcare, we are dedicated to providing a nurturing, safe, and stimulating environment where your little one can thrive from their very first days. Our Baby Rooms are thoughtfully designed to support early development through loving care, consistent routines, and engaging play-based learning aligned with the Early Years Foundation Stage.

We understand how precious these early years are and are committed to partnering with you to give your child the best possible start. To find your nearest Tommies Childcare nursery and arrange a visit to meet our friendly team, learn more about our approach, and register your child, please get in touch with us today.

We look forward to welcoming you and your little one to the Tommies family.